Kevin Campbell has slammed the jibes at Arsenal’s spending compared to Manchester United’s this summer after they re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo.
The former striker told the Highbury Squad that ‘the wages outweigh the transfer fees’ after it was suggested that Arsenal paid more for their players compared to Man United despite getting less in quality.
Both clubs have been big spenders, with Arsenal’s biggest capture being Ben White for £50 million (Sky Sports) and those from the Old Trafford boardroom paying £73 million for Jadon Sancho’s quick-footed services (Sky Sports).
There was a lot of drama and excitement around Ronaldo seemingly heading to Manchester City and then 24 hours later making a stunning return to Old Trafford.
It was put to Campbell, by an Arsenal fan, that after that Ronaldo signing, those from Manchester ‘still spent less than Arsenal’ and this is how he reacted.
“That comment there sums up our fanbase,” said Campbell. “That’s what it does.
“The strategic spending of a team doesn’t necessarily mean transfer fees. The wages far outweigh the transfer fees.”
The fact of the matter is, Arsenal are now way behind a Man United team they used to, once upon a time, lock horns with and get the better of.
Mikel Arteta’s side, after failing to finish in Europe last season, are now sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table after their 5-0 thrashing against Manchester City on Saturday.
And whilst Arsenal will always be a big club, trying to lure in the top talents is pretty difficult in their current situation.
Therefore, going for the younger and unproven stars is perhaps the best they can do and it doesn’t help their cause if they are paying inflated prices for some of these players.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
