Arsenal could spend even MORE this summer after splashing £105m on Declan Rice and £65m on Kai Havertz, football finance expert claims, as the club’s wage bill is ‘under control’ and they’re back in the Champions League
- Arsenal have the financial security to continue spending big in the summer
- They’ve bought Kai Havertz for £65m and are set to sign Declan Rice for £105m
- Cutting ties with the likes of Mesut Ozil has helped Arsenal lower the wage bill
Arsenal are in a strong enough position financially to continue signing players this summer after splashing out £170million on Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, a football finance expert has claimed.
Mikel Arteta, who took great strides with Arsenal last season in rivalling Manchester City for the Premier League title, has continued to show his ambition in the transfer market this summer, first luring Havertz for £65m from Chelsea.
The Gunners are also on the verge of signing West Ham captain Rice in a deal worth in the region of £105m, epitomising what has so far been an uncharacteristically expensive summer for the north London club.
Mail Sport understands that Rice will sign a contract worth at least £250,000 per week after formally agreeing personal terms.
Before Arteta’s arrival at the Emirates, Arsenal were renowned for spending comparatively little when set side by side the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool Manchester United and Chelsea, but they have since transformed the club’s productivity in the transfer market.
Mikel Arteta could continue to spend big this summer according to a football finance expert
Arsenal have already signed Kai Havertz (left) for £65m from Chelsea and are on the brink of confirming their £105m summer swoop of West Ham and England star Declan Rice (right)
Alongside Rice and Havertz, the Gunners are keen to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton, having missed out on the Ecuador international in January, and their summer business may not even end there.
According to Kieran Maguire, Arsenal are profiting financially from a low wage bill and the lucrative return of Champions League football.
‘Arsenal are actually in a very strong position financially when it comes to spending,’ Maguire told Sky Sports on Thursday. ‘The reason for that is that they’ve managed to get their wages under control.
‘Arsenal’s wages are lower than they were in 2018, and around £150m to £170m less a year than Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, so that’s given them the flexibility to go into the market and buy new players without having to worry too much.
Cutting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang loose has helped lower the wage bill at the Emirates
The Gunners are also profiting financially after qualifying for Champions League football
‘Plus, the additional benefits of Champions League matches coming in, premium prices and the minimum prize money of, I’d say, £50m being a participant.
‘Factor that all in together and they’ve probably still got a bit of leeway to spend more over this present window.’
He continued: ‘They’ve managed to get rid of high earners such as (Mesut) Ozil and (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang, and that’s given them the flexibility to go into the market and be very competitive and to match (the other Premier League giants).
‘Arsenal used to be known as the “Bank of England club”, they’ve always been well run financially and I think this change of spending is a reward for Mikel Arteta in terms of his ability to get them into those Champions League places again, which means so much in terms of enhanced revenue.’
