Arsenal and Manchester United went into the summer transfer window with the primary aim of strengthening their respective squads.
The Gunners are operating from a strong position after ending their 22-year wait to win the Premier League title at the end of last season.
After improving massively under manager Michael Carrick during the second half of the campaign, United also have solid foundations to work from.
The two clubs are expected to be at the forefront of Premier League transfers this summer, albeit implementing different strategies. Read on as we take a closer look.
Arsenal seeking evolution rather than revolution
Arsenal’s title success last season was the culmination of a long-term plan that took several years to come to fruition.
The club spent €1 billion on new players over the previous five years to assemble a squad that was capable of winning the Premier League.
The challenge now is to ensure that success is not an isolated one. Achieving that will require evolution rather than revolution.
There are undoubtedly areas in the squad which need improvement, and Arsenal are in the market for players who can deliver immediate results.
Midfield reinforcements are a priority for the club, which explains the strong links with Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.
Much like United’s transfer strategy during the Sir Alex Ferguson era, Arsenal are now able to target the best players in a position to strengthen their team.
Guimaraes would take the weight of Declan Rice’s shoulders in the middle of the park, while Rogers would bring much-needed quality a little further forward.
While neither player would come cheap, they are the type of signings who could help Arsenal end their long wait to win the Champions League.
A big-money move for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola mas also been mooted, further highlighting the calibre of players Arsenal are targeting this summer.
The arrival of new players will cast doubt over the futures of several members of the current squad, but that evolution is essential at the top level.
Clubs which rest on their laurels rarely maintain their place in the pecking order and the Gunners appear to have recognised that they must make changes.
United stay married to their more prudent approach
Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe made it clear that the days of the club overpaying for players in the transfer market were over when he arrived at Old Trafford.
That ethos was reiterated by chief executive officer Omar Berrada during an interview with United’s Inside Carrington podcast last month.
“You never know how you will come out of a window,” Berrada said. “You have to be really prepared, you have to have a clear plan, you have to know what positions you want to strengthen and you also have to be prepared for any eventuality.
“There could be exits you weren’t expecting or opportunities that weren’t there at the beginning of the window. We have to be agile and flexible.
“We have a clear plan. [Director of football] Jason Wilcox and his team are well set up to execute that plan. What we saw last season is a good way forward for us.
“We want a mix of experience and youth. A mix of players who have demonstrated they can perform in the Premier League and players that are doing very well outside the Premier League.
“Whatever decisions we take will not just be for the short term but the long term.”
United’s approach to their summer transfer business has mirrored Berrada’s comments, with the club steering clear of overpriced players in the market.
Moves for Elliott Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were jettisoned because their respective clubs were asking exorbitant fees.
A £48m move for Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos is on the cards, highlighting United’s desire to extract value from their transfer business.
When considering that Tottenham Hotspur paid £85m for Fernandes, a player who has been relegated in each of the last two seasons, United’s strategy looks even shrewder.
The final word
Arsenal are at a stage in their cycle where they can cherry-pick elite-level players and pay whatever it takes to bring them to the club.
United’s more prudent approach partially mirrors the strategy the Gunners employed when they asked fans to ‘trust the process’ under manager Mikel Arteta.
Both clubs will hope the transfer pathways they have chosen deliver the desired results next season and beyond.
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