Arsenal right to fear Tottenham's transfer business - so should Man Utd

Stuart Telford

Updated: 8 Jul 2022 15:42 BST
4 min read

Gabriel Jesus warming up for Champions League action with Manchester City — © ProShots

Arsenal legend Ian Wright says he fears Tottenham Hotspur's summer transfer business with the Lilywhites so far picking up Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster.

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Arsenal have themselves been busy in this summer's transfer window, with Gabriel Jesus's headline-grabbing £45m/€53m arrival from Manchester City complemented by the signings of Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Brazilian youngster Marquinhos.

The Gunners are desperate to return to the Champions League next season having been beaten to the Premier League's fourth and final place by their North London rivals in the dying embers of the 2021/22 campaign.

Arsenal boasted a five-point advantage over Spurs with three games left to play, but lost the derby 3-0 before slipping to defeat against Newcastle and ultimately surrendering their grip on fourth.

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Highlights: Spurs 3-0 Arsenal pic.twitter.com/XezNve6stm
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 13, 2022

Wright - a Premier League winner with Arsenal as a striker in 1998 - is pleased with his former side's transfer business, but worries that Tottenham could go one better than them once again in 2022/23.

"I feel Tottenham are going to cause problems," he told Wrighty's House podcast. "You can't not be jealous of that summer, especially coming from the other side of North London. They are frightening, man. Everything we are doing at Arsenal, and I am putting on as my armour. But we have done this. We have Vieira. We have two No10s now. And we are still trying for Tielemans. And we have Gabriel Jesus.

"So, you are trying to arm yourself because the Tottenham fans are saying, 'Well, we have Bissouma now, Richarlison, Kane, then Bentancur is going to kick in and we have seen what Romero is about'. When you look at how Tottenham can flex when they are doing it under this manager, it kind of makes me feel s***."

Should Arsenal be worried?

Wright's fear is understandable. Spurs coach Antonio Conte won the Premier League as Chelsea manager in 2017 and Italy's Serie A with Inter Milan as recently as 2021. The coming campaign will also be his first full one as Tottenham boss, having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo last November.

With his preferred wing-back system now embedded, Conte also has an embarrassment of riches with which to populate with, with the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min already the envy of most other teams in the league.

Bissouma's arrival addresses a certain need in the squad: that of a ball-winning defensive midfielder. Whilst Arsenal's big-money Brazilian attacker Jesus will go straight into their first XI, Tottenham's - Richarlison - may only be needed to create further competition in their final third.

What about Manchester United?

In Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson-led heyday, the Scot famously gave a team talk ahead of a Spur clash, as recounted by his former captain Roy Keane.

"He came in and said: 'Lads, it's Tottenham', and that was it. Brilliant," said the Irishman.

Changed days indeed. Spurs finished 13 points clear of United last term, and while the North London club have quickly plugged gaps in their own squad, one of their own number even rejected a move to United, with Steven Bergwijn instead securing a €31.25m move to Ajax.

United may have a new man at the helm in Erik ten Hag, and reports of his disciplinarian nature may be music to the ears of some Red Devils fans, but the truth remains that United would be jealous of Tottenham's and Arsenal's summer shopping.

Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia is the only summer acquisition at Old Trafford so far, Paul Pogba has left on a free, and Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to follow him out of the club after missing the pre-season tours of Austria and Thailand "to deal with a family issue."

What United wouldn't give to have been able to do Arsenal's transfer business this season. That the Gunners in turn are envious of Tottenham shows quite how far the tables have turned.