Arsenal topping the table is somewhat of a mathematical anomaly. Whereby squad cost and wages often dictates the overall picture for the Premier League, the Gunners have the fifth most expensive squad.
Above them are Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United, Newcastle are someway behind in sixth. An intriguing element to look at here is also how the squad purchase value lines up with its current market value.
According to Transfermarkt, an accurate indicator of player values, Arsenal's squad is worth more than £250m than they paid for the players. Part of this is down to the strength of young academy graduates, but the point still stands.
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In the current group Ben White is the most expensive at £50m, nobody cost more. At Chelsea, they have signed four players for £50m or more since the summer.
Such has been the shrewdness of their operations, owner Stan Kroenke has been rewarded for his financial outlay, or general lack of when compared to the competition. Whereby previously this has been stick to beat the American owner with, now it is a point of pride. Perhaps nothing demonstrates their transfer market success swing more than the tale of Dusan Vlahovic.
The Serbian forward was linked with a big money move to the Emirates Stadium last January but was already sold on joining Juventus. His time at the Old Lady has been far from straightforward since a deal with more than £70m was completed 14 months ago. In part down to injury - missing 11 games over the winter - and also the general Juve inconsistency, the 23-year-old is yet to justify his price tag.
Arsenal found Gabriel Jesus to be his perfect alternative and that already looks like a snip of a deal at just £45m over the summer. Although fans were left frustrated by being outmuscled financially by a European big dog, just as they were hijacked for Mykhailo Mudryk by an aggressive Chelsea bid, they have so far gotten reward for their strategies.
With Vlahovic scoring eight times this season in 16 league games it is far from the output of a player with such a large fee, albeit he has shown glimpses of the quality that saw Fiorentina put such a high price tag on him last season. He has now only scored in one game since October 21 and half of his league goals came before September.
This deal and several others have so far proved Kroenke right and is now a position of strength for the North London side.
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