Bartering season is HUGE opp – don’t blow it on super-agents

by .

Well good morning to yah! Feels maybe a little too early to dive into FA Cup stuff, we’re still dealing with the dusty remnants of the Premier League season.

I think universally, there is a deep worry that Raul and Edu are going to do exactly what they did in January and dial-up their best pals Kia and Canales and let them handle the summer.

What is happening right now in the press is a reflection of that… or, it’s posturing from said agents to try and get their clients a move or a new deal.

We were linked to Kurzawa in January. I’ve suspect Kia used his faux ‘I’m actually on the board at Arsenal’ business card to secure a new deal for his full-back. That’s part of the grey world he’s creating for himself, his not so subtle powerplay that he can use speculation around Arsenal because it’s clear it ‘could’ be true.

Yesterday, the morning started off by saying Willian was going to sign for Chelsea. By the evening Fabrizio and Steinberg had said he was leaning on Arsenal because we’d give him a 3-year deal. Smoke? I had been told this deal was as good as done before the covid outbreak. So I would say there is a high probability Raul is once again plotting to pull Arsenal back into the top 4 by dishing out a longterm deal to someone that will have no resale value after 3 years, and someone that’ll likely want a huge pay rise to join. These sorts of deals are bad for Arsenal football club and they keep us on the same track that has given us little resale value in our squad and drained the coffers of wages.

£180k a week, which is what I’d imagine he’ll command at a minimum, could be spent on 4 top youngsters from Europe, one of which might bring us in Matteo like revenue. Why oh why would you invest in Kia again, when the business sense is in rectifying the huge problem we’ve got with bloated wage bills and players who don’t want to leave. If we had an actual CEO, they’d scrutinise this deal, the value, and our historical track record of getting shafted everytime we make these signings (Cech, Gallas, Silvestre, Yossi), and veto it. Raul should be told to come back with something a little more creative and he should be told that it is looking very odd that he keeps going back to the Technical Directors agent for deals.

Here is why Willian would be bad business:

Mustafi didn’t want to leave last summer, now he won’t this window because he has an injury, but last season, it was rumoured he liked his deal.

David Luiz was brought in on a front weighted deal that worked out to about £200k a week.

Sokratis has leaked to the press he doesn’t want to leave he wants to stay and fight for his place in the first team. He knows there’s no chance of that, but he likes his huge contract that no one else will give him.

We rinse and repeat these horrible deals then blame Stan Kroenke for not spending enough money. Here’s the thing, Chelsea are a very clever club, if they don’t have a 3 year deal on the table, you have to ask yourself, why?

Expense > Deprectiating talent > Better value in youth

Don’t even get me started on a £27m loan deal for Coutinho who commands £250k a week. Sure, he’s an exciting player, but how are we in a position to chop everyone’s salary by 10%, but then take on a player with a hugely inflated deal who has tanked at Barcelona? He is literally called out as one of the worst deals in history in Spain and they’ve made quite a few shocking errors of late.

The only person that should be getting the big money this summer is Auba and even there it is a risk if you wanted to be truly forward-facing.

Thomas Partey is rumoured to be on the table still, we’re apparently trying to swap a player with them, some saying LT. Brilliant move. A player we can all agree on, for starters, he’s actually on the up. We need a 6. He’s athletic, he’s technical, he’s played in a Simeone press so he’ll be driven and outrageously tuned for discipline. That would be a monumental move for Arsenal.

… but it doesn’t matter if you then go out and bring in a whole crop of souring older players in his backdraft.

A proper club would address the issues and reset a transfer strategy that has us in 8th. We know the core problems at Arsenal are centred around creativity and athleticism. Our scouts and analysts should be compiling lists of players that fit the criteria. We have sharp scouts and elite analysts, they are good, they just need to be activated. You’ll have the obvious names at the higher end of our budget, but the data crunchers should be identifying different tiers of risk. Players that have the attributes, but need a bit of coaching. Players crushing it in lower leagues that might need longer to adapt. Players that have outrageous talent but are bench-warming under a new manager that doesn’t like that (PV04 > Milan).

We don’t need to spend this summer forking out for expensive loans. We should be exiting players we know we don’t want, drastically lowering our wage bill so we are a leaner business, and we should be starting the process of bringing in young talent of varying experience we can coach and kickstart our selling process. The culture reset needs to be harsh because the rot is so deep. The talent reset needs to look different to the last 5 summers.

Mikel Arteta has to be a strong voice in these conversations. Raul likely railroads Edu, because I can’t believe the Brazilian arrived here with the same taste in players as Canales, Kia and that other hanger-on. If he doesn’t speak up, he’ll become Emery MKII, bemoaning a Pepe signing because he didn’t have the gravitas to force a move for Zaha. We missed out on 3rd this year by 10 points. I am sure if Mikel had been in at the start of the season, we’d have been more competitive. Those were an easy 10 points to make up. However, it won’t be like that next season. We will need mid-70s to compete. That means we have to make up 20 points in the league.

Spurs will invest in an already good squad.

Chelsea have added 3 absolutely top class players already.

United don’t have a great manager, but they throw huge piles of cash at him, there’s simply no way Jadon doesn’t progress that side up the table

City are about to drop £300m

Liverpool might not spend wildly, but adding Alcantara makes them better, and they are the smartest team in world football. They won’t miss.

Leicester will build. Everton will build. Wolves will build.

Blowing our money on more loans, more average free transfers, and names that don’t come from the on-staff talent reccos will see us swim around in average. I don’t want to battle for 5th again. That is not Arsenal level.

We have options this summer.

  • Torreira – 30m
  • Guen – 40m
  • Lacazette – 40m
  • Hector – 30m
  • AMN – 30m
  • Auba – 50m (if his dad is to be believed)
  • Holding 15m
  • Sokratis 5m
  • Kola 10m
  • Xhaka 30m
  • Reiss 20m

I’m not saying all those players should go, or that the values are bang on, but I am saying they are bartering chips in a market that is looking for security (players will leave to get a longer deal, because who know what happens with covid in round two). Someone raised the point that a lot of the players won’t want to leave the UK. We have more money and it’s easier to stay put in a world of pandemic. So there could be a lot of swapping locally. I think if the Arthur deal showed anything, clubs are willing to put cash on the books to help their balance sheets, so we know a big name like Lacazette is going to be appealing.

However you cut it, there are ways to bring in players… the swap mechanic is going to make this a once in a lifetime chance to get players off the book, and take players from financially stressed clubs, of which there are a lot.

So let’s not blow it with another year of Barca-lite bollocks that we know won’t move us forward.

Interestingly, stories are popping out about Arteta bringing in new coaches this summer. I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but I think there will be a big shake-up in Arsenal’s backroom. I think you’ll see a lot of staff leave as the club continues to trim and reshape for a much, much leaner year where we’ll likely be 10% down on stadium revenue.

That’s why it is inconceivable that on the one hand we can ask players and staff to take a hit financially, but on the other, gift out huge fees to agents that offer us absolutely fuck all value.

Right, see you in the comments.

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Nelson

Top 6

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Nelson

I got you DM….

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Nice one Nelson, about to go pick up my daughter so didn’t have time to wait around and see!

The Godfather

“ We rinse and repeat these horrible deals then blame Stan Kroenke for not spending enough money. ” @Pedro: I’m so happy you are saying this. I’ve been on this same message for the past five years but Arsenal fans don’t want to see past their noses. It’s not Kroenke but the fools misusing the funds!!! In what world would Pepe be worth £70 mill plus? That’s blood grand larceny in plain sight! Someone should be fired for that! Ozil at 350 k per week when no decent club in Europe would go near him with six months left on… Read more »

The Godfather

It’s amazing how much mileage we got out of great deals with

Santi
Alexis
Monreal

And then blew it by overpaying for average dross like
Ozil
Haka
Lacazette
Mustafi
Pepe
Cech
Luiz

Just bloody foolish

The Godfather

If Emery had insisted and been given the money spent on Luiz and Pepe and bought Upemecano and Partey he would still be in a job and we’d be looking at a team for next season with

Tierney
Upamecano
Saliba
Bellerin

With Partey patrolling the middle.

That’s a spine worth building a title contender on with two solid goalies in Leno and Martinez …. ahhh whatever

Ishola70

If we brought in a real bona fide no.9 who can score his share of goals plus be good at hold up play and bringing others into play in place of Lacazette this team could improve very much. The bonafide no9 would be beneficial to the team in both contributing some goals and overall team play and we would still have Auba doing his thing coming in from the left. And this would in turn see the team being less reliant on one player to score the goals. Unfortunately I think Lacazette is quite happy at Arsenal and will not… Read more »

Ishola70

Auba is good now in the scoring stakes from the left.

He could be even better for the team with a foil playing central for him. A genuine no.9 to assist him.

Nelson

I fully agree that our board makes a lot of mistakes. I believe that Arteta will have his say this time. He said that he has a direct line to KSE and they would be very careful not to make mistake. Let’s see what happens first in this TW. If we are again buying wingers and ignoring the CM requirement, then Arteta should also be responsible.

Marc

Pedro

Just say no to drugs!

Champagne Charlie

Maybe the club sees Willian as a good bridge for the gap between Saka, Martinelli, Nelson, and maybe Joelson becoming more mature options for us? You’re pushing real hard with the super agent thing, Arsenal quite clearly need some talent that can be applied next season. Project Dortmund isn’t as straightforward when there’s 5 other mega rich clubs chomping for 4 places. Thomas Partey is brilliant and on the up…at 27 Meanwhile Coutinho is washed up Barca flop….at 28 Kia is having a real influence alright, seems to be in the stance you take towards a deal. Not looking too… Read more »

Ishola70

Auba’s strength is is running off defenders and receiving.

He would have a lot of fun running off an Arsenal no.9.

Marko

At the risk of a ban (yet again on the subject) we will not be able to “barter” for good talent this summer without a so called super agent being involved. Swap deals are notoriously difficult. But again not to worry lads the super agents aren’t taking over Arsenal anytime soon we’ve only dealt with Kia on one deal and I for one wouldn’t turn my nose up at him helping us secure Coutinho this summer or a young talent from Portugal compared to a young Cristiano Ronaldo. Just me though

Marko

I’m not gonna argue pointlessly with you for the entire day Ishola it’s stupid. You’re dim if you don’t think one of the most prolific strikers in European football the last number of years (from CF) can’t play centrally because he doesn’t meet your criteria for “bonafide”. It’s beyond dumb. That’s 209 goals the last 7 seasons. If a winger was doing that I swear

The backpass

Cc “Why obviously? Our ills have been more a result of midfield imo, so ima asking in isolation how the two front three’s compare. Consider both with an upgraded midfield” We hardly create chances, getting a CAM is all well and good, but being able to hold the ball and create chances from our wingers would improve us. Adding option 1 with a CAM would improve us, but it would be lopsidded because of Lacazette who would always drop deep and Auba being a shit dribbler gives us nothing but goals on the wing. Option 2 with a CAM simply… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Can only see Guendouzi, Laca, and Torreira being swapped outside the PL.

Think we should be heavy on loaning young talent to teams like Palace/Norwich for players of interest like Buendia and Zaha. Cannot be aiming for a revolution next season with a bunch of players that have adjustment issues to make coming into the league.

Willian, Zaha, Buendia, Grealish, Ake, Aarons, Deulofeu have a lot going for them on the acclimatisation front. Not to be sniffed at.

The backpass

“The opposition know that if they double up on Pepe we’ve fuck all creative outlet
Get a grealish and a depay in that team with Aubameyang in the box and you give the entire defence a lot of decisions to make over who they double up on. It creates space for everyone elseHaving one dangerous creator allows the opposition to focus on cutting his supply lines and nullifies us as an attacking side
Too predictable”

My point exactly.

Radio Raheem

Pedro I agree with most of your post. Well said. I’ll be reluctant to rule out (super) agents completely. They can also be useful we just need to use them to suit our ends and in combination with data analysis. What you describe is part of what I was saying about how the Premier league is inefficient. Too much easy money no one wants to graft. Last time we played Villa I was shocked to see Reyna was in goal. I mean is Reyna the best possible goalie Villa could get with the wages offered? In their top 20 goalies… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Backpass

What’s your idea of a good summer with all the noises thus far?

Up 4 grabs now

Why not put pepe up top with auba on the left.
He’s slightly taller than lacazette and with him running inside the box with his twisting and turning should draw a lot of fouls for penalties.

I’d rather try him than carry on with laca who looks more intrested in getting caught up in arguements with the opposition.

Ishola70

It’s not that be can’t play centrally Marko.

It’s only that he doesn’t provide an all round game centrally.

I’ve said to you before it’s all well and good lauding the amount of goals Auba gets but if this team could get in a striker that does have more of an overall game centrally plus Auba this team as a whole can improve and be less reliant on one player to score the goals for the team.

Marko

Not looking too balanced there when it comes to Kia players. Super agents are murky, but they’re also valuable when applied correctly. Pretty much how I feel. They generally have a stable of talent that we should be looking at signing so to completely dismiss them is a bit weird to me. Like I said previously if Wenger wasn’t so against working with them we would have had better players over the years and been more successful for sure. Had we been more connected with someone like Jorge Mendes who knows right now we could have Neves and Jota and… Read more »

Marko

It’s not that be can’t play centrally Marko.It’s only that he doesn’t provide an all round game centrally.

Goal posts moving. Just stop

Ishola70

Willian is still a good to decent performer but it’s not good for the image of the club to keep on acquiring players that are nearing the end of their careers from other big sides.

It gives the impression of taking the left overs.

Habesha Gooner

A good Summer with money restrictions and due to artetas wishes would Be Ceballos on loan,Buendia, Partey, Benahrma, Disasi (or Sarr on a free if there’s no money left(. Sell Lacazette, Mustafi, Sokratis, Guendouzi (still think it’s a mistake), Niles, Holding.

Ishola70

And if you keep taking the left overs from clubs don’t be surprised if you finish below them in the league table.

The backpass

CX

“BackpassWhat’s your idea of a good summer with all the noises thus far?”

Willian, Szbozolai, Partey, ceballos on loan with Obligation to buy (£22-25 million), Gabriel Magalhaes.

I would be okay with that due to where we are financially.

But, I’d prefer Benhrama (Depay), Grealish, Partey and Gabriel Magalhaes.

NEEG

Stuttgart will take Papa Sok off our hands – for FREE.

Marko

Cannot be aiming for a revolution next season with a bunch of players that have adjustment issues to make coming into the league. Can’t be waiving another season now Charles come on. We need quality additions who the fuck cares about adjustments and premier league experience. It didn’t count for much for those relegated players mentioned. Besides there’s just as many examples of players adjusting alright as there is of players not. Can’t talk up having a plan and a vision for Arsenal and then add in a rigid requirement like must have premier league experience or need little time… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Ishola

What, like spending 18 mil on Giroud at 31?

I couldn’t give two shits about “impressions”, it’s about whether the player in question enhances your chances of whatever your goals are.

How many Chelsea fans are crying about the Giroud deal after he’s banged them top 4?

Same number of Arsenal fans that would moan if Willian came here and bossed it.

Sid

Vardy, Thierry are not great at hold up play, all you need is a midfield that can create and retain the ball
Nightmares are made of Giroud as CF with our current midfield

Champagne Charlie

Marko

Nothing rigid about it, just something to be mindful of when recruiting. I know you go hard for Pepe, but in the same breath people are urged refrain from criticism because of his adjustment to English football correct? Well 5 of those next season AND having top 4 aims a lot.

Partey is elite, no worries. But I see value in Coutinho, Zaha, Willian, Buendia et al because of their prem experience and their ability. It’s not a matter of prem experience trumping quality, don’t conflate it.

Marko

Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for Rob Holding, Sokratis and Mustafi. They want to bring in another central defender. [@David_Ornstein]

Thank fuck for that. Another CB incoming

Ishola70

The Giroud and Willian situations are slightly different Charlie.

You know as everyone does that Chelsea signed Giroud as a squad player. That he turned out useful for them in the second period of the season doesn’t mean that the initial idea of him being a squad player purchase diminishes.

On the other hand Willian for Arsenal would be a first team signing no doubt.

There is a difference in picking up players as squad rotation players from clubs rather than picking their left overs as first team picks.

Batistuta

Would be stupid again to pick up another oldie from Chelsea, it’s like we never learn.

I’d only sniff at Pasalic who’s on loan at Atlanta if i were taking anyone from the blues. Stop taking other teams rejects.

We’ve paid dearly for Cech and Luiz and now we’re looking to take another of their oldies who’ll obviously not come cheap, it’s stupid, utterly pointless too

Radio Raheem

One injury probe, one old and shit and the last one is injured. The buyers will be queueing up I’m sure 😂😂

Sid

Elneny, mikhi, holding, mustafinovs, Xhakalson, Sok, Ozil,Kola, Soares, Bell each at 1m

Plus Laca for 35m,
Makes 45m for Partey

Im telling you for free!

Champagne Charlie

Ishola

Did they fuck, they had Higuain on loan stinking out the place. And again it’s not a matter of intention, it’s a matter of usefulness to the cause.

If Arsenal see Willian as a starter and he delivers a high level what is your actual gripe here?

Are you saying he’s not good enough to do that? Or you’re just perpetuating this wank ‘impressions’ argument or getting hurt by rival fans shouting cast offs for the bantz?

Batistuta

If we’re looking to offload Mustafi and he’ll likely want to stay in London, we could do some kind of deal with Crystal Palace for Zaha, surely he’ll be an upgrade for them compared to Cahill and Dann and Sakho.

Champagne Charlie

Palace are desperate for a defender apparently, would be all over sending them Holding for Zaha.

Marko

Charles it is a bit rigid though. If we applied that kind of thinking years ago we would have never signed up the likes of Cazorla or Rosicky or Hleb etc etc. My point is if Mikel has a plan a vision and this player from Valencia or Salzburg or wherever fits it then by all means we should go for it. I’ve never bought into the importance of having premier league experience honestly given so many of the premier league’s best players have been foreign signings. But it’s not worth arguing about honestly I’m assuming that Mikel’s not going… Read more »

Batistuta

Charlie

I quit get where Ishola is coming from, the last two players we’ve gotten from Chelsea have been atrocious, utterly useless, we can and should do better as a club especially as it’s going to be a free transfer and won’t come cheap at all. Surely better and smarter options in the market than Willian

Gbat

Willian is a very good player who would improve us. He’s coming off a very good season. You’d expect him to hit the ground running.

A younger player may be cheaper and have sell on value but will they perform to the same level. Pepe for example has been underwhelming. It’s about weighing up the pros and cons.

Up 4 grabs now

Marko,

The only problem with that is mustafi probably wont be fit till later near the end of the year after the window shuts in October.
We wont get much for sokratis and that’s if he will leave.

I still think there’s a player there in holding if he had a decent partner alongside him to learn from.

At the minute he looks poor playing alongside the likes of luiz mustafi or kolasinac.

Marc

If we need to buy another CB why did we buy Mari in Jan?

Ishola70

Charlie

If Giroud was seen as a definite first team signing for Chelsea he would have been in their first team from the off but he wasn’t.

Abrahams was seen as first choice and Giroud was sitting his arse on the bench.

And if Giroud couldn’t even get into that team from the start that tells you all you need to know about what sort of purchase they saw Giroud as.

Marko

Pasalic has already permanently joined Atalanta

Batistuta

Also hope there’s a plan for the youngsters like Nelson and Willock and Nketiah, just not entirely been convinced by any of them, a loan to a West brom or Brighton or Villa even will do them a whole world of good, also helps raise their profile for us to cash in on them

Champagne Charlie

Marko Can you stop straw manning the point? I’m never against international imports, I’m just saying there’s real value on these shores often overlooked. If we’d turned a gaze inward in that same time we’d have gotten Jonny Evans for £2.50, Gary Cahill for 10 mil et al. I’m saying a nice blend of talent coming in would help the transition. Bati I’m not batting for Willian, I’ve already said I’m dubious of that deal and would much rather 27 year old Zaha if it’s a winger we want. But…..I don’t care for this talk of players being cast offs… Read more »

Batistuta

Marko

Yea forgot about that. Again though, better deals out there than a William in my opinion, can’t be a good thing taking cast offs from one of your biggest rivals 3/4 years in a row

Habesha Gooner

Other than Partey, I don’t want stupid money spent this summer. There are players that are about to explode upto 30 mil max. Benahrma, Buendia, Disasi, Szoboszlai, Ceballos on loan all in our range and in low wages. We need to play it right.

Champagne Charlie

“And if Giroud couldn’t even get into that team from the start that tells you all you need to know about what sort of purchase they saw Giroud as“

They paid us 18 mil for him at 31, the intention is irrelevant. He improved them.

Does Willian improve us? Yes or no.

Ishola70

Arsenal have to stop being a last big pay cheque club for players nearing the end of their careers from other big sides.

It will get to the stage where word gets around with all these senior players at the bigger clubs. When my contract ends when i’m over 30 there is always the option of going to Arsenal. And yeah guess what? I actually get a pay increase coming to the end of my career when I move to Arsenal. These old boys from the bigger clubs will be breaking down the door to join Arsenal.

Champagne Charlie

Orny also says Laca and Nelson could leave if good offered come in.

Good, it’s open season at the club (as it should be). That gives us more scope to conjure deals, and seems to quash the idea about Arteta protecting anyone.

Marko

I’m just saying there’s real value on these shores often overlooked.

Is there though? I mean is there really? Jack Graelish apparently being priced at 80 million and Benrahma is being priced at 30 million. I’d say there’s some value overlooked on these shores but most of the time no. You want to talk real value have a look at Southampton apparently close to signing up Mohammed Salisu for less than what we paid for Mari coming off the back of a good season at Valladolid.

Batistuta

I’d be bantering our rivals off too if we’ve sold them two of our players who’ve gone on to cost them points and maybe a trophy when they joined them. Cech was horrible, Luis has been a disaster, any sensible club would steer clear.

Champagne Charlie

Marko

You’re straw manning again…

Grealish and Benrahna are the two cherries in either league and you’re using that as a baseline. Wtf are you doing.

Liverpool has Wijnaldum and Mane in their side that were able to walk in and deliver because they played here. No different to your Buendia’s or Ake’s

CG

Great post. Arsenal under Mr.A.Wenger esq. never dealt with these sleazeballs ( agents )and in 2 decades under his exemplary management did Arsenal ever finish a season in 8th. They are not needed, They should not be encouraged or lauded They should never be in The Arsenal’s Directors Box. PedRo has been unflinching in his efforts in highlighting the damage these Spivs have done to the club and he should be commended for his efforts. Summary: Agents especially ‘Super Agents’ are the scum of the earth. And we need to drive them out of the game. Ps. Bit like the… Read more »

The backpass

Batistuta

“I’d be bantering our rivals off too if we’ve sold them two of our players who’ve gone on to cost them points and maybe a trophy when they joined them. Cech was horrible, Luis has been a disaster, any sensible club would steer clear.”

The thing is we are not financially capable of buying a top class winger. Willian would be the best winger at the club, and with our finances it makes sense.

NEEG

AFC is currently in such a mess at this time the Emirates should be renamed Ashburton Sewage Farm. What do you get in sewage farms – shit and that is exactly what a lot of our players are. They are also overpaid shit. How do you move shit – a big shovel. Everybody in the football world knows we are in the brown stuff and negotiating will be difficult. Moving our pile will be incredibly difficult but is achievable – it will need several right offs because of the high wage ticket we have placed around the neck of the… Read more »

Jim Lahey

For me this summer:

Max Aarons
Emi Buendía
Thomas Partey

Would like a new CB if that wasn’t too much trouble.

The two players from Norwich should not break the bank.

Champagne Charlie

HL

Contribute to the football or fuck off you boring cunt. As clueless with posters as you are anything else clearly.

DigitalBob

Great post Pedro, I agree being lumbered with has-beens and not learning from the transfer mistakes of the last few years is immensely worrying. I really hope its not the case.

Willian is productive(at the moment) and I’m sure Coutinho would provide us with some much needed creativity but is the overall cost worth it?

I’d rather not sign either and hope Pepe/EMR/Nelson and of course Saka push on next season.

Emiratesstroller

I must express concern at the scatter gun approach of Arsenal’s current alleged dealings in the transfer market. I agree that Partey would be an obvious acquisition as he is an experienced player in his prime and will probably offer “leadership and control” in midfield. Whilst I was not particularly impressed with Ceballos earlier in season he has started to improve recently and we need more bodies in midfield of the right age and experience. I see no logic in bringing in Coutinho. There is the potential of a repeat of our experience with Ozil. That is certainly not serving… Read more »

grooveydaddy

Aarons off to Bayern??

Nelson

Fernandes reminded me of Pepe. They would be nice to have if we were super rich.

The backpass

Emirates.

“Where will Coutinho, Willian and Fernandes play in next season’s lineup and
replace who in the team?”

Willian has always been a left winger for shaktar donesk and according to him that is his best position. Lacazette will be sold or dropped to the bench.

Coutinho would be the CAM…although i doubt we get him due to finances.

Fernandez is 17 years, and we’ve not been linked to him by any English journalist. I guess its Kia trying to give his client a good deal.

Up 4 grabs now

Mario gotze is 28 on a free.
Maybe with a point to prove? Three goals from 5 starts 10 sub appearances.

Could add some creativity up top.

andy1886

Mustafi must be gutted, probably his best season in a long time and he’s in the ‘out’ tray (not that he can go while out injured) and meanwhile David ‘Hand Grenade’ Luiz gets a new deal.

And no to Willian too, on £180k/wk for three years that’s £28m plus signing on fee, agents fee etc. (upwards of £30m total). Would likely become a mini-Ozil at some point.

Tom

Giroud improved Chelsea because he gave them another dimension they didn’t have. Actually he gave them two: a physical presence in the box with great heading ability, and second to none link up play with Hazard. There isn’t a better big man around with ball at his feet than Giroud, as a matter of fact his touch is on par with anyone’s. Speed was never his forte so getting him at 31 didn’t make any difference for Chelsea. Willian is a tricky winger with speed, dribbling ability and an eye for goal who would improve Arsenal no doubt, but at… Read more »

The backpass

“And no to Willian too, on £180k/wk for three years that’s £28m plus signing on fee, agents fee etc. (upwards of £30m total). Would likely become a mini-Ozil at some point.”

Well, Ornstein said Arteta wants a winger, and i doubt we give him 3 years…it would be 2 + one year club option. For £20-30 million for 2-3 years is good, gives time for Martinelli and Saka to grow without being pressured.

Tom

Andy
Willian is a consummate professional willing to do heavy lifting for his coach and team so I don’t think he would turn out anything like Ozil.

Dissenter

CC
Did you just call for us to sign Zaha, once season after we signed Pepe… or are you just arguing in favor of the concept of a younger player?
I ask because signing another 60 million plus valued winger now is like signing Auba 5 months after we signed Lacazette for 50 million.

Don’t you think William on a three year deal is going to block the path of Saka, Martinelli and Reiss Nelson?

wattsy

We need a Santi and a Gilberto plus a George Armstrong from back in the day.

George bless him did the same thing week in week out, mostly left side, got the ball ran his marker down the wing and crossed the ball, Very simple very effective he rarely failed in his objective which was to cross the ball,

If we can get Pep to do that bloody great, but not likely

Ishola70

This grow without being pressured line.

Taking away playing time from Saka is not going to improve him. In fact it can stagnate him.

He’s either a top youngster or he isn’t. If he’s a top youngster he can play most weeks and talk of “pressure” doesn’t even come into it.

CG

Tom

“””””Willian is a tricky winger with speed, dribbling ability and an eye for goal who would improve Arsenal no doubt,””””””

Why would he improve us?
We have tricky wingers with speed and with dribbling ability, already

Pepe
Saka
Nelson
Marinelli
PEA if necessary

the only thing Willam improves is his & sleazeball Kia’s bank balance.

No more left over, rejects, ( especially Chelsea ones ) wastrels, has beens or dregs.

Maybe do what Bayern do:

Aarons

Maybe do what Dortmund do:

Bellingham

NO MORE GARBAGE!

Dissenter

I’m struggling with the notion of selling the few sale-able assets in the squad just to pursue sugar high short term deals. That’s like withdrawing from your pension account to buy a Ferrari so that you can date a hot model.

We need to articulate what we are trying to do here. Arsenal is like Sisyphus,
the Greek mythological dude just doing pointless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down again

Champagne Charlie

“Did you just call for us to sign Zaha, once season after we signed Pepe… or are you just arguing in favor of the concept of a younger player? I ask because signing another 60 million plus valued winger now is like signing Auba 5 months after we signed Lacazette for 50 million.“ Arsenal want a winger. I’m arguing that Zaha is much better for us than Willian. And no, a new winger isn’t going to block anyone. Name me another club in the top 6 that has a teenager operating as a first XI starter. Zaha can have Saka… Read more »

The backpass

“Taking away playing time from Saka is not going to improve him. In fact it can stagnate him”

So you want an 18 year old to be the starting LW going into the season? Not someone he can be an understudy to this coming season and during 21-22 season at 19/20 years he can now be the starter?

Tom

That’s like withdrawing from your pension account to buy a Ferrari so that you can date a hot model.
Diss
It sure sounds tempting dough, don’t it

Nelson

It is a failure and incompetent of the board to let this Ozil situation to drag on. I would just issue in the official website that Ozil will never play for Arsenal again. I would also start to negotiate with any team who would be willing to take him on by paying 10-15% of his salary. I would make this an open auction.

The backpass

“He’s either a top youngster or he isn’t. If he’s a top youngster he can play most weeks and talk of “pressure” doesn’t even come into it.”

The two greatest player of this decades weren’t starter at age 18 FFS.

infact, Saka’s best game in the premier league has been at LB and LWB.

Tom

CG
Willian is a better all around player than any aforementioned by you and I think you know how I feel about Pepe.
Pepe>Zaha btw lol
Just because he’s better than them now it doesn’t mean we should get him ……that’s why I said no to this deal.

Ishola70

The backpass

“So you want an 18 year old to be the starting LW going into the season? Not someone he can be an understudy to this coming season and during 21-22 season at 19/20 years he can now be the starter?”

Well he’ll be 19 in just a couple of months.

So basically you are saying Saka is not a top youngster because it seems you don’t trust him.

Besides you want to give Willian a big fat salary for just one season’s work do you and have Saka take over from him from then on?

CG

Dis

“”””We need to articulate what we are trying to do here. Arsenal is like Sisyphus,
the Greek mythological dude just doing pointless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down again””””

Very apt. Excellent analogy.

The truth is , Arsenal have not got a clue in what they are doing.
All of them are clueless.

Club is a complete laughing stock and not fit for purpose.

Its unsalvageable until KSE sell up.

Dissenter

Nelson
“It is a failure and incompetent of the board to let this Ozil situation to drag on. I would just issue in the official website that Ozil will never play for Arsenal again. I would also start to negotiate with any team who would be willing to take him on by paying 10-15% of his salary. I would make this an open auction.”

There’s such a thing as contract law. The player is like any other worker in the UK, he has inalienable rights that cannot be thrashed became we mistakenly gave him a sweet deal.

The backpass

If we have cash afloat, then buy all means lets take Zaha, Benrahma, Depay, Grealish.

Greenwood is better than any of our youngsters yet Manchester united still want sancho.

The backpass

Ishola

“He’s either a top youngster or he isn’t. If he’s a top youngster he can play most weeks and talk of “pressure” doesn’t even come into it.”

The two greatest player of this decades weren’t starter at age 18 FFS.

infact, Saka’s best game in the premier league has been at LB and LWB.

TR7

‘Zaha can have Saka as an understudy, Pepe can have Nelson. Martinelli can fill in across the front line when he’s back after Jan.’

I rate Zaha but Saka is a better player than Zaha. His footballing brain is something else, we rarely get to see a player as young as Saka to have such a good footballing brain. Would be a distratous decision to make him a second choice winger.

Dissenter

CC Name me another club in the top 6 that has a teenager operating as a first XI starter. The talent is what matters, not the age. Mason Greenwood became a rotational starter at the end of the season. The concept is rotational starter, not a guaranteed starter. This means the player will come off the bench half the time to participate. If we don’t bloody our talented youth players when we are mid table, when will we ever do it? Whats the point of a hot sauce manager, if we are not going to take risks and be more… Read more »

Ishola70

What a geat idea eh. Pay out a big fat salary to Willian for one season of first team football and then let Saka take over. All the while Saka has essential first team football taken away from him. May as well loan Saka backpass and make Willian earn his crust for two seasons. This current team is not a top one atm and to think a few positions can’t be taken up by very highly rated youngsters seems a bit off and all the while these youngsters can improve on the job and ultimately Arsenal think longer term rather… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Willian wants a three year deal

What part of that don’t some of you understand, so Saka grows one more year and becomes a starter the upper year and you have a high earning bench player living the life in London.

No thank you

No wonder you all want Stan’s money to play around with

WengerEagle

Wouldn’t have a problem with picking up Willian, unlikely as it sounds if if were for a squad role but as a starter, fat no. Doesn’t bring anything in the way of end product over the course of a season and we badly need players of substance out wide when you look at United likely adding Sancho and the Chavs adding Ziyech. He’s also 32 and his main weapon is his pace which is going to rapidly deplete very soon. As a squaddie for a year or two, absolutely. Top pro, champion, hard worker and still rapid and adds a… Read more »

Elmo

What’s the consensus on Doucoure nowadays? Used to be flavour of the month for a move to higher placed club.

Obviously been relegated, and being linked to Everton, West Ham etc.

Has his stock fallen along with Watford’s?

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