Arsenal are in the transfer spotlight thrust upon them by Manchester City now facing the big question of putting up, or shutting up
This is getting messy, and quickly.
The summer transfer window is hotting up, and from an Arsenal perspective, it could not have started in a worse possible way. Not through anything they have done, but instead their Premier League title rivals, Manchester City.
Nottingham Forest have earned a massive £116million from the deal to sell Elliot Anderson to the northwest side. Enzo Maresca was announced as the new manager of City on Monday, but he has already spent more than Mikel Arteta has on a single player during his nearly seven-year stint in North London.
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Arsenal’s interest in players is clear at this stage, but even despite their status as Premier League champions, that makes little to no difference when it comes to the negotiating table. Stories are already bubbling with prices for targets, frankly, reaching ludicrous levels.
Whether it is The Athletic’s report that Bradley Barcola is now being valued by Paris Saint-Germain for more than Anderson’s transfer or if The Telegraph’s recent claim that Aston Villa value Morgan Rogers for £130million, any player Arsenal are keen on has seen their price skyrocket.
It was just a fortnight ago that suggestions were that Rogers’ price tag would be north of £80million, and suddenly another £50million has been thrown into the ring. The question is, can you blame these clubs?
Unequivocally no. And Arsenal should be demanding enhanced prices for players that they too might sell this summer, be that Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard or Ethan Nwaneri.
Is it any surprise that Arsenal have suddenly begun to invest heavily in younger talent? Talks over a move for 16-year-old Jeremy Monga are ongoing, while the club has already wrapped up deals for Holger and Edwin Quintero, plus Victor Ozhianvuna.
Arsenal want to find the stars rather than sign the stars and they’re right to. However, while this is a smart move, it will not address the here and now, and so there is a need to upgrade the squad, but do so realistically without breaking the bank.
The move for Bruno Guimaraes is a great example. Suggestions are that a verbal offer between £45million and £55million has been floated and rejected swiftly, with many externally scrutinising the fee Arsenal have supposedly posited.
However, the move does lower expectations over any such transfer for one of the Premier League’s very best. Sporting director Andrea Berta has already proven to be a shrewd negotiator, having landed Piero Hincapie on loan before a £34.5million plus add-ons option took effect this summer.
Cristhian Mosquera, for around £13million, was another such example. There are deals to be done, and I do like the £34million suggestions for Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis.
But when it comes to the marquee signings, the question will be whether Arsenal are willing to pay over the odds or look elsewhere. You could argue the choice is between becoming part of the problem or fighting against it.
When you’re at the very top, staying there can often be even harder than getting there, and for Arsenal, now that they’re champions, finding players that will push the quality needle is going to cost them big money.
