So I have seen a few posts since my return about this idea of value destruction in the transfer window or Edu's general inability, particularly with regards to players like Bellerin and others who have previously left for nominal fees or free transfers. Counterintuitively, what is actually happening with our transfers is a good thing, and it's worth discussing why.
First, the market has clearly identified which players are excess to requirements at the club. Nobody is trying to acquire Saka, Gabriel or Saliba on a cheap. It is all the players who do not fit Mikel/Edu's plan who are being targeted for cheap transfers. I actually would not expect them to sell for much given how we have approached the transition - to quickly turn over the squad. What that does is it creates abundance in unwanted players at Arsenal. And it's basic economics that prices fall when things are abundant. And this will last as long as we appear to have a problem of excess players.
Second, related to the above, we have stopped receiving proactive offers for players from the likes of Kia. These worked in the past because we did not have a clear squad building philosophy, resulting in significant waste. Value creation from not
Third, the remaining players have much higher role clarity and utilisation. This is helping them play better and will improve their value. Players like Martinelli, Odegaard, etc. have taken a step up and look better and worth more.
There has been complaint that we burned players like AMN, Pepe, etc. They should have played more. On the contrary, taking these players out of the squad and focusing on our kids has helped us accelerate these players development and automatisms in the club. There is a big opportunity cost of playing players like Pepe, AMN etc just to protect their value. The main focus should be on building a team that can challenge for titles as quickly as possible.
My expectation is that by next season, our pricing will pop up because our team will exhibit scarcity. A small squad of really good players, most of whom are an important part of the ambition.
All I see with Arsenal now is something that I hated throughout the 2010s - clarity in vision and how to execute it. You have to choose what you are doing and do it well. You cannot take half measures. You just end up losing in the long run.
