Sport nationArsenal chief Edu still has nine deals to do after signing Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber
Arsenal are set to take their spending past £200million but Edu’s work in the transfer market is far from being complete.
Reaction to Declan Rice signing for Arsenal
Arsenal have been keen to get their business done early in terms of improving Mikel Arteta’s squad and sporting director Edu Gaspar has pulled off something of a coup to land both Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. The Gunners have splashed the cash with around £200million in total spent on Kai Havertz, Rice and Timber as the young pair prepare to be announced as new Arsenal players. But as far as Edu’s job goes, the hard work has only just begun.
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The Brazilian has proved to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market, a fair and realistic negotiator without paying over the odds for players. Some may argue Havertz’s £65m fee is excessive, but the ex-Chelsea star won the Blues the Champions League and at 24 still has his peaks years ahead of him.
The same can certainly be said for Rice and Timber as they edge closer to officially joining the club. Arsenal are paying £100m plus another £5m for the West Ham captain, who has the potential to develop into one of the most complete midfielders in the world, and his status as an indispensable member of England’s national team setup proves it.
As for Timber, the £40m deal to bring in the centre-back could prove to be another masterstroke from Edu as he is only 22 and has already become a well-established Netherlands international. But, as ever, Arsenal do not have a limitless pot of money to fund their transfers – and it will be up to Edu to offload any dead wood while still topping up the club coffers.
READ MORE Arsenal star ‘given the No 41 shirt’ despite Rice announcement imminent [GOSSIP]
Edu Gaspar Arsenal
Edu Gaspar: The Arsenal transfer chief has plenty of departures to organise. (Image: Getty)
The biggest income is likely to come from selling Granit Xhaka and it is understood Bayer Leverkusen have agreed to pay £21.5m for the Swiss star, who turns 31 next month. That is exceptional business, given Rice will slot into the midfield alongside Martin Odegaard and Havertz.
At the back, Timber’s arrival means that Rob Holding could be forced to look elsewhere for another club. The 27-year-old is exploring his options amid interest from Besiktas and Celtic last month, and the 27-year-old will command a decent fee to help ease the financial burden of their spending.
There is a host of loan players who look set to leave as they are currently unwanted by Arteta. Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nicolas Pepe spent last season with Marseille, Crystal Palace and Nice respectively and they are still attractive propositions for other clubs in the market. But they are likely to fetch lower fees than what Arsenal paid for them, something Edu may have learned from earlier in his role as transfer chief.
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Deal imagePartner imageBuy the Arsenal 2023/24 home kit From £40 VIEW DEAL
Arsenal’s new kit for 2023/2024 is a stylish twist on a classic as it reinvents that mid-1990s vibe. A truly modern-looking shirt with a homage to the past, the Nike kit also includes a nod to the club’s iconic Invincible’s side in the finer details while catching the eye with the lightning bolt motif
Arsenal Pre-Season Training Session
Rob Holding: The centre-back is considering his options. (Image: Getty)
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Arsenal want ‘£50m for Folarin Balogun’ as Gunners get ruthless
The situation is different with Folarin Balogun, however. The USA international scored 20 goals on loan with Reims in Ligue 1 and has admirers from all over Europe. Arsenal are looking to cash in for around £50m for the 21-year-old, and with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in attack, it will be up to Edu to extract the best deal for the club.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Pablo Mari have already been allowed to leave and, in terms of fringe players, there are still more players told to head for the exit.
Cedric still has a year left to run on his £100,000-a-week deal and Arsenal will be eager to get him off their wage bill.
Arsenal Pre-Season Training Session
Marquinhos: The Brazilian youngster could be one of several players to leave. (Image: Getty)
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Arsenal get helping hand from Brighton in quest to offload rare Arteta flop
Brazilian talent Marquinhos, American defender Austen Trusty and goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson could be loaned out if there is no market to sell them permanently.
In any case, Edu has worked tirelessly to improve Arteta’s squad and should be commended after weeks of transfer talks.
But the difficulty in trimming their squad before the start of the season, with as many as 10 player departures to engineer, could prove to be his most complex and frustrating task yet.
RELATED ARTICLES
Arsenal chief Edu still has nine deals to do after signing Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber
Arsenal are set to take their spending past £200million but Edu’s work in the transfer market is far from being complete.
Reaction to Declan Rice signing for Arsenal
Arsenal have been keen to get their business done early in terms of improving Mikel Arteta’s squad and sporting director Edu Gaspar has pulled off something of a coup to land both Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. The Gunners have splashed the cash with around £200million in total spent on Kai Havertz, Rice and Timber as the young pair prepare to be announced as new Arsenal players. But as far as Edu’s job goes, the hard work has only just begun.
RELATED ARTICLES
Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber free to take dream Arsenal shirt numbers
Arsenal decide next transfer priority after agreeing Timber and Rice deals
The Brazilian has proved to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market, a fair and realistic negotiator without paying over the odds for players. Some may argue Havertz’s £65m fee is excessive, but the ex-Chelsea star won the Blues the Champions League and at 24 still has his peaks years ahead of him.
The same can certainly be said for Rice and Timber as they edge closer to officially joining the club. Arsenal are paying £100m plus another £5m for the West Ham captain, who has the potential to develop into one of the most complete midfielders in the world, and his status as an indispensable member of England’s national team setup proves it.
As for Timber, the £40m deal to bring in the centre-back could prove to be another masterstroke from Edu as he is only 22 and has already become a well-established Netherlands international. But, as ever, Arsenal do not have a limitless pot of money to fund their transfers – and it will be up to Edu to offload any dead wood while still topping up the club coffers.
READ MORE Arsenal star ‘given the No 41 shirt’ despite Rice announcement imminent [GOSSIP]
Edu Gaspar Arsenal
Edu Gaspar: The Arsenal transfer chief has plenty of departures to organise. (Image: Getty)
The biggest income is likely to come from selling Granit Xhaka and it is understood Bayer Leverkusen have agreed to pay £21.5m for the Swiss star, who turns 31 next month. That is exceptional business, given Rice will slot into the midfield alongside Martin Odegaard and Havertz.
At the back, Timber’s arrival means that Rob Holding could be forced to look elsewhere for another club. The 27-year-old is exploring his options amid interest from Besiktas and Celtic last month, and the 27-year-old will command a decent fee to help ease the financial burden of their spending.
There is a host of loan players who look set to leave as they are currently unwanted by Arteta. Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nicolas Pepe spent last season with Marseille, Crystal Palace and Nice respectively and they are still attractive propositions for other clubs in the market. But they are likely to fetch lower fees than what Arsenal paid for them, something Edu may have learned from earlier in his role as transfer chief.
Enter your email address here
SUBSCRIBE
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Don’t miss…
Mikel Arteta ‘thought Mason Mount was signing for Arsenal’ before Man Utd move [LATEST]
Arsenal £50m exit could unlock more signings with four options on table [TRANSFERS]
Arsenal-bound Jurrien Timber snubs Ajax legend Marco van Basten’s advice [NEWS]
Deal imagePartner imageBuy the Arsenal 2023/24 home kit From £40 VIEW DEAL
Arsenal’s new kit for 2023/2024 is a stylish twist on a classic as it reinvents that mid-1990s vibe. A truly modern-looking shirt with a homage to the past, the Nike kit also includes a nod to the club’s iconic Invincible’s side in the finer details while catching the eye with the lightning bolt motif
Arsenal Pre-Season Training Session
Rob Holding: The centre-back is considering his options. (Image: Getty)
READ MORE
Arsenal want ‘£50m for Folarin Balogun’ as Gunners get ruthless
The situation is different with Folarin Balogun, however. The USA international scored 20 goals on loan with Reims in Ligue 1 and has admirers from all over Europe. Arsenal are looking to cash in for around £50m for the 21-year-old, and with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in attack, it will be up to Edu to extract the best deal for the club.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Pablo Mari have already been allowed to leave and, in terms of fringe players, there are still more players told to head for the exit.
Cedric still has a year left to run on his £100,000-a-week deal and Arsenal will be eager to get him off their wage bill.
Arsenal Pre-Season Training Session
Marquinhos: The Brazilian youngster could be one of several players to leave. (Image: Getty)
READ MORE
Arsenal get helping hand from Brighton in quest to offload rare Arteta flop
Brazilian talent Marquinhos, American defender Austen Trusty and goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson could be loaned out if there is no market to sell them permanently.
In any case, Edu has worked tirelessly to improve Arteta’s squad and should be commended after weeks of transfer talks.
But the difficulty in trimming their squad before the start of the season, with as many as 10 player departures to engineer, could prove to be his most complex and frustrating task yet.
RELATED ARTICLES
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