If you’re going to follow the smoke, then there’s no smokier trail than the one surrounding French starlet, Claude-Maurice of Lorient.
The internet is ablaze that we’ve agreed terms with him and are very close with Lorient on fee, thought to be around £18m.
This is the sort of signing I’d hoped we’d make. The player is direct, he can move with the ball at pace, he loves a long shot and he’s more fit for purpose than anything we currently boast out wide.
He’s exactly the sort of player Monaco and Dortmund normally snap up and sell for £50m a couple of years later. If this is a sign of things to come this summer, I’m into it. Arsenal has to find the white space in the transfer market.
There are two routes that ‘could’ be where we’re trying to play.
Revamp / Reenergise
This method of picking up broken players from around Europe is exactly what Unai Emery did at Sevilla. The manager is under pressure, when you are drowning, you fall back on what you know. He’d flip players like two up, two downs in Hastings. The risk here is a bit like buying yellow sticker sushi, you’re either buying an ABSOLUTE bargain (Think Kanu or Overmars) or you are about to find out why bad fish is never to be fucked with (Balotelli or Joey Barton). Players like Malcolm, Carrasco, Arnautovic, and Denis Suarez are all the types of players that ‘could’ be monumental… or just total shite. Inter won the CL doing this, Spurs found top 4 with ‘arry. Problem is, it can lead to disaster, just look at Pompey and Stoke (lolololol).
Dortmund+
This is the longterm game. It comes with a little less risk because the outlay is low, if you buy right the players, they go up in value, and we’d be the biggest platform in the world operating this way. The sell to the players is you’ll come to play at a spectacular club, in the greatest city in the world, in an outrageous league. The sell to the fans is unreal kids blowing up The Emirates on the regular. The idea would be that when these players get good enough in 3 years, they’d create a steady stream of MEGA income that’d allow us to move to a more Bayern Munich model, and it’d also find us back in the Champions League. I thought it was very interesting to hear that Dortmund signed Sancho with the idea of selling him after a home-based Euros next summer. That’s planning.
The dream would be to move to where Dortmund were this season, or where Monaco were when Jardim was there first time around. The difference is that when we reach a certain phase in this sort of strategy, we could stop selling our elite talent, but continue the model because we’d have more money for better youth and we’d have a case study to prove out that the idea works.
I’m hoping we’re Dortmund+; all rumours seem to point that way.
The Carassco rumours are dying down, people keep citing our low starting budget, and I feel like it’s our job to remind people that a starting budget isn’t the final budget. If we sell a bunch of first-team players, that will add to the pot… and that literally has to happen, whatever the cost to Arsenal.
Mesut Ozil staying or going doesn’t impact our transfer plan.
The only thing that might be problematic is that every club in Europe knows exactly which players we are DESPERATE to move on. They’d mostly be mental to try and buy Mustafi right now, because they’ll know the deal is there to be had at the end of the window when we’ll literally take a moldy peach and 1982 copy of the Beano in exchange for his services. If you’re the player, that might even settle into your bargaining.
‘I can go back to training, act a c*nt, drive down my fee and up my wages in the process’
The question is whether Stan K is signing of cheques in the meantime. Or will he be rigid about making sure the cashflow is constantly in the black? For me, as a person who has no finanical incentive to keep cashflow positive, I’d say this would be a regressive approach that could severely disrupt our preseason and ruin the start of the campaign.
We should go all out to bring in the players we need so there is ZERO disruption for Emery’s team, and we can judge him solely on what happened on the pitch… I don’t want to have to read people excusing another shite season because we signed back Santos and Park Chu Young the last day of the window.
Ryan Fraser hilariously told the press he wasn’t worth the £30m and Bournemouth are insisting he’ll be with them next year. I won’t be taking an absence from work over this failure (please fail).
The Meunier stories are still chugging along, but a few things are coming out of Paris that suggest it’s a pipedream. Firstly, the player wants to stay. Secondly, ARSENAL DON’T NEED A RIGHT BACK OF HIS EXPERIENCE and are instead more focused on the left back and left-sided centre back position. Also, I’d be absolutley shocked if Raul would be sitting in a room seriously mulling that sort of investment in a position we are stocked in from a starting 11 perspective. Go where the holes are my friends, go where the holes are.
There are also extremely amusing rumours that Milan want LT at all costs… they are willing to give us Kessie in exchange. Pretty sure this one ain’t happening people, especially for £35m quid.
There’s also a great story in the press that Celtic are after Jenks… apparently started from one of those HILARIOUS fake twitter rumours. Still, the press run with these things and so goes the circle of clicks in journalism.
That’s me done friends, see you in the comments x
Oh, and HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO MY FATHER, big love, #EmeryOut
Bankz is here for the tr4phy 6
Another day another clean sweep
BOOOOOM
Tr4phy
Tr4phy
Oh well
LT for 50M. Take the money
Pedro
I just hope that you’re right on the Dortmund plus model.
Could really turn things round for us.
Marc, a lot of projecting my end here
Gazidis owes a couple of favours, Xhaka for Kessie sounds a lot better for us, would take that in a heartbeat. Straight swap no take backsies
Take the cash for little Torreira (45-50m) and buy Thomas Partey.
Pedro
I know but at least we’re on the same page!
Off topic but its kind of hilarious sarri is leaving chelsea after securing top 4 and winning europa shows what an odious club they have that he is sick to death of the place after a year.
London
It’s not exactly going to be plain sailing with a transfer ban, only Giroud up front, just lost their best player and an owner who’s not that interested anymore.
Enjoyed that post Pedro…
Not to serious tainted with humour an hope ..
Ospina with a £30m MOTM performance last night. He was Messi Kryptonite, even after nearly killing himself in the opening minutes with a flying kick.
No way he should be sold for less than £10m (with 1 year left).
What’s the obsession with first poster…
It’s so 2009…
This is a massive season club should priorities should be prem … Then Europe…
Looks like it’s toreiras Richard s behind all da rumours …
Strumpet
“Ospina with a £30m MOTM performance last night. He was Messi Kryptonite, even after nearly killing himself in the opening minutes with a flying kick.
No way he should be sold for less than £10m (with 1 year left).”
Unfortunately an entire career of mediocrity sort of knocks your value down a bit.
Ospina
Fucked up my overs bet
“Looks like it’s toreiras Richard s behind all da rumours …”
No idea what that means?
Marc
His girlfriend
RSPC
OK – Someone needs to take her shopping in London.
Indeed
New bond Street
Knightsbridge
Selfridge’s
Or depending what kind of girl the Roman or easy street market
Emery’s on the beach brushing up his Spanglish.
Good news if we get some quality young players, but Emery doesn’t seem to know how to simply have to not only to buy some good defenders but also we need to improve the defensive coaching with new personnel.
Lampard seeking assurances he will get at least two seasons to prove his worth before taking over at Chelsea. Chelsea without Hazard isn’t that attractive a job.
India bossing this
Bring back GG as a short term solution to install defensive duties
Kid looks good, sound purchase but remember this is league 2. Nice potential but let’s have a tablespoon of realism. Carrasco should be a statement purchase, proven at top level, singing with this player as well. Therefore we have two capable wingers. Someone from league 2 realistically won’t make or break our season as we will be breaking them in. Meunier id snap up as well, if we don’t have the funds with original budget then pull our finger out our arses and sell the dross to make it possible!!! Can’t start the season with AMN, he’s not up to… Read more »
“Oh, and HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO MY FATHER, big love, #ArtetaIn.”
H&L, one day, we’ll be celebrating you having an opinion on something. One day.
Sarri:
Came into Chelsea, took them to top 3, won the Europa, now he’s at Juve.
Sauce?
I would say so.
Can someone PLEASE confirm that Ospina has left the building?
Perdo is correct to urge some caution about how much money we can raise by selling the deadwood. Everyone knows we are in the market to sell – the Arsenal Fire Sale Summer 2019. Hurry while stocks last. Mustafi and Xhaka for £50m + to refresh the squad ? Do me a favour. Be lucky to get half that. A good example is Ospina. He’s a seasoned international, Prem and La Liga experience and puts in a world class performance against Messi & Co last night. Price ? £3m. I am not bigging up Ospina. But £3m shows that beggars… Read more »
Michael, I think it’s in part because we pay so richly… no way should Kola be going for £22m, but he’s on £120k a week.
I still don’t think this is the time we sign players to build future finances. The priority here must be to Get CL and get it now! If we spend 2021 in EL, making it 4th straight season there, the brand will take a knock much more heavier than what’s presently here. Sign them young if they can come in and win NOW, not as a way of boosting the club’s figures. The kid’s not it for me, he will be doing wonders if he touches Iwobi in his first season. So what’s the point when we have to at… Read more »
“Michael, I think it’s in part because we pay so richly… no way should Kola be going for £22m, but he’s on £120k a week.”
Totally agree. But we are still forced sellers. I believe people should be more realistic about what they expect from our fire sale.
AFCON will be a total delight this time, Zaha and Pepe playing in the same team.
Salah, Mane, Ziyech, Samuel Chukueze, Iwobi, Ndidi and lots of them showing what they’ve got on the international stage.
Big stage this one.
So we’re going back to boring old Dortmund again
What with the advent of that horrendous abomination VAR next season and the huge increase of penalties that come because of it ……This waspish and lightning quick winger -we are getting from L’oreal could increase our penalty kick count quite considerably….. Just one look at PedRo’s** attached link- tells my expert eyes- this chap is Rapid and what with his unique low sense of gravity running style- I can see him getting lots and lots and lots of penalty kicks for us. The trick off course then- is not to miss them…. I will buying ACM penalties immediately… *(AIOCTH4I) -esp.… Read more »
We probably were never really in for Carrasco this summer, going by our transfer budget and interest in Claude Maurice.
They are both left sided players and really doesn’t make sense to acquire 2 players in one season. While we would usually think of Claude Maurice as one for the future, for 18 million, I’m betting we are buying him for the first team, similar to Guendouzi.
18 million seems steep for a 21 year old Ligue 2 player. He’s put up good numbers for Lorient this season, so there’s a glimmer of hope he might come good.
We will have to own the young, up and coming market. We may only go for a big name in defence or in the midfield if we are selling Xhaka.
Pedro
To answer your question, yes, on past performance Stan will be rigid on his bottom-line policy. Indeed, I would say more rigid than ever.
I read Barca are willing to offload Coutty for around £90m.
Wish we had money.
Something tells me Arsenal is the kind of place he will return to his £200m valuation.
Why are we sniffing around Ligue 2 players?
Guendouzi is absolutely nowhere near being ready as we’ve seen this past season.
Does absolutely nothing to help us in the near future. And 18m that would be better spent elsewhere.
Tobs,
A high risk strategy. Guendouzi had some good games but got massively found out in others. Part of his learning & development.
If we have 2 or 3 of those in our team I fear our assault back into the champs league places. These players should be bled into the team, not thrown in the deep end!
Arsenal should be snapping talents like this up alongside the ready made talent.
Claude Maurice looks interesting.
Always be wary of YT clips but his attributes look good
Seems he only got 2 assist all season as a wing forward tho?
Toli
And when are you going to return the magic money making machine to Arsenal to buy these ready made players?
Pogba issuing a come and get me plea to anyone that will listen.
United losing him would be fantastic, would signal the first time since Ronaldo (which was the only time under Fergie that they unwillingly lost their best player before his prime) that they have been bullied into selling their best player.
Another little landmark in their decline as a footballing superpower.
Marc,
Carrasco is been touted at £25m, Fornals £23m according to reports. Both improve us, neither break the bank. Both played at top level I would class both as more ready made than a league 2 France player.
I don’t think given our new commercial deals we are as skint as people think. 60/70 is prob the real number plus we must be able to make 30/40 from sales.
WE
I want him to stay for the same reason – he’ll be a massive pain in the arse and fuck up their season – then be sold.
I’d be willing to see us buy two wingers in this window, even acknowledging how they would likely eat our entire starting budget of players At the end of the day half the first team needs replacing so as long as we’re improving on our weakest areas I don’t mind too much where it’s happening If we had carrasco and this kid from Lorient, we’d at least on paper have a very dangerous front 3 with width, trickery, running and goals, and a CF with goals on top In such a scenario we’d presumably then sell one of our CFs,… Read more »
Toli
I have no idea what our budget is prior to sales but we’ll certainly be moving on some players.
If there is a genuine difference of £7 million between the players there is most likely another reason we’re not in for him – assuming we were in the first place.
Marc
That would be fun as well, he’s one of the biggest divas in the game so watching the circus unfold when faced with adversity next season would be box office.
Ole doesn’t strike me as a disciplinarian or an authoritarian type either so his matesy approach will likely blow up in his face if their results start slipping early on.
Fornals has joined West Ham for 27m Toli.
After the season we just had, no reason or excuse as to why there hasn’t been any movement in either incomings or outgoings…. Both the manager and management of this football club are a shambles
WE
I think the thing with OGS is “or fucking what?” the guy has no PTR to exert authority over the players.
WE – I hope Pogba stays. As long as he is there(and Mata) United will be easy to play around and will never have that consistent, identifiable style of play like Liverpool or City. I will start to worry about them if they identify and bring in mobile, switched on scrappers like in the Fergie era and become a sturdy unit.
One thing we certainly need to add is some physicality, height and pace to the central midfield. We’re so unbalanced right now and that puts added pressure on a weak defence. Torreira is mobile but hasn’t got that great an engine. When he’s the only one with legs in the midfield that is an issue. Xhaka gives height but absolutely no physicality and mobility. Ozil is a nothing. It means all the pressure comes down on an unbalanced central pairing. This season you add to that no full backs and no wingers, means no outlets and nothing to stop the… Read more »
Auba seems to be using this so called Chinese interest to get a wage bump.
I hope the club calls his bluff.
Every player in the squad ought to have a price.
Maybe our dream team back room staff should take a look at the central isle of the local Lidl
There are plenty of bargains to be had and they have a returns policy when they fall apart after a week
Honestly the Frank Kessie swop for Torriera isn’t as bad as it sounds.
Torriera may not be cut out for the English game after all.
Frank Kessie plus 20 million for Torriera = handshake
Does anyone watch La Liga who can accurately give a take on Joan Jordan?
He was supposedly a target for us and West Ham are looking at getting him for £13 Million.
Really isn’t Kessie is-posed to be in loan from Atlanta, so the deal really cannot happen since Milan don’t own his rights to sell.
We could buy him directly from Atlanta then sell Torriera.
Paulinho Fletcher and Park used to run all over our midfield for 90 mins even though we had such superior talent in there. It’s almost like each player starting and fringe was perfectly equipped to best Arsenal and tailor-made for us in the Fergie era. Nani running away from Gilberto kicking at him while seal-dribbling the ball on his head in the 4-0 massacre at OT in 2008 when we were the best team in the country stands out as a Fergie dicking AW moment. I’m not worried about United either, they are so far away from being a real… Read more »
*from. Atalanta
Torreira has had a bit of criticism, maybe rightly so. A lot of these players have a season in the premier league before we see what they are all about. I think Lucas will smash it this season, a high quality player. It can’t be easy covering Xhaka for 90 mins most games!! @Marc – yes possibly something is up with Carrasco, maybe attitude wise. That said Pires, Vieira, Anelka, Petit all had similar reps and didn’t turn out too bad. Who knows – fingers crossed we have a plan and don’t try and execute it too late in the… Read more »
I quite like Kessie, not as good technically as Toreirra but a much better athlete and more suited for PL football.
Wouldn’t be the worst deal in the world for either club given they are the same age.
Told you not to get overly excited by the so called ‘modern infrastructure’. It has done f**k all since it has taken over the reins.
Ac Milan had Kessie on a two years loan with an obligation to buy. The obligation is this summer, so a swap with Torreira is possible. They buy him, then exchange him.
TF is going on at this club. June 16 and no indication of deadwood being shifted or players being brought in. The work this summer is so massive, if it hasn’t started already from all indication would mean this summer will be really underwhelming. This club really seems to have no clue whatsoever.
Toreirra for Kessie and 20m would be a terrible deal for Milan.
A straight swap would be fairer, maybe Kessie + 5-10m.
Dissenter
A big fat NO to Frank Kessie….. We can and should do better
Paulinho
‘ I hope Pogba stays. As long as he is there(and Mata) United will be easy to play around and will never have that consistent, identifiable style of play like Liverpool or City’
Exactly why I say Pogba is not an elite player. I never bother about him when we play United and he never gives me a reason to. Flatters to deceive far too often for him to be taken as a serious player.
Agree Bati, we can and should be doing better with most of the names that we are being linked to though.
The reality now is that we are an established EL club, our 4th consecutive season in the comp.
Signing french starlets is so 1997.
Sell the Uruguayan twerp ASAP. Honestly, these twats that come over to England and then moan about the weather…seriously, still? I know it’s a ploy but god it’s boring.
He’s not an amazing talent and regressed so badly after the first few games, he ended up more David Batty than Vieira. Plus he makes Wilshere look like a guard for the Chicago Bulls.
Fuck him.
Even Partey isn’t worth 40m.
Look at Citeh and Liverpool’s CM for a glimpse at what 40m players should be giving you.
TR7 – There are times when it looks like he can barely run. He lifts his knees high and barely moves, like he’s running on the spot.
Weird Emery wasn’t top of Juve’s managerial list, obviously don’t read some of the comments here about him.
There was a stand-out winger for Columbia yesterday, Roger Martinez who has a transfer value of only €5 million.
He’s only 24 years old. Right now he plays for club America and earns about £35k weekly in the Mexican Liga MX
We can have this dude for less than 10 million and offer 50k in wages.
Well said GOH
Cant deal with snivelling cry babies.
Especially not in our current state
Think :
Billy Bremner
Jonny Giles
Peter Storey
Bobby Collins( would actually eat him on the pitch- whilst the ref booked him)
Nobby Stiles
Peter Reid
Franny Lee
That lot were tiddlers
But none of them kept whining or wailing…
His little packer ain’t in it.
Get shot…..
How I would love Patrick Vieria in charge ……
Paulinho
I know Bernardo Silva is not a CM but both in terms of technical ability and consistency of performance, he is twice the player Pogba is.
Weird Arteta wasn’t top of Juve’s managerial list, obviously don’t read some of the comments here about him.
*Colombia, not Columbia
Dissenter
Did you want us to sign Tshabalaba too after his goal vs Mexico in the 2010 WC?
Freddie
Arteta is not on anyone’s list besides Pedro
Pedro has solved that obvious logical sink-hole by declaring that no one is is interviewing Arteta because he’s been promised the city job after Pep.
Argentina were so poor, the 1st half was the worst 45 mins of football I have seen in years.
2nd half perked up, Colombia were the better side and deserves to shade it. Both goals were top drawer especially the 2nd which Divan Zapata started in his own half and finished. Amazing that Falcao still starts ahead of him.
Messi played pretty badly, should have scored from a rebound. Shame but looks set to finish his international career potless.
No chance Argentina will beat Brazil even without Neymar.
WE
Did you see the Argentina vs Colombia game?
If you did, you would have noticed the quality of Roger Martinez along side the more known players. You wouldn’t have missed the way he roasted Otamendi over and over again.
Yes we should consider buying players in the cheap when they show such talent against tested opposition.
It was one match Dissenter, you need so much more of a sample size.
Argentina defensively are a shambles too, didn’t our very own Iwobi roast them with a brace last year?
Unless Torreira really pushed for an exit, which he doesn’t seem to be, what exactly would a swap with Kessie achieve? We would still have the same problems in midfield and Kessie would have still have to cover for Xhaka. Xhaka is the problem in midfield, he’s been here 10 years now (or maybe it only feels like that) and the chances of him suddenly becoming the mobile, line breaking CM we need is hovering at 0%. Torreira on the other hand with a year of PL football in him and some well needed rest this summer will most likely… Read more »
Barca want £500 million for Messi
Lidl do the exact same thing for £23.50
Freddie
Honestly I’m not so sure about Torriera
I don’t think he’s as good as the initial games he played suggested. He was our worst player inBaku, even worse than Ozil…who was very bad.
I don’t think the club should keep anyone who’s not fully mentally commitment.
So long as the buying club meets our spectacular offer…he can be off to anywhere he so chooses.
Same applies to Auba with these silly Chinese club offers.
Name a crazy fee for the Chinese club, if they come back with a cash offer, sell quickly.
*Mentally committed
I’m not LT’s or Auba’s biggest fan but whatever about their shortcomings, you absolutely have to get rid of Ozil, Miki, Xhaka, Kola, Elneny, Chambers before you even entertain any offers for them, no matter how tempting.
Mustafi too.
Allegri was effectively sacked by Juventus for Sarri,they even had to pay to get him.
Funny it’s Emery who is still in a job getting mocked by the usual suspect, while Allegri who apparently can beat Pep and Klopp to the premier league title doesn’t have a job.
Such a silly comment from an obsessed individual.
And anyone who thinks paying 18m for the lorient kid is a better deal than 25m for Carrasco will need to provide more reasons than Carrasco being in China.
Emery was sacked/forced out by PSG and should consider himself lucky to still have a job. Not much to gloat really.
Dissenter Maybe not, but he’s still much better than Xhaka. We need 2 mobile CMs so if we replace him we still need another player in. Think it’s too early to judge him after 1 season, he was running on empty towards the end and no wonder having to cover for not only Xhaka but the void that is Ozil as well. If he’s not fully commited then sure, ship him out, but I don’t think those comments he made indicates that. I don’t blame him complaining about the weather btw, been there done that not going back. WE Exactly,… Read more »
TR7 tell the fellow gloating over Sarri getting the juventus job instead of Emery who was never in the conversation.
90% of managers have been sacked or forced to leave roles and still get jobs. You say Emery is lucky to have a job like Arsenal in its present state is a dream job. The shortlist was between Arteta and Emery,think about that for a while.