Tottenham Offered €40M to Barça, but Arsenal Will Pay €80M: Sold to Arteta
In a summer already brimming with transfer drama, FC Barcelona has pulled off a shrewd bit of business, leveraging London’s North-South rivalry to double their asking price.
Tottenham Hotspur submitted a €40 million bid for a yet-to-be-officially-named Barça player, believed to be a young and dynamic midfield talent.
However, it was Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal who swooped in with a staggering €80 million offer – effectively sealing the deal and leaving their North London rivals in the dust.
The decision to sell to Arsenal instead of Spurs wasn’t just about money – though doubling your profit is always persuasive.
Sources close to the deal suggest that Barcelona valued the player at around €60–70 million, but had grown accustomed to lowering their expectations due to ongoing financial constraints.
Spurs’ initial offer of €40 million was viewed as a starting point, but not one that compelled action. Arsenal’s late but aggressive intervention changed the entire landscape.
Mikel Arteta, a known admirer of technically gifted and tactically flexible players, is believed to have played a major role in convincing both the player and Barcelona.
The Spanish manager has continued to reshape Arsenal in his image, building a side that is both stylistically elegant and tactically disciplined.
With the addition of this new signing – whom many expect to be officially unveiled after the end of the current La Liga season – Arsenal adds a fresh layer of depth and creativity to their midfield or forward line.
For Tottenham, the rejection stings. Ange Postecoglou has been vocal about needing reinforcements, particularly ones that can elevate the squad in Europe and challenge domestically.
Missing out on a top target to their biggest rivals only magnifies the frustration. Spurs’ sporting director Johan Lange now faces mounting pressure to secure alternatives in what is already proving to be a hyper-competitive transfer market.
From Barcelona’s perspective, this is nothing short of a win. The Catalan giants have faced harsh economic realities in recent years, often forced to offload talent below market value just to balance the books. To turn a €40M bid into an €80M sale is a rare financial masterstroke.
It also suggests a smarter, more aggressive approach under Deco’s sporting leadership and Joan Laporta’s presidency – showing they are no longer easy prey at the negotiating table.
For Arsenal fans, this signals further intent. After narrowly missing out on major trophies over the past two seasons, Arteta and Edu Gaspar are refusing to rest.
They’ve moved swiftly and decisively to outmaneuver Spurs, once again proving that the Emirates hierarchy is all-in on competing at the highest level.
The transfer will be officially confirmed in the coming weeks, but one thing is already clear: Arsenal have landed their man. Tottenham have missed theirs. And Barcelona have won big.
