Arsenal’s transfer business over the past 18 months or so has been spot on.
The signings of Martin Odegaard, Gabrel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White have all been rousing successes, and those new additions are the reason Arsenal now sit at the top of the Premier League.
Big money has been spent to recruit exciting young talent at the Emirates, but quietly under the surface, another interesting transfer strategy has been brewing.
Indeed, these transfers aren’t spoken about very much, but Arsenal have quietly been picking off some of MLS’ top talents.
Auston Trusty and Matt Turner have both arrived this year, and it sounds as though a move for Facundo Torres could also be on the horizon.
Indeed, according to Goal, talks are scheduled this weekend between Torres’ representatives and Edu about a move to Arsenal, and the Uruguayan could be the third arrival from MLS in less than a year at the Emirates.
The Gunners have clearly been scouting MLS during this time, and they seem to believe that this is an untapped market for potential stars.
Yes, the likes of Turner and Trusty weren’t signed to be first-team regulars, but the Gunners clearly feel as though they can land these useful rotation options from the US.
MLS historically hasn’t been the most exciting breeding ground for top-class footballers, but 13 years on from David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy, the United States’ footballing system is slowly but surely producing some talented players.
Arsenal seemingly want to be at the front of every queue when it comes to snapping up MLS stars on the cheap, and while this strategy probably isn’t going to be the key to short-term success, it’s one that could pay dividends in a few years’ time as ‘soccer’ in America continues to grow.
The Gunners’ procurement of MLS players is an interesting policy that has been quietly implemented in recent months.
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