Andrea Berta had a tremendous summer in his first transfer window at Arsenal, but even he wasn’t able to resolve a long-standing problem.
If there’s one thing Arsenal are abhorrently poor at, it’s selling players.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is still Arsenal’s highest-ever sale, with his £35m move to Liverpool back in 2017 still not eclipsed.
It’s difficult to comprehend, given the talent that the Gunners have had over the years and frustratingly, the issue isn’t showing any sign of changing.
How much do you think Albert Sambi Lokonga is worth today after Arsenal sold him for just £260k?
If you were Andrea Berta, how much would you have sold him for?
Arsenal’s record transfer sale won’t be broken if Andrea Berta isn’t ruthless
Arsenal had the highest net spend of the summer transfer window as a result, spending over £250m while raising a measly £9m in sales.
The natural response to the mess is, how does this even happen?
Well, one answer is becoming clear this season, and it’s that Arsenal just can’t seem to get the timing of offloading players right.
We’ll use three underperforming players as an example: Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard.
Martinelli, Odegaard and Jesus impressed in the 2022/23 season, but since then, they’ve all dropped off quite significantly.
Prove me wrong, Martin Odegaard does not offer enough to Arsenal anymore.
If the end of 2023/24 wasn’t the right time to cut ties, then no time was, as their market values have dropped dramatically to align with their drop in form.
As per Transfermarkt figures, Jesus’ market value has plummeted the most by €55m, with Martinelli following with a drop of €40m, rounded up by Odegaard, whose market value is €35m less than it was in 2024.
The issue with these three players is that, had Arsenal struck when the iron was hot, they could’ve been sold for astronomical figures, but instead, they remained at the club and are now worth a lot less.
It’s therefore unsurprising that Oxlade-Chamberlain’s sale is still Arsenal’s best, giving Berta direction on how to navigate sales, with some brutality needed.
The financial side of sales is one thing, but another issue follows, as Arsenal missed opportunities to evolve as a squad by not offloading those who have arguably hit their ceiling.
Arsenal’s five most valuable players right now
The drops in market value are alarming, but fortunately, Arsenal are thriving in other areas.
While the Gunners house some players who are rapidly losing value, they also host stars on the rise.
Which player from this list can you see leaving Arsenal first? Tell us why.
When CIES revealed their top 100 most valuable players, William Saliba was uncovered as Arsenal’s most valuable asset.
The Frenchman was followed by Viktor Gyokeres, which is surprising given how poor the striker has been.
Gyokeres could present the opportunity for Berta to show a brutal side to his role as sporting director, as if things don’t improve for the Swede, he should really be sold promptly to avoid history repeating itself.
The summer transfer window will be a fascinating one for Arsenal, who must navigate sales better if they are to evolve.
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