I did think Arsenal jumped the gun with that weird press release about Laurent K going on strike. Seemed a little defensive for something that should have been dealt with in-house like it would have under Arsene.
Anyway, the counter-attack is underway and I was told that there’s more to the story than Laurent bombing preseason because he’s a brat.
Apparently, when he signed his last deal with Arsenal, there was a final year clause that changed things up. Now, don’t hold me to contract details, but the gist was he was paid more than is reported up front, and now he’s in the final year, his salary has dropped to Jenks levels and it’s heavily performance related. I think this is a Huss evolution of doing deals.
He’s going to be 34 in September. He knows he won’t be played much. Holding will come back into the mix, Mustafi and Sokratis are ahead of him, Mavrapanos might come good and even if they’re all out, he’s massively injury prone these days. He thought there was a gentleman’s agreement that he could leave. He has a 3 year deal on the table to head to the south of France. He feels betrayed and is going to gun to get what he wants.
I don’t know why anyone believes in gentleman’s agreements or holds people to account for things they say in the corridor. I don’t know why he signed a deal that moved to performance related in his last year. I don’t know what’s going to happen. But… you can kind of understand why he’s gunning hard to exit here. He’s looking to max out retirement and he’s insecure about his body being able to last another year in the Premier League. He’s also been with us for 9 years and I’d imagine under Wenger, he’d be leaving the club without a fuss.
Again, I’m not sure why we’d hold onto him. He’s not really a big voice at Arsenal, he’s never been a leader and we shouldn’t be depending on someone with his injury record at his age. This isn’t us keeping John Terry behind. However, I guess Arsenal are looking at his as value for money if he’s on £45k a week.
It’s also an interesting contract evolution. Pay players more in the upfront, then make sure the final year isn’t pleasant. You either resign to get more money, or you give 100% focus and don’t mail it in so you make up the lost revenue. Clever on paper for sure.
I do worry about the culture at Arsenal and what all of this says about us.
We’re trying to move the club into a space where kids can learn their trade and grow into elite performers.
What are they learning at Arsenal? Who is guiding them?
You have 3-5 players who are here because they love their contracts.
Our captain is on strike.
The next in line for the armband is Xhaka, a player everyone knows isn’t good enough.
The biggest player at the club hates the manager, doesn’t turn up for big away days and is very publicly digging his heels in to stay.
Is any of this inspiring for young people? Does any of this look like good education? Are we creating the right environment to grow the best athletes?
In a game of paper-thin margins, these things matter.
Never mind that we’re a total shit show right now, the bigger concern for at the minute is how rotten our culture is and much hard work and future planning needs to be implemented to course correct us to a Champions League final in 5 years time.
Right, see you in the comments. x
Joe Strummer at Brixton Academy, in my top 5 gigs.
Cork
Nope. You shot each other
Your own brothers and cousins and now you’re dominated by the Eu who subsidise you vis our taxpayer you leech
Here. Why don’t you fuck off to Oz or Canada? Coz you’re another paddy scrounger sucking off british tax payers and you don’t even realise it
Coorrk boy. Do me a lemon. Only thing worst than a dub is a cork Ming
Salt hill all the way
Un na naai,
R.H is Nigerian so he must be broke, that’s really correct.
Are sure you are well bro?
Woooooo
1993
Defo not a mug then
Just a cork MONG born before 1993
Marc with a c
You take the stick n give banter well fella.
Man it’s hard following this mob,
Gentle
Its gnt tonight Hendricks … v good try.
Beer nice but only a few to kick start the engine nowadays.
C . Where you sit at the ground…
Bris
What’s that? Care to explain your “Turk” comment?
No? Shut up
Rh is Nigerian and broke. Doesn’t make him any more or any less of either. Facts are facts.
Bob N16
The powers that be must give you a promotion, immediately.
I saw Alita and had pangs of jealousy. Gentleman for those of you who don’t know Alita is a female robot in a sci-fi futuristic movie.
Only a poor man keeps mentioning poverty in every discuss. Don’t you have a cigar to smoke Battle Angel? Unemployable.. Thank God your parents still feed you.
Shows how low expectations are when your still banging on about the Jock Crock
You langer boy
Think you’re Michael Collins
Dumber than a Kerry man altogether
You know it
We know it
I’m out of here for today, I need my sanity.
Too many screwed heads here this evening.
I would rather have some warm milk and get a replay of AJ’s ass being wounded by the fat nobody.
More fun about the alleged Pepe bid. Reports in France seems to indicate that Nicolas Pepe does not want to join us.
He wants to join PSG if Neymar is sold this summer.
BTW, Inter Milan is said to have made an offer of €90 millions. Maybe we could offer €80 millions plus Mustafi!
Rh
Wooooo
Got me there. Look mate. Some advice. Better you just shave it all off. Even if you do have a weird shaped head. Just shave it all off.
Un
So an Irishman has been piping your Mum your whole life?
Nice.
I saw Alita and had pangs of jealousy. Gentleman for those of you who don’t know Alita is a female robot in a sci-fi futuristic movie.
Yeah and new age pansies hate it because she’s attractive and not fat and her little bf in the film is attractive and not fat and we all know ugly people hate peoples who aren’t ugly
👀 not you though balding chunkster. Regular old will Smith you
Eagle
I’m defending Dublin
Leave me be
But yes
That’s right
Disgusting
And they only did it to create the greatest DJ the world has ever seen.
Terrible gene though. 3x and not one DJ
Marco,,, Marc
IF Koscelney filed a claim in a court of law and called a witness (Arsene Wenger) for instance, who could collaborate his story that there was an agreement between the parties as he seems to have alleged. That would be proof of contract. Anything that he has done subsequent to that event is as a consequence thereof.
Doubt he will do that though as he just wants out
Graham62July 13, 2019 19:19:24 Just a thought. Ivory Coast has a population of 27m. Are we taking into account how much we could recoup through shirt sales should we sign him? Don’t know how much a Football shirt costs in the Ivory Coast but I’m sure a fair few Ivorian citizens would be wearing a Zaha shirt if he signed, not to mention fans from other African countries. Got to hang onto something . >>>>> Do we get money directly from shirt sales or does it go to Adidas as we get the down payment for the kit deal? If… Read more »
Cork boys only bang on about hurling so much bravura they are shit at football
In fact they’re shit at anything that doesn’t involve drinking and hurling
It’s on. Ha e your southern hole
Come out ye Black and Tans……
Yaaaaawn, keep speaking the queens
Un nah naai ,,you talk a good game il give that you jackeen cunt,stay safe in the pale my dub little sister,you come across as a varadkar voter haha
Hurling is Life!!
Cork
Erm. I’m a londoner. Hahahahah
Guess again.
You langer boy
Hurling is life
Yeah erm the WORLD disagrees langar
Keep speaking our mother tongue though
Way to rebel. Really shows us tans
😂 😂 looooooooool
Benny
They are effectively merchandise licensing deals. Adidas pay £60m to buy the right to the Arsenal brand for the purpose of producing, selling, and profiting from branded merchandise. No-one is going to pay £60m and also share profits.
What would be interesting to know is whether such contracts explicitly require clubs to have a certain number of high profile, brand name players going into every season (e.g Ozil).
Varadkar??
I’m English
I vote for farrage and tommy tommy. Duck me cork you couldn’t be more wrong if you tried
But I’ll give you props
You’re a proud Irishman and that’s something I’ll salute
Unlike marko whill happily hand his country over to whoever
Rambo RamseyJuly 13, 2019 19:01:42
Emery must be wondering why he took this job. Zero in the January market and looks like peanuts again now in the summer.
Good luck trying to get a serious coach to come to this club next.
>>>>>>>
Great comment Rambo, who indeed?
Looks to me once Emery has gone we’re only going to be able to attract unknown entities in the Arteta and Lampard mould to take us on. No serious established manager/coach is going to touch us with a barge pole.
Yea benny, been thrust forward under Emery haven’t we.
Lampard would’ve had us out the CL and pissing the summer up the wall, not on easy street like we have it now.
Un nai,
Not a boxer now, no, but was an amateur for a few years from 18 to 21, but for a myriad of reasons and me leaving my club, moving town and getting into the dance scene mid nineties to mid noughties and getting into the party drugs I gave it up.
Un
Would vote for that tommy fella
Ain’t his real name a barrel
Double Timothy …if you ask me.
Farrage
Different character
Acts like you want a politican to act..
Again good upbringing but more vote able than Timothy tommy Tim…
Champagne CharlieJuly 13, 2019 22:05:50
Yea benny, been thrust forward under Emery haven’t we.
Lampard would’ve had us out the CL and pissing the summer up the wall, not on easy street like we have it now.
>>>>>>
Eh? Not sure I get you.
I never said Emery has thrust us forward. Steadied the ship and made minimal progress but nothing to write home about and if this season finishes the same I would hope he goes.
As for Lampard who knows how he’d have done with us, will be interesting to see how he does with Chelsea.
Inter Milan is said to have made an offer of €90 millions
Course they did.
RSPC Arsenal,
For god sake don’t get Un nai started on Yaxley Lennon he’ll be waving his Zionist flags about in a minute! 😂
He was funny in that video though begging Trump to become an immigrant, the irony! Coked up off his face too if his gurning was anything to go by.
He’s not wrong about freedom of speech though the fascist left are out of control.
Unlike marko whill happily hand his country over to whoever
Yeah I’ll give Lille the republic of Ireland and then I’ll loan him to Arsenal…maybe.
Absolutely hilarious seeing the Irish Don and the English Don going at it. Akin to two sloths trying to navigate a puddle
Marko
Why does Pepe cause you to shoot loads?
You said anything over 50m for Zaha would be a bad deal and we should look elsewhere, is 80m not a laughable price for a guy putting up one good season in France? Where his stats were padded by penalties.
For Pepe. Damnit
Un nah naai ,,me and my people are not leeches,,we are Irish Catholics,,not muslim inbred londoners,,ok
So have I got this right? Kos has his contract front loaded. He takes the front loading. And then walks away from the downside. If that’s right it makes him complete cunt in my book
The Irish people fought for freedom from the British know all self intitled pompous cunts so we could say what we like in your native tongue,against you
WE it’s pretty simple I think Zaha is overpriced and a bit overrated anything about 40 million would be too much. Pepe is younger with a much higher ceiling and I think would offer better value for money 80 million would be too much though. The whole pen padding stats stuff is such a juvenile point considering most of the best scorers in Europe score a lot of pens. He still had 13 from play and perhaps more importantly 11 assists
Sky reporting 25 million bid made for Tierney. Pubis and all
Sky sauces behind the times, been talk the last two days that it’s all but rubber stamped.
Marko,
TF1 reported that Arsenal has bid around €80 millions and that Inter Milan was another with a concrete offer.
https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/telefoot/news/exclu-telefoot-13-07-arsenal-offre-80-millions-deuros-pour-pepe-66682815.html
TF1 also announced about 3 weeks ago that Inter had made an initial offer of €75 millions.
https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/telefoot/news/exclu-telefoot-23-06-le-point-sur-le-dossier-nicolas-pepe-36296749.html
If reports of the all in bid for Pepe and the increased offer for Tierney arevteue, Either the report of Saliva gazumping or the good tongue lashing by Kroenke really fired Raul up. No more dithering, going half way with a low ball offer, no more incremental bid.
Un na ‘I vote for Farage and Tommy Tommy’
there is so much wrong with this sentence but just know that when you eventually sober up this comment will still be here
Valentin they won’t be true. Why would they be?
Tabloids make money off of paper sales and clicks. It couldn’t be faker
Comedy gold on le grove as always.
Lol, why not just pay the money for Tierney weeks ago? We clearly can’t haggle for shit so that was a fortnight wasted.
Marko Is he that much better than Zaha? His end product is better alright but Zaha is the better dribbler and 1 vs 1 player, one that we are crying out for. Before you go off on one I’m not a huge fan of Zaha myself, just think it’s weird that you don’t have an issue at us possibly looking to spend 80m on Pepe when you had one on us spending over 40m for Zaha when the difference isn’t much between them. Brandt and Hazard for 20-25m each were MUCH better deals than these Pepe and Zaha figures being… Read more »
Val no way have Inter bid for Pepe. No way can they afford him they’re currently haggling over loaning Lukaku for the next 100 years. They’re as broke as us. Can’t even afford to buy Sensi and Barrella outright
I would be happy if Edu can get us Everton Soares. He is not a finished product yet. He is fast and reminds me of Leroy Sane.
Serie A clubs are beyond broke.
Juventus are the financial powerhouses and even they are reliant on picking up bargain free agents due to their prestige and guarantee of winning the league every year.
I loved what I saw of Everton Soares in the Copa too.
That’s the kind of player we should be pursuing, why else bring Edu here if not. Affordable and would jump at the chance to play for a big European club and wages.
Val
The Saliba deal might’ve fired Raul up, but unless it’s fired up the war chest it’s absolute fantasy.
Easy to get fired up when you’ve got 120 mil to burn and not 40
Marko
” and perhaps more importantly 11 assists”
All those years that you disregarded assists as being an important part of the game and now Marko, you quote Pepe’s assist and Ozil’s lack of assists as being relevant .
What’s changed ….or is it just easier for you to praise footballers from another team rather than players from a team that you are supposed to support.
His end product is better alright but Zaha is the better dribbler and 1 vs 1 player, one that we are crying out for. He’s actually an excellent dribbler. Loves a step over. His dribbling stats aren’t that much off Zaha according to whoscored. he’s been marketed as a goalscorer hence the relevance in bringing up the large amount of pens he scores. I’m not sure he’s been marketed as just a goal scorer. He’s got a good amount of assists too. Point still stands 13 goals from play and 11 assists show you he’s got end product. Zaha with… Read more »
“The biggest player at the club hates the manager, doesn’t turn up for big away days and is very publicly digging his heels in to stay.”
The word “biggest” made me laugh.
The rest of the quote… made Pierre laugh.
Sevilla has been killing it this window and yet, there’s hardly any chatter on them around the interwebzzzz. Sad to think what could’ve been.
What’s changed
Glad you asked eh Özil doesn’t get that many assists he’s declined to the point where he gets about 3 assists on the season while we have two 20-30 goal a season strikers. Which is pretty shocking. Iwobi contributes more
Yea let’s not drop in some context, like Pepe playing in Ligue un and Zaha the prem.
Another case of foreign fanny flutter. Zaha would be a much more destructive player than Pene.
Nah Sevilla have made one maybe two good signings this window in Jordan and Kounde the rest they’ll be offloading next summer
You keep doing this thing Charles where you’re so worried for some reason about players from other leagues adapting to the premier league like it’s inconceivable that a player could and you’re scared shitless really. A bit risk adverse like a certain former manager it seems. But the history of the premier league is littered with players who have come from foreign leagues and who’ve done very well. Even now you have City with Bernardo Silva and Sane coming from foreign leagues doing well. Liverpool have Firmino for example Salah needed a stint in Italy before he was ready for… Read more »
Pepe is more likely to sign for a better club than Zaha if he moves. I don’t know why either
Yeah and they were all bought for fairly reasonable fees Marko, in Bernardo Silva’s case he was CL proven and a league winner which is why he cost a bit more money.
The rest of them [barring Martial who’s fee included a shit load of add-ons] were bought for 25m-35m range which is the type of player we ought to be going after due to our financial situation.
Pepe is unproven outside of Ligue 1 which is arguably the weakest of the top 5 Euro leagues, spending 80+m on him would be retarded.
“Arsenal have made an improved offer in the region of £25m for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney, Sky Sports News understands.”
Seems that Raul has finally got Stan’s support to close out deals.
Marko
“He’s actually an excellent dribbler. Loves a step over. His dribbling stats aren’t that much off Zaha according to whoscored.”
More importantly…can be track back ?
All of that bluster and show and tell and we end up bending over for Celtic and paying an extra 10m for Tierney haha.
Why not just have cut the bullshit and offered it two weeks ago and move on to other more pressing needs?
The rest of them [barring Martial who’s fee included a shit load of add-ons] were bought for 25m-35m range which is the type of player we ought to be going after due to our financial situation. Don’t disagree though I would add that the market has changed a little bit but I digress you’re right we shouldn’t be going for him or Zaha for that matter and should be looking for ones between 25-35 million. Outsmart the market. Pepe is unproven outside of Ligue 1 So was Martial. So was Bernardo Silva. But again you’re right. Really we should be… Read more »
More importantly…can be track back ?
No the important thing is that he has a positive output. He does actually put in a shift as well which is important
Martial was 19 and Bernardo Silva as I just said was CL proven, was a stand-out player in a side that made the CL SF.
The sarcasm is cute but really if this is the extent of our scouting and recruitment team then we’re in for a bleak number of years ahead.
Le Grove literally come up with a more original list of targets than they have. Do Emery and Raul just scroll through the Daily Mail/Reddit comments section when cooking up lists?
literally nothing to do with foreign talents not cutting it, and more to do with getting a hard cock for foreign talents on that basis alone.
In what world is Pepe worth 80 mil but your fanny flutters when Zaha nears 50?
I’m not sure if true that Pepe at that price offers value for money. Surely Fekir and Ziyech at £60m combined is far better?
If not, how about upping our Zaha bid, or heavens forbid try and hijack the de Ligt move to Juve or offer Leicester £70m for Maguire?
Spunking £80m on Pepe when we need the defence sorting out 5 years ago makes no sense whatsoever, especially when we have some great youngsters like Nelson and ERS knocking on the door.
The sarcasm is cute but really if this is the extent of our scouting and recruitment team then we’re in for a bleak number of years ahead.
I’m not being sarcastic I’m only offering up alternatives to Pepe within the criteria of prem proven and a certain price range.
Who do you have in mind WE?
De Ligt choosing present Arsenal over Juventus, PSG and Barcelona? Lol we’d literally have a better shot at kidnapping him at gunpoint.
In what world is Pepe worth 80 mil but your fanny flutters when Zaha nears 50?
Fanny flutters your new favorite word? Catching up on love island I bet. Both overpriced af
I didn’t say he had to be PL proven Marko, I just said that spunking 80m plus on a 24 year old that’s done nothing outside of Ligue 1 would be shocking which it would be.
Can guarantee that no other club puts up anything close to that kind of coin for Pepe.
Le Grove literally come up with a more original list of targets than they have. Do Emery and Raul just scroll through the Daily Mail/Reddit comments section when cooking up lists?
I know right. Quite a few clubs being very lazy with their scouting and targeting Pepe
‘Quite a few clubs being very lazy with their scouting and targeting Pepe’
Been creeping through those Talksport archives again have we?
Good one no but seriously it seems quite a few clubs are interested in him which I agree is lazy scouting. It’s funny you should say talksport cause Pedro was talking recently about how Honigstein is in the know and he’s apparently a regular on talksport.
Anyway just as well we’re not getting any signings in cause you seem to have real issues with who we’re targeting. Whether it’s Tierney or Saliba and now rumours of Pepe. It’s tough to please some people.
Marko
I mean we can’t afford to pay 80m for Pepe, I’d want a player with an Eden Hazard like impact for that kind of dough. Same as Zaha, 80m for him would be laughable.
Are you forgetting that most of Europe are broke and are selling clubs? Not exactly a shortage of talent on the market either I mean shit Sarabia just went to PSG for 18m and Brandt and Hazard to Dortmund for 50m combined.
Have absolutely no issue with Tierney and the issue with Saliba is that we’re farming him back to France for a year when we’re in a defensive crisis now.
Tough for some people to read it seems.
Tough for some people to read it seems.
“the issue with Saliba is that we’re farming him back to France ”
So I was right when I said that you have issues with who we’re targeting. Anyway what attackers do you think we should target instead of Pepe. I’m curious
No you weren’t right because I haven’t got an issue with Tierney which you conveniently neglect to mention.
Fanny flutters aptly describes your pendulum personality toward players and transfer targets. There’s little to no sense in your ramblings.
Pepe at 80 mil has you busting a nut, you spend countless years moaning about our defence but go hammer and fist for an 18 year old we won’t see, but 100% will be one of the first to lose their shit when the defence is pony yet again.
All over the show.
I’m not totally dismissing Pepe, just for that kind of money. He’d be a good deal for half of that.
“Anyway what attackers do you think we should target instead of Pepe. I’m curious“
80 on Ziyech, Coman, Neres, Lozano, Everton, Bailey, Kluivert. All arguably better value given they’d be bought with a bunch of change to spare for other needs.
I’m confused though cause when the conversation was about Neres recently again the worry was about ability to adapt is he that good even and bullshit about players from the eredivisie. Now he’s on Charlie’s list of targets? Good list good all things considered.
Im reading just now, that we are back in for Tierney.
Good news if true.
Also, Edu persuading Everton S to join us. Good fast aggressive winger. Cheaper than what we are offering others apparently.
IF those 2 come in… its better than nothing… needed a winger and if we can somehow swing a CAM we are ok for time being
This whole fuck up of culture at our club is down to two men. Wenger and gazidis. The new backroom isn’t doing as well as I’d hoped but the whole situation has been brewing for years. The fans that sang one Arsene Wenger til the very end can suck a dick. Especially cause they are now the ones complaining the most (and then there is Pedro). Not one arsenal fan is truly happy at the moment. And it gets even harder to make them happy when so many of us are entitled pricks expecting Champions league finals every year. How… Read more »
Kroenke is responsible for this mess.
An investor and the biggest AKB
Took everything at Wengers word
Has no clue about a football club
Just another plaything and bank asset for his credit line to fund the LA stadium
We have been infested with this disaster of an owner
Where is JR?
Its all BS…. wish they would sell our team …god knows there are buyers who would actually give a shit
would be nice… Edu needs to get us a GEM sharpish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBNWwBSOx7Q
I’d love this Everyone Soares of a guy. This is the sort of deal we should snap up. He’d cost under £30 million. But I can predict his stock will definitely rise in two years to over £70 million
Hello Groovers! it’s been a while. Been reading most days without commenting. It’s been a naughty world on this blog recently, I just admit.
Let’s hope Nigeria do well today. Any Naija guys in Uyo here?
Un Done You exceeded yourself last night – didn’t think that was possible. New meds, Un? Whilst the Irish (north and south) might be termed as ‘unique’ I’ve found the majority I’ve met in my 63 years to be funny and good company. Alita: Battle Angel? My 10 year old son loved it and my 23 year old son enjoyed the filming/editing technology employed – similar to Ready Player One. I liked it for the tech as well. A lot of the tech first was used in Ex Machina https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/ with Alicia Vikander who not only is a brilliant actress… Read more »
People still moaning about emery. He won’t be here at the end of the season. Getting a new manager changes nothing. We still have the same transfer budget, the same dross still plays for the club and we have no transfer targets. We would have just spent money paying off emery.
“Akin to two sloths trying to navigate a puddle”
That conjures a funny picture!
Kos
Kos should be blaming his agent for not getting and tacit/verbal agreement committed to his contract amendment.
Goobergooner
Now ain’t that the truth.
Great post.
Don’t forget though, it’s all Emery’s fault.
To all those former AKB’s and fringe AKB’s who sat and applauded all these con artists.
Shame on you.
———————————-
Come on Roger, Lewis and England!!
You can all do it.
Have a great day of sport everyone.
Cheers.
Good morning from the Emirates, Mr ZAHA. Hope you slept well.
£25m for Tierney?
By my maths (if reports are true) that leaves us with £15m to buy:
3 more defenders
An entire midfield
At least three forwards. Wingers. Attack.
If this was 1965, we would be fine.