Free transfer very likely

by .

I’ve penned this opening about 68 times.

Sincere? No

Advisory? Don’t be daft

Funny? Hmm… could age badly

I don’t know where to go with this.

So I’ll just jump in with some bland news. This summer, there’s no money to work with. So when you’re sitting there suggesting we should bring in superstar names like Thomas Partey, you’re off your damn rocker.

To buy, we’re going to have to sell. I think everyone is acutely aware that there’s not a lot of value in our squad. Contract issues, form problems, or players we just don’t want to lose at this stage are all adding up to an awkward window.

I think we’ll have to accept our lot. There will be some big names moving out this summer, and there will likely be an exit we really don’t like. There’s some hope though if we can sell smart.

  • Mikhi – £10m
  • Kola – £20m
  • Auba – £50m
  • Lacazette – £40m
  • Matteo – £40m
  • Xhaka – £35m
  • Hector – £35m (😞)
  • Mustafi – £20m
  • Sokratis – £8m
  • Torreira – £40m
  • AMN – £25m

People scoff at prices and I can’t hear it. We sold Alex Iwobi for £40m. Spurs sold Bentaleb for £19m. There’s a lot of money to be had up there… and Raul’s been doing some extremely questionable deals for his super-agent pals, so I fully expect to be reimbursed with some favours that work for Arsenal this summer.

We’re going to have to build from the ground up. We will have to become Dortmund 2.0. We’re going to have to rely on great coaching, unbelievable scouting, and an absolute change of tune when it comes to how our football operatives play the game.

We also have to hope that we’re not going to become a super-agent dumping ground again. One player I hear is almost a dead cert to join us is Willian. The 31-year-old Brazilian’s wife said she wants to stay in London and guess who that suits? Kia J. This is who we are right now and I really don’t like it. The only thing that stops this being a sleepless nights issue is his Arsenal fandom.

Willian is a great player, but Arsenal is a club under huge financial strain and we’re adding more players into the mixer that aren’t in the right age bracket for a business model that absolutely demands we find undervalued gems and flog them for huge amounts of money. We’ve spent 5 years trying and failing with more experienced players that are on the decline. I just don’t see how this sort of move represents a leap forward in thinking, outside keeping Kia happy.

Still, we’re also being linked to 19-year-old Orkun Kokcu. The Turkish creator is talked about as a Mesut Ozil successor. He has more energy than our German, he’s strong, likes to shoot and he’s an athlete. Exactly the sort of talent you hope we’re going to be interested in this window.

You bring in 5 players of his ilk, 3 of them make it, you sell one in 3 seasons time and have your Coutinho moment. What would Willian cost? £200k a week? That’s 4 young players with 2 seasons under their belt. I feel like we keep making the same mistakes over and over with senior players… but what can we do?

Stay safe, be good to your Roomba, treat your pets nicely, and don’t do anything stupid if you’re over 30… like get a TikTok account and start posting because you’re just ‘soooo zany.’ It’s embarrassing. That’s for the kids, not you. Put it away.

See you in the comments where we’ll keep it very much about football again. xx

169 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Michael Ford

champs?

Tom

Covid19 got everyone ?

Wasi

.

Wasi

Tro4hy

Gooner in Virginia

You don’t think this whole coronavirus and economic down turn won’t cause a liquidity crunch or bring the transfer market down a little?

Marc

Pedro I think the Willian rumours are his agent trying to drum up interest – his main position is RW, we’re going to bench Pepe for him? Just doesn’t sound right to me at the moment. As for other transfers whether sales or purchases I can’t see anything happening until we have a clearer idea of when football will restart. If the TV company’s withhold money no one in the PL (bar City if the owner ignores FFP etc) will have a pot to piss in. I know it’s not what you want to hear and I appreciate how difficult… Read more »

Mark S

Why did I wait so long??? I could have been Top 4!

Northbanker

Pedro – totally agree – Willian not right for us. We need to find bargain 18 year olds and emerging talents at 22 / 23 (like i hope Tierney will prove to be). Sell off the crud – agree with the list except Bellerin. We have no top quality RB there to replace and I’s sure that isn’t Soares. Selling AMN does make sense.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Grim summer ahead.

Jamie

We didn’t sell Iwobi for £40m. No idea why this keeps getting repeated.

Northbanker

Think its vital we sell Auba btw – re-signing will not be in our interests. It will cripple us financially and we need to spend half the fee on a new emerging talent and nurture Martinelli.

Northbanker

Jamie – that was widely reported at the time. How come you know different?

Andrew Jones

I think market prices all over will be down, maybe Auba maybe Laca get close to those but I’m curious to see how much clubs will have to pay back effecting how much we have to spend

Wasi

North

The fee is between 28-35 mil according to the better sources.

Marc

Northbanker

If we can get £35 million for Bellerin why can’t we sell, replace him for £15 million or so and put the money towards other positions?

CG

PedRo ( fine post, with a little exclusive- many thanks) “”””There’s some hope though if we can sell smart.”””” And who are the buyers? Italian clubs? Spanish clubs? English clubs? The transfer market is over. Get real. You wont be able to give all of the above away for tuppenace. Clubs will want to slash the wage bill not to add to it. You think what with the economic repercussions the world is facing post Corona- supporters will stomach players earning the salaries they have before? As for the signing of Willian- no surprise to me whatsoever. The Edu and… Read more »

Wasi

Big post incoming. 😬

Marc

The Iwobi fee also included add ons that were quoted as part of the fee.

Sid

The pace of the game in the korcu youtube is like xhakalson on jack daniels

David Smith

Would imagine Spurs may also be interested in Willian , Jose might be inclined to pay him more than we can, if Levy let’s him that is

CG

Wasi

“”””Big post incoming. 😬””””

Go on Wasi- give it some welly!

Sid

Arsenal need readier midfielders around 23-25

CG

Walt “””If we can get £35 million for Bellerin””” And if we can get a vaccine for Corona next month…..if ,if if ….how about join the real world? Bellerin , the poor blighter who can just about run – is now going to be sold for £35 million??? Who are these clubs Walt? And why do they want a fullback that cant run like he used to? (And it’s not just you.) PedRo “””Genduzi for £40 million?”” Who? Why? Would anyone buy this show pony.? He dont score,he dont assist and is a drama Queen….but some club are going to… Read more »

Freddie Ljungberg

“Raul’s been doing some extremely questionable deals for his super-agent pals” smh So selling all of our midfield then and only leaving ESR and Willock as backups? Not sure that’s a great plan tbh, would keep Guen and Torreira as well. Also doubt we’re going to raise 320m in one window. Kokcu doesn’t look that special, if we’re going young at Cam I would rather we went for Szoboszlai or Jonathan David. A little more realistic but still a pretty big squad turnover if it was up to me with a limited budget Out Xhaka 25m Auba 40m Laca 35m… Read more »

Guns of SF

Pedro your list is overinflated for some players

Uwot?

Like your thoughts,line ups & valuations.agree about kok.go all out for Grealish as the marquee signing.but is it all dependent on getting rid of the garbage first?of course the rumoug is we’ve agreed deals already with two top players?

Marc

CG

If you want to have a conversation we me then refer to me by my name.

Personally I think with what’s going on at the moment some good old football chat is a good thing, it’s also basic manners.

Let me know if you want to have a conversation.

James wood

Well spoken Rhys Jagger.

On another note who is going to buy our refuse.
Clubs will be severely battoning down the hatches
after severe cuts to revenue over this virus.?

HackneyGooner

there WAS a lot of money out there…

Words on a Blog

Pedro,

Normally I wouldn’t disagree at all with your line and estimates on our players’ valuations.

But I wonder whether player valuations for ALL players will come down quite a bit at the end of this season (whenever that is) what with the inevitable drop in revenues. I suppose that affects outgoings as well as incomings….

James wood

Echo.

HillWood

BBC showing Arsenal v Watford 1987 FA cup 6th round

kristoman

jagger bravo, excellent comment. You couldn’t be more correct. Thanks showing yourself up
THE MOST STUPID IDIOT

HillWood

Great to see Highbury before it became all seating

James wood

Hill Wood

George Graham as dignified as ever.
And proper men’s shorts.😳

TR7

627 deaths yesterday and 793 deaths today in Italy. Absolutely scary situation.

Jamie

Northbanker-

I know different because £40m wasn’t ‘widely reported’:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49282957

£28m rising to £34 with add-ons.

You’re welcome.

Emiratesstroller

The NHS has struck a deal with Private Hospitals providing 8,000 additional beds and 26,000 staff plus 1,800 ventilators.

On a separate issue one of my neighbours and his family have contracted coronavirus albeit in mild form. His house is on opposite side of road from mine!!

Ishola70

TR7
“627 deaths yesterday and 793 deaths today in Italy. Absolutely scary situation.”

The Champions League tie between Atalanta and Valencia on the 19 February cited by Italian reports was the absolute detonator for the disaster in this Italian region.

andy1886

Swiss Super League side FC Sion have sacked nine players who reportedly refused to sign an agreement for a wage cut during the coronavirus crisis.

Former Arsenal players Alex Song and Johan Djourou and ex-Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami are among those confirmed as being dismissed by the club.

Even the PL will not be immune, getting rid of anyone on a contract (let alone Ozil) will be very very difficult. Few players will take a wage cut and even fewer clubs will be willing to match their current deals.

Ishola70

And detonated it in Spain.

CG

PedRo “”””All I’m trying to point out is there’s liquidity in the squad…..”””””” But who are the buying clubs? If Arsenal are looking for free transfers- then surely 95% of other clubs will be doing likewise. The other 5% of clubs ( who might have some money to spend)….will have far better options than those plodders you have listed. And if Willian is available on a free transfer. How comes our ,for example Mikki is worth £10 million by your valuations? I would say they are exactly the same type of player…..and if we already have Mikki on the staff… Read more »

Habesha Gooner

pedro that list is insanely inflated. Mustafi, Sokratis and Mhki are all entering their final years. Here are my estimated prices Mustafi 10 mil Miki 10 mil Sokratis 5-8 mil Kolasinac 15 mil Laca and auba’s prices are fair Xhaka 25 mil( he isn’t going to be sold, Big mistake I think Arteta will make) Elneny will get us 12 mil For a total sells of 127 mil by keeping Laca and selling Auba. I wouldn’t sell Guendouzi, Torriera and Bellerin. They are still integral to our team. Posted this before but I will do so again Players to target… Read more »

alex cutter

“I would Ideally and realistically have Mari, Kurzawa, Pape Gueye, Fabian Ruiz, Jack Grealish and Felipe Anderson for a total cost of 150 mil.”

https://youtu.be/e5XKOlOC57o?t=66

Pierre

CG
“The transfer market is over. Get real.You wont be able to give all of the above away for tuppenace.”

Its swings and roundabouts.
No different if you was selling and buying a house during a property slump.

It’s all about buying smart.

Ishola70

TR7
“627 deaths yesterday and 793 deaths today in Italy. Absolutely scary situation.”

“The mayor of the most badly affected city, Bergamo in the affluent northern region of Lombardy, said the true number of fatalities from the pandemic in his area was four times higher than was officially reported so far.

“Many of the elderly are dying in their houses or in old people’s homes, without anyone testing them either before or after they die,” Giorgio Gori told the Huffington Post.”

CG

Pierre “”””””No different if you was selling and buying a house during a property slump”””””” This is not just an ordinary slump. How we wish it was. This is the world in complete lock down. Society will not be the same as before…..let alone sport. Priorities will have changed. Supporters will not tolerate the obscene fees and wages any more. They had started to change pre- Corona anyway. What with VAR, the bloody agents, silly kick-off times, exorbitant ticket prices, indifferent owners, spoilt and entitled fans and now Corona- clubs -lots of them will end going to the wall or… Read more »

Words on a Blog

Pedro, Sure it’s the same for everyone, but if (presumably like Arsenal) a club is looking to be a net seller of players than it’s obviously better to be selling into a frothy market. An interruption until June 1st shouldn’t be too financially taxing for the Premier League. Hopefully other European leagues will be back on or around the same timeframe. Still some of the froth will be taken out of the transfer market, and Arsenal (Raul and co) may well opt to defer selling a few players – in particular Mikki comes to mind as I expect the financial… Read more »

Marc

Pedro

That’s the big question though will the current TV company’s look to pull back some money.

I had an email from Sky on Thursday offering me the option of a pause on my Sport’s subscription with no penalties. There’s no bottomless well in this.

I also think it would be pretty piss poor for the PL to just drop Sky at the next round of negotiations after the influence Sky has had on the PL for the best part of 30 years.

Marc

Pedro

“Premier League planning to get back into it on June 1st.”

I presume that’s matches behind closed doors?

That’s also after the usual season ticket renewal date – the mess from this is going to take a lot of cleaning up.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Inter in for Auba…

If I have one thing to say , it’s dont sell to Italians they never pay money.. only want loans etc…

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Marc

June 1st won’t happen

Also aint that the day season ticket renewals are in…
How can you pay for next when this year ain’t done.

Marc

RSPC

No one’s going to accept a loan deal for a player in the last year of their contract unless it’s a player with either zero value and high wages or a player who will contribute nothing to the team.

What would even a £20 million loan fee with wages paid really be worth to us if we’ve got to replace 20 PL goals a season?

Emiratesstroller

Pedro

I would remind you that season tickets at Arsenal are normally renewable by
end of May.

Also the Arsenal financial year ends on 31st May.

If the club insists on season ticket holders paying by that date I think there will be a lot of cancellations including probably me.

No-one is going to make a financial commitment until there is clarity on
outcome of this virus.

Many scientists believe that this epidemic might last at least 12 months.

Marc

RSPC “Also aint that the day season ticket renewals are in… How can you pay for next when this year ain’t done.” It’s not only that it’s I’m paying out anywhere from £1,000 to £2,500 for something that I’ve got no idea when I’m going to get the goods. The clubs are also going to have to offer a refund / discount if matches are played behind closed doors. Currently Arsenal owe the ST holders a refund on 2 cup credits, we have 4 PL home matches remaining so that’s got to be an average of £300 or so for… Read more »

Marc

Emirates

The club would be insane to try that – lot’s of people worried about paying the mortgage and a club leaning on them to pay up front for something that might not happen for months and months.

They’d see a crash in ST renewals.

WengerEagle

Strange how China have all but ground the pandemic to a screeching halt with cities virtually going back to normal only a couple of mere months after being the epicentre of the outbreak and Italy with largely the same measures being put into place are breaking their daily death toll count day after day now, virtually doubling it in less than a week. People keep mentioning Italy being a very old population but so are Germany and Spain with the UK and France not being far behind. And their healthcare system is supposedly one of the best, so what gives?… Read more »

Emiratesstroller

Marc I think that a lot of clubs will be in serious financial trouble in current situation. It is by no means certain that Arsenal’s sponsors will meet their current commitments. We know that both Emirates and Adidas are strong companies, but these are exceptional times. Also it would not surprise me that there are clauses written into Adidas sponsorship should Arsenal fail to perform i.e. qualify for Europe. I seem to recall that such a clause existed in Arsenal’s previous sponsorship deal. Kroenke may well have to pump money into the club to keep it afloat. That is something… Read more »

WengerEagle

That June 1st re-start date is just an arbitrary one plucked from thin air, nobody has a clue how this thing will pan out is the reality of the situation. It could go on for half a year plus or we could all be back in the pub by May, more than likely it will be a long old wait for football to kick off again sadly.

Marc

Emirates

The answer to all of this is quite simply “how long” before things begin to settle and move back to normal.

Unfortunately it’s a question we just don’t know the answer to at the moment.

Marc

WE

I think the PL are trying to drip feed info to keep people onside (excuse the pun!). If we’re supposed to be following social distancing rules how can we even have behind closed doors matches?

WengerEagle

The elite clubs should be ok but we’re already starting to see the effects this crisis is having on lower league clubs, Sion releasing half of the team, Hearts in the SPL threatening to, a hoard of Championship clubs will surely follow suit given the ridiculous wages many of their players are on in 2020, borderline PL wage packets.

Spanishdave

Wenger Eagle
Spain and Italy are very heavy smokers, mostly the men.
Also during the Franco years the Spanish were very undernourished.
Before this outbreak both countries had a very high proportion of old and frail population.
Italy and Spain have not implemented the EU standards for air quality so cities are of very poor atmosphere.

WengerEagle

Marc Yeah being realistic even behind closed doors matches will be hard to execute given the spread of this thing. Only takes one player as seen in the NBA with Gobert’s diagnosis shutting down the entire league. Plus i would have thought that clubs would want to avoid behind closed doors at all costs to avoid loss of revenue from matchdays. Serie A waited until it was absolutely last resort with the Juventus-Inter title match. Will be interesting to see what they do regarding finishing the season/starting the new one. Anything but playing out the last 10 odd fixtures in… Read more »

CG

ES

“””Kroenke may well have to pump money into the club to keep it afloat.”””””

His pumping and priorities will be on rescuing his US enterprises.

Seeing Arsenal go into financial meltdown will be the least of his current worries.

But never mind – if things do get as bad as they surely will for all clubs- at least we have the expertise of Vinny, Raul, Edu and Hussey to save the day.

That should give some reassurance to all Arsenal supporters during these unprecedented times.

James wood

Seriously overeating the value of the players that need to leave.
The only serious money is Auba.

James wood

Overeating and overating😳

Freddie Ljungberg

CG is worse than Corona, there, I said it.

WengerEagle

SD

Interesting, apparently Iran have a huge population of smokers too which would go some way to explain why they’re struggling so much with it as well.

The Lombardy region is among Italy’s wealthiest, also oldest though. And vast majority of deaths seem to range in the 80+ year old age group.

Pretty horrific to see a generation getting slowly wiped out and being told that they’ll be the last to receive treatment, if at all. Terrible but understandable situation that the health systems of these countries find themselves in, scary.

WengerEagle

That 4-4 at Newcastle was doing the rounds there today, the palpable embarrassment all too familiar came crashing back.

Players really did reserve the bangers of their entire career against us over the years between Neil Mellor, Danny Rose, Cheik Tiote, Rooney as a 16 year old, John O’Shea finishing like prime Raul…

Marc

WE

I did hear a stat the other day that said Northern Italy has more Chinese tourists than anywhere else in Europe, Italy also has the 2nd oldest population in the world behind Japan.

In a few years there will be a huge amount of analysis into this – my guess is it’ll be a combination of small things that add up to a big deal.

Marc

Pedro

” or 35m for a player we paid 35m for 5 years ago.”

Yeah but the player was only worth £2.17 plus a packet of fruit pastels when we bought him. Even with inflation £35 million is a long shot.

WengerEagle

I really do hope that we choose to sell Lacazette in the summer while he’s still going to fetch decent money [30-40m] and have Aubameyang lead the line next year while grooming Martinelli as the next number 9. Invest the Lacazette fee into rebuilding the midfield, enough of this lopsided mess up top shoehorning Auba and Laca into a front 3. At the end of the day you keep the guy that averages 2 goals every 3 matches over the guy that doesn’t even guarantee you a goal every 2 games, more like 1 every 2.5 games. One in Three… Read more »

James wood

Pedro bad times to be selling players.????

Marc

Pedro

Well it was £21 million not £25 million and if that’s finding form he’s still distinctly average.

James wood

Football and life in general is going to take a time to recover from this
situation.
Rugby clubs and the lower leagues Football will find themselves first and bigger clubs will follow.
West End shows will close down
Smaller pub chains will shut for good.
Dire times to even think positive.
Sorry but that’s how I feel at the moment

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Marc maybe I didn’t make myself clear enough about Italian clubs

They won’t want to loan Auba they will ge5 on cheap…
They don’t spend big money with English cliubs…

They will pay 35m top wack

Avoid business with them.

Marc

James

It’s not good and of course the longer it goes on the more damage will be done but I genuinely believe that when you look at the amount of money governments around the world are pumping into economies and the fact that this isn’t a systemic failure in the economy but a “black swan” event I think things will rebound strongly.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Es

Kronor in my opinion will pump into the club…

I think he may look to sell..

We know he is not skint but yank football clubs and us if no games by September…

Marc

RSPC

If that much – Auba might find himself thinking Arsenal’s offer is the most attractive.

Marc

Un

Apparently they also tend to love together as larger family groups – no personal experience of that but as you say it’s a cultural thing.

Mark S

Meant to post this earlier today, however I didn’t have the time. I see a lot of similarities between Arsenal and the Minnesota Vikings. I am a fan of both, and a season ticket holder for the Vikings. The Vikings are in the midst of a big rebuild as well right now. They were up against the NFL salary cap, think no transfer funds available this summer, and they have had to make some big changes this offseason to their team. They’ve released some of their big name players, and they traded one of their best assets for draft picks… Read more »

Marc

Un

I think we need to get Pedro to start some “themed” days on here. Movie and box set recommendations, good books to read etc just some stuff to help pass the time if people are cooped up.

I would suggest some favourite recipe ideas but the bloody shops are empty!

James wood

Marc 21.51.
I hope you are right Marc but feel the damage to smaller
business is already done.

James wood

Bread pudding ah bread pudding and custard ah.
I feel better already.🥃

WengerEagle

Second that Marc, good shout re theme days!

Top of the evening to you Unn. Never been a big Damon fan but did love him in The Departed.

Marc

Un

I don’t do deserts – didn’t have a sweet tooth even as a kid. Now you want to talk main course I’m all over it – I’m getting a serious urge for a Coq au Vin – it’s piss easy to do, tastes great and the best way to make it is to make loads as it’s better the 2nd day.

Marc

WE

Have you seen The Good Shepherd? It’s a slow burner but a bloody good film all the same.

James wood

Un this is bread pudding an old recipe using stale bread / suet/ sultanas /raisins
Peel.
But I will take the bread and butter pudding especially made with the Brioche bread.

Marc

Un

I’ve always liked the story about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck re Good Will Hunting. Some of the women bitching about gender bias in Hollywood should take a leaf.

Marc

Un

You’d hope that the two don’t combine in the same relationship!

Marc

Un

Yeah they didn’t think there were enough good roles out there so wrote the film – fucking good on them.

Nothing stopping all these amazingly talented women doing exactly the same.

WengerEagle

Marc

No, I’ll have to check it out. Just had a glance at the cast and it includes De Niro, Pesci, Alec Baldwin who are three of the very best in the game.

Been meaning to check out The Irishman too. Part of me doesn’t want to watch it because it’s peak Goodfellas cast 30 years on and I’m worried it’ll be depressing but heard it’s pretty great so I’ll watch at some point.

Marc

WE

It’s a really good film, it’s a long one at almost 3 hours but worth doing. Tells the story of a guy joining the OSS in WW2, it’s turning into the CIA up to the Bay of Pigs.