This is ironic.
Arsene Wenger, the Premier League manager most reluctant to spend over the odds for a player, has been accused of spending over the odds on a player, and cited as an example of how the English top flight clubs spend inflated fees on lesser players.
Arsenal signed Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia on deadline day for €40m, and Barcelona director Robert Fernandez has suggested that the Gunners have paid over the odds for the German defender.
Mustafi signing to cost one Arsenal fan £100,000https://t.co/eLOpPUbaNX
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 31, 2016
Fernandez told Spanish newspaper Sport that their €25 signing Samuel Umtiti would have been worth a lot more, had they not wrapped a deal up for the player in June.
“I think we’ve done good deals,” Fernandez said.
“Umtiti in the current market would be worth a lot more.
“The Premier League [Arsenal] ended up paying €40m (£35m) for Mustafi, for example.”
Mustafi joined Valencia for €8m two years ago, so while Fernandez’s view may be somewhat harsh, the 24-year-old’s move to Arsenal does convey how transfer prices continue to rise.
