Arsenal’s transfer woes
While Arsenal have been lauded for some of their acquisitions last summer that saw the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard join the club, they did not have it all their own way in the transfer window.
Welcome to The Arsenal, @AaronRamsdale98 ❤️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2021
It was very clear that much of the squad was up for sale across the two transfer window, but while 10 players departed (not including Odegaard and Dani Ceballos who returned to Real Madrid from loan moves), they received just one fee, the 25 million sale of Joe Willock to Newcastle United.
Both Hector Bellerin and Runar Alex Runarsson are set to rejoin the club come the end of the season, handing Mikel Arteta fresh headaches next summer, where Arsenal will be hoping that the market will have recovered somewhat.
For the rest, it was either loan moves with an obligation to buy (see Matteo Guendouzi) or loan moves with an option to buy (Such as that for Lucas Torreira and Dinos Mavropanos). Now, it is one of those that could come back to bite the Gunners.
Mavropanos blunder?
One of those, in the shape of Dinos Mavropanos, is proving a massive transfer gaffe.
The Greek centre-back has rarely featured for Arsenal but is continuing to impress for Stuttgart, despite the Bundesliga outfit hovering just above the relegation zone at present.
As per multiple sources, the German side have an option to buy the defender for as little as 3 million euros should they avoid the drop this season, leaving the Gunners practically breaking even on the 2.5 million pounds that they parted with to bring him to the Emirates.
However, such are the level of his performances that Stuttgart that they have attracted other interested parties, including the likes of Borussia Dortmund and West Ham.
And, as per German publication BILD, the Bundesliga side will slap a 25 million euro price tag on the Greek come the summer, a massive profit on what they could well pay Arsenal just weeks earlier.
Dortmund, West Ham and Newcastle are interested in Greece international centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos, according to @BILD_bvb. Stuttgart will almost certainly pull the €3m option to buy him from Arsenal, but could sell him on for €25m next summer #BVB #VfB https://t.co/BH5ssvWMnW
— Bundesliga Latest (@BL_LatestNews) December 13, 2021
This would leave Arsenal missing out on over 20 million euros, which could have helped fund the remainder of Mikel Arteta’s rebuild. As it is, however, they will have to continue to hope for owner support.
