Arsenal's brutal transfer windows over the last 12 months have saved them over £100m that they can now spend on improving the squad.
The Gunners have let five first-team players leave the club on free transfers or loan-transfers since last summer and are now feeling the rewards for their emotionless decisions which set a key point in Edu's strategy straight. This number may well increase still with Hector Bellerin still expected to leave the club before September 1.
Although no funds have been raised, and in most of the cases there has been a massive loss on the transfer fee paid, Mikel Arteta is working with a group of players he not only trusts more, but also one that feels like is his. The Spaniard has had to mould the squad overtime and now has a chance to make the most of that feeling, and so far the returns have been good.
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Arsenal's start to the season is vindication alone for allowing senior strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to move on, whilst the form of William Saliba has shown that the exit of Callum Chambers, not renewing Dani Ceballos' loan and Sead Kolasinac were all rightfully dealt with.
With the freed up wages as well as squad spots, Arsenal have invested wisely in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira, most notably, and there is no longer any doubting his choices. Whereas last season there was criticism for signing young players for too much money, the long term plan is now more evident, especially with some of the other transfer choices being made around the Gunners at the moment.
Speaking after the 3-0 win against Bournemouth, Jamie Redknapp said, "When you’ve got Fofana looking like he’s going to Chelsea, they’ve offered £80m and they were a defensive partnership - I think at St Etienne where they [Saliba and Fofana] both did really well. The two of them are just such thoroughbreds they read the game so well, classy on the ball. Going away has helped him grow as a player and the Premier League is so unforgiving but he’s learned, strong and such a mature player."
Saliba marked his third Premier League appearance with his first goal, a stunning curled effort from his weak foot, and it went along nicely with the chorus of Arsenal fans singing his name all day long too. Saliba, who signed in 2019 for £27m but didn't make his debut until the first match of the season against Crystal Palace after various loan spells, already looks to be one of the best additions to the squad, and given Redknapp's comparison to Fofana, he is only a good season away from doubling his value.
It doesn't exactly work like this, but if Arsenal wanted to buy a player to replace Saliba, they would be looking at more than £50m at least, and they spent that much on Ben White only one summer ago. Through the money they saved by using Saliba, allowing him to replace Pablo Mari and Chambers, they have spent that on Jesus and Zinchenko, who cost £75m combined. Less than Fofana could end up costing this window.
Add in that Aubameyang is now with a £25.5m demand on his head if Chelsea are to purchase the current Barcelona forward, the Gunners made a brutal but crucial decision to take a £58m loss on him, allowing the free transfer in January. And Redknapp thinks that even with Lacazette not getting any of his £50m-plus fee back into the club, Arsenal have improved. He said that Jesus is "such an upgrade on Lacazette and Aubameyang."
There was a risk that Arsenal were dispensing of players that had some value, but instead of holding onto them and filling space, Arteta and Edu made a now wise-looking choice and have given themselves a large kitty to use on another forward and a midfielder in the rest of the window.
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