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Football

04th Sep 2016

Barcelona director uses Arsenal signing as example of overpriced transfer fees

Ironic...

Robert Redmond

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.

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.

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