The Mesut Ozil story continues to drag on, and as suspected, the chances of him leaving are somewhere in the region of no chance, to no f*cking chance. This is what his agent told GOAL.
“Unless you are on the inside and privy to what happens on a daily basis, it is best not to speculate.
“In every journey there are highs and lows, but it is important to consider the bigger picture rather than simply making knee-jerk judgements without proper context.
“The speculation around Mesut’s future has not come from him or us and is unfortunate because the situation is clear: his future is with Arsenal, end of story.”
It’s not surprising, the German’s agent pulled off the heist of the century with the deal he reeled in. He knew our exCEO was ego driven, he knew the club couldn’t lose Sanchez and his client at the same time, he squeezed right up until the last minute. £350k a week is staggering… likely why the club is e-mailing its staff to cut down on kettle boils at the Colney training ground.
What is interesting is how the Aaron Ramsey saga is playing out. Remember, his agent, a firm believer that his client was of more value than Mesut, was pushing for similar money. Arsenal pulled the rug from that deal when Emery realised he wasn’t going to extract the value he needed from Aaron, and maybe found out the extent of our finances. Now he’s likely to be a free agent in the summer, Juve has come knocking. This is what Fabio Paratichi had to say (SD).
“He’s a great player, we really like him and he plays for a great team. His contract is expiring and we’re always alerted to situations that the market offers, so we’ve also been alerted to Ramsey.”
The salary they’re talking about is closer to £150k a week… which looks more like a 50% payrise, and much more in keeping with the sort of money you’d expect him to be bringing in. Italian football is certainly a lifestyle choice more than anything, no doubt he’ll pick up some world class coaching, he’ll eat like a king and the tax laws now work more favourably for foreign stars. If you pay a 100,000 euros flat fee on your foreign income, that’s all you pay. Great if you’re Ronaldo, but likely advantageous if you’re Aaron. Boot deals, foreign tours and CL income can all be written off this way… so he could make up his cash that way. Ideally though, his biggest win is the truckload of trophies he’ll pick up. (I read that we’re considering Khedira as part of the deal and my eyes began to bleed)
The harsh reality of our world right now is we’re paying Champions League wages without the revenue. Arsenal has to take a sledgehammer to that this summer and recalibrate. I cannot listen to people tell me it’s impossible for us to compete when we have such bad finances.
“Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is king.” I thought it might be interesting to look at where Premier League clubs source their money and what they spend it on by reviewing the clubs’ cash flow statements over the last decade. Some thoughts in the following thread.
— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) January 3, 2019
The Swiss Ramble has a threaded tweet above that analyses how much money club owners pile into their vanity purchase.
SPOILER ALERT: Stan K hasn’t put in a penny of his own money into the Arsenal kitty (Though commendably, we pay the most tax by a margin)
Whereas… Chelsea and City are almost totally bankrolled by their hideous owners.
Now, you could get on your high horse about how f*cking tragic this is, or you could stop being a bitch and look at the opportunity we had and now have.
Stan hasn’t spent his own money, but he’s also not taken out. I can’t be outraged about a tiny bit of fee back in the day. Who fucking cares?
The issue with Arsenal has been that we’ve been deeply inefficient with our cash. Our wage bill is hideous, our player purchases have been very average and I think it’s fair to say that the young player production line has been pretty miserable for over a decade.
Think about this, in the world of crazy transfer fees, we’ve never sold a player for £50m! Our biggest ever sale was Oxlade Chamberlain at £35m.
The absolute key to Arsenal moving forward is to invest proper money in the best young talent from around the globe. Arsenal needs to aggressively target young players with a high ceiling, even if that means some transfers looking at the higher end of the spectrum. We can’t keep taking small gambles on OK young players, then investing average money into players with no resale value. That’s why Sokratis and Banega don’t work for me.
Think about Dortmund, they just sold bench merchant Pulisic for £58m! Sancho cost £9m and he’s worth £90m!
Arsenal can compete, but we need to make more aggressive moves on our wage bill and we need to come up with a more interesting approach on the field.
I don’t want to bang on about Spurs too much, but I think the Poch is such an interesting coach because he does such a huge amount with the players he brings in. Almost every single one improves. They work hard, they stay fit and they play on for the cause on smaller contracts than the rest of the league. He ALWAYS gives the kids a go. Do you think he’d have played Lichtsteiner over a young player against Liverpool? No way. He’d have thrown a well trained kid into the mixer.
The only way we get to that level is if we have a coach that young players know will make them better, and if we create a project that is really enticing. We’ve kind of worked the other way traditionally. We’ve enticed average players with big money on the promise they won’t get better, but damn, will they be comfortable in a world of unaccountability.
Question is, will players gravitate towards our current coach? Can he make players x3 what they were? Time will tell. The great thing about the new era is if it’s not working out, we can recalibrate quickly and work towards something a little less safe and a little more visionary.
Well, we can do that if Raul, Vinai and Sven really want to the kick the club forward and really want to attack a strategy that feels progressive. If those guys live in a comfort zone, we’re really in trouble.
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments.
Robertson was a real gem of a find, cannot believe they got such a good player for 8 million at a great age too.
Yap, great deal, only bettered by shaqiri at 12M
Damn, epic miss from our pov, how we could really do with both right now
Sane’s absolutely quality, such a gangly dribbling style though haha.
Always looks like he’s going to be dispossessed before he gets a toe to it just in time.
Brilliant goal. Almost Ozil like
Quality Striker!!!! Auba won’t
Wow. Sick goal from Aguero. Nicely called, Paulinho.
Banger
Vic
Better than Shaq for my money, he’s their starting LB for potentially a decade.
Aguero, what a finish. He’s so good at rifling a shot off at a tight angle with that left peg without much backlift needed.
Laca would though
Guns of SF
We ain’t getting James.
He’d instantly be up there with the best attacking midfielders in the league. Unreal ability, but not the sort we should be looking at.
60 mil should get us 2/3 proper players with good scouting.
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Get in! Aguero loves a goal against Liverpool, sit down you scouse cunts. Take notes Auba, one chance, one goal. It makes a difference.
Victorious back here supporting his beloved Liverpool, I see.
Hey you wanna bet who wins? Oh yeah you’re a shit cunt that welches on bets, never mind.
Bernardo Silva was a significant miss. Absolutely brilliant player who can play comfortably across three positions
Liverpool rattled, need to hear that HT whistle to regroup.
Still pissed off the way Aguero gets marginalised by Argentina.
Happened again in the World Cup.
You indulge that player as much as Messi in my book.
Klopp made a mistake going conservative with Henderson in the XI, Fabinho has been brilliant for them of late.
Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner is a bit porridge.
Paulinho
He scored goals not too dissimilar to that vs Iceland in the World Cup and vs Chelsea in the PL a couple of seasons back.
WE – Best I’ve seen at rifling in from acute angles in and around the six yard box.
Both feet as well.
Paulinho
Aguero made all the difference when we came on against France
Arg wins that game if he started IMO
Aguero 10x Jesus
Fernandinho is awesome. His reading of the game is brilliant. I know they really wanted to go for Jorginho as his long term replacement but he’s not nowhere near as good reading the game defensively
I’ve always said Ederson is the better of the two Brazilian goalies. Allison still to justify the megabucks paid for him.
Most international coaches are idiots. the Brazilian Tite started Jesus every game with Firminho on the bench
Naby Keita should be in this side for 60 mil you’d have thought. 0 goals and 0 assists so far this season I read in some comparison to Pogba.
That midfield trio is Sunday league in this fixture.
Guns of sf
“Reading the tabloids saying we bid 63m and it was accepted for James Rodriguez”
Does he track back ..
No……oh well, he won’t be signing then will he.
Paulinho
He’s the perfect penalty box prowler, doesn’t quite have the running power in those short squat legs to be as effective running away from bodies from deep which is why, a bit like Messi he’s not quite the same player for Argentina as they create fuck all.
His best one of those type of finishes for me was the one at OT, think it was the winner where he faked/dummied his way through body after body across the box before smashing it into the roof of the net from a silly angle.
Liverpool’s midfield three are doing what they’re there for but for that one chance. Mane should have scored.
Yeah Mane has to bury that, margins are that razor thin.
As good as Mane is though you’d have to think that every single Liverpool fan was praying that kind of chance would fall to Salah as opposed to Mane who’s a bit of an erratic finisher.
Auba should be taking notes.
Misses a lot of sitters for such a great goalscorer.
Ramsey is apparently going to become the second highest paid player at Juve next season. Will he end up being the second best player at the club too?
Yeah Mane has to be one of the most frustrating forwards
Marko
You willing to concede that Ramsey is a very good player now and certainly much better than the much touted on here Max Meyer? 😀
Italian clubs just love a bargain don’t they? Even the elite Juventus just cannot resist them freebies.
James?.. no thank you. We are not a refuge for failed no.10s or soft technical midgets.
^I like James a lot but that did make me laugh.
Haven’t seen a lot of Can for Juventus, is he injured?
Ramsey will find it hard starting for that team.
Evens odds on Klopp to take off the top of Shreeves’ ear in the post-match interview with his horse veneers if they lose this 1-0.
Sane > Salah
RR
Think he’ll be fine, he’s better than Bentancur so can just slot in for him.
Pjanic can play deeper ala Pirlo role with Matuidi and Ramsey ahead.
Man for man Liverpool don’t have any better players than us. Name wise. For example this arnold kid. He’s better than bellerin? Milner Henderson wanjaldum. Better than torriera xhaka ramsey? They have 3 great forwards. We have 2. We just don’t have a salah elite level player. Is their keeper leaps and bounds better than cech or leno? Somethings wrong at our club…
Pretty depressing time to be a supporter.
No money and our only hope is to get lucky by signing young players.
WengerEagleJanuary 3, 2019 21:11:31
^I like James a lot but that did make me laugh.
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😉
Cor Firminos got a very hittable face
And just like that. Brilliant from Robertson
Shocking defending but what a ball across.
Liverpool have really been built well over the years, they’ve got it wrong but they have it right now…
E54
Yea that just isn’t true…
Their squad is better, but it’s not unbelievably better in terms of quality. It’s suited farrrr better to their defined philosophy though which is the ultimate difference.
Fuck sake City, sleepwalking so far this second half.
Great frickin’ team goal from Liverpool. Great goal.
Invincibles
Must
Live
On
Go city you fucking wankers
It’s the internet Bamford, you’re allowed to swear.
You willing to concede that Ramsey is a very good player now
Yeah I’ve never really said he was shit I just think after seeing him for Arsenal for 10 years that we deserve much better and that he’s not nearly as good as some people make out. 10 years and where’s his best position? I think Juve will sell him within two seasons
Not sure why Fabinho didn’t start, Pool looking dangerous now
Even if they don’t go on to win this, Liverpool are right there with Citeh, arguably outplaying them.
Nobody else gives this City side such a close game consistently, have to take your hat off to them as much as it’s painful to do it.
Brilliant from Sane
Absolutely sickening how Liverpool have quickly built a world class team without huge outlay.
Champagne charlieJanuary 3, 2019 21:24:32 E54 Yea that just isn’t true… Their squad is better, but it’s not unbelievably better in terms of quality. It’s suited farrrr better to their defined philosophy though which is the ultimate difference. Fuck sake City, sleepwalking so far this second half. – Yeah, you just agreed with me dude. I was asking, not making definitive statements. Check the question marks im asking are their players that much better than ours man4aman? I agree with you that quality wise they are not better than us. Who is this robertson? Is he better than kolasinac or… Read more »
Leroy
Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaane.
Brilliant strike that. Which is just as well because City were doing nothing this second half. Lack that spark of last season. It was never going to be sustainable anyway
Sane at £25 million another example of what you can buy.
Hopefully get some nice sour grapes from Klopp tonight,
Good finish from Sane.
Could never have happened, though, without Arteta’s assistant managing. 😉
E54
They’re better in terms of quality, it just isn’t the reason they’re levels above us imo.
It’s the other shit you just mentioned. We don’t have a philosophy from that I’ve witnessed to date.
Very undefined stuff so fuck knows what ‘type’ of signing we’re targeting.
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Mo Salah is just a shit Leroy Sane
Paulinho
Even though City have spent a boatload, vast majority of their best players cost in the ballpark of 30-50 million each, we’ve spent the upper end of that and more that on Auba and Laca.
WE – Yeah they’ve bought excellently for a while.
Right back to buying Silva over a Mata when hilariously most thought they were at the same level as players.
Everyone knows that Iwobi will run more than Ozil, that he will work harder than Ozil, that he will be industrious and hard-working. But the fact that he is also more productive than Ozil, an element of the game that Ozil should dominate, is damning. Quite simply, not only is Ozil not playing in the manner that Emery wants, but when he is playing, he is not producing at the level that his talent dictates.
Should explain why Emery prefers to field Iwobi…..
13 Alisson
66 Alexander-Arnold
6 Lovren
4 van Dijk
26 Robertson
This?? Is a worldclass defence?
“Sane at £25 million another example of what you can buy.“
And the rest..
45 mil all said and done
Sterling…..smh
Paulinho
Yeah, said it back in 2011 as well that 35 million for Aguero was a complete steal considering he was Atletico Madrid’s best player and had already scored over 100 goals for them by age 22.
He was better than Tevez by age 23.
When is Salah going to get booked for diving?
what a save by Becker…Sterling runs really funny…
Sterling put the burners on there, sensational player in full flight.
Think you mean Sane at £45m.
Good save from Alisson.
Salah’s a little cunt for throwing a flop isn’t he?
Of course Liverpool are levels above us. We’ve got issues in CB, full back position, midfield and attacking positions at the very least. Liverpool have a very strong starting 11 with some very good squad players to come in. The only position of strength at our club is the striker position and that’s it. But sure it’s just a philosophy and a vision is all that’s missing for us.
E54
Yes. It is.
£37 million. Still not bad, would definitely preferred him and one of Lacazette/Auba instead of two central-centric goal-getters.
I see Liverpool knicking a goal.
Liverpool broke City’s unbeaten run last season. Would this be payback from City?
*Their squad is better, but it’s not unbelievably better in terms of quality. It’s suited farrrr better to their defined philosophy though which is the ultimate difference.*
Marko processes that as the following:
“But sure it’s just a philosophy and a vision is all that’s missing for us.“
Not one window is safe from this dribbly cunt.
Always a tough ask even for this Pool side to leave Etihad with points.
Thought Sterling had it wrapped there. Been a good game between two good serious football clubs.
If you want to get a rise out of Klopp tonight just ask him about not being able to repeat Arsenal’s unbeaten league campaign.
“Listen! I told you many times I do not care about that……..”
E54
Liverpool have better players than us in every department.
Bellerin wouldn’t get in to their starting XI. Torrera might. I can’t think of anyone else.
Wenger eagle
Ramsey better than Bentancur? Wow you must rate Ramsey pretty highly.
From the matches I’ve seen Bentancur is class, can do almost everything. No way he loses out to Ramsey he’ll be off to Madrid or something.
it’s not unbelievably better in terms of quality.
That’s what you said. Their squad is not unbelievably better than ours. It is. Significantly so. Probably have one Arsenal player who might make their 11. They have people on their treatment table who’d start for us
Only one PL invincibles.
Liverpool are good just not invincibly good……….
Bamford10January 3, 2019 21:44:28
E54
Yes. It is.
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Cool, just repost the comments you made at the start of the season talking about how worldclass these 2 kids at fullback are. And any comments at anytime where ANYONE stated that Loveren is a great CB. Not even WC, just great? Klopp mabey a better manager than emery but his players are not incredibly better than emerys.
The level if these 2 teams is miles beyond anything in the PL
Interesting that one team was built with many years significant investment and the other with a couple of very good transfer windows and low net spend.
Interesting that one team was built with many years significant investment and the other with a couple of very good transfer windows.
So a bit of time yeah
Man city deserved it, but there’s really not much between these two sides.
Liverpool have come very far in a few seasons. Let’s hope arsenal can emulate this.
Marko
Yea I’m not rising to your ignorant ramblings anymore, indulged your juvenile outlook far too much.
Lol at people obsessing over the unbeaten thing. Several teams have had better seasons than that Invincibles team.
Bentancur is more of a classical conductor but often seems to play within himself or as if he has more to give, the question is will he?
Better controller than Ramsey but hasn’t got that off the ball drive.
E54
On current form their players are much better than ours. How many goals have they conceded and scored this season? that will give you an indication.
RR
Bentancur is very tidy and he’s a great passing metronome, bit basic in his all-round skillset though.
Cant see RM moving for him.
Not unbelievably better in terms of quality that’s what you said.
Thomas
The invincibles were a one off, and they’re ours. Don’t downplay it.
Bentancur is more of a classical conductor but often seems to play within himself or as if he has more to give, the question is will he?
Sounds a bit like one of our current players.
Absolutely sickening how Liverpool have quickly built a world class team without huge outlay.
4 years and they spent 70 m on a defender and how much for Allison???
Tampon with another pearler