Given that Arsenal spent in excess of £140m in the summer, it’s unlikely they’ll have riches to spend in the New Year.
It doesn’t make sense for Arsenal to be considering spending such a large sum on a position that they’ve, effectively, already filled. And if they do see Lamptey as long-term competition for Tomiyasu, is now really the time to sanction such a huge deal considering the club, arguably has greater transfer priorities right now?
It feels like a no-brainer for Arsenal to be focusing all of their efforts on finding a new striker given the way that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s messy divorce from the club has played out in the public eye over the past month.
Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director Edu have managed to get the club’s recruitment work back on track over the last year.
But plotting a big-money deal for Lamptey right now, just six months after splashing the cash on Tomiyasu, feels like a step in the wrong direction.