Arsenal have a transfer budget of just €20 million (£17.8m) as they look to add a midfielder to their ranks this month, according to Duncan Castles.
The transfer guru is claiming that the Gunners want a player who is a mix between an eight and a 10 as they look to increase the creativity within the squad.
Castles said: “Arsenal, their priority in this window in midfield has been a creative midfielder, basically someone who is a cross between a number eight and a number 10, so a box to box midfielder with creativity and pass creation skills.”
“I’m told they’re working on a pretty limited budget to do that of around €20 million (£17.8m), so you want a player who will take a fundamental role in the team, and change the midfield in an important way, but you’re trying to do it for a price that is very difficult to achieve.” (via Duncan Castles)
Do Arsenal need to sign a creative midfielder in the January transfer window?
Yes
No
Funds have been tight especially due to the ongoing pandemic, but, I feel like the figure being thrown about by Castles highlights just how big Arsenal’s problems are off the pitch. The club has been run into the ground in recent seasons with a number of questionable decisions being made.
From signing underwhelming squad players to paying incredibly high wages to those who can’t even make it into the Premier League squad, the current malaise is of the Gunners’ own doing.
You can’t expect to have much money left in the bank when you outlay £350k-p/w on Mesut Ozil, who hasn’t even come close to justifying the mind-blowing wages he has received. However, he’s not the only player who is facing these circumstances with Sokratis being paid £92k-p/w despite having been left out of the squads this season.
The most baffling moves have been in the transfer market, where the north London outfit have wasted money like a gambler in a Las Vegas casino. Nicolas Pepe was bought for a staggering £72m without having justified the enormous price tag. Meanwhile, Willian is being paid £192k-p/w for the next three seasons and having had just two shots on target across all competitions, you can say he’s been fairly shocking purchase too.
Arsenal’s transfer issues are of their own making, you’d hope the club have learnt from their mistakes in an attempt to finally looking like a competent football club.
In other news, one player has agreed a move away from the club.
