Arsenal and Liverpool are well-placed to enjoy another big-spending summer transfer window, a financial expert has told Express Sport. Both Premier League teams will be hoping for a busy few months of activity in a bid to compete with Manchester City.
Dr Dan Plumley, a sport finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, says that while top-flight clubs will be wary of profit and sustainability regulations this summer, Arsenal and Liverpool are among the teams in a healthy financial position.
The Gunners came within two points of beating Man City to a first Premier League title in two decades and will want to strengthen their squad to ensure they are capable of going one better next term. Meanwhile, new Liverpool boss Arne Slot will want a team built to fit his philosophy after replacing Jurgen Klopp.
“Every club is kind of a little bit more wary now than before in terms of the regulations. Partly because of what we have seen with Everton and Forest and whatever might be with Manchester City,” Plumley told Express Sport, in conjunction with Expert Casinos.
He added that both teams will also need to consider UEFA’s squad cost ratio regulations, which effectively take a club’s sporting expenditure as a percentage of its revenue. But he is confident that they will not have concerns over spending.
Plumley continued: “The other side of that is there has been some revelatory framework from UEFA, which will impact Liverpool and Arsenal as they regularly compete in UEFA competitions and will need to transition into that as well.
“That said, if you look into the data we can see, Liverpool and Arsenal are two clubs who can always spend if they want to.
“We know that Arsenal spent significantly last summer but they could do again if they choose to. Liverpool are in a good place against the regulations as they stand.
“They have a new manager and are, you’d think, a team in transition so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we will see some significant spends this summer and it will be the bigger clubs who are dominating that because they are in the position to do so. There is a bit more wariness in the market, generally, with everything so up in the air regarding certain regulations.”
Arsenal and Liverpool have both been linked with Dutch goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, who has admitted that he would be open to a move to the Premier League. Bijlow, who played under Slot at Feyenoord and has two years remaining on his contract, could become the back-up shot-stopper at either club.
