Arsenal are fishing in an ocean this summer when they might have been expecting another trip to the pond. This has been coming, though.
When Mikel Arteta, Edu Gaspar, Josh and Stan Kroenke all joined forces to sanction deals for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus the writing was on the wall. Here were seasoned professionals - even for their age - leaving the reigning champions to join a team without Champions League.
It debunked the myth that finishing fourth means quality additions are ungettable and also demonstrates how important a genuine footballing project is for new signings. Ahead of Chelsea, Arsenal moved in to secure Jesus but it was Zinchenko's near perfect role as emergent leader and inside fullback that perhaps caught the eye even more.
