There’s an irritating section of Arsenal fans that are obsessed with what rival clubs are doing during the transfer window.
Ok, it’s a reasonably small section that reacts like the Emirates is about to fall down or it’s as if we are about to get relegated before a ball is kicked.
Some are complaining about Spurs and Chelsea’s big spends but these are clubs that finished 17th and 10th last season, which basically means they had no choice but to shore up an underperforming side.
As Premier League champions Arsenal have to add quality but with a degree of discipline and intelligence.
It would appear that we are in the middle of the annual Arsenal moan fest which is manifested by the agitators in the fan base to bemoan the lack of activity or that the club hasn’t spent enough money.
The voices are getting louder but they lack reason, especially when I hear them saying we should have matched the £117 million bid for Morgan Rogers who eventually moved to Chelsea.
That followed the failed bid for Jeremy Monga who bolstered his bank account by moving to Manchester City, a move which wasn’t well received in some sections.
Fans on social media were literally screaming and shouting about the Rogers transfer because Arsenal wouldn’t budge on their own valuation.
It’s now the same situation with Bruno Guimarães, the club has reportedly offered £70m but Newcastle are understood to want £85m plus.
I’d be surprised if the offer stayed there, there’s wiggle room with bolt on’s and bonus payments but the Arsenal camps valuation is realistic based partly on his age.
He’s said to be at his peak at 28 but he is just the right side of 30 playing in the most demanding league in the World where he will be expected to fight in four major competitions.
For all his experience and technical abilities it’s still a financial risk even if you shave £15m off the asking price, but at least that makes the deal
more palatable.
One fan said “ The club are going to miss out for the sake of only £15m”
That’s one of those arrogant, entitled comments that doesn’t consider the clubs position.
It’s a comment that wants to Arsenal to prove they have the financial clout and is willing to spend any sum of money to show that’s the case.
“Only £15 million”, that’s a fortune when you consider Arsenal have just secured the services of Cristos Tzolis for just under another £20 million, it indicates that the club are in the market for quality but at the right price.
Even club legend Thierry Henry has commented on the subject
“ Don’t buy a player who isn’t worth the money just because the market has become inflated.
If the asking price doesn’t reflect the player’s true value, Arsenal shouldn’t panic and overspend. That’s how clubs end up making expensive mistakes.”
With clubs losing millions, even when they are successful, it pays to have a defined strategy to continue to balance the books, one which benefits the growth and improvement of the squad.
There are so many cases from the past where big money was spent and those involved never lived up to their potential or promise.
Danny Drinkwater was sold by Leicester for £35m in 2017, a hefty sum back then but he failed to replicate his form or secure his place in the starting 11 and he eventually left when his contract expired in 2022.
That £35m would now be worth approaching £48m in today’s transfer market but that was eclipsed in 2017 by the £75m bid by Manchester United for Romelu Lukaku from Everton.
Drinkwater’s wages were said to be between £100,000 to £110,000 a week which roughly equates to £6,240,000 per year, given the length of the contract and lack of return on that investment it is one of the worst transfers in Premier League history.
Arsenal have had their own disasters which include Willian (loan) on £240,000 per week but the club at least had the sense to terminate his contract saving them £20m.
In 2019 Nicolas Pépé arrived at
the Emirates for £72m in a confused and over inflated transfer, it failed to live up to expectations and as a result the club restructured their transfer policy.
Today’s market has been distorted by clubs willing to spend vast sums on players rather than develop homegrown talent and therein lies the problem at the moment.
The Premier League Champions don’t have to sell themselves to a player, they don’t have to compete with competition.
Arsenal are well placed for another assault on the title and the Champions League.
They have the talent, the credibility, the history and ambition, coupled with a sound financial plan even though fans might not appreciate it.
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