Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes Pep Guardiola sold two Manchester City stars to Arsenal because the Gunners do not represent a threat to their Premier League title defense this season.
The north Londoners have had a fantastic pre-season and they capped it off with a convincing 6-0 win over Sevilla at the Emirates Cup on Saturday.
Arsenal have been one of the highest spenders in this transfer window. They have splashed over £120m to secure the services of five players, including two Manchester City stars, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. They have spent a combined £75m on the City duo, who have looked very promising in the pre-season fixtures.
Jesus has already hit the ground running for the north Londoners. He marked his Emirates stadium debut with an impressive hat-trick, taking his goal tally to seven goals in just five appearances.
Zinchenko has also had a good start to life at the club. He has started two games and looks to be a regular starter for the team this season.
Despite the Gunners’ spending spree and impressive pre-season results, Keane insists they are not a threat in this campaign. He believes Guardiola has made the right decision in selling his players to Arsenal. The 50-year-old told ITV(via Metro):
“I wouldn’t doubt Pep’s opinion on players. He works with them closely, you’ve got to keep moving on, you’ve got to freshen things up.”
“They’ve got good money for these players, who have been brilliant players for Manchester City. Jesus has really done well the last few months, Sterling’s stats are fantastic, but with Haaland coming in, Pep’s probably thinking he wants to keep a hungry squad, that’s the name of the game.”
“He probably, at this moment in time with the money that came in, doesn’t see these clubs – certainly Arsenal – as a threat.”
“The big worry at the moment is trying to keep ahead of Liverpool. Liverpool and Manchester City are so far ahead of the other teams, he thought it’s worth a gamble.”
Arsenal Fever View:
Despite what Keane has said, Arsenal fans should be really excited for the new season. He has always been a huge critic of the club, and this one looks like another one of his rants.
The Gunners missed out on Champions League qualification by just a couple of points last campaign. Injuries and fitness problems were one of the biggest reasons for the late disappointment.
Arsenal have bolstered their squad with some excellent signings this summer. And if the results so far are signs of things to come, the fans are in for a treat.
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