Chelsea confirmed on Thursday that they had agreed to sign coveted young Brazilian midfielder Nathan, with the player set to move to Stamford Bridge upon the opening of the transfer window for a reported £4.5 million.
It is a deal that has been in the works for some time and Chelsea were able to overcome interest from other notable clubs to acquire the 19-year-old from Atletico Paranaense, where he has spent his formative years.
This is a transfer, however, that has baffled Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has found it somewhat difficult to fathom how Chelsea were able to make it happen given the visa issues that accompany signing players from Brazil.
"You cannot get players from Brazil in England at the moment,” Wenger said at his weekly press conference.
“I don't know how you can sign players from Brazil."
This is not the first time Wenger has questioned the transfer dealings of Chelsea and, as a man who always does things by the book, it is clearly frustrating for him to witness the Premier League champions somehow mange to wriggle themselves free of FFP sanction.
Chelsea were able to spend significantly on world class talent last summer to strengthen their title credentials, but only after they had shifted out established players in enormous deals. They have, it seems, cracked FFP.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have been somewhat more measured - always spending within their means - and taking far less of a scattergun approach. It has, however, worked to their detriment, as demonstrated by the unwillingness to sign former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, despite having the funds to do so.
What do you make of Chelsea's deal for Nathan? Is Arsene Wenger right to be suspicious? Let us know below!
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://gms.to/writeforgms
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms