The astronomical cost of Arsenal’s Champions League flops
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 17 May 2022 10:32 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal are on the brink of failing to qualify for the Champions League yet again after a dismal 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Monday evening.
An own goal from Ben White and strike from Bruno Guimaraes means that the Gunners now require a miracle if they are to make it back into Europe’s premier club competition.
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With just one game left of the Premier League season, Arsenal find themselves in fifth position, two points behind north London rivals Tottenham in fourth.
Spurs also have a goal difference of +24, compared to +9 of Arsenal.
This means that Tottenham only, realistically, need a point in their final match away at relegated Norwich to qualify for the Champions League.
It has been a disastrous end to the season for Arsenal, who have lost six of their last 11 Premier League games to throw away Champions League qualification.
For much of the season, manager Mikel Arteta and his young team have been praised by the media and fans as they had looked to be cruising into a first appearance in the Champions League since 2016-17.
Much of this praise has been centred around Arsenal’s transfer market – last summer, in particular.
But a closer look at just how much Arsenal’s team – and those who came on – against Newcastle cost paints a very different story.
Incredibly, the total cost of those who played against Newcastle was a whopping €381 million.
How much did Arsenal’s team against Newcastle cost?
Aaron Ramsdale: €28m
Takehiro Tomiyasu: €23m
Ben White: €59m
Gabriel Magalhaes:€30m
Nuno Tavares: €11m
Mohamed Elneny: €7m
Granit Xhaka: €40m
Bukayo Saka: €0
Martin Odegaard: €40m
Emile Smith Rowe: €0
Edward Nketiah: €0
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Cedric Soares: €0
Gabriel Martinelli: €10m
Alexandre Lacazette: €53m
Nicolas Pepe: €80m
Over €150m of that was spent last summer alone, as Arsenal were the highest-spending team in all of Europe in the transfer window coming into this season.
Although many of these signings were younger players with a view to the long-term (with some, like Aaron Ramsdale, performing above expectations), the fact that Arsenal spent so heavily surely demands that they qualify for the Champions League at the very least.
READ MORE: ARSENAL'S 10 MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS OF ALL TIME
If they don’t then questions will have to be asked over whether transfer chief Edu, manager Mikel Arteta – who bizarrely was given a new contract only weeks ago – and those above in power should continue in their jobs.
Then there are the legacy signings such as Lacazette, Pepe and Xhaka – for a combined €173m – illustrating just how much money Arsenal have wasted in recent years.
The total cost would have been even higher had the likes of Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey and Bernd Leno played, who combined cost well over €100m on their own.
Arsenal FC; one big expensive failure.
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