Arsenal have been branded stereotypically as reluctant spenders in the past. Arsene Wenger showed strong loyalty, perhaps too much, to his teams and would only spend big if an opportunity was deemed too good to miss by the Frenchman.
Arsenal have spent big on players since Wenger left. Nicolas Pepe arrived in a record £72 million deal from Lille and just last summer Mikel Arteta sanctioned a £50 million move for Brighton defender Ben White.
The Ivorian has not lived up to the massive expectations thus far whilst White has experienced contrasting success. The expectation is now that Arsenal will move for a striker in the summer and big money again is likely to be invested in whoever is deemed the right choice.
READ MORE: Darwin Nunez to Arsenal transfer: Gunners stance revealed, £67m price, Man Utd competition
In January, Arsenal looked as though they might spend big again. The demands of signing a striker led Arteta and Edu down the path toward Dusan Vlahovic. Edu was trying ‘everything possible’ to try and agree on a deal with Fiorentina and the player, football.london understands.
However, in the end, the weight of Juventus and Champions League football won and he joined the Old Lady in a deal worth in the region of £66.7m. This would have been Arsenal’s second-highest investment in a player’s fee since Pepe.
An indication that the summer will surely see the Gunners again open to spending a similar fee. The issue now however is the uncertain future of Alexandre Lacazette. With the Frenchman’s contract due to expire in June, should he leave, Arsenal would have just Folarin Balogun as an orthodox senior option.
Two forwards are on the club’s agenda for the summer, football.london understands, alongside a central midfielder and possibly a right back. Depending on further exits, other positions may also open up.
Improving this squad will require serious investment which is a testament to the quality of the team. However, the striker position tends to be an area where player prices are inflated due to their importance.
Of the forwards linked, the most recent name to rise to the top of the suggestions is Benfica forward Darwin Nunez. The 22-year-old is considered one of the most exciting talents in the market and football.london understands Arsenal are monitoring the Uruguayan ahead of a potential summer move.
The puzzle for Arteta is that an investment in Nunez could cost a reported £67 million. A similar fee to that of Vlahovic’s asking price, and therefore in the realms of possibility for the Gunners.
However, knowing that two forwards are needed, would the significant outlay on Nunez prohibit bringing in a second forward of the calibre required within the available budget? Other forwards such as Jonathan David and Alexander Isak have been mentioned but both will likely need marquee figures in the battle for their signature.
Arteta needs to find the balance and perhaps a renewal of Lacazette’s contract for another season at least would lessen the burden on just the single summer to allow such a large fee for Nunez. However, there would be questions about whether this fulfils the desired leap forwards in quality for the squad chasing Champions League establishment once again.
