If ever there was a week where Gooners needed some good news. by Dan Smith
If ever there was a month when we would needed a glimmer of hope for the future.
If ever the club required some much needed light after a dark period.
It’s almost like are PR department timed the announcement of Bukayo Saka’s contract extension deliberately.
From a business perspective it’s smart.
Send your customers away not all doom and gloom, if nothing else, confident that the majority of our youngsters have committed their future to us. Youth which in theory should only get better and will be stronger for the experience of a failed title pursuit.
It’s more likely to convince your consumers to invest in your latest merchandise.
On the pitch it can only help, in a week where our manager said ‘healing’ was stage one.
For Arteta himself this will help get his swagger back.
After finishing 8th, our worst position in quarter of a century, Josh Kroenke, Edu, BFG and Arteta sat down and assessed all departments of the club, making action plans in how to improve all areas.
I will wait to see how ambitious our owners are, now that they have their precious Champions League revenue.
Do they have the desire to take that extra step and make us Champions or will they revert back to the business model which failed Mr Wenger?
One aspect that has dramatically improved is ensuring your best talent is on long term contracts.
When Aron Ramsey left as a free agent, Vinai Venkatesham stressed this would never be allowed to happen again.
Players either agreed new deals or were sold before they entered to final 12 months of existing deals.
That promise hasn’t always been fulfilled.
Lacazette left for nothing, Aubameyang got a substantial pay rise based on running down his deal, Eddie Nketiah ran down his deal, Reiss Nelson is doing the same, it’s been confirmed Maitland Niles will leave for nothing, and it remains to be seen what our stance is if we can’t reach a compromise with Saliba?
Saka though joins Ramsdale, Gabriel and Martinelli in all putting pen to paper in recent months
I have written this before; the only reason Liverpool have been more successful than us in recent years is they acted more decisive in their contract negotiations.
They were no different to us in having players who wanted to leave. Yet by ensuring these men were on long term deals, Liverpool could demand a huge asking price.
Arsenal had assets, but their value reduced because they only had months left on their deals.
So, Liverpool could demand Barcelona pay over the odds for Coutinho, while we had to accept a swap deal for Sanchez.
That left Klopp with cash to reinvest, while we had nothing to show for an asset just as good.
The other disadvantage of letting deals run down is agents then have the power, able to quote huge salaries because they know you don’t want to face fans backlash of losing your star man.
That’s how Aubameyang and Ozil got their salaries.
In a sense that’s how Eddie got his.
So, we now have Saka committed to us till 2027.
If in that time he feels he can earn more money and medals elsewhere (and that happens), we can be well compensated.
To be a big club you act like a big club.
Big clubs don’t let assets run down contracts.
Finally, we are learning….
Well done, Arsenal.
Dan
Video – Alfie and Rob are back for the summer transfer window
Here is their first analysis of the summer, where Alfie and Rob discuss and predict every single possible Arsenal incoming and outgoing this summer, including fees and potential destinations for outgoings.
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