Why Arsenal should break the bank for Frenkie de Jong

3. Too good an opportunity to pass up

The Gunners should consider this move precisely because it would not break the bank.

Okay, so de Jong will hardly cost a pittance, but his reported wish to leave Barcelona might render a deal financially viable and the Catalans have already tried to offload him once before, with their continuing monetary problems likely to make a £70-80m bid too good to ignore.

Six months ago, Arsenal demonstrated how that level of spending on 1-2 players did not lock them out of bigger deals for their primary targets, and our restraint in January indicates another blockbuster summer could be on the cards- meaning a world-class striker may arrive in tandem with the Dutchman.

Our wage bill should also cope as de Jong will surely agree to less than his astronomical numbers in Spain, while the potential exits of Cédric Soares (£75,000 per week), Eddie Nketiah (£100,000 p/w) and Thomas Partey (£200,000) will further enable us to pull off this coup.

A midfield trio of de Jong, Rice and Martin Odegaard is within reach and at a cost that is in line with our past spending. How could we possibly resist?     

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