Coutinho deal talk electrifies summer

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Wow.

I’m not sure where the rumour has come from. I’m not sure if it’s true. But sometimes, you just have to embrace the madness and roll hard in the belief that the harder you hit F5 on Newsnow, the more likely the deal will come to fruition.

It looks like this all started with SPORT telling the world that Barca will be looking to move the Brazilian off the wage bill (to make way for Neymar), likely in a loan move, and likely to a Premier League club.

It’s not exactly tough transfer algebra, we can all see how we’ve landed with this sexy story.

Brazilian player + Barca + Raul + Technical Director that is exBrazil Technical Director and Brazilian + IWOBI ON THE LEFT

I’d embrace the deal.

Coutinho / Auba / Pepe in your front line is pretty fucking lethal. No more Iwobi clogging up and down the wing looking for a ball to stumble over. We’d also minimize Ozil or motivate him to play to a more consistent standard.

However… I am sceptical.

£27m in loan fee seems outrageous considering what our budget is/was. There are some other papers falling over themselves for a lower loan number with a view to a perm move next summer, all guess work. His wages also fall into an elite bracket, and without moving on Mikhi or someone like that, you do wonder how we’re planning on course-correcting our Champions League budget this summer?

  • We haven’t sold anyone (have Auba or Laca signed their deals?)
  • There is hardly any smoke around any of our problem players
  • We still haven’t moved on a defender, so the summer isn’t finished

This feels like we’re putting all our money on RED in a spin of Champions League Qualification roulette.

… but like any fiscally prudent Republican in America would say: when a widening of the deficit is brewing but it’s for things you want, who. gives. a. fuck.

Why should I care? Let Swiss Ramble take care of the bad news because at the end of the day, money is just in our imagination. Right?

Vinnai looks like he knows his way around a spreadsheet. Stan wouldn’t let us do a madness if he was going to lose out. Raul seems trustworthy.

This is basically a tax break for a minority group of fans who have been brutally bantered by the footballing gods for over 15  years. We deserve this. We really do.

YOU had to deal with Ashley Cole being swapped for William Gallas.

YOU had to watch Nik B sit on the right-wing because no one would buy out his £52k a week deal.

After 12 years of Wenger-prudence, YOU had to watch him blast £100m on Mustafi, Perez, Xhaka, Elneny and Asano… and you clapped it, you fucking clapped it man, and your hot take was the deals looked ‘smart.’

Kallstrom’s broken back, Sanogo vs Bayern Munich, the Santos panic buy, waiting 2 summers for Chamakh, Ryo Miyachi from high school, Wellington Silva’s pizza habit, Dick Law chasing down Joel Campbell while Wenger shit his pants on Juan Mata, Gervinho instead of Hazard, a £4m bid for Cahill, Park Chu-young, passing on Hig for £32m, £40,000,001, Wenger’s Nearly 11, the epic cash pile, the ‘if we find something special’ players, Wenger knows what’s up he’ll sort it, STFU it’s only June, STFU it’s only July, STFU it’s only August… IT IS WHAT IT IS SUPPORT THE FUCKING LADS.

It’s all over my friends, Raul is here to stroke your head and make it right.

This is YOUR moment to choke out the internet with smug. Put that ‘STAN OUT’ banner back in the box. Cancel that idea you had for a Youtube Channel. No more protests. We’re turning a corner and we’re behaving like a real club.

Did you say build a statue for Raul? I’m in. Get the petition going. Let’s have the parade bus out and roll it through London during rush hour.

Back to transfers.

If we are in Barca this weekend, I suspect there will more likely be talks about Sammy Umtiti. I would also imagine that Manchester United are more likely to be in the driving seat for Coutinho if Paul Pogba leaves them for Madrid. We’ll see though, footballers are always fiercely loyal to their old clubs… right? Plus, Dybala doesn’t fancy a move there, so I’m unsure why Coutinho would see it as a great move.

Bad news on Tierney, the injury-prone left-back is apparently injured again. His manager reporting that he has chronic pain when he kicks a ball. Not great news. I always worry about bringing in players with a poor fitness record to a far more intense league. Pepe is a monster. Plays over 3000 minutes a season and rarely breaks down, this Scottish lad has had a very poor year.

We’ll see though… the 1-5-5 formation we’re lining up with so far this season feels innovative if nothing else.

There’s a video doing the rounds that Emery is going with the multi-captain option this season. I really don’t like that approach. Shared leadership is such a fucking myth. Sure, you want everyone to be a leader, but that doesn’t literally mean sharing out the role. A leadership role halved / quartered / eigthed is a role that is diluted. When everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. We are hierarchical beings, there needs to be one-point of bollocking, otherwise, you end up with what we’ve witnessed for 15 years.

We should just put it all on Hector Bellerin. Well behaved. Iconic. Loves the club. Embraces the culture. Looks mean in a pair of jeans his mum made him. Speaks up for all the right things. Elite right back. I love him, he’s the one.

Right, Barcelona game tomorrow, we’ll see how that defence has improved for real!

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China1

Isn’t asking the club to replace one of its better players who we bought one year ago (torreira) also unlikely and wishful?

China1

Torreira also did a very good job of supporting xhaka in the first half of last season

It was after injuries and coming back and having more box to box contributions that saw his form drop off. It was also his first season adapting to England

I don’t see the value in dropping him even if xhaka plays

Leedsgunner

Are we saying that there’s isn’t one player (or two) in the lower leagues that can’t improve our back line?

After all that’s where Maguire and Robertson both came from… they were both picked up from Hull…

Leedsgunner

For our defence we need to start with baby steps… we don’t need world class right away just better than what we have now.

Man United is going to regret blowing £130m on two decent players at best.

peanuts&monkeys

Barca and Arsenal seniors meeting this weekend, Barca and Arsenal not competing each other all thru this year, both needing mutually exclusive enforcements. I’m quite sure there’s going to be business.

Guns of SF

China

I think I’m starting to agree
Tierney is looking risky

Moray

I’ve gone off Tierney.

I like the player and I like his attitude.

But with our history we should be keenly aware of signing injury prone players. Having these in your squad just disrupts and breaks up runs of games and partnerships.

Plus Celtic can go fuck themselves.

Leedsgunner

Another option for Tierney Perhaps we should approach the deal for Tierney like the Saliba deal. With his injury problems tell Celtic he can recover and stay there on loan for the next five months… give them a minimum fee to secure the player… say £500k and they pay his wages. To reflect the fact we can’t have the player right away tell them we will offer them a reduced fee of say £12m. If they reject it, we walk away. However if they accept it, we must say he needs to recover sufficiently to our satisfaction. If he doesn’t… Read more »

Leedsgunner

How much does AFC Bournemouth want for Ake? I know they paid £20m for him…

chris

I say give up on Tierney (whilst giving Celtic the middle finger) and try and turn Sessegnon’s head. With the right guidance this kid will be dynamite in time.

Alternatively stick with Kolasinac for one more year and use remaking funds for a CB.

Either way, let’s forgot Tierney, clearly a crock.

Leedsgunner

chris

I also think Sessegnon is a good alternative plus it would annoy Spurs as they think they have him in the bag… it would be priceless if we pulled it off.

Moray

Sessegnon would be an excellent purchase.

Pierre

We could/ should have bought Tyrone Mings and Nzonzi for a combined total of 45 mil and we would be sorted. Two 6ft 5in defensive players , one shielding the defence and one playing alongside Sokratis /Holding . Both physically imposing , both good enough on the ball , both commanding in the air , both have premiership experience and both would improve the team defensively and for what you get , they wouldn’t break the bank , plus we could have got them in early enough to integrate them into the team . What we have now is any… Read more »

Pierre

Just watched the Ceballos Real Madrid highlights on you tube and all his work is done in centre midfield . The highlights normally show you the best bits so unless they are keeping something back ( which I doubt) , I would say he is a player in the Xhaka mould who keeps things ticking over , keeps it simple and has a very good pass completion rate (92% or thereabouts) . There was no suggestion in the highlights that he likes playing one twos around the box or will take players on with mazy dribbling skills though I would… Read more »

Un na naai

Tony
You back onthe whiskey? What’s with all the name changes?

Un na naai

Chris

Sessegnon is not what we need
A 19 year old full back who isn’t very good defensively just have someone is a waste if money.
We already have kolasinac
We need a left back who can defend
Shame though as I really like Tierney

Tobs

I think we are a bit more ambitious than Tyrone Mings or Nzonzi. At the start of the window we were linked with ( and happy to sign) players like Ryan Fraser, Alexis Claude Maurice, Brahimi, Carrasco, Praet, Andersen.

Our recruitment however doesn’t appear to be focused on average or make do options.

Pierre

Un I was expecting Ceballos to be of a similar mould to Wilshire with clever one twos around the box . He is definitely not a Ramsey replacement as he rarely ,if ever , enters the opposition box, which is not a bad thing as discipline has always been an issue over the last 5 years in Arsenal’s midfield. He could actually be a replacement for Xhaka as he likes to collect the ball from the keeper or defenders and is much more comfortable with his back to goal and getting out of tight situations , unlike Xhaka . Of… Read more »

CG

Thanks for the link, Pierre Cebollas is simply a more polished version of Elneny. Looking at him- he looks a tad anaemic too. Very bony.Very pale. Hardly an upgrade for us – we have those ‘Ray Wilkins’ types by the bucket load at the club. Didn’t need him. Simply The Spiv doing just another expensive needless deal.. (Another agent earning at our expense )** Willock is better. He should be play instead of him. ( off course he wont) Spanish Mafia and all that. We have youngsters Let’s play them Stop this loaning cobblers. That’s for third rate clubs –… Read more »

Un na naai

Pierre Maybe a xakha replacement but seeing as he’s a considered on here as a ball carrier and xakha looks to release the ball as quickly and as forward as possible I’d say he’s been brought in as an ozil/no10 replacement. With the no10 being brought back into midfield to pay as an actual trio rather than as a 4231 but a 433 Let’s see. As everyone well knows I was a massive Wilshere fan so if ceballos can play in that style effectively for us then he’d have himself a big fan here The matches In which I’ve seen… Read more »

CG

Players like Grealish, Zaha,Dunk,Keane were the players we should have tried to attain this summer.

But if it ain’t what the Spiv wants.
We ain’t getting.

He ( not Emery ) is now in complete control of The Arsenal.

He has More power than Gazidas and Wenger put together

Shameful and will end it tears.

Pierre

Tobs “Our recruitment however doesn’t appear to be focused on average or make do options.” I get that and ideally someone like Umtiti would be perfect if we can get him..we have also just spent 26 million on a player who we loaned back and is not a guaranteed success. My worry is that although we are stronger offensively with the arrival of Pepe , we will be found out in the defensive midfield position and at the back If Ceballos does play in central midfield alongside Torreira ( which is a possibility) it will leave us very weak in… Read more »

vickingz

Ismael bennacer moves to AC Milan yet we have folks who keep claiming these guys ain’t good enough for arsenal but i’m sure guen is, ceballos?

vickingz

If players don’t come at a cost, they ain’t good enough. Smh

Tobs

Vickingz we are much better than Milan currently. That being said, there’s no transfer team that doesn’t make mistakes. The only mistake with Bennacer was not getting more money for him. We made up for that with a sell on clause. He’s done ok, but I’m not going to lose any sleep over him.

Now if you mention Gnabry, that’s a different proposition. That was very badly handled.

Tobs

vickingzAugust 4, 2019 09:44:11
If players don’t come at a cost, they ain’t good enough. Smh

On the contrary, there’s nothing fans love more than an academy player coming good, or a player bought very cheaply blowing up.

Receding Hairline

Tobs the idea every single player from our academy is good enough for a career here is not funny. Every club has an academy, how many of them fill their first team squad with players from that academy? Once in a while a good player breaks through, the rest move of to careers all over Europe. Was Bennacer supposed to stop playing football because he wasn’t deemed good enough for a first team place at Arsenal? Of course not, he dropped to Serie B and worked his way up. Congrats to him. Auba was once deemed not good enough for… Read more »

Un na naai

Hairline Nobody thinks that every player at the acadamey is good enough to have a career at arsenal Bennacer certainly was better than many of our midfield options last season. We have some highly talented and highly rated youngsters coming through now. Perhaps the best since the days of George Graham. Maybe better. We would be foolish not to mine that talent and harness it. Wether it’s for our own team or through profit from sales. We’ve been missing tricks for far too long and need to look at chelsea as an example in that respect. Even if half the… Read more »

DUIFG

Top post

Savage

Bellerin “speaks up for all the right things” – if you’re far left. For the rest of us, he’s a typical know-nothing millennial.

Un na naai

Savage

He definitely is. His hearts in the right place though.

Gentlebris

It should be fun watching United vs Chelsea next Sunday, tearing at each other, both managers desperate to prove something, OGS of course more desperate. If United lose against Chelsea, and got beat at Wolves,OGS is as good as gone. The two losses would put him on the hanger, and it would be a matter of time before he’s fired. If United win both matches, OGS is set for success. That’s the terror element in football coaching, two matches can make or damage you. Lampard however has an alibi in place should things begin to go opposite of north. Our… Read more »

Un na naai

Bris

I wouldn’t be so sure on emery
If we concede goals and throw games he will get it over the defence

chris

Un I wouldn’t want Sessegnon just for the sake of it, he could be our left back for the next decade and beyond if we were to handle it in the right way. He is rough around the edges defensively sure (maybe that is being kind) but I think he can improve to a high standard if looked after. Together with his attacking prowess he could be beastly, our version of Marcelo perhaps. All highly speculative obviously but would love to see us mug Spurs for him. Make our interest known and I am sure he’d plump for us over… Read more »

Un na naai

I refuse to believe he has NO say at all over transfers

Gentlebris

And here comes the season of truth for Liverpool. But for the luck on their side, Spuds should have won the CL. When they played us at home, nothing special, we matched them. We went there and scored first, before our very weak backline fell to pieces. Liverpool were hyped and their opponents bought it(our defence line inclusive)……fear factor…..it worked wonders for them. Even Barca was clearly scared of a Liverpool come back in the second leg, it happened. But Poch didn’t believe the hype no more after playing them in the return leg of the Prem and saw that… Read more »

Gentlebris

‘I wouldn’t be so sure on emery
If we concede goals and throw games he will get it over the defence’

I don’t follow, Un.

Gentlebris

Pep is out before the jury, he knows it. He has a great team, but they have always come short of CL glory. The rich Sheikhs must be getting bored of bossing the Prem now. They want to be seen in this same light as Real, Barca, Bayern. Impossible without CL glory. Pep understands the silent demand, he will go after it with all his focus, he will miss yet again. Put your money on Barca or Alt Madrid for CL glory this term, old Pep G! And so because Pep has his focus on CL, City might come second… Read more »

Un na naai

Well Bris you claim emery will have it easy but if we don’t plug the gaps at the back then I’m not so sure he will have a free ride.

Gooners are getting sick and tired of the same old problems
We have 5 days now to bring in two defenders before the window closes and if we don’t and continue to throw games against mid table sides then hianhead will be on the chopping block

Un na naai

Bris With no Ronaldo at real and the chaos they are operating under I wouldn’t expect much of a threat from them and Barca/Messi are on the wane Once he’s gone then I expect them to go quiet for a while For me it’s the premier league sides who are set to dominate in the upcoming years 4 English teams in the finals last season would qualify that suggestion. I expect juventus to be a force this season in the champions league though and the biggest threat to PL sides. Barca still have so much quality but their players appear… Read more »

vickingz

@ un na nai, you really have time responding to RH. Jeez, that guy just speaks from whatever side of his mouth. Just 2 days ago, he was saying if bielik was ever good for arsenal, he wouldn’t have to drop down to fetch a club for playing time and today, he’s saying bennacer did a good thing by dropping down to work his way up. Now that he’s worked his way up, he’s good for arsenal? Bennacer on his worst day is way better than guen and zhaka, same as willock. Bielik as a dm is better than zhaka… Read more »

Gentlebris

Un,

Reinforcements at the back or not, we will play better than last year upfront. My bet is this is Lacazette 20 plus goals season. Add that to Aubameyang’s 20 plus and Pépé slotting in 18.

We will fake our way to the top even with a shitty defence.

Emery will always be in or around top 4, he does that, he has a season of pleasure, no sacking until May at least, and that’s if he misses the top 4 target and loses Europa again.

Gentlebris

Un,

Atletico Madrid, not Real Madrid.

Un na naai

Vickingz Yeah I agree mate. Bennacer was well worth keeping. The problem is that these lads aren’t getting the game time and development they need. We have two perfect competitions in which to use them in the Europa and the league cup so why not? I wouldn’t worry too much about early stages of either competition and post Xmas when the first team may need a rest or are picking up niggles then we know who is knocking on the door as a reserve for first team players Yes RH does flip flop but if you don’t respond to people… Read more »

Un na naai

Bris

I wish I shared your confidence and optimism and yes we are looking very healthy going forward but Liverpool were falling well short until they addressed their backline.
There’s no guarantee our forwards will return the goals you’re expecting and IF the defence continues to throw games then emery will not be getting a free pass

Not with that high line and not if he persists with Mustafi as a starter in games we need to win.

vickingz

@ tobs, we are indeed better than ac cos we are playing in champions league while AC is playing Europa

Un na naai

Bris

Yes athletico look good this season but their new boys need to bed in. I did forget about them though and right now I’d say they could be a good shout for La Liga if the problems at Barca and Real persist.

They’ve dominated due to two unbelievable players playing at such levels for so long. They have not and probably can not replace either of those two as players like that pop up well, never really.

Gentlebris

And so to my ultimate(laughable?) assumption:

If we bring in a tough guy into our CB and Holding comes good again, and we get a young hungry dude(not Tierney)to work at LB.
And Ceballos comes good, and Pépé even raises his game and Xhaka and Mustafi are not allowed anywhere near the EPL first 11;

WHO SAYS WE CAN’T WIN THE TITLE?

Dare to dream.

Gentlebris

‘Yes RH does flip flop but if you don’t respond to people who talk rubbish then you’ll end up never posting on Le Grove.’

Un!

Now you are in trouble for the whole day and more, Prince Yellow will come for your skin!

vickingz

Yeah I agree mate. Bennacer was well worth keeping.The problem is that these lads aren’t getting the game time and development they need. Thank youuuuu. This is what i’ve been saying which is difficult for some itks to comprehend. All these young players we are signing/running after, would we have known or heard about them if they weren’t given play time? Or promoted by their clubs? It irks the likes of Amaechi and players at the reserves who know of a truth that they can’t on their bad day be worse than the players we are parading yet they are… Read more »

Gentlebris

Bennacer was in deed a monster at AFCON, but so were James and our very own Joel Campbell at the 2014 world cup. Some players suddenly find form in a tournament, it doesn’t amount to much. Wouldn’t you have considered it deceiving that Bennacer won player of the tournament in a competition graced by Zaha, Pépé, Ziyech, Mahrez and others? It doesn’t amount to much. Let’s see what the guy does at Serie A. And against popular opinions, I don’t rate Gnabry either. He had his chance here and failed. Most of all he does at Bayern is muscle work.… Read more »

vickingz

https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/arsenal-transfer-news-arsenal-sell-highly-rated-teenager-xavier-amaechi-to-hamburg

https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/07/29/arsenal-xavier-amaechi-sales/

Another player who generated interests of Barcelona, bayern and co but according to le-grove award winning delusionally infallible RH, since amaechi didn’t go to any of these big clubs and went to Hamburg for game time, he ain’t good for arsenal. A round of applause for his royal highness.

Un na naai

Bris

But Bennacer has shown very good form for club and country for longer than just a summer tournament, hence the £16m move to AC Milan.

While we are sitting on Mohammed fucking elneny and a half fit Torreira in a new and powerful league.
We had a buy back option too.

Un na naai

Bris

No doubt Ox is a better player than Gnabry but both were/ are valuable
We sold one for £3m and the other for £35m

vickingz

@ gentlebris
Wouldn’t you have considered it deceiving that Bennacer won player of the tournament in a competition graced by Zaha, Pépé, Ziyech, Mahrez and others

Deceiving??? How much of his games have you watched? We started talking about him before afcon and you honestly think milan got him only because he had a good outing at afcon? He’s everything our midfield lacks. And on what premise have we signed ceballos? Deceiving indeed

vickingz

If it does appear that i’m pushing an agenda, lemme state it clearly. Our reserve players aren’t as bad as most people make them to be. Give them game time, expose them to the development they need instead of spending money on their fellow counterparts from other clubs because their own clubs give them exposure and play time. And since we have a coach we have been told he loves working with young players, we should be alright. Sell the deadwoods not the prospects.

Valentin

The main problem in England with the youth system is that there is no pathway from U21 football to first team football. That especially the case for any of the top 6 clubs where standards are higher. Championship and lower league football plays in a style so alien to premiership football that most loans end up in failure. There is also a culture of preferring physical players over more technical ones. Bellerin, Gnabry were deemed not going enough at Watford (in the Championship) and WestBrom. Players leaves Arsenal without being any chance to show they can make the grade. They… Read more »

Un na naai

Vickingz

Couldn’t agree more. Now is the time to capitalize on the generation coming through. All of them look promising. In fact they look better than most of the first team when played. Let them inject some fresh and fearless play into the side. Some youthful exuberance tempered by our master tactician of a coach.

Gentlebris

Deceiving??? How much of his games have you watched? We ‘started talking about him before afcon and you honestly think milan got him only because he had a good outing at afcon? He’s everything our midfield lacks. And on what premise have we signed ceballos? Deceiving indeed’ Pipe down bro, you really seem to rate Bennacer beyond his ability. And Milan is an average team these days, anything average would attract them. Who else went after Bennacer? I’m not saying the guy is awful, just saying it’s not a big deal that we turned down an opportunity to sign a… Read more »

Gentlebris

‘But Bennacer has shown very good form for club and country for longer than just a summer tournament, hence the £16m move to AC Milan’

Club being a serie B club, country being Algeria. Average.

Milan of 2019 can sign him on those ground, but not us, not while we compete against City, Liverpool, United, Chelsea and Spuds.
If we have guys who are not as good as Bennacer, we will push them out soon don’t worry.

Un na naai

The main problem in England with the youth system is that there is no pathway from U21 football to first team football. That especially the case for any of the top 6 clubs where standards are higher.Championship and lower league football plays in a style so alien to premiership football that most loans end up in failure. Val. This simply isn’t the case. The championship and lower leagues are played to a similar blood and thunder, combative style. But say you were right. Then what’s the point of loaning our players to European teams who don’t play to Arsenal’s “style”… Read more »

Un na naai

Bris

Bennacer is a country mile better than Elneny. He’s better than guendouzi right now and Joe Willock. All three are understudies at arsenal
All three are getting game time
Don’t tell me Bennacer wouldn’t improve our midfield options now.

Gentlebris

‘No doubt Ox is a better player than Gnabry but both were/ are valuable
We sold one for £3m and the other for £35m’

Un,

I concur.

£3m was ugly, we could not have been dreaming of fetching £35m for him at that point, but we should have gotten an immediate £7m and get a sell on clause inserted into the deal.

Un na naai

Bris

Or kept him and developed him until he was worth more. He’d just had a great summer with the German Olympic squad where he was the standout performer.
His star was high. He was playing well when selected for us. Offering us the width we didn’t have in the team at the time due to injures.
What a mess

Gentlebris

‘Bennacer is a country mile better than Elneny. He’s better than guendouzi right now and Joe Willock. All three are understudies at arsenal All three are getting game time Don’t tell me Bennacer wouldn’t improve our midfield options now.’ Do you want the fact? I don’t know your trade, but I’m into marketing communication and other gigs. I have never run a football club, you too I presume. We have guys who are experts in these things, we can come here to comment and pretend we know better, but you don’t believe you know better deep down if you are… Read more »

Un na naai

Bris Yes this is my opinion. Football is a game if opinions. Managers make mistakes Emery in his short time as arsenal manager has made plenty already as did wenger before him. It was a mistake to let Bennacer leave, clearly. It was a mistake to keep Elneny clearly. I don’t need to be sir Alex to spot an obvious fuck up so please spare me the “you’re not an elite coach” diatribe We could all see the mistakes being made by the previous regime and those who aren’t being dishonest with themselves will see the ones being made by… Read more »

Gentlebris

‘You don’t need your gold coaching badge to know that Bennacer is a better cmf than elneny.’ It’s like thinking you know more about surgery than a qualified surgeon just because you saw one make a mistake. Or like you think you can do better in a court than a qualified lawyer just because you saw one lose a case. Thick, very thick people think that, are you thick, Un? All these our ‘Wenger did that’ it’s just a matter of amateur opinions. The most terrible wrong Wenger did was Ozil’s contract and i like to beat him with that… Read more »

Emiratesstroller

un na naii

Actually there is now a pathway from U23 to Senior Team based on a recent interview of Per Mertesacker the Academy Manager.

Arsenal recognise now just how difficult it is for U23 players to make transition so the plan is now to send players to Bundesliga in Germany.

His view is that the Budesliga is a slower paced league and therefore younger
players has more time to adapt to higher and more competitive league.

So we can expect more of our Academy to follow route of Nelson and Smith-Rowe.