Mikel Arteta & Edu show ruthless side in Raphinha pursuit

Arsenal appear to have been beaten to the punch by Chelsea (or perhaps Barcelona) for Leeds United winger Raphinha. Mikel Arteta and Edu will not be drawn into a bidding war for the 25-year-old and have walked away from the deal, something that shows they are not messing around this summer.

Recent reports have centred around Arsenal losing significant ground in the battle for Brazilian winger Raphinha. Chelsea are reportedly in the driving seat having a bid of £60m accepted, according to Fabrizio Romano, something that the Gunners will not entertain at this time.

While it is a little disappointing to miss out on a player of Raphinha’s quality, it was more of a move out of desire rather than necessity. Nevertheless, adding the 25-year-old would have been fantastic. But if we look a little deeper, the club is showing great maturity in the way it handles itself in the transfer market.

Mikel Arteta & Edu show their ruthless side in pursuit of Raphinha

Mikel Arteta and Edu have shown a clear intent of what they want this summer. While the club’s interest in the Brazilian was genuine, the fact that they have essentially walked away unless the player himself states he wants a move shows how far the club has come under the new regime.

There is no pleading and begging for a player to come. There are no huge wages on offer to spurn Chelsea and entice the target, no astronomical transfer fee, no nothing. All the club wants is a desire from the player to join; anything less than that and the Gunners will simply walk away and move on to the next target with ruthless efficiency.

Gone are the days when the club grovels for players to sign and are willing to offer huge wages and an inflated price tag to secure the deal. Now, the mentality is simply if the player wants Arsenal, the club will work out a deal. If not, there are no hard feelings, and the club moves on straight away. The days of panic-buying late in the window seem to be over as well – we saw that in January.

That kind of mentality is refreshing from a club that is clearly on the way back, both on and off the field. Arsenal is a desired club built on rich history and class, and it appears that with Arteta and Edu at the helm, they will not be held hostage by players. Simply if you want us, then come. If not, move on.

There will be no negotiating at all until the player’s feelings are made clear. Instead of waiting for the next two to three weeks to find out where they stand with Raphinha, Arsenal have reportedly already walked away from the deal and are turning their attention to signing Lisandro Martinez from Ajax.

Supporters can feel reasonably good regarding how the club is going about its business now; not being brought into a bidding war that, at least from the outside, they seem destined to lose.

While yes, losing out on Raphinha is not ideal, the way the club had handled the situation speaks volumes regarding the changes Arsenal has gone through since Arteta and Edu took over operations.