Arsenal have done some excellent business so far this summer with Edu proving to be a shrewd operator time and again. The Gunners have brought four new faces to the Emirates Stadium already, with more likely to follow before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
The Gunners spent big money on bringing Gabriel Jesus to the club from Manchester City, signing the Brazilian forward for a fee in the region of £45million, around £10million less than the original price City appeared to want. And Arsenal could save money on another City player too.
Oleksandr Zinchenko has been linked with a move to north London, with a £30million fee mooted. Again, that is less than was first suggested for City to sell, showing technical director Edu is firmly working his magic.
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Not only has he managed to negotiate prices down though, but he has also shown he is not one to be held to ransom for players. A case in point here is Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentinian full-back was on Arsenal's radar earlier in the transfer window, but he has now been confirmed as a new Manchester United player, after former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag showed an interest in his former player. United have confirmed they have agreed a fee with the Dutch giants for his services, although a transfer is still pending a medical and personal terms being agreed.
Ajax have announced the transfer fee as €57.37million, rising to a potential €67.37million. That amounts to £48.8million rising to £57.3million. Edu and Arsenal decided not to pursue a deal at that price and instead are making the move for City star Zinchenko.
The Ukrainian has a wealth of Premier League experience on his side and is versatile. He can play in the left-back spot that Martinez plays, but can also slot into a defensive midfield position, as shown on international duty.
At least £18million cheaper, if the £30million transfer does go through, Edu has once again shown canny business sense. That bodes well for Arsenal and owner Stan Kroenke moving forward.
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