Tottenham’s latest transfer announcement has accidentally highlighted one of Arsenal’s greatest strengths.
Spurs have confirmed the signing of Jean Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion, with reports claiming the deal could be worth around £52 million.
The Dutch defender is a good player, but that is a huge fee for someone who was approaching the final year of his contract.
More importantly, the transfer serves as a reminder of how brilliantly Arsenal have built their defence over the last few years.
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Arsenal nowhere to be seen in the top-20 most expensive centre-back signings
Transfermarkt’s list of the 20 most expensive centre-back transfers of all time makes for fascinating reading.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and now Tottenham all feature on the list. Some clubs appear multiple times after spending enormous sums in search of elite defenders.
Van Hecke’s move to Spurs has now earned him a place on that list too, with the Dutchman ranking as the 18th most expensive centre-back signing in football history.
Yet there is one club missing from the entire ranking: Arsenal.
That absence is remarkable when you consider that William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are widely regarded as one of the best centre-back partnerships in world football.
Both players cost less than £30 million, yet they just helped Arsenal win the Premier League while conceding fewer goals than any other side in the division.
The fact that Arsenal built a title-winning defence without appearing anywhere on this list says everything about the quality of their recruitment compared to many of their rivals.
If you could only pick one of William Saliba and Gabriel to stay at Arsenal forever, who are YOU picking and why?
Arsenal have spent big money, but they have also made many smart signings
Arsenal are not afraid to spend when the right player becomes available.
Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze all arrived for significant fees because the club believed they could transform the team. Those deals show that sometimes elite talent requires elite investment.
However, Arsenal’s rise has not been built solely on expensive signings.
Gabriel and Saliba cost a fraction of what many other clubs have spent on defenders. David Raya was another bargain compared to the prices being paid elsewhere, while Leandro Trossard arrived for less than £30 million.
Even younger signings such as Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Martinelli represented excellent value.
When those deals are combined with academy graduates like Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman, it becomes clear why Arsenal are among the strongest teams in the world.
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