Cédric Soares likes cappuccino, Jorge Mendes, and Artetaball

by .

Ok, so Ced…

SHUT UP AND SUPPORT THE LADS

… Soares is

SHUT UP AND SUPPORT THE LADS

not really that…

SHUT UP AND SUPPORT THE LADS

Ok, I give up.

I strained out an excitement yelp for Pablo Mari because he’d been picked up as a talent by Manchester City, then had a good time in Brazil, and he’s sexy.

I WILL IGNORE THAT HIS AGENT, CANALES, TOLD RAUL THAT EMERY WAS THE BEST MANAGER IN EUROPE. WHICH LED RAUL TO HIRE HIM WITHOUT ENGLISH AS A CORE COMPETENCY. HE WAS PREDICTABLY SHITE. THEN RAUL HAD TO FIRE HIM EARLY AND SHELVE THE 4 YEAR DEAL HE WEIRDLY HAD PLANNED. NOW CANALES HAS A NEW RECCO AS OUR GREAT WHITE HOPE IN THE CENTRE BACK DEPARTMENT.

Cedric Soares is a signing that’s a little lost on me. Southampton fans don’t really rate him, he went to Inter last season for a loan and they gave him 4 games, now he’s with us. He’s 28 years old, so by no means finished, I’m just not sure he’s quite the elite specimen we hoped would be driving the Arsenal forward.

I’ll be blunt… he seems like a favour… you know, like when you were 19 in Time & Envy and your mate met a babe called Vicky, who is totes fit, and you’re left with Keeley, who is fine for a chat, but she wants to tattoo your eyeball for banter but that’s not your scene.

Anyway, he’s a Portugeezer international, he’s potentially a Swiss Army knife of a player, and he’s obviously good enough to land the nod from Mikel… we hope.

At this point, I’m just going to sit back, shut the fuck up, and hope there’s some sort of majestic plan that I’m not aware of that’s being undertaken.

I will NOT bring up the uncomfortable reality that this is a Jorge Mendes special. We have almost certainly vetted this move with a slathering of deep data analysis and the blessing of the scouting wonks.

If I were to try and be super positive about this move, I would say this used to happen under Arsene back in the day. You had no idea who he’d signed, you just knew there was a plan and a coach good enough to elevate the talent.

PARK CHU NOOOOOOOO. KABA DIAWANOOOOO. STEPHAN MALZNOOOO. FABIAN CARININOOOO. KIM KALSTROMBROKEHISBACKBUTWESTILLSIGNEDHIMNOOOOO!

BUT WENGER DIDN’T FUCK WITH SUPER AGENTS.

Shhh, shut up and support Raul. Maybe there’s a properly elite superstar they have their eye on this summer. (take a look)

I also think there’s a harsh reality here, we’re skint and under pressure. Quite possibly the worst mix to have heading into a transfer window. I’d rather plug needed gaps with loans, let Arteta make all his mistakes now, then hit the ground running with a quick transfer window this summer.

We know that a lot of big names will likely move on this summer. Auba, Lacazette, Luiz, Sokratis, Mustafi and a number of others might all push for exits… we might cash in on a diamond… whatever happens, it’ll be an aggressive summer.

Until then, let’s just see how it pans out.

We’re improving as a team, the energy levels will go further as fitness improves, the team showed signs of where the attacking side of the game might go, and we’re already showing strong signs that we can learn how to defend.

Two players is two players. It’s a dead season. Let’s just be thankful we did something and pray to the gods of football that no more defenders land nightmare injuries.

IGNORE THE SUPER AGENTS WHO ARE ON OUR SHIT.

See you in the comments.

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TitsMcGee

Have no idea how Arsenal can be skint. If that is indeed the case it’s piss-poor management.

I am very “meh” about these two signings.

grooveydaddy

Tr4phy

zaco

first tr4phy

DM

Tr4phy

zaco

4th

zaco

the Legendary DM at it again

Major_Jeneral

Our new position soon

Sid

You heard it here 1st

Biggles

Our final league position!

Invisozil.

“With a quick transfer window this summer”

This will never, ever happen at Arsenal… Every window is like pulling teeth now.

TitsMcGee

“We know that a lot of big names will likely move on this summer. Auba, Lacazette” Don’t know how a club that is struggling with these players is going to afford to let them go. We aren’t exactly a sexy destination(and haven’t been for some time). Who will we replace them with that is of value?

Emiratesstroller

According to Telegraph we are paying Southampton less than £1 million to take Soares off their books. If that is the case and assuming that we are not paying him an exorbitant wage I am not concerned. The reality is that Arsenal do not have on their books an established second string right back understudy for Bellerin. Both Maitland-Niles and Chambers have been underwhelming in the position. Arsenal appear to be recruiting this January two “low key but experienced defenders” with fairly low expectations about their potential. The good news is that they are not costing an astronomic amount of… Read more »

Robert Baker

Just not good enough signings for arsenal, really not great. Arsenal must have thought it looked at Dayot upermencarno surely. Just can’t believe having got 40mil to get him in. These signings are average at best, waste of wages

HighburyLegend

I’m sorry, but this post is written in much too small characters for me, can’t read it.

Leftside

Legrove (Peds and CG) developing a habit for commenting on player’s looks lool

Goobergooner

Soares doesn’t excite me but I am definitely willing to give Mari a fair crack (I mean I’d give them Both a fair crack just one seems a better prospect) Luiz has played a few great games and also a few shit games for us, and I would say was one of my least liked players before he joined us. I hope he can keep performing for the team. But if Mari can’t keep mustafi or papa out of the team I will be very disappointed. But signs are looking good. At least the club brought in the right reinforcements… Read more »

Goobergooner

Still very excited to see what our youngsters can do for us the next few seasons.

Willock, saka, martinelli, nketiah, guen and saliba are names I hope to be hearing of winning trophies in red and white in the not too distant future.

When are we going to bring a youth CB through the academy to the first team??

shaun

Soares at best is average cover and really uninspiring , I suppose you can see some logic if you dig deep enough

Dream10

Emirates

For Cedric, Arsenal are paying a loan fee, wages and agent fees/bonuses. Report on radio saying close to 1m in loan fee, 1.5m in wages and 2.5m in agent fees/bonuses. Quite hefty for six months. Let’s hope he is a success.

Goobergooner

HL
Lol

Left side,

Peds loves a good looking team since forever,
CG, I can’t speak for him though but makes sense, the part of the game (not that you can call it that) he actually understands has nothing to do with football.

Goobergooner

Dream,

How on earth does the agent receive more than the player? This agent bs is really something else. I don’t understand any way, shape or form where an agent justifies that.

Goobergooner

Or did you mean agent fees/player bonuses.?

Either way, agents are somehow becoming bigger than the game. Same way as the English referees association whatever it’s called. pgmol?

Dream10

Goobergooner

He’s been a Southampton player for 4.5 yrs, so there probably is a loyalty bonus due to him. Also, believe he is a Jorge Mendes client. This might be a case of if he plays at a 6 or 7 out of 10 level, he’s staying for another four years.

Goobergooner

Cheers Dream!

HighburyLegend

“Legrove (Peds and CG) developing a habit for commenting on player’s looks lool”

The Mikel Saucy Effect.

Pierre

One of the problems that Arsenal will/may have in the summer when recruiting players is due to our lack of champions league football we may have to use financial inducements to entice top players to sign for the club. That’s how United and Chelsea recruited top players when they failed to qualify for champions league football . Can Arsenal afford to give players large contracts as an enticement , probably not , so it looks like we are shopping in the bargain basement for the time being and having to rely on the coaching expertise of Arteta to help us… Read more »

Pierre

Ideally, if Kronke would put his hand in his pocket, the answer would be to keep what we have at the club and spend 150 + million on a couple of top quality midfielders.

Grealish or Maddison plus a top quality defensive/deep lying playmaker and the squad would look very strong if Saliba and Mari prove to be of sufficient quality at the back.

Graham62

Let’s just trust in Arteta.

Emiratesstroller

Dream 10 The loan fee for Soares is under £1 million. I don’t know what the wage bill is and as far as agents fees are concerned that is occupational hazard of modern football. However, the reality is that Arsenal do not have a decent or specialist understudy for Bellerin in right back position. Chambers is out injured for rest of season and despite some of the more optimistic posters on Le Grove Maitland-Niles is not suited to the position as has been blindingly obvious for two seasons. Saka by contrast has taken to left back position like a duck… Read more »

Marc

Sorry but I do not believe that Arsenal or any other club in the PL is agreeing to a deal for a loan player who’s contract is up in the summer where the fees break down as: £1 million loan fee – no issue with this the player has value even with 6 months left of his contract. £1.5 million wages – that’s less than £60k per week so not crazy levels whilst not being cheap either. £2.5 million agent fees / bonuses – This is where I have an issue, firstly it sounds like Talkshite windup material. Is it… Read more »

Words on a Blog

Pedro, I don’t really get why if we are indeed skint (which we probably are) why we would then go out and spend any money (loan or otherwise) on a meh player in a position at right back where we have two perfectly capable and fully fit players competing to play – unless Mikel has a vision for AMN at centre mid? (Doubt it somehow) As you know I’ve pushed back on your criticisms of the “contacts approach”, coz using contacts, or a contacts led approach does not preclude using data. But there has to be a logic in it.… Read more »

Graham62

That’s our media for you.

Pete

We have signed two absolute nobodys and spuds sign a flying machine international and we were both supposed to be skint!! Also paid out on le celso after he proved himself to the tune of 30 million! Levy has it put out that they are skint to get value, we put it out because we are and getting savagely mocked for it. They might not get champions league this year but are having a go…. WE A SITTING ON OUR HANDS

HighburyLegend

Graham has been Artetized, him too.

Habesha Gooner

Soton fans don’t rate him? he has been their monreal for five years FFS. They do rate him , It’s just he is leaving them now and they have to downplay their loss. He is at the very least dependable and that’s why they haven’t signed a right back all these years. And soton had the likes of mane and vandjik in their team. I would love a RB like max Aarons for 30 mil but there are more important problem areas. And if he fails we can cut our losses.

HighburyLegend

I will be Artetized, me too… but only if we beat Liverpool. lol

Savage

At least when it comes to dealing with agents we’re not as bad as United. But watch this space.

Dream10

Habesha Gooner

I haven’t been impressed with Aarons.
There’s is a lot of hype around him and I have been wrong before. Been more impressed with Godfrey and Lewis.

James wood

Bargain Bucket comes to mind.?

A back line of Rasberry Ripples.?

Let’s hope Marí proves to be VG.

.

Uwot?

Yeah Marc ,with you on that .More than likely those c** ts over at at talkshite radio on the usual AFC wind up.

HighburyLegend

Very.

Marc

Uwot

Everyone knows we’re short of money and despite what everyone thinks the Kroenke’s are not stupid and we’re supposed to believe that they’re going to sign off Sanllehi pumping millions into agents every time we go near a player.

People believe what they want to believe to often and they like to believe bad news.

Useroz

Adapted from the previous post: it’s good to bolster cover for defence to make the best of 2h of the season but are our senior folks in command or ‘guided’ by the same agents again? Especially if we pay well above the already inflated winter loan market… Though, both have prominent agents. Mari is with Canales and Soares has the Mendes! i’d think most of us feel good when the club spends some money (we ask dont we?) but NOT when it’s screwed. Simply consumer mindset. A reported 5m loan + wages for Soares! Not cool to loan another journeyman… Read more »

Marc

Un

Who’s doing that the FA or is it the Government?

Useroz

We know that a lot of big names will likely move on this summer. Auba, Lacazette, Luiz, Sokratis, Mustafi and a number of others might all push for exits… we might cash in on a diamond… whatever happens, it’ll be an aggressive summer.” Top of list should be Elneny, Mustafi, Mikhi and Ozil to save on wages. If Nelson doesn’t step up move him on too and he’d have some England premium. Presumably, the ‘diamond’ is Ozil rather than Saka or Martinelli. God forbids. Short term, worth to keep Sok around unless Holding manages to get back to pre injury… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

I think anyone finding issues in a deal for Pablo Mari or Cedric are going out of there way to look for them frankly. We’re short at CB (literally), and we’ve brought in a guy with characteristics totally absent in the rest, for pennies. We’ve played all season with AMN at RB and Arteta doesn’t want him there, going so far as to say he’s not a fullback. Bellerin has been out for a season, so we’re bringing in a guy that knows the league, has the pedigree, and the physical suitability. Again for pennies. Both deals have a fail… Read more »

Dissenter

Graham 62
You are the ex-guerilla fighter has become the establishment guy telling everyone to shut up and fall in line.

Dissenter

From a non English perspective, I think the FA rule on home grown players is just ill-advised.
That old excuse of helping the National team is redundant because the English national team isn’t short of talent. There’s like 3-4 players in the league for every position.

Dissenter

CC
My only problem with the Mari and Soares deals are the high loans fees.
For a club that’s supposedly short on funds, that’s a lot of money to spend on positions that aren’t even in crises; Bellerin is back, Tierney is supposedly close to returning, Saka has deputized excellently and AMN has shown improvement.

To make matters worse Soares is not even fit.

HighburyLegend

That’s 3 post in a row.
And you’ve won… nothing.

Wasi

We’e been asking for a deputy RB for all season.
And now when we are finally getting one that took for chump change some people just cant see to fathom it.
SMH 🤯

China1

Soares looks like a completely pointless signing so at least he was cheap

If he was done as a FA our to an agent it could actually turn out a smart move as 1m is pennies in English football and if that helps us grease the wheels for a quality signing from a player under the same agent in the summer it would be 1m well spent

Wasi

too*

Wasi

seem*

China1

Wasi I think a lot of people this season said AMN has been a reasonable deputy

Wasi

Wasi I think a lot of people this season said AMN has been a reasonable deputy

Only after Arteta came that Amn seemed to find some form.
People were actually speaking trasg about him pre-arteta and he himself was not interested in playing there.

+ He is 22 now. Needs to be playing in a position he feels is his own. Otherwise he will for his whole career remain a utility player. Im sure he wouldn’t want that.

Dissenter

Wasi
If we don’t decide to make the Soares and Mari deals permanent, then £10 million is not chump change for 6 month loan deals.
If we sign them on permanently then we would have made two astute signings for little money.
…and yes, AMN has deputized very well for Bellerin [under Arteta] so much that I would pick him before Bellerin for some games.

Words on a Blog

Wasi, AMN has said that he sees himself as a right midfielder/ right winger, I.e, not as a right back/right wing back or central midfielder (where he has also played). In the 4-2-3-1 currently being played by Arteta, this means that he can only play right in the front 3 behind the striker, where Pepe and Reiss Nelson are ahead of him. So unless Arteta is planning to switch to 4-3-3 hand have play on the right of the middle 3, or play him (again out of position) in the central midfield pair, it’s hard to see the logic for… Read more »

Moray

I believe The club is looking to weaken our rivals with the Soares signing. He’s been decent for them this year from what I’ve heard. If only we poach from Wolves and Sheffield Utd, we could be home free…

Marc

“The FA
Premier league are taking them to court over it”

The FA really are morons – what do they think by reducing the quality of the PL people will be more interested in the national team or FA Cup?

Someone remind me who oversees the ref’s?

Champagne Charlie

Dissenter

What’s a normal loan fee?

Again, we paid 2.25 mil for Suarez last Jan. Now it’s 4 mil for Mari and seemingly 1 mil for Cedric.

Explain the outrage.

Wasi

Dissenter Theres new reports saying that the Soares loan fee is under 1m. And even if it was 5 mil i think it is an astute signing financially. I posted something similar on the last blog so will copy paste. Soares for me is a good signing. Decent player, highly rated a few years but never fulfilled his potential. Good pace and a good enough defender with decent delivery. And finally a cover at the RB position. Also the structure of the deal is actually very clever. He’s got 6 months left on his contract and we are loaning him… Read more »

Wasi

The Beast Mustafi is already back in training.

Vladdy P

He should take it easy and not rush back otherwise he’ll re-aggravate it. Best to build up his fitness slowly, preferably till the end of his contract!

Champagne Charlie

Pedro Got me. But nah, I’m unbothered by both signings. Think you’re missing the angle, Arteta has spoken about needing defensive reinforcements for a while, has spoken about having no fit fullbacks for a while. Boom, we land a fullback and a CB on temps. You’ve known we have a swear jars worth of coin to work with, and here we are trying to make a go of it. And not without Mikel’s approval it would seem, as he apparently had to put Edu on the naughty step for trying to insist Kurzawa upon him. January is a wank window,… Read more »

Marc

CC

Nicely put. A little perspective on the subject is a nice change.

PieAFC

Raul will effectively get found wanting, surely shall this contacts approach eventually hinder or become an issue financially?

If they’re only stop gaps then that is fine, can’t see the problem.

PieAFC

100% Cc.

Positive words. I think MA has got a lot of say who we hire and who don’t.

I reckon a massive stipulation upon joining.

JAMES WOOD

Fleck rules out move to Arsenal.

Habesha Gooner

Dortmund keep going for moves that are obvious and Simple which are effective. They are now selling Paco Alcacer for 19 mil to villareal and buying Can from Juventus for 22 mil. Teams like us and Man United definitely need that kind of midfielder but we don’t go for it. For 22 mil too it is a head scratcher.

Habesha Gooner

David Ornstein
@ David_Ornstein 1h
Replying to @TheAthleticUK
Arsenal not paying £5m, total package worth £5m to Southampton via loan fee, salary coverage & possibly other savings (don’t know if this is the case with Soares but not uncommon for bonuses to be due towards end of contract) #AFC #SaintsFC @TheAthleticUK
theathletic.com/1569718/2020/0…

It is actually a no brainer. A good right back cover with salaries for 5 mil to the end of the season while we assess whether we should give him a permanent contract. Well played out management team.

Sid

The unmasterful arsenal have signed chambers from soton

salparadisenyc

Meanwhile Raul has an off shore set up recouping 50% of Canales fee.
Circle of love.

Zacharse

IT’S ABOUT TIME WE CREATED SOME GOODWILL BETWEEN OURSELVES AND THE SUPER AGENT COMMUNITY.
The deal for soares is cheap, he scored a screamer a year or two ago i can still remember, and shit, we’re keeping some agents happy at a minimal cost.
Mari I do believe will be the first arteta special, we will all be asking ourselves in two years time how we got a player like that for 10m.

Chika

I think we’ve done quite well with the loan signings this window. Remember we still have to make a real push for Europa.

The defensive depth would surely come in handy. I really don’t get the outrage.

Thorough

I’m absolutely aboard the Soares bandwagon. He’s been an ever present in a Portuguese that’s been one of the best in Europe for nigh on 10 years. If he’s as good as I think, and I’ve watched him a good number of times, hell be our starting right back for the next 3 years. Indeed, I think if we can get good good money for Bellerin to invest in other places, we can then use AMN as back up or bring back Osei Tutu depending on how good he’s been on loan.

Words on a Blog

Zacharse,

Don’t be a snowflake like Champagne Charlie and (haha) Un na na! It’s fine to deal with them, but there’s really no need to pander to the “super-agent community.”

The contacts approach and good relationships with super-agents are fine….but only if we actually need the players they’re pushing

Sid

Arsenal to get their 1st win in the epl this year at the weekend. Auba enjoys scoring against burnley

You heard it here 1st!

Henry Root

No matter how many times it is explained people seem to ignore the fact that with our current salary levels we haven’t got scope to spunk £150 m on new players ( with high salaries ) with a decreasing revenue stream. I despair of thick ex-pros who say the answer for Arsenal is to spend £100 m on players and sign a new centre back and central midfielder. We haven’t got the scope to do that and last summer was about re-engineering the finances, a process that will continue this summer. That doesn’t mean I approve of Kroenke as an… Read more »

Zacharse

LOL Pedro
thats me m.o.
colin wilson books all day, football pods all night

Marc

“Arsenal to get their 1st win in the epl this year at the weekend. Auba enjoys scoring against burnley

You heard it here 1st!”

Er not really we did beat ManU on New Years day.

Dissenter

CC
“Again, we paid 2.25 mil for Suarez last Jan. Now it’s 4 mil for Mari and seemingly 1 mil for Cedric”
I think the numbers are closer to 5 million for Soares [inclusive of wages]

Are you not bothered that he is crocked at the moment?

Dissenter

Am I the only one here who loves the way Klopp is sticking the middle finger in the face if the FA?
The FA keeps talking about ‘respect” but has no problem scheduling replays for the period set aside for players resting.

Zacharse

Words
Don’t be a joke, it was a joke

Champagne Charlie

“Are you not bothered that he is crocked at the moment?“

Chambers is crocked, Tierney has been crocked.

Cedric has an injury that he’ll be over in 2 weeks. He’d never be getting a game Sunday vs Burnley, and our next game is Newcastle on the 16th (14 days later).

You think it’s a dealbreaker he can’t feature this Sunday?

Batistuta

Get the feeling though, that almost everyone would be up in arms with this Soares deal if it was a tear ago, just a feeling

MGooner

We are supposed to be in the top ten global club in term of revenue.

How come we are skint?

Manure just bought a chap for 47 million during the winter break. Where do they find the money for these deals?

How come we are so shit at making money.

We also hired a dark horse defender who might turn out to be a chap or a Cygan type. I would not mind the Cygan type as he had some food matches in the champions league. Hopefully that new chap can match our shitty players 😉

James wood

M gooner Leicester and Sheffield Unt splashing out.?

jwl

My link didn’t work properly, it turns out there are a lot of guys go like to wear knight costumes made from Coors light cases.

James wood

Sorry not Leicester .
Sheffield unt

Zacharse

M gooner

Its called FFP. Our wage bill is huge and we aint in the CL

Northbanker

MG

We area top earner but we’re even better at spending by licking average players in to mega contracts

The trail takes years to eliminate and it isn’t just the current crop

That crop wee signed not long after the drop feed out of Bendtner, Denilson and co.

Until we get a better wage structure which really means using more younger players and superstar contracts to superstars only then we will remain in the predicament

All of these contracts assumed Champions League football……….

Northbanker

locking!!

MGooner

Why dont we pay crap players top wages if they qualify us for the CL every year. Bendtner, Chamakh, Denilson, Cyhan, Flamini, Kolo, Diawara, Walcott etc were all crap players. But we were in the top 4 always plus we played beautiful football. We even had Wilshere, the future captain of England on top wages and he played in the CL also for us. Now we are buying crap players on crap wages and we will end up being a crap club…If we are not that already. I think we payed good wages in the past because we did not… Read more »

jwl

That made me laugh, Northbanker. I wondered what you meant by ‘licking’, sounded like Wenger had training method I was unaware of.

Graham62

Dissenter Klopp is merely highlighting what we have all known for a long time. The governing bodies, and I include the money bags Premier League in this, don’t give a shite about the teams/ players/ fans. As long as they can continue lining their pockets, nothing will change. English teams in Europe are at a massive disadvantage compared to other countries because our domestic programme is too demanding. Maybe the FA and PL could also liase on things and arrange to syphon a bit more of their considerable wealth to the lower leagues and grassroots. Klopp is right, something needs… Read more »

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