Does Torreira to Milan make sense?

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Well, well, well… the ‘YOU TOOK THAT OUT OF CONTEXT’ police back-peddling hard as the Lucas T rumours kick it up another gear… again.

Of all the players I was hoping we’d ditch this summer, I have to be honest, he wasn’t up there… but the rumours keep persisting with a slightly different twist on them.

Now, we do have to remember, he came out in the press and said everything about England is shite. Hard to brush that under the carpet, whichever internet translator you use. There’s a history of South American’s not quite liking the vibes in the UK, and right now, he’s in the shop window of The Copa America. All these rumours have started for a reason, and my take is they’re there to make sure scouts are paying attention to him over the next month.

Question here is this: the second half of the season fade we saw from LT, is that just a first season thing? Or is it something deeper. He’s a very small player that lacks power, he’s not exactly built for war like Kante, is he? Mesut Ozil always fades in the second half of the season because he’s not fit enough for the league. Is there a chance that’s LT? Just playing devil’s advocate here…

Whatever the deal is, it’s not good news that over a month into the close season, the hottest exit rumour out of the club is a player we all think is a bit of a future star.

As I said a couple of weeks ago, I think we have a very big problem mounting. Everyone in Europe knows who we want to sell. Xhaka, Ozil, Kola and Mustafi are all very well paid players, and it’s pretty clear that Arsenal are VERY keen to move them on. We have absolutely no leverage. Why would anyone go big now? Wait until we’re desperate to move them on at the end of the transfer window and see if you can nab a deal.

It’s a horrible thing to have to write, but be honest, you’d bet your house that all 4 of those players will be lining up in preseason this summer in that sweet Adidas training gear. That is going to be VERY disruptive if Emery dropped 1 out of 5 stars in their end of season reviews.

I’d like to think that we’re going to have some good news on the player front by preseason, but even that side of things appears to be moving slowly. My hope here is that we’re getting hard balled by clubs hoping to start a bidding war for their players. Celtic certainly appear to be quite firm about not losing another great player for fuck all. Maybe that’s the same across the board? Maybe small clubs are waiting to see where the first £200m signing goes before pricing their players?

I’d heard from a good place that the Zaha deal was very close with the player before the Europa League Final, the question is whether we’re still able to play in price ranges like that now we’re back in the poverty cup again.

Rumours elsewhere appear to be the same stories recycled. Saliba for £30m. Carrasco if he can escape. Whatever is going on, it’s a slow summer so far and it’s very hard not to fall into the doom trap thinking that if you don’t have the right people in place, it’s very hard to make the right decisions.

Also worth noting that almost no journalist is good with transfer rumours, so all these muppets on twitter highlighting great sources don’t know what they’re talking about. The whole transfer game is about deceit. Clubs try to move players on and attract buyers via the press. Agents constantly gas to anyone that will listen. Journalists and bloggers alike are desperate for hits so will go big without checking the veracity of the rumours. Even players are part of the game.

You can also have the most elite piece of information you can imagine… then BANG, you look like an idiot because a manager had a change of heart.

It’s a minefield out there… but one thing is for sure, it’s not good news when you’re a month into a rebuild and no one has been bought or sold.

Right, see you in the comments.

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Champagne Charlie

“I mean he literally put them off“

You know this because……?

Or is it “literally” you talking your opinion into fact for the 3847293 time?

Valentin

Receding,

Another excuse.

Raul confirmed himself that he was performing both role until an proper TD could be named.

If he can’t do it, then he should have delegated that task on a temporary basis.

China1

Haha thanks dude.

Any time you’re in China I owe you a pint of Qingdao!

Batistuta

Receeding Again, if Emery tells the board or CEO or whoever is in charge that certain players are not part of his plans and they should get rid, there’s no way they wouldn’t find a way to get it done for him. Again, why is it only hard for arsenal to sell players on high wages? How son other clubs do it? What’s with making selling players look like we’re bidding for Messi? And yes Raul and co are paid mega buck to get rid of said underperforming players and not me so it’s within their premise to do that.… Read more »

Victorious

Lol Sead K is actually a shit player,never seen a worse LB since Santos

Says so much about his ability that we’re going hard for another LB when there’re so much more important positions screaming for attention

CG

Left Side

Barca want Sead K
They dont want the Crock Jock ….

You know more than Barca.???

Tierney wont Hack it England..
Just because he goes on mazy forward runs in their league ……it means nothing …..

He has never faced a Salah, Mane,Son, Vardy, Zaha Lukaku, or any top player in his life….( apart form some dead rubbers in the Cl)

No ones in for him
Except our Numpties….( Raul and Emery)

Marko

Exactly my point Val. When it comes to Varane or Umtit or Rugani there’s nothing to be done we literally couldn’t do any more to sign them before they joined Madrid/Barcelona/Juve and yet when it comes to Todibo joining Barcelona you think it’s so obvious and that we easily could have gotten him if we tried.

Also there’s gotta be a rule about you claiming falsehoods and calling others liars.

NW9 gooner

Teraloon this is in reference to your post that we had 91 m in instalments payable- isn’t that a bit too much- 16-17 our sales covered our purchases – then we bought Auba and the purchases last year of roughly 67m – I think there is something wrong with the article you referred and we have more cash as Dissenter has been emphasising

Receding Hairline

Batistuta i just want to know how it can be done These players have contracts, they have not violated the terms of their contracts in anyway It’s like the Gareth Bale situation at Madrid, Zidane has already made it clear he is not wanted yet what can they do?? Mangala at City, not wanted yet he is still there Many players are not wanted at their clubs but when they stick to the terms of their deal there is very little you can do to force them out What do you want really, Emery calling a press conference with a… Read more »

Receding Hairline

“Raul confirmed himself that he was performing both role until an proper TD could be named.”

Yes he was performing the role in a transfer window the club were looking to loan players. I am sure Raul has contacts still at Barca and knows how far gone that Todibo deal was. Many clubs missed that deal and the kid in question is still a prospect so dunno why were are spending the afternoon discussing Todibo

“If he can’t do it, then he should have delegated that task on a temporary basis.”

Maybe you should apply the post

Marko

You know this because……?

Because they signed Marcos Llorente for 40 million euros. Linked with Xhaka and Llorente chose Llorente. A 24 year old who played in about 30 odd games the last 3 years. You don’t think the wages and form played a part in their choice? Come on man you’re better than that (you’re definitely not)

China1

I’m fairly sure you don’t have to limit mustafi to going on a free transfer to a club that can’t even afford 40k a week. And lest we forget free transfer players usually get a sign on fee. Arsenal are not the only club with shitty players on high salaries. Most clubs manage it one way or another without running the contract out entirely And yes, our senior management are explicitly paid countless millions between them to solve such problems. Maybe they can’t fix everything but so far this summer they’ve fixed nothing. Emery can influence this by putting pressure… Read more »

Marko

Raul confirmed himself that he was performing both role until an proper TD could be named.

I thought you said Steve Rowley was back at the club 😉

Receding Hairline

“He is the only player in the French set-up who is in the age class two times higher than a player would typically be. He’s the first player to be in this situation since Kylian Mbappé,” said Head of Football at RMC Sport Mohamed Bouhafsi. “Today, if you look at the transfers of De Ligt and other great defenders, €25m, €30m for Saliba is nothing, nothing at all. “So, that is why Arsenal have very well understood that they should leave him at St Étienne for another year, or at least close the deal now, because if a player like… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Fair enough China

Can we revisit this by the end of the window or must the said players leave NOW

China1

Dissenter you paint a picture of a totally hopeless employer with zero influence over its own staff

Like I said, there will be cases which can’t or won’t be happily resolved, but if we can’t resolve a good handful of them we are a total failure

Players have power, not absolute power.

Re Bale, he’s one of the world’s most expensive players, injury prone and age not making him a likely good long term investment. His case is more ozil than xhaka, let’s be serious

Dissenter

I’m sick of reading ‘there are guys who are paid handsomely” to it’ so it’s their fault. They don’t have leverage because contracts have been signed already They don’t have tools [money] to grease the exits of these players. Short of organizing a kidnap or hiring an assassin, how do we move the likes of Ozil out when no one else is interested in him? I mean we could just pay off half of his wages and maybe someone else will be tempted to get him on 175k weekly wages. That will require money we supposedly din’t have. The question… Read more »

China1

Receding happily.

I don’t mind or expect everything to be done already but a bone to keep us occupied would at least help set the fear back a bit mate

Receding Hairline

Leicester signed a right back from Luton town for 8m pounds, what are the odds someone will pay over 50m for him later if he progresses, he is 21

Totttenham signed the young winger from Leeds for 10m

I was hoping we will do some deals like this, English lads with an understanding of the physical demands of the English game, not go to Scotland and get insulted over Tierney

China1

Well ozil is the ultimate special case mate and I don’t doubt we will probably fail to deal with that cunt because his problem is so large

The only hope for ozil is mark him down to a couple of mil and offer him to turkey, China, Qatar, America?? Or somewhere that will pay for his salary. I don’t think it’s going to happen tho

Dissenter

Honestly I want thre club to start thinking beyond easy fixes or band-aid solutions. I want the club to start planning beyong Emery which is why I fully support the approach to sign Saliba and loan him back to Saint-Étienne. I fully support shifting way from this short-term band-aid mode we are running to one that lays a proper scaffold for the future. I’m willing to write off 1-2 seasons for the greater good of the club. All the dross we have have signed have to be bled out for us to begin to thrive again. SIgn the best young… Read more »

Dissenter

Receding “I was hoping we will do some deals like this, English lads with an understanding of the physical demands of the English game, not go to Scotland and get insulted over Tierney” Great point I think it’s insulting that Celtic rejected the 15 million offer and leaked it to the press. We should have walked away. I don’t think “winning best young player for three consecutive seasons ” in the SPL means anything. Didn’t the lad mature to start contesting for best player in a shitty league. Frankly I think Arsenal should have moved to option number 2 and… Read more »

Batistuta

Receding

What china1 just said. We shouldn’t be making excuses for these guys, other clubs find a way to do it. Mangala has been on loan what twice now? It doesn’t have to be an outright sale.

Dissenter

We all know Ozil’s case is pretty unique but there are other crap players we can and should be shipping out, it’s not rocket science

Champagne Charlie

“It’s like the Gareth Bale situation at Madrid, Zidane has already made it clear he is not wanted yet what can they do??“ Maybe with Ozil, but not the rest of the players touted by many as sellable assets. “Because they signed Marcos Llorente for 40 million euros. Linked with Xhaka and Llorente chose Llorente. A 24 year old who played in about 30 odd games the last 3 years. You don’t think the wages and form played a part in their choice?” So it’s exactly as I suggested it was: pure conjecture on your part because it sat nicely… Read more »

Batistuta

It’s when we have the same error prone guys still here making same errors next season that will really piss folks off because there’d be no explaining that away.

CG

Sead K won the Bundesliga player of the year….( and some fans dont rate him- I think he is Ok) SO- Just because Tierney has won his awards in Scotland……it does not mean a thing. If Tierney was so good. Clubs would be Knocking on The Celtic Door……. full backs are in demand in the modern game…..But they are not….just us are doing The Knocking… (That tells all you need to know…..) Celtic will be laughing all the way to the bank- if we send them £20 million….( their record Fee!!) I am surprised they have kept a straight face… Read more »

Victorious

It’s when we have the same error prone guys still here making same errors next season that will really piss folks off because there’d be no explaining that away.” Exactly, If Emery really want the likes of Mustafi, Kolasinac Elneny,etc OUT,he should be able to inform them in no certain terms they’re not in his plans for the upcoming season,end of,freeze them out or dont play them These guys are still in their prime and are playing for their national teams so would alternatively force themselves out to halt their stock falling further below Emery has no absolute excuse to… Read more »

China1

I honestly don’t mind if our signings are all quite under the radar players. All I care is that they are logical choices to improve the squad noticeably and at a price which is value for the contribution they bring

But yeah what odds on spurs’ new winger turning out to be a very decent player? Their recruitment is brilliant normally

Dissenter

Batistuta “DissenterWe all know Ozil’s case is pretty unique but there are other crap players we can and should be shipping out, it’s not rocket science” Gimme examples Every difficult-to-move player at Arsenal has a case as complex as Arsenal. We forget that the technical directors of even the smaller clubs have access to an extraordinary amount of data and they pay money under the table for whispered leaks about players. It’s hard to dump crappy players on other clubs. We bought poorly and we are paying the price for it. We have a lot of duds on our books,… Read more »

Marko

What you’ve done is first assume Atlético wanting Xhaka was kosher and not paper nonsense, then you’ve selected the reasons YOU see fit to promote.

I will admit assuming that anyone actually wants Xhaka is an error on my part but my point still stands overpaid and underperforming players aren’t easy to get rid of contrary to what some people say. And again the Llorente signing points to this. But again I see the error in getting into such a discussion with someone who doesn’t see there being a problem so I’ll stop

Marko

New post

Dissenter

Vic “Exactly, If Emery really want the likes of Mustafi, Kolasinac Elneny,etc OUT,he should be able to inform them in no certain terms they’re not in his plans for the upcoming season,end of,freeze them out or dont play them” Then who does he play when they refuse to leave quietly or make a public stink. You want the preseason to be consumed by tabloid drama. That approach also assumes that we have reasonable alternate playing options. We certainly don’t have leverage there. The players know that the club needs their exit to fund their replacement so they will dig in… Read more »

China1

What evidence is there that every single dud we have is a complex case tho? Many players are too proud to sit in the reserves for a year (not all mind eh jenks and mesut!!! *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink* *flips table*) Between kos mustafi xhaka and el neny, surely at least two of them are not shameless and would attract interest at a price relative to their worth 3-5m for kos, 10-15m for mustafi, 25-35m for xhaka, 5m for el neny That’s 45-60m right there which buys you a saliba, that winger spurs just bought a martinelli and with change… Read more »

China1

Or let’s just say kos and xhaka, that’s still 40m which covers saliba and martinelli

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