Arsenal have been given a cruel reminder of one major transfer blunder Edu Gaspar made in 2022.
Edu made some top signings at Arsenal, but the Gunners’ former sporting director also failed in many markets.
Mikel Arteta’s squad has vastly improved since Andrea Berta succeeded Edu, who is now under pressure at Nottingham Forest.
The Brazilian’s final transfer window at Arsenal was one of his worst, but arguably, his biggest-ever blunder came three years prior.
Finish the sentence: Edu Gaspar’s time at Arsenal was a _____________________
Former Arsenal transfer target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is now worth more than Declan Rice
Signing cup-tied Neto to be a second-choice goalkeeper and Raheem Sterling on deadline day turned out to be a huge mistake.
It might’ve been bad, but no error was as costly as Edu’s in 2022, when Arsenal had the chance to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Gunners had scouted the now world-class winger in Georgia for some time and considered him in 2022, but it was Marquinhos who arrived instead.
Napoli sealed a deal in the region of just £10m for Kvaratskhelia, a fee that could’ve represented one of Arsenal’s best-ever signings.
Now, Kvaratskhelia is one of the most valuable players in the world, with his CIES market value rising to €91m.
To compare, Declan Rice’s market value is €81.9m, showing the elite level Kvaratskhelia is now at.
Kvaratskhelia blunder was one of Edu Gaspar’s worst
Edu made some poor transfer decisions at Arsenal, but looking at what Kvaratskhelia has gone on to achieve proves the Georgian really is the one that got away for the Brazilian.
It’s particularly alarming as Marquinhos, who was signed in 2022, did not perform at a level anywhere close to Kvaratskhelia.
Was this Edu Gaspar’s worst transfer mistake at Arsenal, if not, what was?
Since leaving Dinamo Batumi in 2022, the forward has won Serie A twice, the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the UEFA Super Cup, still only 24 years old.
It’s as fascinating as it is painful to imagine what Arsenal could’ve had by signing Kvaratskhelia in 2022, a player who went from a bargain to one of Europe’s most valuable players.
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