I never quite understand the international football management scene. We have a golden generation of players in the first team, with Gareth Southgate leading the charge. We have a group of players in the U21s that were part of a world cup winning squad, and Aidy Boothroyd is running the show?

If any position should have a progressive coaching mindset, it’s the U21s. We have elite technical players capable of playing at the highest of levels, and we put a guy like that in the dugout?

I understand that there are different skills you need to make it at international level, but generally, it seems like you just need to be the sort of manager that can give a good pep talk.

Annnnyway…

Arsenal needs to shed some players this summer if we’re going to make headway signings players like Odegaard, Fekir, and a world-class right back. So where are we going to find the money?

There’s a batch of players that kind of fit the right profile for decent fees. Young, British, small pay packets.

Eddie Nkeitiah

Let’s be honest here, it just hasn’t worked out for the record scorer in the under 21s. He’s had chances, but never really taken games by the scruff. He’s a silent poacher versus the bang-bang sort of striker we might need in that #9 role moving forward. But… he’d be perfect for a team looking for a hunter. His finishing is really good and in a team that could afford to be patient, he’d be a good deal for a team like West Ham.

Reiss Nelson

I have no idea why Reiss didn’t go out on loan at the start of the season, he never had what was needed to break our first team… but to not take the chance to go out in January seemed really, really odd. Now everyone has forgotten that this kid scored against Liverpool last season. He has to go this summer, it’s a shame the fee will now be quite a bit lower than the £20m I think we were expecting pre-pandemic.

Joe Willock

This is a player that lacked the right focus at Arsenal. Given game time at Newcastle, he seems to have found something. The Newcastle fans like him, his athleticism and risk-taking has impressed, he’s making full use of his natural athletic gifts, and he’s making a case that he could do what Dani Ceballos is supposed to do. Question is, will the uptick in performances be good for our first team, or the coffers?

Matteo G

Man, this kid is on a mission to soil his name as hard as he can before the summer arrives. It’s either lunacy or genius.

‘If no one will buy me, maybe you’ll give me another chance?’

The Frenchman, made captain of the French U21s, has not made many friends in Germany. He’s raw talent, no doubt, but if you can’t give focus, you’re kind of pointless. It’s not looking like the most realistic destination is back with Sven Mislintat at Stuttgart. The fee will no doubt be quite low though, he’s damaged goods…

Hector

Well, I didn’t expect it would come to this a few months ago, but it’s looking ever more likely that Arsenal will move on Hector this summer. We love him, will always love him, but I’m not sure he’s developed at the rate you’d expect of a senior player at Arsenal. Word on the street is that one of our priority positions next season will be a right-back with elite final ball delivery on the radar. He’s a very good player though, so we should be picking up at least £30m there.

Mo Elneney

Look, he’s had plenty of chances, but I think we have to be honest, he’s not the level we need in central midfield and it’s probably best we don’t unleash a new deal. Being a good guy around training isn’t enough. He’s now at a decent enough level to get a lucrative move somewhere, we should take that chance. Getting subbed off on 55 against Olympiacos told a big story.

Lucas Torreira

He’s done so little over the last two years, I forgot to put him on the list. What that does to his price tag remains to be seen. Atleti hasn’t done him any favors, he’s managed a mere 400 minutes this season, a total waste of a move. Still, the benefit of signing young players is he’s still only 25. Someone will take a chance on him and we’ll at least recoup his value this summer.

Alex Lacazette

This one is a really, really huge one for Arsenal. The player has been an absolute star over the last few months. His link up play, dogged work rate, and now his goals have been a huge factor in the upshot of our form. However, all older players put in a shift heading into their last year… just look at how elite Willian was at the end of last season. Can a club as broke as Arsenal really afford to give someone with a pretty limited goalscoring record another 3 years on £180k a week? At 29? When you have Flo Balogun and Gabriel Martinelli on the books?

Also, it’s not just Arsenal this happens to. Look at Gareth Bale, using Spurs for a bit of a workout, now he’s heading back to Madrid to bum around for another year. Players heading for their 30s are thinking about security, players in their early twenties are thinking about survival. ESR vs Willian.

Heart says yes… but head says DON’T FALL FOR IT AGAIN.

Cal Chambers

Look, I really like Cal and put him here to make a point. If we don’t rate him, sell him, he’s very talented. If we do rate him, then we have to move on David Luiz this summer. I like Luiz on his good days, but there’s always a monster hiding in the cupboard with him and there always will be. Red cards, penalties, horrendous errors… not showing up for no real reason. Arteta was bailed out by young kids hungry to prove a point, I really can’t have us having a good end to this season, and all is forgiven for the absolute dreck the seniors gave October onwards. We have to start next year in stronger shape mentally than the last… that means making some big decisions, and it means re-upping how it felt to see a squad of players downing tools on you. Luiz was right in the mixer for that, he’s continued to make massive errors all year, and he’ll continue to be uninterested in lesser games… we should be making decisions on facts, not momentary confirmation bias. My gut says we’ll not learn our lesson there again and it’ll be Cal that says goodbye.

Some food for thought.

Finally, before we go, well done to the women’s team yesterday for absolutely crushing Spurs in the NLD. Miedema’s goal had shades of Bergkamp about it, superb technique.

Right, that’s all I have time for this week. Might have a couple of biz related podcasts for you next week. Stay tuned.

Off to ruin my day watching England. x

Also, check out this awesome video of Arsenal build-up play since Boxing Day. Send that to the melts that can’t see improvement. FOOLS I TELL THEE.