When the Gunners’ vice-chairperson, David Dein, popped over to spend £16,4-million on Jose Antonio Reyes in Spain on Wednesday, the moths in his wallet made a desperate bid for freedom.
The once-bulging Arsenal piggy bank hasn’t been touched since Jens Lehmann arrived for £1,5-million in the summer. With the brand new £400-million Ashburton Grove stadium struggling to emerge from a rubbish tip half a mile from Highbury, we were led to understand The Premiership leaders would be spending like Scrooge during a recession.
But no, this deal is their biggest ever, eclipsing Sylvain Wiltord’s £13-million arrival in 2000. Has the astute Arséne Wenger finally lost it? Those who remember Francis Jeffers (and, come to think of it, Wiltord) may say yes, but then what about Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry?
Reyes’s arrival raises the prospect of the world’s second-best player, Henry, moving to Real Madrid to fund the new stadium, but chairperson Peter Hill-Wood says: ‘Henry is staying. We had a certain amount of money to spend on transfers and we spent it on Jose. This has nothing to do with the stadium fund.â€
Don’t expect to see the Spaniard on Sunday, when Manchester City visit the decaying Highbury. Henry has had a three-game break and should be too hot for Kevin Keegan’s as-yet-disappointing blues.
The season’s other great under-achievers, Blackburn, have got a tough one on Sunday too. Chelsea visit Ewood Park desperate to close the gap on the top two. Rovers boss Graeme Souness has been looking to strengthen his side during the January transfer window, but without great success, unless you count free transfer Michael Gray from Sunderland.
Chelsea, who have spent £110-million of Roman Abramovich’s money to get where they are, should cruise it.
Manchester United provide the best of Saturday’s action. They’ve got the early kick-off against Southampton with Sir Alex Ferguson hoping to celebrate his new one-year contract extension in the conventional way.
Birmingham may struggle to hold Bobby Robson’s Newcastle at St Andrews — the Toon Army were disappointing in their FA Cup exit against Liverpool and desperately need to keep the Magpies in with a shout of fourth place and Champions League qualification.
That spot is, of course, held by surprise side Charlton, who have got Bolton at The Valley. Sam Allardyce’s Wanderers eased into the League Cup final despite a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park on Tuesday.
That’s because Jay-Jay Okocha scored twice in their first leg 5-2 win at the Reebok stadium. And yes, you’d be right to assume Okocha’s absence, while playing for Nigeria at the African Nations Cup in Tunisia, has hit them hard. Expect Charlton to take at least a point.
Then there’s Liverpool versus Everton. Once the Mersey derby decided titles, now it’s little more than a mid-table sideshow. Gerard Houllier will come under pressure again if his reds don’t take all three points against the ailing blues at Anfield.
Fulham, having lost Louis Saha to Manchester United, may struggle against improving Tottenham while Aston Villa will share the points at Leicester.
Wolves, recent conquerors of Manchester United, have got Portsmouth in a basement battle.
But perhaps we should keep an eye on Middlesbrough’s visit to gloomy Elland Road. Defeat for caretaker Eddie Gray’s rock-bottom Leeds could spell serious trouble for the financially stricken club. If investors think they can’t survive in the Premiership, administration looms.