Well, Arsenal fans, things do appear to be moving at a rapid pace this window. Still not a lot of movement on midfield targets, but we’re starting to see some shapes appear when it comes to the squad.
AMN has edged closer to a 4 year deal with Wolves. He put Traore in his pocket when we played there away from home, now he’s earned a move to Molineux. I suspect this exit is more to do with his desire to play in a fixed position regularly than Arteta’s desire to oust him. A lot of Arsenal fans are angry he’s moved for £20m, roughly a Dom Solanke of a fee. I’d not be so sure that’s a bad number. I think that’s literally what a deflated market looks like in 2020.
The only clubs that’ll be dropping big money are those that are chasing mega names. Chelsea will go wild because they saved last summers transfer budget. City, PSG and United will bring in big players. Outside that, I can’t see huge movement on transfers and I suspect we’ll see a deflation on fees of at least 30%.
Rumours of a Thomas Partey move seem to have fizzled. With Atleti tied into a situation where they can only spend 25% of what they earn, it’s clear that a cash-only deal is what they’ll want. That probably won’t work for Arsenal.
We aren’t loaded by any stretch. Our movement is going to come from selling players. If we’re bringing in blockbuster names, that’ll probably be because we’re exiting one. Matteo, Torreira, Bellerin, and Lacazette are going to be the drivers of big cash or big swaps if there are any to be had. I think there’s also a chunk of change to be had in some of the squad stragglers. Chambers, Holding, Reiss, and BIG MO all have value. Mustafi might find it hard to move with no hamstring and I think Xhaka has cemented a place in the heart of Mikel.
However you look at it, I’d imagine it’ll be hard to shape the squad perfectly this summer. I also wonder if it’s sensible to go too hard. Sure, Bellerin might land a big fee from PSG, but are we sure about Soares? If we sign another right-back, are we certain they’ll settle right away? Arteta has a complex system, ripping out the whole right side of your team the week before a season seems rash.
I also wonder if we’ll start to see a bit of realism with who we’re linked to as agents learn that we’re not as flush as they had hoped. We’re being linked with Boubakary Soumaré, the defensive midfielder from… Lille (I’ll take Luis Campos as our shadow TD).
He’s a Youtube sensation. He was supposed to move to Newcastle, didn’t, then found himself on the bench. He lacks experience, having only racked up 50 appearances, but it’s clear why people like him. He has the typical high levels of technique you expect from Lille signings, he’s very fast over short distances that make him prime for a team that likes to press, he’s also 6ft2, which would give a team that suffers from setpieces some additional presence we’ve lacked with Torriera. This is just press talk, but he’s the sort of talent I was expecting over a Thomas Partey like name this summer.
Right, I have a GOOD podcast for you to take a listen to. Last week, I asked if anyone working at Adidas would contact me because I’d like to talk to them about what they think of the Arsenal partnership. I started talking to Dom Dominique. He’s worked in the ad game, was experienced in amateur development coaching, and has been doing a Masters degree at Manchester Met Uni in Sports Directorship.
We made a podcast and it was great fun.
We had a geek out over Adidas and searched for reasons why they’re getting it so, so right. We spoke about a course he’s doing that helps people move towards becoming a sporting director… hugely fascinating, with some Arsenal links there. We also spoke about modern coaching and how the technical profile of kids coming through is rapidly evolving. If you’re into the geeking out we do on here about the inner workings of football, this weeks podcast is for you. Follow him on the below. Twitter: @dommy_daniel Instagram: @dommy_ldn
But more importantly, tune in and listen to the podcast!
DM
2
Tr4phy
Boom
Tr4phy
Nice one Boomslang, beat me at my own game today! Shan’t happen often 😉
Bollox
Cheers DM 👍
If Atletico can only spend a quarter of what they make surely swaps are more appealing? Even tapping out at 50 mil they’re not going to be cornering the market with 12.5 mil – doesn’t make sense, they’d be better off with 6 mil and Torreira. Think there’s ‘news’ being printed for the sake of it, numerous players at the back end of CL and Europa are on holiday (Partey is). Heck, we haven’t even got pen to paper on our own player Aubameyang. Patience is a virtue, had numerous fans wanting to bolt from the Gabriel deal 48 hours… Read more »
Close
I ‘d be well OK with Soumare. ..
Soumare to me makes more strategic sense than Partey. No doubt however Arteta wants to come off the blocks quickly next season and so understandably Partey was his priority.
about time we ditched partey. Seemed like a pipe dream and was taking way too long to get over the line…
Soumare is good. Get him
For me a GREAT transfer window would be, Ins: 1. Willian (already done) 2. Aouar/Dominick Szo 3. Gabriel (almost done) 4. Max Aarons 5. Soumare 6. Sangore Outs: 1. Kolasanic 2. Mustafi 3. AMN 4. Guendouzi 5. Torriera 6. Holding 7. Sokratis I’ve said on here a few times already that I don’t rate AMN. He lacks a number of things including – concentration, awareness and positional sense.I don’t see us getting Thomas Partey, as our budget doesn’t allow us to. I think Aouar is also a long shot but Arteta and Edu could possibly work their magic and convince… Read more »
Partey won’t be signing for Arsenal, Mohamed Elneny is like a new signing. I’m sorry he didn’t cost 50 m (in AW voice).
Not one bloody Englishman from Arsenal in the national squad just announced.
No wonder why we finished 8th. The lowest position for 2 decades.
And the decent ones we have – AMN we sell for absolute pittance to our direct rivals for 4th spot.
Holding and Greenwood out of the door next. There is no pulse or heartbeat in the team/club – just a collection of assorted mercenaries.
This season is unravelling before its even started.
Not sure why Arsenal would need both Soumare and Sangare. Soumare would be good, but i really would like Partey. i think there is a very good argument to front load big transfers this year by borrowing money. The reason for this is that this year is a very depressed market which is likely to bounce back next year, or the year after at latest. This means that prices for top quality players will be very low, and that any interest payments on loans will be more than offset by the savings to be had this year. to be clear,… Read more »
If selling AMN for 20mill.. Then means got Gabriel for under 10 Mill.. That’s good business.. I don’t understand not being able to afford Partey if we”re selling
Guen
Holding
Sok
Mayb Laca
Long way to go anyway re transfer window..
So the gathering rumours of Cellabos to Milan
must indicate an Aouar type player will be incoming.
I watched this guy in the recent games he certainly
stood out.
So you would have preferred staying at Highbury.. And Spurs being able to hold twice as many
UN
“”””CG Nope.We are just a bunch of soulless foreign mercenaries. No actual link to the club itself. A corporate shell. Gave up our home for this?”””””
In all of Fergies books.
He constantly states the need for at least 1/2 of the team to be British supplemented with some overseas players.
Exactly why Bayern are successful -by the way – with their large German contingent
Mercenaries FC.
We are a shambles. Albeit a better shambles than we were 12 months ago.
Various sources already upping the ante on soumare.pricing him at £50 million ffs! Prob knowing we’re potentially after him & knowing Manure would be willing to pay stupid money having lost out already to us on Gabriel.They( manure) will pay whatever it takes to trump us.Theyll be slaughtered by their fans if they were to lose out to us once again.Thats IF we are interested as a partey alternative?
CG take some Valium.
The transfer window has weeks to go and the season is a little time away.
we are in uncharted territory in the transfer market. It will be interesting to see how well Athletico hold up during the TW given their financial problems. This is a club that has spent a lot of money ab=nd are under considerable financial strain. it’s all well and good to talk big, but let’s see if they manage that when the financial pressure grows at the end of the TW.
Uwot, £50m for Soumare is ridiculous and, IF TRUE, is based on a misreading of the financial health of clubs in England.
Unless PSG, City or Utd want him – and want him badly – then it ain’t going to happen at that price. Lille need to balance the books quickly and have made the first step with Gabriel’s sale. i suspect the truth of the market is known by all clubs but not accepted by many pundits.
whooaa am back
so whats cooking on here?
CG
what’s the percentage of British players in Liverpool’s or City’s starting 11? Plus how about the head coaches in the “top six? Can’t you see that Southgate is struggling to put a team worthy of the rich British football history?
CG
It could get worse.
Don’t be surprised if one day you wake up to hear that the hierarchy at the club are contemplating changing the name/logo of Arsenal FC because apparently it is offensive and demeaning to those people affected by war, weaponry, arms and mass destruction.
You never know.
We all want the club to sign some midfielders but the reality is we’ve as yet sold none of our dross or fringe players
Our income so far is zilch. Lots of wishing and lots of paper talk but zero sold
I suspect if we want a midfielder it’s going to take 25+m extra income before we even begin to bid. But no one has given us a penny yet
If we end up moving both AMN and Bellerin, anyone fancy Semedo as a replacement? Despite the Bayern calamity, I still think he is a tidy player that doesn’t get enough help from his midfield/attack.
I am not sold on Max Aarons…definitely not at the quoted sums
‘And the decent ones we have – AMN ‘ Cg , how did Amn go from a superstar to a decent one in a matter of hours? Anyways , Arteta philosophy is to supplement half the team with Brazilians and then add a bit of overseas quality here and there .😉 Soumare is a player I’d be happy with as I have been banging the drum about him for some time now. He is a Physician specimen. A good technician. Highly rated The weakness in his game to me seems like is his decision making. Sometimes keeps hold of the… Read more »
CG
I find your constant negativity extremely boring and depressing.
Much better a little Englander like Harry Maguire who can put Johnny Foreigner in his place .
Do you doubt the passion that Arteta manifestly feels for our club? What about the feelings Bergkamp and Vieira and Henry had? And remember it was 6our idol Wenger who first brought large numbers of foreigners into the club .
Lille reportedly accepted 35 mil from Newcastle in Jan for Soumare. They needed cash and wanted to move him on. Soumare rejected the move as he didn’t want to move to Newcastle and thats why he was benched in the subsequent games as he went against the club wishes .
This is what I’ve read and understand from the reports.
If true then I dont think how Lille can ask for 50 mil when they accepted a 35 mil bid Pre Covid.
Pepe
Big Big Big No to Semedo. Cant defend.
Un.. True re not giving a shit re stadium to a certain extent but limiting our income even more would may b have meant falling further behind.. Mind u once we moved till around 2010 we had fuck all to spend
China1 – Thats my worry, where are the outgoings?
I can see, and I really hope not, a future where Elneny is touted as a new signing and the missing defensive midfield cog Arteta has always wanted.
As per Arseblogs musings on AMN and the window, it’s possible the outgoings will come much later in the transfer window so we may go into the season with the same dross in the squad.
Henry+ Root
90% of the players Wenger bought to the club were overseas players.
CG just likes a good moan.
DigitalBob
You’ve spoiled my day with that possibility of Elneny coming back into the squad.
He’s another one we can’t sell because he earns too much money.
With Gabriel we’ll have a first team squad of 33. We have an oversupply of players, and an under supply of places, which makes us even worse sellers. The squad mismanagement is nothing but negligence and non existent planning. Other clubs can count, they know we’re desperate to move players on, which makes the signings of Soares and Mari, along with renewing Luiz even more strange. The more you look at it, the sacking of a Raul isn’t too much of a surprise. We could lose Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Sokratis, Luiz, Chambers, and llan out Nelson, and numerically we’d fine.… Read more »
I’ve noticed no one is even factoring in Mesut Ozil
He’s the distant past.
Please no El neny.
sell to anyone
Lille are making some good money from us. Come on, isnt there a arsenal discount for multiple purchases??? lol 25% off if you buy three or more
CG
Pretty sure we went through a period with Wenger where we would frequently put out teams with zero Englishmen in them.
Wenger himself wasn’t an Englishman yet you’d have him back in charge in a blink.
You get less and less rational as the weeks go on.
The invincible squad had a grand total of 5 Englishmen. Cole and Campbell being the only first team starters.
On Elneny. Maybe with a clear role and good coaching he could have something. Definitely has an engine.
Arteta might fancy a go at him.
“On Elneny. Maybe with a clear role and good coaching he could have something. Definitely has an engine.
Arteta might fancy a go at him”
lol
Apologies Dissenter! but your right it looks like he has no takers.
If we do end up selling Guendouzi(likely) and Torreira(less likely but he’s available) what’s to stop Arteta from believing in Elneny the same way he did Xhaka and Mustafi?
“which makes the signings of Soares and Mari, along with renewing Luiz even more strange.”
Not if we sell AMN, Holding, Mustafi and Sokratis, that could easily bring in 50m and lower our wage bill by a fair amount. Doing nothing to weaken the team. Soares and Mari are just cheaper backup so we can free up funds and Luiz will mainly be there next season to guide the new CBs and play until they’ve settled
Make that 80m if we also sell Bellerin, he would need replacing though.
“what’s the percentage of British players in Liverpool’s or City’s starting 11?” Liverpool: Milner, Gomez, Henderson, Ox, Robertson, and Alexander-Arnold all made more than 20 PL appearances this season. Of those first XI players would be Gomez, Henderson, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold so a decent number of Brtish players for the champions there. Just Walker and Sterling for City in a pretty average season for them. For United Maguire, Rashford, Wan-Bissaka and Shaw plus Greenwood will be pushing for a regular start next season. Just Tierney for AFC although Saka may feature more once MA decides where to play him. So… Read more »
Danny
“””CG Pretty sure we went through a period with Wenger where we would frequently put out teams with zero Englishmen in them.””””
Yes , and it wasn’t his finest period.
He did amend the error of his ways though- and get a British spine back.
I was as critical of our Wenger when he went down the total Foreign XI as I would be of anyone.
Fergie Knows.
Bayern Know.
Saka
ESR
Eddie
Tierney
Holding
Chambers
Willock
Reiss
But weird to moan we don’t have British players. I’ve not even mentioned those coming through the ranks,
Don You’re a bit slow aren’t you? Just trying to explain the signings of Mari and Soares, it’s not because they strengthen the first XI is it so it’s obviously so we can free up funds by moving out high earning non performing players, not exactly rocket science is it. AMN, Holding, Kola, Bellerin and Sok has all been linked with exits in the last week so it’s not so it’s not like it’s fantasy stuff. Yes, I do like us to improve, if we want to do so more than marginally we need to have a good window. Once… Read more »
“Yes , and it wasn’t his finest period.
He did amend the error of his ways though- and get a British spine back.”
Yeah that worked out just dandy didn’t it. Smh.
Niles starting, is it a back 4?
Or is Arteta giving Niles a chance as a No8 to see how he does?
Soumare wouldn’t start Majority of the games next season (assuming Ceballos comes back). Xhaka would definitely bench him at least for next season. Maybe in two years time though, he might be ready.
Good news though, the rumour has been squashed by those closed to Lille.
So dear Harry has been found Guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery….thats another penalty for united.
This should fun for Southgate.
British core was such a cornerstone of our success and all that.
Bring back Jack, Ox, Rambo, Gibbs and Jenks.
“Harry Maguire has been found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery.“
Hahahaha
Nah, he’s a British hero standing up against the Albanians with Liam Neeson.
Maguire, the gentleman minding his own business, is somehow found guilty of a bunch of shit. Strange.
“I was as critical of our Wenger when he went down the total Foreign XI as I would be of anyone.”
Why? Does it matter where you’re from?
“Nah, he’s a British hero standing up against the Albanians with Liam Neeson.”
😂😂😂
“Harry Maguire has been found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery.“
The Greek authorities better get hold of Interpol.
“Nah, he’s a British hero standing up against the Albanians with Liam Neeson.”
😂😂
Don
Excited mong eh?
Maybe so, at least I’m not acting like you on here so there’s still hope for me.
/
In other non cunt related news, going to be nice seeing Saliba in and Arsenal shirt for the first time today.
“Stands to reason you’d want english players playing for an English club. Or even better, local lads.”
We have both those things already… why are you complaining?
“So a Greek court is looking for some dough. Big fucking surprise.“
Yea, they rejected his attempted bribery because they’re looking for some cash. Cunning plan they’ve hatched, reject the money so they get….money.
‘So a Greek court is looking for some dough. Big fucking surprise.’
Mate , may I know why are you defending Maguire so badly? Maybe he is guilty as the police say.
Who needs Partey when we’ve got Elneny?
Seems like CG is also using Un’s name past couple of days.
Harry M, the model pro.
I think Elneny is being displayed for any club interested tonight. Would be a decent addition to a club like West Brom. Solid, no frills midfielder with Premier League experience.
If we can only get a small fee for Elneny we might as well keep him as a back up CM seeing as we’re running very low in that position.
I wanted Cebellos to stay on for another season on loan, but have since changed my mind.
Wouldn’t be bothered if he went back to RM. But the real dream is Aouar. Don’t think we will get him, but if Edu and Arteta could work their magic, then anything is possible.
If not Aouar, then let’s try for Dominick Szo. Rumours about us being interested in him have somewhat quietened.
Not too keen on Thiago either.
Captain T
Nah, Don has always been this stupid and bigoted and angry. Nothing new there.
CG is still on another level when it comes to stupidity though so Don has something to aspire to. We all need goals.
Just won’t stop digging will he
Ceballos will be off and his replacement is already here, thats Willian.
We have little chance of signing Soumare. Sangare is more realistic
Un
The prejudices are embarrassing, it’s sounding more and more like defending a fellow British lout. Well traveled you said you were? You sure?
The games on MK Dons youtube channel guys.
Elneny screamer. 1-0. 😉
Elneny like a new signing 🙂
“” What I can’t stand is the glee with which the wankers here would gloat over an England player getting into trouble”
That’s so easy to answer.. Who does he play for
Free stream anyone ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZufyCMvBVr0
R.S.P.C – its on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZufyCMvBVr0
Free stream also on Arsenal .com ; just need to log in.
2-0. Nketiah.
Eddie with a lovely finish. Great play by Saka as well(overlooked by Southgate today).
Cheers bob
I went to a paid one first
Oh Gawd, the Elneny nightmare has begun
Un
Yea you’re clearly the authority on Albanians, Greeks…. who else makes the cut?
Un naai,
Despite being a multi millionaire, Maguire still go to the cheap, drink as much you want type of places that attracts the type of boorish behaviour.
The problem is the entourage most footballers keep. Most don’t understand that trying to pretend you are still one of the lad is what will sink them.
If you absolutely wants to keep the same group of friends who like a drink, avoid situation that you can’t control. Be smart, rent a villa and invite people over. Going on a bender in public was always a recipe for disaster.
Is Saliba the one with the goatee?
Saliba looks like he got game
“Have you ever even met an Albanian?”
I went to an international school with the Albanian ambassador’s kids. Family friends for 30 years. Stop it, Un.
Valentin
I agree with at assertion of people going cheap.
Eric Dier made the same mistake. Why not just get a box for your family to avoid them getting offended when fans abuse you during the games?
Whoever my dart falls on
I miss the days when people had the decency to feel ashamed about saying things like this unironically.
Albanian and a Nigerian, sitting in a tree..
We saw what happened to us when Wenger decided to give us the so called British core. We ended giving Clichy,Walcott, Wilshere and group way too much chances at the decline of the Club.
New clobber looks great
“Albanian and a Nigerian, sitting in a tree..”
I’m enjoying your content, CC 👌
Pedro – Yep home kit is a beauty.
Did HM get his arse handed to him or did he give out a few slaps ?
Holding British core?
Holding aerially dominant British lad, get him a new contract.
Un
Brazilian speakers I thought?
Jamie
Haha likewise, bit of humour goes a long way on here sometimes.