Arsenal sold amazing star for £540k, now he’s worth far more than Sterling

After a brilliant start to their Premier League campaign that saw them pick up six points against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, Arsenal hit the first bump in the road on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s side hosted the high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion, and while they took a one-goal lead in the first half, a red card for Declan Rice early in the second saw them put under immense pressure and ultimately forced to settle for a single point.

It wasn’t the performance home fans were hoping to see, nor was it the sort of display new signing Raheem Sterling would have been expecting, who was watching from the stands after agreeing to join the team on a season-long loan from cross-city rivals Chelsea.

The Englishman was a surprise signing on deadline day, and while some are unconvinced about his arrival, his Premier League record speaks for itself. However, the Gunners did sell another winger in the past, who, if he had still been in the squad, would’ve made Sterling’s move unnecessary.

Sterling’s move to Arsenal

Yes, after months of speculation surrounding Arsenal’s pursuit of an attacking signing this summer, it was officially confirmed the day after the window shut that the club had secured the services of Sterling on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

From a purely financial perspective, it appears to be an incredible piece of business from the North Londoners, as according to reports, they are set to pay just £100k-per-week of the Englishman’s £325k-per-week wages, with the Blues stumping up the rest.

It would appear that the reason the Gunners have got such a good deal in this regard is that following the statement released by the player ahead of the West Londoners’ opening game of the season a few weeks ago and the subsequent fallout, the Pensioners have been looking for a way to get him out of the club for the rest of the campaign, in turn, presenting Edu Gaspar and Co a brilliant market opportunity.

However, it’s not just the finances that could make this an excellent deal for last season’s Premier League runners-up because, at his best, the former Manchester City ace is a fantastic player.

For example, in his 339 appearances for City, he scored 131 goals and provided 73 assists, equating to a goal involvement once every 1.66 games, which is remarkable considering he did so over a seven-season period.

Moreover, even though he hasn’t been at his very best at Stamford Bridge, he has still scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists in 81 matches, meaning he’s averaged a goal involvement once every 2.61 games, which isn’t too bad.

However, while Sterling looks to be a great addition to Arteta’s squad for this season, it’s a deal that probably wouldn’t have been needed had the club not sold a former player in 2017 who has since gone on to play in a Champions League final, and no, it’s not Serge Gnabry.

Donyell Malen’s post-Arsenal career

Yes, the player in question is Donyell Malen, who, after joining Arsenal in 2015 and scoring 44 times in two seasons for the youth sides, was sold to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in 2017 for around £540k.

Over the next four years, the Wieringen-born dynamo would score 55 goals and provide 24 assists in just 116 first-team appearances for the Eredivisie side, which was enough to see him earn his first senior cap for the Dutch national team and earn a £26m move to Borussia Dortmund in July 2021.

His move to Germany was not an instant success, but since adapting to life in the Bundesliga and overcoming several injuries, the “sizzling” attacker, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has once again shown how talented he really is.

For example, in just 38 appearances last season, he scored 15 goals and provided five assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.90 games. He even came off the bench to participate in the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Like Sterling, the 25-year-old is comfortable playing off either the right or left of a front three, although he has also spent a significant amount of time playing down the middle.

Moreover, according to FOTmob, he is actually worth more than the Englishman, with a value of €41m – £35m – to his €37m – £31m valuation.

Ultimately, the Chelsea attacker looks like he’ll be a brilliant addition to Arsenal’s attack this season, but had the Gunners kept hold of Malen over the years and helped him reach his potential in North London, there is a chance the former City ace wouldn’t be needed.