Arsenal will only look at making minor changes to their squad in the summer transfer window, according to Keith Wyness, but still serious enough.
The former CEO of Everton, Aston Villa and Aberdeen, speaking to Football Insider, believes Arsenal could end the upcoming summer window with negative net spending.
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Arsenal are expected to sell a star player in the summer transfer window, and captain Martin Ødegaard is among those who could be sold.
Arsenal have invested heavily in the squad under Mikel Arteta with the aim of winning the Premier League title for the first time since the 2003-04 season. – As of now, they lead with 9 points over Manchester City who have one game less played.
Transfer plans are underway at Arsenal ahead of next season, and Arteta is still keen to strengthen his squad, even if it means a sale.
Arsenal ‘prepared to reciprocate good performances’ with new deals
Everton’s former boss Keith Wyness – who was CEO of Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy that advises elite clubs – believes Arsenal have the potential to make some player deals this summer.
In the new edition of Football Insider’s “Inside Track” podcast, Wyness believes that Arteta will keep a close eye on which players can handle the pressure in the Premier League title race between now and the end of the season.
“I think the squad needs adjustments more than anything. I think the foundation is there. I think it’s a solid investment in that squad. They also have options to execute some trades, so the net expense should be pretty low because I think they have assets they can sell as well.”
“It will be about adjustments. They want to know for themselves which players respond to the pressure, and who shows up and really performs. And that will be a big factor because they are all playing for their places in a very good squad, and they are also showing that they are prepared to reciprocate good performances with long-term, better contracts already now. We’ve just seen a few of them being handed out, so there may be some adjustments, but as I said, overall the net expense won’t be that big. And in fact, it can even become negative. And they may just want to adjust a couple of positions in terms of age profile and so on. But overall, they have a pretty healthy investment in their squad right now that can be traded.”
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Arsenal face problems in pursuit of Julián Álvarez
Arsenal are unlikely to be able to sign Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez this summer due to a licensing issue, according to former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson.
Álvarez may have no desire to return to the Premier League, where he previously spent two seasons at Man City, due to the fact that he does not get a visa for his entire family to live in England.
Player sales could also determine whether Arsenal can spend large sums of money to bring Álvarez to the club, with striker Gabriel Jesus potentially allowed to leave the club.
Ben White: Jürgen Klinsmann is right – Arsenal defender shouldn’t be booed for standing up for himself
Ben White was booed when he made his return to the England national team on Friday, but the Arsenal defender did what everyone should have done in his situation.
The 28-year-old was controversially named in the squad by Thomas Tuchel, almost four years after he left England’s World Cup camp in Qatar.
White is not expected to travel to North America this summer, but just the sight of him playing for “The Three Lions” triggered boos from large parts of Wembley when his name was called.
The former Brighton player would later score England’s opening goal, before suffering a penalty that allowed Federico Valverde to equalise in injury time.
Friday’s scenes have sparked a lot of debate surrounding the Arsenal defender, but fans should ask themselves why they were cheering in the first place.
What Jürgen Klinsmann said about Ben White
Arsenal are ready to sell White this summer as part of their plans to renew the squad.
The defender is still struggling with the extensive injury issues that have plagued him over the past two seasons, although on several occasions during the season he has looked like he was back to the player he once was.
His inclusion in Tuchel’s squad attested to that form, and the defender’s return should have been a night of celebration, but it was instead marred by whistles from the stands.
Speaking to ESPN on Friday, Tottenham legend and world champion Jürgen Klinsmann sympathized with White’s situation.
“I think that’s brave of Ben,” he said. “When you do it, come back, stand up for yourself, and give it a try. And also from Thomas Tuchel saying: ‘Listen, I wasn’t there when they had problems there a long time ago, so now let’s move on’.”
England fans should reconsider White’s situation
To this day, the whole truth about White’s departure from the 2022 World Cup remains unknown.
A report has since suggested that the situation arose due to a break in the relationship between the defender and coach Steve Holland, after disrespectful comments were made in training.
With that as the only hint England fans have to deal with, the whistling of the Arsenal player on Friday makes little sense.
Whether it’s national team assignments or not, White shouldn’t have had to sit still and accept perceived disrespect without reacting. The fact that he went out of his way not to return while Holland was still in the squad says a lot about the nature of the comments.
In fact, the defender should be respected for his decision to stand up for himself. Friday’s game probably won’t be the last White plays – he deserves to face a different reception next time.
