There’s been a lot of misery here the past few days, so I thought today I’d carry on the good work of the Le Grove comments section in figuring out where we can shake money from as we look to recalibrate for the future.
Firstly, let’s look at the players out of contract.
- Rambo £100k
- Monreal £70k
- Cech £120k
- Welbz £100k
Those aren’t tears in my eyes, I swear to god I’m gonna hold it together.
£390k a week
Zero fee sadly. £60m down the drain there.
Then move onto where the players are that we’d very much like to sell in the summer.
- Mikhi £170k (£8m)
- Lacazette £170k (£60m)
- Elneny £60k (£15m)
- Koscielny £100k (£2m)
- Chambers £40k (£10m)
- Mustafi £90k (£25m)
- Mesut Ozil £350k per week (£0m)
£980k per week | £120m fees
I very much have my doubts we’ll hold onto Mustafi past this season, he’s at a prime age and has attracted Inter Milan in the past. Elneny is being chased by Leicester, a solid player with a great attitude. Koscielny is too old and might want to chase a 3 year deal back home, as he’s mentioned in the past. Mikhi is attracting admiring glances from Italy, it’s certainly not working out here. Chambers isn’t at the level needed at Arsenal and he’s a young Englishman.
Lacazette might upset some people, but you can’t have a £170k a week striker on the bench. He’s very exciting, he’s a brilliant player, but we need to raise funds and a goalscorer like that would be hot property.
Then there’s Mesut Ozil, who is a very big problem. The club is leaking that it’d like to move him on this Jan, just like I’m leaking to the marketing press I’d like to earn $500m a year. The reality is no one wanted him when he was on £140k a week with 3 months left on his deal, for some reason, he’s not hot these days. We’re either going to have to let him leave for nothing or come to a deal on contract termination if he digs his boots in. I was told last night that Turkey has a 15% tax on footballers, could be a good move.
I’d add in Granit Xhaka who could fetch a handsome fee. He’s no good for the Premier League because of the power and pace, but he’d be brilliant at any other European club. Could fetch £50m on open market.
Anyway, excluding him:
Potential Sales: £1.37m wages pw (£71m pa) | £120m fees
That’s a lot of money to shake off of the wage bill, and it’s a helluva lot of players to recruit inbound. But something drastic needs to happen, we have to reallign the wage bill this summer because poverty never helped anyone progress.
The issue driving of the claim is us ducking out of the Champions League at a cost of £40m a season. We’ve made £30m extra with the new Adidas deal on the table. £12m extra from The Emirates deal. £4m extra for the club level extension. There’s a new TV deal brewing. I mean, the more you look at it, the more it becomes clear that Stan will take absolutely no risk on us whatsoever. Arsenal could bet on the future and carry debt, odd that we’d be so cautious unless the exec team wanted to wait and see how well Emery performs before they throw money at his so far unclear ideas.
I’d hope that a wage recalibration will be set up so that the club generates a cash surplus each season so we could invest in players. The ultimate goal is to find names that can be sold for £100m+. That’d allow us to rock a Liverpool like jump, adding experience and truly high caliber players as we reach for the next level.
In the short term, we’ll have to promote our young players, which will come with a cost if they sign new deals. It’ll mean that we make more Torreira like bets, which means good wages not explosive ones. It’ll also give us space to bring in top talent, offering them a platform to grow their careers.
I read an interesting comment yesterday, someone said they saw the battle at the top of the club being between Emery, who wants experienced players… and Sven, who wants to bring in players like MG. I think the balance of power has to shift towards Sven. Arsenal shouldn’t be investing big money in Denis Suarez and Ever Banega. We need to find players high ceilings. I think it’s highly unlikely we’re going to win our place in the top 4 with so-so expensive journeyman. I mean, Bayern are snapping up Odoi, and Madrid bought Brahim from City (kids). We simply can’t afford to waste money on dross. The idea that we’re toying with Carrasco, a player of questionable commitment, as we struggle to come up with any ideas to motivate Mesut Ozil is baffling.
Go for Sarr or Pepe. Players who have it all to prove. Not a 24-year-old hack who binned of Atleti for China.
There’s a lot of talk about Arsenal being broke. That’s clearly not true, but it does look like Stan K has a real risk aversion with Arsenal and is not prepared to run an overdraft.
I also think we need to stop saying that the only way to solve our problems is throwing money at Emery. We hired a coach, let’s get him coaching his way out of this. Work out a way of defending better. Use the chess pieces more intelligently. Get the maximum out of the team you have.
Anyway, it looks like this summer is going to be one of the most dramatic on record. Clear the decks of dross, free up the wage bill, bring some fee through the door, and inject the club with a big hit of excitement. Follow the path of Sven, hopefully we’ll make future proof bets, regardless of what we do with the manager.
Right, now you’re damper than a swingers party mattress, tune into a quick hit of podcast with Matt and myself.
Gonsterous, no one can know that.
Have my doubts though.
Not absolving Emery of anything, he simply hasn’t been at the club long enough to have anything to be absolved of !
If he can’t get enough improvement after bringing in and entire playing squad (which is what we were short of), then he goes at the end of next season.
I don’t have a problem with that at all.
In totally with you Bergkamp!
Bennasser is a completely random link suddenly, £9 Million, smacks of Mislintat.
GFFN on Emery:
By the end of his tenure at PSG, Emery was reportedly a laughing stock in the dressing room – he succeeded in ruining captain Silva’s confidence, Neymar no longer listened to him, Dani Alves was bemused by his treatment of Ben Arfa, Ben Arfa had an all out war with him…
Gonsterous I disagree that it’s a two season job A two season to marginally return to CL with some luck but a 4-5 year job to compete for the title Such is the scale of calamitous errors we made. Year one – appoint new manager, new chief scout, new DoF and new contract management people. Take a punt to see if CL is possible with current squad. Year two – clear the deck and return to basics. Move out everything movable. Put new manager on a short leash but give him a modicum of what he needs. The emphasis is… Read more »
Stroller “Ozil has made it clear that he would not move to China. ” With respect , I may be wrong but the only comment that has come out of the Ozil camp is that he wants to stay at Arsenal . Ozil is getting the blame for many of our problems on and off the field when all he has done is accept an offer from the club because they were desperate for him to remain at Arsenal and then unfortunately, he has suffered a number of minor injury problems which should also be taken into consideration as it… Read more »
If money is sobdso damn short to buy a CD, a creative MF and a dribbler winger this Jan,
sell Auba
sell XHAKA
sell OZIL
Amen
https://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2016/09/01/57c87521ca4741fb088b4598.html
International Football Ibrahimovic, Eto’o, Fabregas and others not Catalan coach’s biggest fans
Why are so many former players criticising Guardiola?
If money is so damn short to buy a CD, a creative MF and a dribbler winger this Jan,
sell Auba,
sell XHAKA, and
sell OZIL
Amen
Bennasser as a DM or cm wouldn’t be worse than guen (needs to be bedded in, has the talent though) and xhaka from the weekend or last few seasons in all honesty.
Has some height and physicality about him, and can definitely get stuck in to a tackle and cover more ground.
Not sure that his ball playing and overall quality is what we need though. Could do better.
The sounds like Wenger, buy up the best 222 year old possible ! LOL !
As long as he is a free transfer !
The sounds like Wenger, buy up the best 222 year old possible ! LOL !As long as he is a free transfer !
Arsenal still have to pay them, we are talking about the wage bill. I don’t know a thing about the player so i prefer not to speak
RH, because they didn’t get games.
Quality post today Pedro!
I am keen as for the proper reshaping of this squad. Can’t come soon enough really, seeing how this season is panning out.
Absolute roller coaster ride.
looooooooool at the Kallstrom picture!!
Good old days…
Cech will retire at the end of this season.
The legendary goalkeeper has taken the decision that wenger never had the balls to take.
Goobergooner, we certainly got something different this year!
*when it was already the time… (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.)
RH, because they didn’t get games. Ben Arfa didn’t get games either so what’s bemusing Dani Alves?? “Now it’s easy to say because Arsenal are playing really great football. They are coming from a great run in recent matches and everybody knows he’s a really great coach,” he told a news conference on Thursday, ahead of Brazil’s friendly against Uruguay in London. “We know about their quality and I was really happy to work with him because he’s a really hard working guy. He really wanted to coach us and really wanted to study about football. “I think he will… Read more »
Arsenal with Ozil starting in premier league ..
Played(started) 12
Goals conceded..15
Arsenal without Ozil starting in premier league
Played 10 (started)
Goals conceded…17.
just what I thought…Conceded more goals without ozil despite playing fewer games .
Barcelona interested in… Giroud.
I mean, it could be an amazing story, isn’t it ?? lol
Lil’ P., stop jerking off on Mesut’s posters.
Bad boy.
Receding Hairline, he’s not going to call him a massive whopper in public, is he?
Look at what happened. He tanked a one-horse race in his first season, humiliated himself in the CL, then literally gave all the power to all the players in the second season, then was sacked despite winning the titles and cups.
He lost the dressing room, no one liked him.
Pierre,
You should take in to account the opposition that Ozil can be trusted to play against.
About the battle of wits at the top, I reckon this was the reason for elevating Sven to technical director or thereabout, we need to maintain an identity and Sven has the experience to fish out the pieces for such a masterpiece. It’s not Emery’s job, he only needs to state that he needs certain attributes in a certain position.
Goodluck to Cech and I hope Elneny can do one asap.
Look at what happened. He tanked a one-horse race in his first season, humiliated himself in the CL, then literally gave all the power to all the players in the second season, then was sacked despite winning the titles and cups. He signed a two year contract with the option of a third, that option was not taken up by both parties and they parted ways. Maybe you should just concentrate on the job he is doing here not digging up those who have had a go at him in the past and dismissing those who have praised him. No… Read more »
pedro
Have my doubts though.
yah, you know why pep won’t win the CL. As good as he is as a manager he doesn’t have the personnel to win that trophy in city.
Same with emery. He has a squad that’s the 5th or 6th best in the country, and that’s what he can achieve with the lot. I’m still hoping he surprises us and gets top 4 as that will win all the sceptical fans over, but that may be a big ask.
Pierre, Look at the loser you are defending. Then tell me again that you are an Arsenal fan. “Arsène Wenger = very public about the special treatment that Özil sought, regularly asking for time off & he obliged because it was the best way to make the German happy. When Neymar asked the same of Emery, the Spaniard was firm, but constantly rebuffed by higher-ups.” Wtf is that special treatment? Why does Ozil want it? Why would he ask for time off? How can you keep defending this joke of a footballer? Players like Alexis, Aguero, Henry, Shearer, you couldn’t… Read more »
I’m with Emery on it. Remove the German tumor at ALL COSTS. He is anything but a footballer. 350k pw being given to someone asking not to play on the regular. Fk me. How can we be a serious club with a player like that? He’s getting the salary of 5 Torreiras. Wenger and Gazidis left us in a position where we are a laughing stock. Nothing else. Ozil asking for off days and Wenger is like “Yes my son, you go do what you need. I got you”. Seriously?! And no, PSG won’t win the UCL with someone like… Read more »
So asking for time off is now a good thing and managers should always accept it.
Ozil now being compared to Neymar..nice
Stay way from Carrasco. He didn’t dump Atletico Madrid, they dumped him for causing trouble and division in the dressing room. More trouble in China: fisticuffs with teammate on the training ground. Seems like he’d like to test English patience now…
All the best clubs strive on competitiveness. Look at Man C, Pool, look at Barca and Real with Ronaldo in there. Each of their players fighting to start. Messi and Ronaldo desperate to play every single game, score, assist, break records, remain in the history. Man City players know that they have to do well because they are competing with 2 other top players for the same position. Here we have Ozil asking not to play on the regular… You couldn’t make this shiet up. And people like Pierre thing that he’s the big deal. Thing that the club should… Read more »
Plenty can be done in the summer to provide us the financial wherewithal to improve the squad. One of Lacazette or Auba should be sold, for example. Is Emery the guy to take us forward? Yes and no. He’s definitely capable of getting us to fourth, but I don’t see him doing better than that. Lacks the vision and comprehensive tactical approach of the best managers. He can improve mentality, work rate, etc., though, and with the right players that might be enough. Problem is: to get the right players, you need to correctly see what’s needed. Does Emery? I… Read more »
Too emotional to fix my grammar. Rip.
Pep would have us playing with marginal gains, nothing more. Serious question, would you rather have Pep (and Arteta!) at Arsenal with a £70m budget, or Emery at Arsenal with the same £542m Pep has spent so far at City? And in which scenario would we finish higher up the table? The problem is our players. So much dross. For all of Pep and Arteta’s ‘greatness’, they’re still only in 2nd, and if they don’t pip Liverpool to the title, 1 league title and zero European cups in 3 years for Pep with all that cash spent isn’t a tremendous… Read more »
Pedros just put up a new post
Sven Mislintat is leaving.
The club is fucked. He was our big hope on a budget.
He’d hardly be the first person to have a falling out with Ben Arfa. Hardly noteworthy is it Pedro? Coach who doesn’t want known cunt and a bit shite footballer Hatem Ben Arfa at club anymore have fallen out. And the other stuff well it’s a circus at PSG. The question that only needs to be asked is at Arsenal is he doing things that are obviously wrong with regards to the personnel is he treating them particularly bad? I’m not talking about substitutions and the likes that’s silly. The obvious situation to be under the spotlight is the Ozil… Read more »
Even the gormless Wenger would have an 80% chance of winning the title with Man City..
The facts are that tgd players are shit who can’t take simple instfuctiobs from the coach.
Even the gormless Wenger would have an 80% chance of winning the title with Man City..
The facts are the Arsenal players are shit, who can’t take simple instructios from the coach.
Monreal recently had his contract extended one yr.
I have come to the conclusion that my change in tack with regards Emery, has been come about by not only his slightly confusing methods and philosophies, but also by my increased sense of dismay and anger towards the club. We all know that the years of neglect and gross mismanagement have come back to haunt us big time. By allowing Wenger and Gazidis to rule the roost for so long, Arsenal FC dug a massive hole for themselves which is going to take a great deal of time to rectify. I now firmly believe that Emery is not the… Read more »
Monreal is not leaving at the end of the season. Arsenal have triggered a one year extension clause in his contract.