Arsenal are falling behind their rivals in a big way, but spending tons of money won’t get them up to par. The health of their checkbook must come first.
Arsenal fans know that their club has financial problems. Of course, they are still pretty healthy, and their ‘problems’ aren’t exactly problems in the sense that it’s not going to cause the club a relegation or liquidation or anything of the sort. Their problems come in comparison to their rivals, who have created an ever-growing gap between themselves and the Gunners financially.
Now, Arsenal are being linked with a host of players heading into the summer transfer window, which doesn’t make much sense, considering the Gunners have far greater priorities at the moment.
Sure, Mikel Arteta is bound to have his eyes on a few players in the market, but keeping club staff financially secure, keeping the players healthy, getting revenue back up and running again, and slashing the wage bill has got to be of far higher priority than bringing in shiny new expensive players.
If Arsenal are going to make any deals this summer, expect them to be on the smaller scale, and for younger players who could grow into their potential. Rumors of £50 million deals for Thomas Partey and Dayot Upamecano have got to be seriously reaching because it seems unlikely that any club is thinking about such massive transfers these days, let alone a club that has been struggling to keep pace for a few years now.
Arsenal director Raul Sanllehi also reportedly told first-team staff not to expect anything special in the market this year. It’s more likely that the club dips into the free-agent market and the youth market.
I’m sure that Arsenal will be looking at the South American market when the window opens. Many clubs there with promising youngsters will likely have no choice but to sell players to cope with the financial implications of the virus. Edu & co are clearly keen to tap into that
— Freddie Paxton (@Freddie_Paxton) May 6, 2020
The Gunners will also be owing money to other clubs, with the fees for players like Nicolas Pepe and Lucas Torreira being paid in installments. This debt is likely to feel significantly heavier in Arsenal’s pockets these days, as the club’s matchday and broadcasting revenue remains delayed. Increasing this debt by chasing more big transfers seems foolish.
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The sheer number of high-quality u21 players already within the Arsenal ranks also makes it difficult to believe that they feel the need to splash tons of cash this summer. The likes of Saka, Martinelli, Nelson, Nketiah, Willock, Saliba, and Guendouzi are very much at the start of their careers, and each and every one of them has the potential to grow into a key role at the Emirates.
These players are expected to save Arsenal millions in the market, so spending millions won’t exactly support their growth. In fact, having those talents might be exactly what the club needs to get back up to par with the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.
Arsenal fans can dream about massive signings all they want, but the truth is, that’s the last thing the club will be thinking about. They need to first and foremost reduce their wage bill and keep those at the club healthy and happy, and maybe they can eventually think about spending some money.