Mikel Arteta put in ‘difficult situation’ as rejected £22m Mayoral bid explained

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Former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor has now had his say on Arsenal’s attempt to sign Borja Mayoral.

Arsenal recently tabled a £22 million bid for Getafe striker Borja Mayoral. However, that offer was rebuffed by the Spanish outfit, who are thought to be holding out for a fee in the region of £39 million.

The price tag Getafe have put on the 26-year-old attacker could well be a major stumbling block for the Gunners, who do not have a particularly large transfer budget available to them this winter. It could be that Arsenal find themselves in a position where they have to sell in order to buy.

On top of that, whilst there is a strong argument that a new striker should be a priority for Arsenal, given both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have struggled to score goals consistently so far this season, that is not the only area of their squad which they are seeking to strengthen. 

According to transfer journalist David Ornstein, Mikel Arteta has an affordable left-back at the top of his January shopping list. This is likely informed by the fact that both Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu have had their injury issues this season. 

Arsenal’s financial restrictions and need to invest in multiple positions explains why the club appear to have turned their back on a deal for Ivan Toney, after Brentford put a £100 million price tag on the striker. 

Gabby Agbonlahor provides insight into Arsenal offer for Borja Mayoral

Financial Fair Play is another factor that must be considered. Arsenal spent heavily in the summer, bringing Timber, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and David Raya to the club, without generating a huge amount in sales. They now need to be careful not to run afoul of FFP rules with their January transfer activity.

Gabby Agbonlahor believes that these factors informed Arsenal’s decision to chase a deal for Mayoral in the first place. Speaking on talkSPORT, he said, “I think it’s very difficult because everyone is saying Arsenal go and get Toney, but what if Arsenal can’t [because of] Financial Fair Play?”

“They can’t pay the money that’s needed, they’re going to have to look at different options, if that’s an option, maybe short-term.”

Despite needing to strengthen their squad if possible, and having limited resources with which to do so, Arsenal cannot fall into the trap of making a panic signing. Even if a low-cost option becomes available, it would only be worthwhile bringing them to the club if they can actually improve the squad. The Gunners are a club with title-winning ambitions. Stop-gap, sticking plaster style signings simply won’t cut it at that level.