Juventus have confirmed the signing of former Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain.
Whilst the Gunners were reported to be reluctant to meet his release clause, Juventus have pledged to pay Napoli his £75.3 million release clause in two instalments over two years.
The Argentine, thus, has become the third most expensive signing in football history, only behind Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Arsenal’s desperation for a striker is well documented. Jamie Vardy, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alvaro Morata, and the Juventus’ newest signing have all been linked all summer, but for a multitude of reasons, Takuma Asano remains the only striker to complete an Emirates Stadium switch so far.
Whether Arsene Wenger considers the rumoured targets overpriced or not of the Arsenal quality is unknown, but the gaffer should know that world-class strikers, in the current market, are few and far between and also elusive.
Gonzalo Higuain, as explained in another O-Posts feature, has the solution to Arsenal’s striking woes.
His physique, skill, mobility and top-level experience could position the N5 club as credible title contenders in the Premier League amongst five other clubs, who have considerably reinforced their squad ahead of the 2016/17 season.
Arsenal, however, may have dodged a bullet despite missing out on an opportunity to gain an upper hand over the other English top-flight clubs.
Making sense of Juventus’ decision
Gonzalo Higuain turns 29 next winter. Juventus splashing £75.3 million on a striker whose numbers will definitely plummet with each passing year divulges the state of the transfer market of today.
In order to win titles, an elite team is bound to be ready to pay ridiculous transfer fees. However, Arsenal resisting a record-breaking move for him highlights the level of shrewdness that resides in their management room.
Whilst age definitely is a concern, adaptability of foreign players is a bigger concern.
Since his move to Europe from River Plate, he has excelled at every club he has played for, lifting eight major trophies and scoring 122 goals for Real Madrid and 91 goals in a Napoli shirt across ten seasons.
However, his accomplishments in Italy and Spain hardly translate to success, as evidenced by the curious cases of Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao, among others.
With an astronomical price tag, comes the responsibility to justify it. Given his tendency to crumble under pressure, a big money move is certain to cause a psychological effect that may influence his performances.
How he reacts to the pressure should concern the buyer.
Looking forward – Arsenal’s potential targets
Given the inflation, the market value of players has assumed a new meaning.
Only a very few such as Carlos Bacca and Alexandre Lacazette are now available, and the Arsenal manager should relinquish his old ideologies to part ways with Alexis Sanchez-esque monies to strengthen his strikeforce.
However, Arsenal should wrap up a signing before the number of those few options falls down steeply as failing to do so will definitely signify the arrival of an over-priced panic buy.
Written by Praveen Paramasivam
Follow Praveen on Twitter @49Praveen
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