Premier League fans of a certain vintage will be bemused and disappointed to see the fall of certain former giants.
Arsenal and Manchester United in particular are symbolic of a changing of the guard in the Premier League.
Before, those teams were almost mythical. After all, United were treble winners and utterly dominant domestically. Arsenal were the invincibles, and were synonymous with exciting football. Now, we talk about these teams in the same way we talk about the likes of Everton. Mid-table quality teams who could make a push for the European places. It’s a far cry from their former glories and it’s becoming difficult to see a way back for them.
As Arsenal and United try to rebuild, the challenges facing them are laid bare. No longer can they wave their crest and some money around to get any player they want.
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Look at what each team has been reduced to in the transfer market. In January, Arsenal loaned two players. Pablo Mari – a center back from the Brazilian league who has played most of his football in Spain’s second tier, and Cedric Soares, the injured Southampton right back.
Manchester United did make a coup in Bruno Fernandes, but solved their lack of striker depth with the odd choice of Odion Ighalo. In Arsenal’s case, the club paid loan fees in the region of £5 million for each of their deals.
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This is the catch 22 situation that formerly powerful clubs find themselves in. They have mid table quality squads, but must pay top tier transfer fees and wages to get players in. Clubs and agents worldwide know they have the money, and know that they are desperate. Their name and reputation is no longer an advantage. Instead, it is a hindrance. They pay a premium for who they are, and as a result they cannot do the smart transfer business that the likes of Leicester and Tottenham can.
The prevalence of super agents like Jorge Mendez and Kia Joorabchian over these clubs’ recent transfer dealings highlights their vulnerability. The vultures are circling and for the moment, these former icons are there for the taking.
