The discontent had been growing. As so many revolutionaries discover, it’s never just about removing the figurehead. Arsene Wenger seemed tired by the end of his 22 years at Arsenal, but his departure last summer did not immediately produce an improvement. Rather, once his enormous presence was removed, it became apparent just how much else was amiss at the club.
The record signing of Nicolas Pepe on Thursday does not in and of itself change that. But, equally, an $87.5 milllion signing is a major event. It’s not just that it outstrips by almost $20 million Arsenal’s previous record, set when Pierrre-Emerick Aubameyang was signed from Borussia Dortmund, or even that Pepe is the fourth most expensive signing in the Premier League’s history; it’s what it means in terms of the club’s ambition and future direction.