Tonight’s semi-final between England and Argentina is the most anticipated game of the tournament.
The winners will face Spain in the final on Sunday, after they beat France 2-0 last night.
Arsenal have a particularly vested interest in the match and not just because they could end up with seven representatives in the final.
There is another more logical reason why the Gunners will be hoping Argentina are not the team lifting the trophy on Sunday.
Argentina winning could price Arsenal out of their marquee transfer target
Arsenal have been in fresh talks with Atletico Madrid over Julian Alvarez, who Mikel Arteta views as a potential marquee signing.
💰 How much cash plus Viktor Gyokeres should Arsenal demand for Julian Alvarez?
👀 Atletico Madrid want £52m + Gyokeres…
Paul Scholes has urged them not to hesitate over the £100million fee it would take to bring the Argentine to the Emirates.
Now imagine Alvarez wins the World Cup again, after already boasting a winners medal from 2022.
Lionel Messi may well be the talisman, of course, but Alvarez has played a huge part in not only winning back-to-back World Cups but back-to-back Copa Americas too.
That will surely skyrocket the 26-year-old’s price even further.
We saw how Enzo Fernandez’s value surged after Qatar, which resulted in a £107million switch to Chelsea.
That was before the transfer market had gone completely mad — Atletico would be well within their rights to demand much more in a market thin on top-level strikers.
Spain and England both guarantee multiple Arsenal players lift the World Cup
Then, of course, you have the fact that the other nations have Arsenal players in their squad.
Spain have David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, and of course the super-sub hero, Mikel Merino.
How big can a fit Mikel Merino be for Arsenal next season after his heroics for Spain?
England, meanwhile, have Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze.
If either of those teams win, multiple Arsenal players lift the World Cup trophy. But if Argentina win, there’s nothing in it for the Gunners.
That could even have a psychological impact on next season: an injection of elite, championship-winning belief to add on top of the Premier League title triumph.
It would be a great pity for these players, who have come off such an enduring season to get this far, to head back to north London physically exhausted and empty-handed.
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