Contrary to all the nonsense we have been fed by the mainstream media and by Arsenal’s uber bloggers, tweeters and podcasters, the recent transfer window was an unquestionable victory for Arsenal Football Club over the agents and speculators who literally have the Premier League by the bollocks.
One well-known Arsenal blogger described it as “shambolic” literally calling out the manager, CEO and owner as incompetent. This is a man who has never managed a professional football club in his life much less an outfit that has a turnover of over £300 million pounds+ annually. Yet he has the temerity to scold the owner who is a billionaire in his own right and not merely from owning sports franchises.
Where has modesty gone to? How about being reserved and conditional in your criticism of professionals in a business you have absolutely no expertise? Can you imagine a general practitioner criticizing a specialist much less a patient who has written a few blogs on alternative medicine? Words fail me.
Yet his cohorts, like obedient “Pavlovian” dogs, simply ran with the same message, only to a slightly a different tune. Yes, he is entitled to his opinion, but how long can he and the gang maintain credibility when they are repeatedly proven to be wrong. “End of an era” anyone?
In today’s blog I will demonstrate their analysis is flawed and so are their conclusions. Let us get back to basics. Arsenal Football Club has never relied on making transfers to become successful. This is exemplified by a 1925 advertisement for the position of football manager, that is nearly 100 years ago:
“Arsenal Football Club is open to receive applications for the position of TEAM MANAGER. He must be experienced and possess the highest qualifications for the post, both as to ability and personal character. Gentlemen whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exhorbitant transfer fees need not apply.”
Every subsequent manager has publicly admitted that this is a fundamental policy of the club even despite years of lagging behind their more spendthrift rivals. The Arsene Wenger era has been no different. The current manager has consistently exceeded his top-4 rivals for the lowest net transfer spend vs league position. This is despite the explosion in transfer spending since the arrival of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea who according to David Dein “’parked Russian tanks on our lawn, firing £50 notes at us.”
This transfer window was no different and despite the honeyed pleas of agents and their mouthpieces in the media, including bloggers and so called legends of the club, Arsenal stood firm and refused to be fleeced by the parasites hanging unto professional football in general and the PL in particular.
We start from the known fact that markets are used for profit extraction. Any professional in the stock market or its facsimile use the selling of inventory as a method of deriving profits from buyers. Similarly the transfer window is an opportunity for selling clubs, and increasingly for agents and 3rd party owners, to extract profit from willing buyers for players they have a tradable interest. Money is flowing into the market from tv rights and from sugar daddy owners. Many clubs are compelled, often by subjective reasons, to use these cash inflows to acquire new players. The Qataris, for example, given their current economic and political confrontation with the Saudis and other Gulf States, are known to have an interest in raising their pr profile internationally. No wonder they were willing to make a big splash by funding the unprecedented $200 million acquisition by PSG of Neymar from Barcelona. The fact that last season PSG was 2nd in Ligue Une and made the last 8 of the champion’s league would suggest a club far from being uncompetitive. Up to the recent past, conventional wisdom would be they need only one or two modestly priced additions to guarantee an improvement in their standing.
Transfermarkt.co.uk provides sufficient data to indicate how much profit is being derived from the underlying value of the players. I focused on the top 100 transfers (ranked either by value or transfer value) at the end of the window. Not surprisingly, given the massive amounts of money sloshing around, the premier league was at the top in Europe for profit extraction.
Profit Extraction from Top 100 Transfers
| No Traded | Market value | Moving to Lge | Transfer fee | Profit (£millions) | Profit (%) |
| 38 | 720.45 | Premier League | 1,075.68 | 355.23 | 49% |
| 7 | 191.25 | Ligue 1 | 288.90 | 97.65 | 51% |
| 11 | 217.80 | La Liga | 264.60 | 46.80 | 21% |
| 15 | 229.50 | Bundesliga | 258.30 | 28.80 | 13% |
| 2 | 13.50 | Championship | 31.50 | 18.00 | 133% |
| 2 | 18.00 | Rusian Premier League | 35.10 | 17.10 | 95% |
| 1 | 18.00 | Chinese Super League | 31.23 | 13.23 | 74% |
| 2 | 26.10 | Portugese Liga Nos | 18.00 | -8.10 | -31% |
| 1 | 14.40 | Turkish Süper Lig | 3.15 | -11.25 | -78% |
| 21 | 370.80 | Serie A | 338.58 | -32.22 | -9% |
| 100 | 1,819.80 | 2,345.04 | 525.24 | 29% |
From a market value of £720.45 million in players traded, selling clubs in combination with agents and other 3rd parties were able to extract £355.23 million in nominal profits from the premier league, nearly 50% return. Which other legitimate market in Britain is generating such a handsome return to traders? No wonder the Raiolas and Mendezes have taken permanent occupation of clubs like United, City and Chelsea who are splashing the cash. Forget the fairytale that the profits generated will circulate and multiply among the lower leagues.
Unlike the English premiership, all other leagues generate substantially less profits for traders. Ligue 1 appears second but this was distorted by the Neymar transfer which generated £109 million in surplus to Barcelona. If it wasn’t for this transaction the French market would have been a negative proposition for selling clubs.
What is most disconcerting is that the top two European leagues in terms of champion’s league dominance, La Liga and the Bundesliga, are not pissing away football money by doing deals way in excess of market value of players traded. Profits were £46.80 and £28.80 respectively. Note how the Germans, the wealthiest country in Europe, are quite stingy, yielding a mere £28.80 million or 13% rate of profit on players traded.
Unlike the Germans, with their sane, sensible approach to transfers, English clubs are pissing away money left, right and center with one notable exception, Arsenal FC.
Profit Extraction from Premier League Clubs
| Club | No Traded | Market value | Transfer fee | Profit (£millions) | Profit (%) |
| Man City | 5 | 126.00 | 205.65 | 79.65 | 63% |
| Chelsea | 5 | 105.75 | 182.61 | 76.86 | 73% |
| Everton | 4 | 68.4 | 120.06 | 51.66 | 76% |
| Man United | 3 | 105.30 | 147.96 | 42.66 | 41% |
| Spurs | 3 | 41.40 | 72.09 | 30.69 | 74% |
| Liverpool | 2 | 51.3 | 72.00 | 20.70 | 40% |
| Southampton | 2 | 17.55 | 30.06 | 12.51 | 71% |
| Crystal Palace | 1 | 13.5 | 25.38 | 11.88 | 88% |
| Leicester | 1 | 13.5 | 24.93 | 11.43 | 85% |
| Stoke | 1 | 6.30 | 17.46 | 11.16 | 177% |
| Bournemouth | 1 | 10.80 | 20.52 | 9.72 | 90% |
| Burnley | 1 | 5.40 | 14.76 | 9.36 | 173% |
| West Ham | 2 | 29.70 | 36.09 | 6.39 | 22% |
| Watford | 1 | 13.50 | 18.36 | 4.86 | 36% |
| Arsenal | 1 | 45.00 | 47.70 | 2.70 | 6% |
| Swansea | 3 | 38.25 | 26.37 | -11.88 | -31% |
| West Brom | 2 | 28.80 | 13.68 | -15.12 | -53% |
| 38 | 720.45 | 1,075.68 | 355.23 |
Not surprisingly, the two sugar-daddy clubs, City and Chelsea are #1 and #2 in handing over substantial profits to selling clubs. Note these figures are for only the top 100 transfers in the window. It is likely that further down the line they and others in the premier league are giving away big money for low value players.
It is striking that the traditional clubs, which compete annually with Arsenal for a position in the top-6 (Chelsea, City, Everton, United, Spurs and Liverpool) have no reservation in forking over excessive money to sellers amounting to nearly 80% of the total profits or £281.46 million that came from the PL. Based on the past 21 years under Arsene Wenger only two, maybe three of these clubs are likely to exceed Arsenal in the final standings. None of these clubs (whether owner, chairman or chief executive) seem able to exercise any discipline or objectivity in player acquisition despite evidence to the contrary.
Conspicuously absent from this excessive consumption is Arsenal which paid a mere £2.7 million surplus for the acquisition of Alexander Lacazette. Arsenal is 3rd only to Swansea and West Brom who through smart pricing and use of the loan system were able to generate value in excess of price from their acquisitions.
This is not to say Arsenal was afraid to pay big money for a special player. It emerged on deadline day the club was willing to pay up to £100 million for Thomas Lemar, a talented midfielder needed to fill a gaping vacancy that currently exists. Arsene Wenger disclosed publicly the deal fell through because the player was not ready for the move but pledged he would, when the opportunity next arise, make another attempt to do the deal.
Meanwhile the financial geniuses who dominate Arsenal twitter, blogs and podcasts post August 31st attacked the club for having the financial discipline and resoluteness to not fall for the agents hyping players of modest value for inflated prices. Adding to the din and hysteria was certain so-called Arsenal legends who seem more interested in giving credence to agent talk than protecting the club’s long term financial strength. It begs the question who is in bed with these agents, whether as friends or business partners. Why would a blogger mock the club for making a £30 million profit on deadline day with the capacity to go back in the market to make a £100 million acquisition in the future?
This smacks of the “voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau.” Trust me, some of the parables of the Old Testament have eternal wisdom.
Positively Arsenal 
Davis, Limpar, they’ve had interesting thinhs to say about transfers.
Not all of it flattering towards GG.
You won’t see them on the plundits couch, they’ve been on podcasts but the Experts never follow up or repeat what they’ve said unlike they do with their favourite memes (sound bites etc )
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can you expand on what Davis and Limpar had to say
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shotta, I took from comments by Smith and Dixon, re the Ozil comments, was that they admitted that they are paid to promote a certain stance re AFC, and if they do not, then they will be replaced by someone who will. I notice that both Smith and Dixon refused to answer tweets that asked them how the like of Phil Thompson can take LFC side at all times, yet gets employed, but AFC legends can do little other than attack AFC.
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I see the media have twisted what Wenger said about FFP, he said it might as well be scrapped as the rules as the stand can not be enforced. So what is the point. He said if proper rules in place and enforced he would be still all for it, but that is being left out of the big headline articles. No its all Wenger has flip flopped on FFP etc etc
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meant to mention this earlier, but Wenger implied that it was possible that Arsenal had players tapped up on the afternoon of the Liverpool game, he said it would be naive to rule it out
it said it was certain that Arsenal had players tapped up, it was only a matter of when, and he would not rule out it having happened on the day of the game. He said this when talking about Alex oxlade-chamberlain move to LFC.
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Arsene knows a lot about tapping up. His players at Monaco were tapped in his final year at Monaco when Bernard Tapie (remember that name) and Marseille were corruptly winning titles. Boris Primorac blew the whistle on the paying-off of players to throw games and referees being specially chosen for certain matches. No wonder he has never been offered a big job since but Wenger protected him and he has been a 1st team coach ever since the boss came to Arsenal. English football likes to pretend such corrupt forces are not at work in the PL and other leagues. Money is the root of all evil and there is a lot of money sloshing around in British football, more than any other league in the world.
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Boro Primorac
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Cédric Carrasso the veteran former Bordeaux goalie who is about to sign for Galatasary, says moves to Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon broke down this summer due to problems with agents. The 35 year old did not say what the problem was, just that it cost him those moves. He said he was set to be AFC’s 3rd choice keeper after we loaned out Martinez for the season.
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Ed
If agents can mess up the transfer of a 35-year-old free agent, the problem may be worse than we think.
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On agents, apparently they’ve been bleating about the shortened window and how it could cost our clubs and drive up prices, and the dread prospect of selling when unable to buy.
Always looking out for the good of the game here, those guys.
Also, anyone else a bit surprised Chelsea didn’t join Utd and City in voting against it? Plenty didn’t go their way this time around, but I would always expect the clubs with a significant financial advantage in any league to want the window open longer.
Could be a sign that they acknowledge Utd and City both have a definite advantage on them in spending power, the poor lambs.
The head in sand or up their bums crowd probably interpret Utd and City’s vote as coincidence, or ambition or something, instead of pure self-interest directly related to their financial might.
Swansea, who knows. Watford, it fits, as they do love trading players.
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did I miss a change to the BPL 25 man squad rules, or why are media outlets and Arsenal blogs claiming Arsenal are trying to sign Bacary Sagna, we named our squad last week as did all BPL clubs, we named 25 in our squad, we are, unless rules have changed, unable to add to or change that squad till January.
is this story just another ploy to get idiots to bet on it with skybet.
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media don’t influence Arsenal fans, the outrage at even the suggestion, they all claim to be independent thinkers now, nothing influences them at all, other than what they see on the pitch(or at the very least what they are told they seen on the pitch).
Odd then that when news broke that Man City had bid for Alexis in the last two days of the TW, that a flood of bets went on Arsenal actually being relegated this season. You know what with the media claiming Arsenal being a one man team and all, but these independent thinkers were not influenced by it at all. It was a conclusion they came to all by themselves. Yes indeed, they don’t need the media to influence them, they are already idiots.
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re the betting on Arsenal being relegated, it seems more money was put on Arsenal being relegated than on any other BPL club, also more bets on AFC being relegated than there was on us finishing top 4. Good job these independent thinkers are not influenced by the media. Crisis what Crisis
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Gambling isn’t my thing, but did see a couple of stories this week that suggested the industry may be a little untrustworthy
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/04/pressure-grows-gambling-industry-over-dubious-tipsters-affiliation
http://www.football365.com/news/more-questions-for-social-media-betting-tipsters
Same week Labour announced they would try ban gambling companies from sponsoring prem teams. Boy, those guys aren’t getting power any time soon, alas.
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Eds
Limpar implied that GG was very keen to push through his transfer to Everton, player wanted to stay. I make no comment on what happened later on with GG & transfers. He was only copying his mate El Tel from up the road.
After the awesome triumph of the ’91 team, my chronology could be wrong here, the team’s form dropped off the following season, and the manager chose a slight change in style as the solution. At some point, maybe another season later Davis fronted up on behalf of a few players and told the manager that the team had become too boring. He was sent to the reserves for a long time thereafter (whilst he was at the peak of his game?).
I guess back then that AFC were a shambles?
Meanwhile Costa is getting the Davis treatment but unlike Davis he did put in a transfer request (something like that), they’ve even removed his parking bay the poor lad. Double title winning striker Costa isn’t even training at Chelsea, but the paper are still full of Sanchez shite.
These anti-Arsenal stories are so lame and predictable you could play bingo!
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finsburyp
You pretty much have it
Michael Thomas refused to sign another long term contract , He was on weekly contract, do they do those anymore?
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Think there’s an u23 game tonight so we’ll find out a day early if Nelson or others are in squad tomorrow.
My guess is probably not.
Should also discover plenty about our intentions for Europa league later this week. Will be intriguing. Cologne away probably hardest game in group, and first, so chances are we could pick a slightly stronger team than for other games
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Remember Michael Thomas left because he was fed up with the ball sailing over his head with the managers liking to missing out the midfield. He also said despite coming g through the ranks and being a legend of iconic status he regarded himself no more affiliated to ARSENAL than Liverpool a damming indictment on how the manager made him feel.
Alan Smith has described himself as just an ex player and there again as a Leicester supporter has very little connection to ARSENAL.
Amazingly some of the so called unsuccessful players in the modern era have shown a much greater love for the club and certainly the current manager.
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Anyone fancy doing the match preview?
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Another excellent blog.🖒
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Another good friend from twitter has joined our community. Thanks @suzagooner and welcome.
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Arsenal FCVerified account @Arsenal 33m33 minutes ago
#AFCU23 team v @ManUtd: Huddart, Osei-Tutu, McGuane, Pleguezuelo, Dasilva, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nketiah, Nelson, Reine-Adelaide, Akpom
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Arsenal FCVerified account @Arsenal 2m2 minutes ago
It was five goals in three #PL2 games… but it’s now six goals in four
@ReissNelson9 scores a superb free-kick to make it 1-0 to #AFCU23
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looks like the U23’s are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation
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Arsenal FCVerified account @Arsenal 2m2 minutes ago
And now it’s 2-0 to #AFCU23
@joshdasilva_ fires in a second free-kick with 37 minutes on the clock
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2 top class freekicks for the u23’s, game is live on man utd tv
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FT: Man Utd U23’s 0-2 Arsenal U23’s
Nelson and DaSilva with fine freekicks goals, couple of other good chances too.
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happy for the U23s ..
all wins are needed at this time
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Arsene Wenger loses one of his closest Arsenal allies with transfer negotiator Dick Law stepping down
Matt Law, Football News Correspondent
8 September 2017 • 9:00pm
Arsene Wenger will lose one of his closest allies at Arsenal at the end of this month after the club’s principle transfer negotiator Dick Law decided to step down from his position.
The Daily Telegraph revealed in February that Law’s long-term future at Arsenal was in doubt and a club spokesman confirmed on Friday night that he would officially leave at the end of the month.
It has not yet been decided whether Law will be replaced and the club appointed former Team Sky legal and commercial expert Huss Fahmy to work on player contracts in the summer.
But the departure of Law leaves a hole in Arsenal’s recruitment structure following a difficult summer transfer window and ahead of a potentially tough January window.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger shakes hands with Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis
The chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has now taken up an office at the London Colney training ground, which perhaps indicates he intends to take a more hands-on role with the football operation. Gazidis has always spent a lot of time at Colney, where he lunches with Wenger, but has now set up an office there while retaining his base at Highbury House at the Emirates Stadium.
Law is understood to be returning to his native America for family reasons and his exit will be keenly felt by the Arsenal manager.
The pair have worked closely together for the past eight years. Before then he scouted for Arsenal in South America and helped take Gilberto Silva and Carlos Vela to the club. Although he has never been given the title, Law has operated much like a director of football since moving to England in helping to clinch deals and negotiating with clubs, players and agents.
The Mesut Ozil signing was one of Law’s biggest successes
One of his biggest successes was the £42 million signing of Mesut Ozil in the final days of the 2013 transfer window, in which he managed to keep negotiations secret from Arsenal’s rivals. Law was talking to Ozil’s father and then-agent Mustafa in Germany while Gazidis brokered the deal with Real Madrid in Spain.
Other than being a hugely popular figure inside Arsenal, Law has built strong relationships with and earned the respect of chief executives and directors of football at home and abroad.
The bookmakers have already written off Arsenal’s chanches of winning the Premier League this season, making them 25-1 outsiders. Arsenal have begun the season with consecutive away defeats, including the 4-0 drubbing at Liverpool, but Wenger backed Gazidis’s assessment that the squad had sufficient strength to end what would be a 14-year wait to win the title.
“I think we are strong enough [for the title],” said Wenger ahead of this afternoon’s home clash with Bournemouth. His optimism is founded on the belief that there is greater first-team strength following the summer buys of Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac but appears to overlook the impact of such uncertainty over so many key players.
Asked if the team was stronger than last season, Wenger replied: “I think it depends on what period of the season. We had contrasting periods of the season last year. We have to show that you can improve the team by being together and improving together. Last year we made 75 points, we won the FA Cup and this year we have to do better.”
Arsenal are sixth favourites for the title behind Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool.
“Some teams who are the new favourites, they are not in a better position than us,” said Wenger.
Many Arsenal fans will take convincing. Gazidis will be grilled at a fans’ forum before Saturday’s game. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has revealed a list of questions it plans to ask. These centre on the “mismanaged transfer window” and the decision to reappoint Wenger “against the wishes of the independent members of the board”.
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New Post up
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