New Arsenal deal for £23.5m star shows Chelsea how it's done leaving Todd Boehly with regrets

Arsenal have done fantastic work in the transfer market to help build Mikel Arteta a squad which he has turned into title challengers for two successive seasons. Sporting director Edu Gaspar andsoon-to-be managing director Richard Garlick with their teams have combined a system of astute recruitment and long-term thinking to construct the group which has picked up 40 of the last 45 available points in the league.

It may not be enough to win the title this season however the hope that exists now regarding the future of the club and the likelihood of a Premier League or Champions League success is at a new peak. Yet, it is not just transfers which have bridged this gap but the longevity of player contracts and the success in renewing players and improving terms.

Big deals were completed for the likes of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba who many feared might leave. Folarin Balogun also renewed before being sold in a deal which could bring in record figures thanks to the £30million-plus transfer fee and 17.5 per cent sell-on clause inserted into the deal on top of other add-ons.

Across London, Chelsea have been spending big and investing for the long term but that is yet to see anything like the return that Arsenal have witnessed. Players have been put on seven and eight-year deals.

Four players in the squad are on contracts that do not expire until at least 2029, nine are on deals until 2030 and four more see theirs locked in until 2031. It is quite ridiculous and whilst it might be good if these players are delivering but the fact of the matter is the majority are not.

Only Cole Palmer can say with certainty that it has been worth the time and money that Chelsea have put in. Compare that to Arsenal who recently extended Gabriel