Arsenal: Christopher Nkunku couldn’t have been about price

Arsenal have already missed out on plenty of targets, but Christopher Nkunku is just the latest. But was it really a financial thing?

In case you haven’t noticed, Arsenal have yet to make a move this summer, but have instead found themselves losing out on target after target, with Christopher Nkunku looking to be the latest to end up somewhere else.

The versatile PSG man is supposedly set to make the move to RB Leipzig, making him at least the fourth transfer target to skirt away from a move to the Emirates and end up elsewhere.

The media spins this as a matter of the Gunners not having the funds, but that’s where I have a bit of confusion, because the rumored fee for Nkunku is less than £20m. Similarly, the rumored fee for Leandro Trossard (£15m to Brighton), Alexis Claude-Maurice (£18m to Borussia Monchengladbach) and Pablo Fornals (£24m to West Ham) were all well within our price range, remarkably cheap, and yet they ended up going elsewhere.

It couldn’t have been an issue of price, because all of these players were cheap for what we would be getting.

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Instead, at least with Nkunku’s case, I wonder if the issue was his similarities to Ainsely Maitland-Niles, and the headaches it would have caused having to choose between two players that are so similar positionally and tactically.

Both play almost exclusively on the right hand side of the pitch, whether that be as a fullback, wingback, midfielder or winger; but both prefer to be seen as central midfielders, and, if they had their way, would be exactly that.

Both are young, both have tremendous enthusiasm and drive, and both contribute defensively, as well as to the attack.

Arsenal may need help on the right hand side, especially with Hector Bellerin out for the start of the year and the winger situation being a mess, but it’s a bit counterintuitive to invest in help that is nearly identical to resources you already have. Variety is the best investment here, which is why I’m still grumpy about missing out on Trossard. But missing out on Nkunku isn’t nearly as big of a deal. Even as a matter of principle, of seeing the Gunners ‘beat’ to another player—it’s all just perspective.

And don’t worry, Nkunku certainly won’t be the last guy that the Gunners don’t win the race to.