Unreal scenes in London when a couple of idiots tried to attack Kola and Ozil on scooters. Why the fuck anyone would attempt to attack a man who is clearly a fucking athlete when he’s with his wife is beyond me, but god bless the response. Ozil put the car in first gear and cleared the women away, Kola went for both of them… LOVE TO SEE IT.
Obviously, everyone has different responses to this sort of thing, but it does go to show you, these people are cowards. They legged it from a single unarmed man and they were wearing crash helmuts! Honestly, the bravery is something else… what a soldier!
On a side note, scary times in London that the dangerous shits are attempting nasty stuff like that… still can’t believe the uproar when police were knocking them off their bikes.
We also signed a player! Hooray.
William Saliba pushed off the advances of Spurs to do a deal with us. He’ll go back out on loan next season and we’ll hopefully have a very talented player on our books in the next two seasons. The club has to be praised for moving very fast on that deal and looking beyond our immediate needs. We should make ourselves the best club on the planet for young kids to learn their trade.
The club Q&A was about as interesting as it always is. I’m not sure Raul and Vinnai have quite grasped how educated our fans are. We’re obsessives, we know how they work the media, we know the finances, the masseuse, the tea lady, we’re fluent in operational structures. That Raul took offense to Arsenal fans not taking positives from last season is quite something. It always worries me when the standards at the top aren’t very high.
Back to positives.
Ceballos also signed, he’s in on a loan deal, I think he’s another impressive signing… there is a kicker though… If he does well, he’s back to Madrid. If he tanks, our season is ruined.
It’s still tough to look at this window with much hope. We’ve not moved the squad along, old players are a year old, bad defenders are still bad, the captain thing is still unresolved, we’re a bit of a mess.
I totally understand that the club is in a transitional moment, I just find it very difficult to understand how a summer can be run so badly? From the outside looking in, it looks like we’re willfully ignoring the most dilapidated areas of need in favour of a really shiny winger.
Things are so rough, Jenkinson looks likely to be a fixture this season. I find that maddening. We’re trying to develop a high-performance culture at the club, and we’re allowing fans to take a squad number… and we’re having to suck up the reality of loading up average players on massive contracts, again. Literally the same issue we were bemoaning back in the day when Nik B wouldn’t leave his £52k a contract.
I like some of the backroom moves, but it’s still hard to fathom what this summer was all about… to be honest, to me, it looks like we just waited for Edu. If that’s the case, we’re at ground zero again.
Still, there comes a point where you have to just be pleased with any move. Dani boy is a very good player, Medley has moved to the first team squad, Willock looks very promising, maybe Reiss or Saka could cut the mustard?
It’s all very hopeful, but that’s football my friends!
Right, I’m going to get my head back in the game next week, work has been fucking beastly this last month. I’m looking forward to getting back to some normality!
x
Wow!
Where’s Marko? Lad ought to get the lube out.
‘So that 45m budget as expected was a load of bollocks.’
No.
Like Ornstein just said, paid in installments.
Round of applause for Sanllehi.
Waiting for Pedro’s post now.
This one is going to hurt him.
Fuck off!!!!
Let’s save loving Raul’s dark arts for when they actually deliver and the club is demonstrably stronger
Big signing!
Big statement
Emirates
No we won’t be challenging but it should get us top 4. With CL money next summer we take the next step. Pedro is very fond of using Klopp and Liverpool as the way it should be done well I’d say we’d be well on schedule to competing in 3 or so years.
I can dare to dream Is it too much to ask to add Harry Maguire to the squad this window too? Look we get Pepe and tierney then it’s a 10/10 from me considering our funds If we get these deal over the line then I will be delighted. Did edu assist in this or was it Raul? If it’s raul then I doth my cap. Great work. With Saliba coming next year and the yoot a year older then there is plenty of cause for optimism As long as emery ditched his ridiculous penchant for a high line with… Read more »
Cesc
We could well be looking back in a year or two and saying the biggest signing the club has done in a long time was Sanllehi.
Un na
“Could be some sight though with bellerin and Tierney overlapping Aubameyang and Pepe.”
You’ve also got Ceballos linking play.
This season could officially be moist!
Marc
We seem to be following that Liverpool model. Before Liverpool got Van Dijk they were electric in attack but leaky in defence.
I think we are going to be the same this season.
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang. With Dani Ceballos in midfield.
Point to a team that won’t shit themselves at the sight of that.
After Leno and Torriera, would Pepe make it the third player we’ve beaten Napoli to recently?
Bellerin and Pepe on our right sounds really tasty.
Rugani on loan?
Marc
‘We could well be looking back in a year or two and saying the biggest signing the club has done in a long time was Sanllehi.’
It seems as if he got the agent.
That’s the contract approach, his name carries a lot of weight and he knows how to win a race for a player.
Wow.
What a day.
3 days: Dani Ceballos, Saliba and Pepe.
*Contact approach
Not contract approach
China
Come on man. If he brings in Martinelli, Saliba, Ceballos, Tierney and Pepe in one window he deserves credit and no small amount either. This goes a big big way to advancing us. Don’t get me wrong we need a centre half this season but if emery gets his coaching cap on and abandons the high line then I’d be content with sokratis, Holding, Chambers and erm just that lot for the season.
This doesn’t look quite so bad as a starting lineup
Leno
bellerin sok Holding tierney
Torriera Chambers xakha
Pepe Lacazette Aubameyang
How can budget story be bollocks when you can estimate our cash balance with reasonable certainty. It’s not an inside the 4 walls thing. AFC should have close to £100-120M of cash balance of which we should not be able to spend more than £50M, £60M max and we haven’t spent more than that. Ceballos – loan fee of £5M Saliba – £5M installment this year is my guess as he is still going to be playing for St Etienne. Pepe – if reports of a 5 year deal is true, you would assume we are paying £20-25M upfront. We… Read more »
Cesc
Pedro has this obsession with using a modern method to scout players. Now I’m all for using all available tools to help identify targets. What Pedro can’t seem to get his head round is having someone who can close a deal is important, it also doesn’t stop the use of data.
Marc
I’m not convinced on him yet. Let’s see how he adapts and wether he would sign permanently but if he’s a success then Greta
And yes. I’ve been sodden all morning
Great
‘Is it too much to ask to add Harry Maguire to the squad this window too?
Look we get Pepe and tierney then it’s a 10/10 from me considering our funds’
Maguire, you are crazy my friend 😃😃😃😃
Phew!
Pepe eh?
That took some balls.
Crystal Palace must hope Everton come through for them.
Or Zaha gives them the treatment.
Un na
Drop Xhaka out of that line up for Ceballos and you’ve got an attack that’ll blow a lot of teams away.
Tr7
Bang on mate
Fuck me I haven’t been this excited since we signed Sanchez
What a blinder
Seems there are lots of reports about the Pepe story but I’ll wait until it’s officially announced before thinking too much
If this happens and we got tierney over the line it would be a good summer of signings and we could spend the rest of the summer just trying to flog our tat
I don’t mind if arsenal still have some big issues next season, what I demand of the club is that we’re taking serious steps forward. If The squad has made demonstrable progress by the start of the season I’ll be happy and accept it
‘We could well be looking back in a year or two and saying the biggest signing the club has done in a long time was Sanllehi.’
Now you are taking it too far.
Marc
Ain’t gonna happen. Not dropping his captain for a loanee.
I actually think xakha would excell in that formation anyway
If Ceballos can prove his defensive worth then I’d drop out chambers for home games and put in Ceballos.
Who knows
Maybe ozil will up his fucking game this season with all the talent around him and with the competition.
Zaha will be fuming
Had palace played ball he’d be a gooner right now
I’d be fucking fuming if I were him
Man. Bring on Newcastle
Can’t wait
Arsenal in for Pepe!! 80mil euros
The whole instalments thing is beside the point though.
More or less every big transfer is paid in instalments.
So when Ornstein comes out and says £45 million it’s kind of bollocks because he is implying we can’t see sign a player/s this summer that are valued above that figure.
Pepe incoming without CL football? If Raul pulls him off with Tierney he’s worked an absolute miracle transfer window. The best we’ve had for many years.
Wonder what will happen to Zaha and Everton Soares?
Pepe on the right, Everton on the left? Or is that too much to ask for
Marc Exactly. You need the deal closer, the person who knows how to speak with agents and how to win races for players. Munich, Napoli, Inter, United, Ateltico, Liverpool, PSG etc all interested in him. Arsenal got him. TR7 Un Agreed. There’s a time for fair criticism and there’s a time to be fair regardless of whether your fans of the new regime or not. This is a time where, as Arsenal supporters, we should all just be excited together. Great signing and I agree completely with TR7 this does nothing to suggest our budget is more than £45 Million… Read more »
Un na
That’s the risk you run if you fuck about. One of the problems with all the money in the PL is that small clubs and Palace is a small club get ideas above their station.
Know you place bitches.
If we had Auba laca pepe attack wise then I’d put a midfield of industry behind them in tough games where ozil can’t be trusted
Part of the problem last season is that we basically only had two goal scorers meaning we needed our AMs or WBs to contribute a lot creatively
If we had Auba laca and Pepe then you don’t need to ask quite as much of our midfield and full backs which would benefit our defensive setup
Cesc
Mate one thing please calm down it’s not down yet and you have a PTR in jinxing transfers!
‘Zaha will be fuming
Had palace played ball he’d be a gooner right now’
Also might make the Scottish press think again with their stories about ‘Arsenal will come back’.
Yeah, ask Palace about that one.
*installments
Yank auto-correct on here.
Marc
I feel more comfortable now that Ornstein has confirmed because he rarely does without being very certain.
Either it happens or this is the biggest f**k up in Ornstein’s career.
Ca
100% mate
Hats off. Taking a knee. I was wrong. It just looked like another miserable meandering disappointment.
Emery-over to you…..
‘This doesn’t look quite so bad as a starting lineup
Leno
bellerin sok Holding tierney
Torriera Chambers xakha
Pepe Lacazette Aubameyang’
Pls don’t ruin this moment by mentioning Xhaka.
China
“If we had Auba laca and Pepe then you don’t need to ask quite as much of our midfield and full backs which would benefit our defensive setup”
Me, Cesc and a few others have been saying that for ages.
bris
Funny
Paulinho
I didn’t know you could auto correct yanks!
Hopefully Pepe is good at dropping off and shielding the ball in deep areas, and he’s not just one of those that – like Auba – that comes alive only when facing the goal with acres of space in front of him.
A high speed winger with huge technical quality who cuts in on stronger foot to shoot on goal.
I remember feeling like this when we signed Marcy Overmars. Fucking excited!
CA That would be assuming that nobody else comes through the door then past Tierney because Celtic are hell-bent on getting 25m minimum up front for him. Even with 80m broken up into 5 installments you have to imagine that they are getting at least 20-25m up front on the first payment. Martinelli and Ceballos loan fee take the number up to closer to 60m. Is none of the Saliba fee being paid this summer either? Pepe is a real statement of intent so credit where credit is due. Prefer him to Zaha if I’m honest, higher ceiling and better… Read more »
Just hope they’re not trying to sell Aubameyang this window.
Marc – Last time I defer to the the silly red line when it comes to spelling. Assuming it’s the yank spelling, but might be wrong.
‘feel more comfortable now that Ornstein has confirmed because he rarely does without being very certain.’
Ornstein hates this regime for being played. He wouldn’t have confirmed anything glorious about them if he wasn’t tripple sure.
Pepe is done, and I have to love it, Zaha or no Zaha!
Paulinho
Only kidding mate!
Dream10 doing his best to bring everyone down.
Leno
Bellerin, Sokratis, Holding, Tierney
Xhaka, Toreirra, Ceballos
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang
If nobody else comes in or goes out that’s the strongest XI we have available. Assume that we’ll bring somebody in as cover to Hector on a free/loan.
WE Martinelli and Saliba’s fees (£4.5 Million this window, I think) will be covered by sale of Ospina and sell on clause for Bennacer. It depends what you believe on Dani Ceballos, some say £15 Million (which includes wages I think) some say a loan fee of £4.5 Million. Let’s say we are giving Lille £20 Million this summer. Let’s say we have to give Celtic £18 Million out of the £25 Million this summer. That means our spend as of this summer would £42.5 Million. Near spot on. That also then makes the stories about Arsenal ‘maybe’ looking at… Read more »
Would have preferred Zaha but this is more of a statement signing than Zaha and this guy scores more too. Now let’s hope he adapts to this league. He will be a marked man.
I never expected us to go anywhere near his transfer. Where is Marko?
I’m encouraged by the type of players we’ve signed this summer. Glad Emery and Co didn’t listen to the crowd that thought we should blow our budget on defenders in light of our shockingly incohesive offensive patterns.
Always said Ramsey should play central midfield for that reason. Improve the overall level of play, and the defence can breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Just hope they’re not trying to sell Aubameyang this window.’
Must we always manufacture cause for worry?
We are not selling no Auba.
Paulinho
What would you do with our CM? For me it’s our weakest area.
Marc – Yeah I know, I just didn’t have a witty reply 😉
If and I’m only saying if because I don’t want to Cesc it we get Pepe and Tierney all done we’ve had a pretty amazing summer as far as I’m concerned on a very limited budget.
Now imagine what Sanllehi will be able to do next summer with the draw of CL football and more cash?
Marko on duty, delivering packages on bicycle.
WE – I would have Ceballas as a floating number ten, moving between the lines and dropping into midfield. It seems as if Emery will use him like Banega?
Behind him is still a problem. I think we will see a better Torreira surrounded by better footballers. Against Napoli he partnered Ramsey and we saw him moving forward and creating that goal for himself.
Unfortunately we are still fucked after that because Xhaka and Guendouzi are nowhere near good enough. Hoping Emery is just trying to keep Xhaka onside before binning him next year.
CA Celtic laughed in our face with 17m and add ons, Lennon acting the cunt as well and comparing Tierney to Bissaka as if it’s our fault that United vastly overpaid for him and not acknowledging that the SPL and PL are two very different kettles of fish when it comes to market valuation. As others have said as well most high fee transfers are paid in installments, we’re likely still paying off fees for players we’ve signed in recent years including Auba, Laca, Leno, Toreirra. The 45m number just sounds like a number that Ornstein made up, even if… Read more »
Also likely to mean any further targets are excited by the prospect of joining Arsenal.
Wooow
Pepe move is actually real ?
😀
Pepe plays RW is the only thing as he’s a cultured lefty. Means an end to the Aubameyang at RW experiment and moves him back to the left where he’s been pretty ineffective for us at times.
WE – Still all up in the air though. I actually need to see this guys play to get a feel for their games.
Let’s wait for CG though to come lecture us how truth hurts about the Spanish clowns.
Paulinho
Watch him
Mustard on the ball
Players in their prime have always wanted to come here. Greizmann confirmed we had a deal agreed until Wenger changed his mind. We passed up countless transfers after the austerity period out of a silly sense of loyalty to the players we already have.
I am still annoyed players haven’t left.
bris
It’ll be interesting to see how he tries to turn this into a negative.
It’s also strange how Pierre and a few others are never about when there’s good news.
I say we prevail on Pedro to bin CG as a way of celebrating Pepe’s arrival.
£72 000 000 million for a player who had a great season last year in the French League!!
Zaha was The Player we should have bought this season.
Arsenal Fan and Proven in The Premiership and used to the Spotlight.
The Pressure and Spotlight is now on this Pepe chap.
Lille ain’t Arsenal….different world in London Town.
£72 million ain’t Outsmarting The Market…
It’s called Being Duped..
Pep is a £30 million pound player Tops after one excellent season
Zaha was The Man…
Maybe we will get him Next Season …
Receding
The bulk of players we want to unload will go abroad and the windows on the continent don’t close until 2nd September for the most part.
One the window closes here and we’ve got what we need Sanllehi can then focus on moves out of the club. There’s a few we might be stuck with but at least at the moment it looks as if they won’t be stinking the pitch out.
Wow . Just wow.
Raul has absolutely smashed the TW . Every signing looks potentially cool . Guess its time to watch what Pepe brings on YouTube . Ornstein has spoken
Cg
Sit down and shut up. Don’t spoil this
Watch Sky Sports News try and be clever to make themselves relevant.
“We understand Arsenal have not YET reached an agreement for Nicolas Pepe”
bris
Pedro should but won’t – CG’s about the only one who agrees with him on Sanllehi.
They are both wrong.
A few transfer rumors can get the fans excited. Josh must think that it is a piece of cake to deal with the Arsenal fans.
Paulinho Ceballos isn’t too far removed from Banega who I have always liked. Both are diminutive but high-octane pressers that disrupt the opposition and are natural ball winners with their aggressive style of play. On the ball I’d rate Banega in his prime a little higher for his range of passing and vision but Ceballos is still developing. Like Banega he can carry the ball and break through the midfield line which is all he needs to be able to do on a consistent basis for us to make a massive impact, end product on top of that would be… Read more »
Wenger Eagle
Tierney deal should.be one that Arsenal will be able to complete. Don’t know how good.he.is. The only reason I want us to sign him for 20-25m is to see the media moan. They would be creaming themselves if he.was.going to Chelsea/ManUtd.
Wan Bissaka for 50m is not a problem.
The guy is a sure bet. He can play RB in a four, RWB in a five. He’ll be amazing in as a CB in a three as well.
Nelson
Well I know it’s not sealed but it seems to be more than just a rumour.
What do you want to see?
Might as well nab Zaha too, then, and have double trouble on the wings!
You can imagine Wilf now starting to get genuinely stressed that he might get trapped at Palace for the rest of his career as there are few logical outs remaining (too expensive for overseas; City, Liverpool, United, Spurs, Arsenal not interested).
Relax everyone. Tierney, Saliba, Zaha, & Pepe buys are going today be funded by selling Ozil, Mustafi, Jenks, Xhaka, Kos & Kola……obviously.
A big signing is always good for the club and the fans , and yes it may make potential signings want to join as they see a club with ambition , something we have been lacking in recent years.
It’s down to the manager now to set the team up better defensively ….Newcastle is the best possible game to start with followed by Burnley at home , 2 games in which the manager can work on a balanced team with a defensive unit that works.
Paulinho
Haha.
Some people on Twitter said they would do exactly that.
They have not ‘yet’ or not ‘quite’ reached an agreement or they are ‘close to’ an agreement so they can then break the news later on.
Pepe signing gives me hope we are going to offload players. Hopefully it’s not the good ones we have – PEA, Laca or Torreira.
CG
Tell that to Atletico Madrid . Was Joao Felix worth that much ?
Look what Real Madrid paid to acquire Luka Jovic.
Thats what Real Talent costs.
Details on the Pepe signing:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49137976
I think a deep lying tor, b2b Ceballos and an industrious front press iwobi would be one of our useful CM setups. We’ll have a few options tho since willock looks useful and guendouzi is gaining experience I think our midfield is far from world class but it’s got enough good players if they’re used well in a smart system. Our problem was last season the whole fucking setup was ass backwards in part because of our squad and in part because tactics were sometimes illogical This year I don’t think emery will have so many excuses about the personnel… Read more »
“Un na ai
“”” CG
Sit down and shut up. Don’t spoil this””””
Over paid
Over hyped
Over Board Fan Reaction
Zaha will play into his early thirties.
Would have been An Arsenal Legend
A Huge Missed Opportunity..
Zaha was The Winger we Should have snared This Summer.
As Always my honest Opinion
As Always The Truth.
True Nelson but if we are splashing £72m on top, young winger then you’ll have to accept Josh has talked his Dad around!
Anyone watch Atleti decimate Real Madrid there?
They looked scary good even if it’s only pre-season. Costa looks a man possessed after struggles since the move back from Chelsea and Felix even it was only one game looked pretty special, has that soon to be superstar aura about him.
Marc
“It’s also strange how Pierre and a few others are never about when there’s good news.”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4pQcn2L65J0
Dream
They could have signed him for a little less than 50m though you’d think. Kyle Walker went for that only 2 years ago and he was the best PL RB at the time in his prime.
China, you make a really good point, Emery has to set us up properly in midfield. We must get Tiernay over the line so we can play four at the back as well.
‘Well I know it’s not sealed but it seems to be more than just a rumour’
As good as sealed, believe me.
Napoli offered £3.6m p/a wages, we offered £4.5m for him to play in London!
If Arsenal get Pepe…
Sky reporting that we beat Napoli by offering better wages. Reported salary circa £85k per week.
How the fuck do we have so many bad players on such crazy money?
Cesc – They really are turning into joke.
They try and take the contrarian line to everything to appear as if they are in the know.
I bet right now they are desperately trying to think of angle of possible complication to the Pepe deal and they will milk it for all its worth before dropping all of it and in a sec when Pepe is announced.
‘How the fuck do we have so many bad players on such crazy money?’
Fidel Wenger.