Arsenal must be frustrated after player they were blocked from signing leaves for bargain price
Arsenal still need to sign a defender this summer.
William Saliba’s back injury has left them short at the back for the opening months of the season.
Ezri Konsa remains the primary target but Villa are holding out for £60million. The gap between the clubs has not yet been bridged.
And now, to add insult to injury, a defender Arsenal were genuinely interested in signing has just been sold for £35million.
As confirmed by Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday, Cristian Romero is joining Atletico Madrid.
You don’t have to like him, but £35million for a player of his credibility is great value.
The Tottenham captain, who Mikel Arteta had explored signing as part of a Fergie-esque strategy, has left for Spain in a deal that will leave some of the Arsenal recruitment team grinding their teeth.
But the reality is that this was never truly a viable option for Arsenal.
Tottenham blocked Arsenal’s pursuit of Cristian Romero
In a pure footballing sense, this would’ve absolutely made sense.
Romero could have come in and provided immediate cover for Saliba, partnering Gabriel. And then when the Frenchman returned, he could be a top depth option.
But Spurs were never going to sell their captain to their direct North London rivals no matter what the fee.
In fact, they were said to be willing to sell Romero for a lower price to a team in Europe rather than sell him for more to Arsenal.
There was talk of there being a £55million release clause in his contract, but that would’ve been too high a price.
That won’t make watching him leave for £35million any less frustrating for Arteta and Andrea Berta.
Arsenal now find themselves in the position of potentially paying nearly double that fee for Konsa.
Start with a lowball offer, Villa holding firm, player gets agitated and eventually forces the selling club to lower their price.
Whether it works with Konsa, with the season underway next week, is another matter.