Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has months to prepare for the January transfer window after a very busy summer, and one of the key items on his agenda will be to raise money through player sales.
Arsenal under pressure to sell after busy summer
The Gunners, after completing eight key deals totalling over £250 million, only brought in around £9 million in return — thereby finishing the summer with a seismic net spend of around £246 million.
Liverpool
£415,000,000
£187,000,000
£228,000,000
Chelsea
£285,000,000
£288,000,000
-£3,000,000
Arsenal
£255,000,000
£9,000,000
£246,000,000
Newcastle
£250,000,000
£152,000,000
£98,000,000
Man Utd
£216,000,000
£68,000,000
£148,000,000
Nottm Forest
£205,000,000
£107,000,000
£98,000,000
Tottenham
£181,000,000
£36,000,000
£145,000,000
Sunderland
£162,000,000
£44,000,000
£118,000,000
Man City
£152,000,000
£53,000,000
£99,000,000
West Ham
£124,000,000
£55,000,000
£69,000,000
via BBC
It was a pivotal window for Berta which showcased the Italian’s natural flare as a proven deal-maker, with insiders behind-the-scenes nicknaming him a ‘club agent’—partly due to his expertise in facilitating transfers (The Athletic).
Mikel Arteta was backed with the signings of experienced back-up keeper Kepa, Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and proven goalscorer Viktor Gyokeres, but most of the club’s outgoings brought in zero fees.
Big names like Kieran Tierney, Jorginho and Thomas Partey were allowed to leave as free agents, and that has perhaps pressured the club to balance their sheet with outgoing transfers next year.
Berta has some key decisions to make, as the exit-linked Gabriel Martinelli shined in Bilbao after coming off the bench to score and assist in a 2-0 Champions League win on Tuesday, showing Arteta that the Brazilian could still have a major role to play.
Leandro Trossard has also contributed when called upon with goals and assists from the bench in his last two games, right after the Belgian was awarded a new contract and pay rise with no extension.
Arsenal’s options to sell in lucrative deals are running thin, and Berta will bear in mind that the Premier League’s PSR rules only allow losses of £105 million over a rolling three-year period.
Arsenal "ready" to sell Gabriel Jesus with January exit possible
One of the senior stars who could raise some cash is £265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazil international is still working his way back from an ACL injury he suffered in an FA Cup defeat to Man United last season, with the presence of Gyokeres and Kai Havertz pushing him far down Arteta’s pecking order.
According to ex-Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the game, Berta is ready to sell Jesus and an Arsenal exit could happen as early as January.
“Now that they’ve got Gyokeres there and Havertz to come back as well, it doesn’t feel like there’s a place for him in the side,” Brown told Football Insider.
“I expect they’ll be wanting to accept offers in January, because Arteta doesn’t see him as part of his plans, and he’s going to want to play regular football.
“I hear they’re ready to let him go, and I expect he’ll make that move in January if the right offer comes in for him.”
Since joining Arteta’s side from Man City in 2022, Jesus has bagged 26 goals and 20 assists in 96 appearances, and that kind of return wasn’t enough to spearhead Arsenal to a Premier League title after three consecutive second-placed league finishes.
Now, summer signing Gyokeres has hit the ground running with three goals in five appearances, and he’s showcasing the type of proficiency which Arsenal have seriously lacked up front for years — even if there are concerns that the Swede isn’t a big-game player (Gary Neville).
