Arsenal can avoid £145m mistake with answer to transfer problem already at club

Arsenal missing out on Vinicius Junior naturally created an expectation that another glamorous left-wing target would immediately take his place on the recruitment list.

The problem is that the alternatives currently available do not offer anything close to Vinicius’ combination of quality and certainty, yet several would require Arsenal to spend superstar money anyway.

The most recent reports have it that Julian Alvarez, Bradley Barcola and Iliman Ndiaye are among the options Arsenal have considered since Vinicius signed his new Real Madrid contract.

At some point, however, Arsenal have to distinguish between improving the squad and simply buying because money is available.

Barcola price highlights problem with winger market

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly demanded between £130 million and £145m for the France international, with Liverpool also interested.

Barcola is undoubtedly talented, but £145m is transformational-player territory.

For context, the winger accumulated 39 goals and 37 assists across his first 152 appearances for PSG, demonstrating considerable productivity without yet establishing himself among the small group of attackers who would represent an unquestionable upgrade for Arsenal.

Those are impressive numbers, but they hardly make the case that Arsenal should spend more than four times the £34m they have already invested in Christos Tzolis.

Tzolis arrived after scoring 22 goals for Club Brugge last season, while primarily operating from the left, which is precisely the position Arsenal are supposedly desperate to strengthen.

There is obviously a difference between producing those numbers in Belgium and doing so for the Premier League champions, but Arsenal bought the 24-year-old because they believe his production can translate.

It would be strange to make that investment and then immediately spend another nine-figure sum ensuring he barely plays.

Alvarez and Ndiaye present different questions

Julian Alvarez is arguably the most compelling alternative because his goalscoring pedigree is undeniable.

The Argentina international recorded 20 goals and nine assists for Atletico Madrid last season, but he is fundamentally a centre-forward who can move into wider areas rather than a natural touchline left winger.

Atletico also have little incentive to sell one of their most valuable attackers, meaning Arsenal would probably need another enormous financial commitment to prise him away.

Paying such a premium and then adapting Alvarez to solve a position that is not naturally his would feel like chasing reputation rather than addressing a specific weakness.

Iliman Ndiaye presents almost the opposite argument.

The Everton attacker is an excellent ball-carrier who already understands Premier League football, but his six goals and three assists in 2,789 league minutes last season hardly suggest a guaranteed transformation of Arsenal’s attack.

Ndiaye could improve the squad, but the relevant question is whether he improves it enough to justify the considerable fee Everton would inevitably demand for an important player under a long-term contract.

Neither option offers the certainty that made Arsenal willing to pursue Vinicius so aggressively.

Martinelli remains undervalued in the conversation

That brings the argument back to Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian has undoubtedly had periods where Arsenal supporters wanted greater consistency, particularly against deep defensive blocks, but his value can sometimes be obscured by familiarity.

Martinelli has already registered 41 Premier League goals and 25 assists for Arsenal and has demonstrated that he can produce at the highest level.

His Champions League campaign last season was particularly revealing, with the winger recording six goals and two assists in 14 appearances despite starting only seven matches.

There is also value that does not appear neatly in a goals column.

Martinelli understands Arsenal’s pressing demands, offers genuine pace in transition, stretches defensive lines and has years of experience operating within Mikel Arteta’s structure.

At 25, there is also little reason to conclude that his development has already reached its ceiling.

Arsenal already bought another solution

Tzolis gives Arsenal an alternative rather than simply another version of Martinelli.

The Greece international offers two-footed finishing, directness and the confidence of a player arriving after consecutive highly productive campaigns.

His 22-goal season for Club Brugge is particularly relevant when considering how much Arsenal would have to spend to acquire some of the alternatives now being discussed.

Arsenal paid around £34m for that production.

PSG potentially want more than four times as much for Barcola.

Even allowing for differences in league strength, age, potential and profile, the gap in price is far greater than the evidence suggests the gap in likely contribution will be.

Martinelli and Tzolis therefore look more like healthy competition for a starting position than a left-wing problem requiring another enormous investment.

Arsenal should wait for an elite opportunity

Arsenal have already spent heavily to improve a championship-winning squad, including the £75m acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.

The club should remain ambitious, but ambition does not mean accepting whatever price the transfer market dictates.

Vinicius was worth stretching the financial structure for because he represented an unmistakable upgrade and one of the few players capable of fundamentally changing Arsenal’s attacking ceiling.

The same argument becomes much harder with Barcola at £130m-plus, Alvarez at another enormous premium or Ndiaye for the inflated fee Everton would understandably demand.

Spending £80m, £100m or even £140m merely to achieve a marginal improvement would also remove money that could be used when another genuinely elite player becomes available.

Arsenal do not have to find their Vinicius alternative this summer simply because they tried to sign Vinicius this summer.

Unless the market changes dramatically before the deadline, there is a strong argument for beginning the season with Martinelli and Tzolis and allowing genuine competition to decide who owns the position.

Sometimes the best response to an inflated market is knowing when not to participate.

The post Arsenal can avoid £145m mistake with answer to transfer problem already at club first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.