Never sell to a major Premier League rival: That’s an unwritten rule that many top flight English clubs adhere to in their transfer dealings. There will always be exceptions, and the recent traffic between Manchester City and Arsenal is a rare example.
Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were signed by the Gunners in 2022, but will they be the last deals between the two clubs?
City Facing Bigger Challenges
For now, Arsenal and other English sides will look on enviously as City look to close out a historic treble. First up is the FA Cup final against old rivals Manchester United, followed by the Champions League final with Inter a week later.
The Premier League club are expected to complete the hat trick and they are favourites in each competition. Man City v Inter odds have Pep’s men as red hot favourites and it’s the same scenario in FA Cup markets.
While Champions League final betting points heavily to another English success, there could be greater domestic challenges for City next season.
Arsenal may not have prevented Manchester City from winning their third Premier League trophy in succession, but they did put pressure on for much of the season. It could be a sign that the gap is closing and that Arsenal could be matching City in challenging for those major trophies moving forward.
Rumours Remain
Now that the English domestic season is coming to a close, the transfer rumour mills are being set in motion once again. Further claims are being made regarding switches from the Etihad to the Emirates, but City’s willingness to do business with their former assistant manager runs a risk of backfiring.
Both Jesus and Zinchenko played significant roles in Arsenal’s own title challenge, and City should be wary of helping to improve the Gunners’ squad even further. Despite the fact that there may be concerns among the Citizens’ supporters, there are a number of stories linking Arsenal with summer bids for Joao Cancelo and Ilkay Gundogan.
The Gunners’ squad for 2023/24 could start to resemble Manchester City’s from a couple of campaigns ago. Arsenal followers will wonder if their club should be casting a wider net, while City’s fanbase may be keen to stop the trading to an emerging rival.
No Hard Feelings?
It’s easy to see why there has been respectful dealings between Manchester City and Arsenal. Current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta spent two years at the Etihad as the club’s assistant manager where he was highly regarded.
Arsenal fans with longer memories will recall a time when City had a habit of poaching their best talent. Samir Nasri was among a list of players to cross from the Emirates to the blue half of Manchester along with Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure. We’ve yet to even mention Emmanuel Adebayor for reasons that should be obvious.
Rumours will persist and there are players on the fringes at Manchester City who would definitely boost the current Arsenal squad. The gossip columns will continue to provide more links, but perhaps the Gunners’ recent success will mean that City are much tougher to deal with.