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Arsenal are reportedly willing to break the bank to bring Vinicius Junior to the Emirates Stadium this summer, in what would be one of the biggest signings in the history of the Premier League.
The Gunners are eager to upgrade the left-hand side of their attack, with this the most obvious spot in Mikel Arteta's starting XI that could do with bolstering. Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers were initially mooted as the primary targets, but the former is now Liverpool-bound and the latter has joined Chelsea in a staggering £117million deal.
This has forced the North Londoners to look elsewhere for their marquee winger signing. David Ornstein broke the news last week that Arsenal are exploring a deal for Vinicius, who is currently locked in contract talks with Real Madrid.
The 26-year-old has been negotiating a fresh deal with Los Blancos for some time now, although a breakthrough is yet to come. If the superstar and the Spanish giants cannot come to a consensus, then the Gunners are waiting in the wings, ready to pounce.
Should they pull off this audacious move, Arsenal will elevate themselves from marginal title favourites to overwhelming favourites to retain their crown.
Arsenal balked at Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Monga prices
via Reuters
Arsenal have been accused by their own fans and prominent pundits of being stingy in the past, and as recently as this transfer window.
While many would accept that a well-run club implements price discipline when chasing potential targets, others have grown impatient with the stringent negotiating of the North London club's sporting director, Andrea Berta. The Italian has developed a reputation for making inroads on multiple deals before eventually making a decisive decision on one player, while he's also known to set clear price parameters for each individual target, which he'll refuse to budge on.
This approach was reflected in the pursuit of Rogers. The Gunners spent weeks laying the groundwork for a potential deal, liaising with the player's representatives and holding preliminary talks with Aston Villa. However, Chelsea ultimately gazumped Arsenal, offering a fee Berta simply wasn't willing to match.
Some reports suggest the North London outfit weren't willing to go over the £80million mark for the England international, again highlighting their strict discipline in the market — a policy others might dub as tightfisted.
This method has also been seen in the Gunners' approach for Leicester City wonderkid Jeremy Monga. Arsenal were the frontrunners to land Monga, but ultimately pulled out of the deal when Manchester City offered the 16-year-old astronomical wages.
Similarly, the Premier League champions are now haggling over an additional £5-10million for Bruno Guimaraes. Arsenal's latest offer for the Brazilian was worth around £70million, but Newcastle are holding out for £80million, and while Berta is reportedly reluctant to bow to these demands, although a £75million figure could be agreed in the coming days.
Arsenal will break the bank for the right player
Danilo Fernandez / Fotoarena/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Despite these accusations of being cheap, Arsenal have shown that they are willing to fork out significant sums for the right player.
The pursuit of Vinicius clearly shows this. Many reports indicate that Arsenal are prepared to offer the Real Madrid star the most lucrative contract in the history of the club. The weekly wage being proposed is in excess of £400,000 a week.
Not only this, but the Gunners are also said to be willing to pay a transfer fee that exceeds the £120million mark, despite the player only having a year left on his contract at the Bernabeu.
Arsenal evidently feel that Vinicius is a player who can elevate their level significantly, and will do what it takes to sign him. Conversely, they obviously felt the likes of Rogers and Monga weren't necessary signings who would move the needle for them in any considerable way. It wasn't worth them breaking their price principles to make these signings.
In the past, Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kylian Mbappe. They also spent around £250million in total last summer, bringing in the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi for significant fees. Don't forget Declan Rice was a £105million signing from West Ham, too.
Clearly, the Gunners are not actually stingy. They have a strategy in place, and they stick by this strategy to ensure they don't end up overpaying for mediocre talent, which would eventually come back to bite them. They aren't, however, averse to paying over the odds for genuine top-tier talent.
Some will continue to criticise this transfer philosophy, but Arsenal have ultimately proven with their success on the pitch over recent years that this approach pays dividends in the long run.