Arsenal left it late to secure the signing of Raheem Sterling.
Arsenal signed Raheem Sterling in the final throes of Transfer Deadline Day.
Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea. It had already been made clear that the winger was surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, opening the door for the Gunners to swoop.
Mikel Arteta has been a fan of the 82-cap England star for some time, having worked with him at Manchester City. Sterling has hailed Arteta as a coach too, so both parties are presumably delighted to have been reunited at the Emirates Stadium.
Whilst Arteta was preparing his side for Saturday’s clash with Brighton, though, it was sporting director Edu Gaspar working into the night to get this deal over the line.
Arteta and Edu had held talks about Sterling earlier in the day, and then the Brazilian was left to reach an agreement with Chelsea.
Edu strikes gold for Arsenal with Raheem Sterling deal
The Independent recently published details of the loan deal that brought Sterling to North London.
It is safe to say that Chelsea have had to make significant sacrifices in order to get the winger out of the club. Meanwhile, Edu wasn’t afraid to back the Blues into a corner and drive a hard bargain.
The report states: “Arsenal were willing to walk away from Sterling deal,” which shows that the former midfielder was willing to pull the plug if the Gunners’ demands were not met. Whether or not this was a bluff intended to force Chelsea into more favourable terms will likely never be known.
The aforementioned article continues to explain: “While Chelsea were insistent on a loan fee for every player going out on temporary deals, Arsenal made it clear that wasn’t happening for them. Ultimately, Chelsea’s need to get players out trumped everything else in discussions.
“Arsenal felt their negotiation position was strong, and acted like that. There was a willingness to walk away and just keep Nketiah and Nelson.
“It resulted in a deal where no loan fee was paid and Arsenal are now paying far less than 50 per cent of Sterling’s £325,000 wages.
“Some close to the talks insist it is as little as £100,000 a week.”
Edu deserves huge credit for outsmarting Chelsea in Sterling talks
Sterling may not have been a top target for Arsenal at the start of the summer, but the Gunners were quick to react and capitalise upon the opportunity to secure his services when it arose.
Edu’s negotiating skill has also been highlighted by this deal. The fact that Chelsea are paying Sterling more to play for Arsenal than Arsenal themselves are, considering this is a player still in his peak years with over 100 Premier League goals and four league titles to his name, amongst other honours, is some feat.
Edu has been criticised by Arsenal fans in the past, but credit ought to be given when it is due, and the Invincible has managed this situation intelligently.
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