Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted his surprise at this summer’s big-money deals in the transfer market.
Four players have changed clubs for more than £100 million ($136m) in the last few weeks with Yan Diomande’s £120m switch from Red Bull Leipzig to Real Madrid the most expensive deal so far.
Next on the list is Morgan Rogers — a player the Gunners were in talks to sign over several months but their refusal to meet Aston Villa’s valuation gave Chelsea a chance to secure an agreement, quickly agreeing a £117m fee.
Elliot Anderson (£116m from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City) and Sandro Tonali (Newcastle to Tottenham for £100m) have also been at the centre of major transfers with still 18 days left before the window closes.
Asked if the vast sums clubs were prepared to pay — including four £100m transfers — had taken him by surprise, Arteta said on Friday: “Yes it has, yeah. I wouldn’t bet on that to be fair. But that’s the market, that means that there are clubs that are happy to invest or they believe the valuations of players are that and that’s fair.
“At the end, the value of the player is what somebody can pay for you. They’ve done it so that’s the value and it is the right one because someone is happy to sell and someone is happy to buy. In the middle a player is happy to move from one club to the other so I think that’s fair.”
Arsenal are continuing to pursue various deals of their own including possible moves for Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa or Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah.
The Gunners face Manchester City’s in Sunday’s Community Shield clash and Arteta confirmed Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi could all be in contention should they respond as expected in training after returning late following the World Cup.
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It will be City’s first match without Pep Guardiola after the Spaniard stepped down following ten years in charge. Arteta remains close friends with Guardiola — working under him for three years at City — and he paid tribute to both him and his successor, Enzo Maresca.
“Probably I’m going to fall short on the way I can praise what he’s done,” Arteta said.
“First of all, for the Premier League, for the country, I think the way he has opened a different way of understanding the game. Here he has escalated the Premier League to a different level, I think he has brought different standards to something we haven’t witnessed before.
“I was very lucky to be part of that and understand and witness how it is done daily. I think it is remarkable, unique. For me, he is the best coach in the history of football for many reasons. He’s done it in different countries, in different ways. But in a really sustainable and consistent way, which is the hardest thing to do.
“So I think he will be missed in the Premier League. I don’t know if coaches are going to miss him so much because it’s so difficult to play against him and to compete in the manner that he does with his teams. But I think a word of gratitude, first of all personally, for the time that I had with him.
“It was incredible. And then because I think he has elevated all the coaches and teams to think and to work in different ways. And that has made all of us better.
“So it’s been a pleasure. And now it’s Enzo, which is as good as him. Because I know him well and he will provide something different to the club.
“What I know is that Enzo has the personality, the character, and especially the knowledge to have an unbelievable job there. That’s why he’s been selected. Because they could probably pick anybody. And they’ve gone for Enzo for the right reasons.
“He has demonstrated that at every level. What’s he’s done to the Champions League and what he’s done, when he’s been at Chelsea and now here. So I have no doubt that he will do a great job.”
