€9m Arsenal deal exposes a transfer weakness Chelsea have mastered

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Arsenal may be the Premier League champions, but their latest deal proves that they could learn a thing or two from London rivals Chelsea.

In terms of signings, Mikel Arteta’s side appear to have been near flawless in the transfer market this summer. Yes, the Gunners are still looking for an additional attacker, but when it comes to sales, there is no doubt that they should look to Stamford Bridge for a lesson or two.

The North Londoners are ready to complete three sales in the coming hours – Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal, Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona and Fabio Vieira to Hamburg – and while they are poised to set a new club record in the process, the other two deals show there is still an underlying weakness in the Premier League champions.

Current ETV

Gabriel Martinelli

F, M (L)

Arsenal

Gabriel Martinelli

F, M (L)

Arsenal

€40.2M

ETV Range

€36.2M - €44.3M

View full profile

Martinelli’s move to the Saudi Pro League is set to come in around the €65 million (£55.7m) mark.

The 25-year-old Brazil international will become the Gunners’ most expensive sale, surpassing a record set 26 years ago when Marc Overmars left for Barcelona for just €40m. This in itself is evidence of how poor Arsenal have been at selling their elite talent over the years.

Chelsea, for example, have completed 16 sales above this figure, including Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella and Liam Delap this summer alone.

Vieira deal highlights Arsenal’s selling weakness

But perhaps the greatest evidence of weakness in Arsenal’s transfer business comes in the unassuming form of Vieira, a player many fans will have forgotten was even on their books.

He arrived from Porto in July 2022 in a €35m deal – the 23rd most expensive signing in club history – but made only 19 starts across two seasons before being cast back to Portugal on loan for a year. It was in the Bundesliga last season with Hamburg that he really made his mark, though.

Vieira played 29 league games for HSV, a side that finished in the lower reaches of mid-table. He produced seven goals and five assists, having a direct hand in more than a quarter of their goals. SciSports rated him comfortably among the best central midfielders in the Bundesliga, easily outperforming the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Hugo Larsson, who is currently linked with a €30m transfer to Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Somehow, the Gunners have been bullied into allowing Vieira to leave for just €9m, Kicker reports. In absolute terms, this is a €25m loss on the fee they paid for him, while it also sits below his €13.3m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV).

Arsenal initially set a €22m purchase clause in the deal, but when this was not taken up, they dropped their demands to €18m.

Yes, the 26-year-old only has a year left on his deal, but the club’s failure to drum up more interest in a productive player is an alarming indication of their selling struggles, with Gabriel Jesus also set to join Barcelona for below his ETV.

Chelsea teaching Arsenal a thing or twoBy contrast, Chelsea have shown a talent in profiting from similar flop signings. Nicolas Jackson was sold to Aston Villa for €55.5m, a fee €20m above his ETV and €18m above what the club paid for him. Delap’s sale figures are equally impressive.

The Blues have mastered the art of earning a profit from their flops, keeping the wheels of their business greased even as the team struggles on the park.

Arsenal are, of course, in the better position than Chelsea in a sporting manner, but that’s not to say there’s not room for improvement, and the evidence from the Vieira sale is that they can still learn lessons from their neighbours.

Read more about: Bundesliga Premier League Arsenal Chelsea Hamburg Fábio Vieira