The Arsenal transfer news machine is cranking into action and it’s polarising as usual.
The name people are struggling with is Ryan Bertrand, a 31-year-old left-back, heralded as cover for Kieran Tierney.
It’s not a future-facing signing, it feels a little like Cedric and Willian, and it’s not exciting.
I can see the argument, but I can also see the logic with this one.
He’s being signed as a proper back-up. Here for 20 odd starts next season. A truly viable option to slip in to cover for a nearly world-class left-back we have in Tierney.
There are three ways into this role.
- Cheap experience
- Buy an up and coming talent
- Bring in from the youth team
We don’t have a kid that’s ready, hence the mess we’ve been through at the backend of this season.
We don’t have the money to buy-in what would be a luxury sub. I’m also not sure there’s a need to bring in a 21-year-old. Kieran Tierney is the left-back, will be for years, he doesn’t need competition to be motivated, so asking a young player to come in and stunt their own growth might be wasteful.
Kieran Tierney dropped 2700 minutes this season, he would have done more if we’d been able to effectively rotate him. I’d love it if we could give this role to a kid, there was talk it might be Cottrell, but if he’s never played a Premier League game, you are risking that Tierney gets injured and you sink a kid. Maybe the hope of Bertrand is that we can loan the younger kids, then when the more senior player leaves, we have someone with 40 games under their belt at 20 years old. Similar process I’m sure to what we’re going to see with Flo Balogun.
Additionally, I think it’s worth noting this.
Arsenal has the joint 3rd best defence in the league with likely the most unforced errors.
We have the 10th best attack in the league.
The job this summer is fairly straightforward, we need to find a way to lower the amount of mistakes in the system, find midfielders that can transition to attack, and find a couple of players that can add ‘now’ efficiency in the final 3rd. Basically, if we get Auba scoring 30 next season, we’ll qualify for the top 4.
A backup left-back isn’t moving us forward on any of those objectives.
We need to rebuild the right side of our defence totally. We probably need to find a centre back that can replace the positives of David Luiz, whilst eradicating his painful errors. We don’t have ball-playing centre backs (consistent at least) and that needs to be addressed if we’re going to move our game forward.
Those two signings alone are going to be very expensive… and even with a cash injection, we’re not rich, so every penny counts. In your fantasy league team, sometimes you have to take a hit in a low-risk area, I think Bertrand is that hit for the greater good which will see money spent elsewhere.
The second player that is moistening loins is Camavinga of Rennes. The 18-year-old centre midfielder is quite obviously going to be a generational talent, that’s no exaggeration. To hold your own and thrive in that position against PSG means you are a different gravy. If there was a statement signing that spoke to the future Arsenal are building, it’d be someone like him. He has it all, great passing, supreme acceleration, verticality in his passing, press resistance, he looks like he’ll have goals to his game at some point.
He’s very, very young… and not many teenagers make it in that position in the Premier League, but he’s absolutely the type of player Madrid or Bayern snap up and build into a force that stays there for 10 years.
Could just be agent hype, of course, but one can dream that Arsenal are looking into France, hoping to take advantage of French clubs desperation to get cash into their ailing businesses. If we’ve learnt anything over the last decade, it’s that France fosters the best kids that bring the most value to clubs long-term. It’ll be a real miss if we’re spending all our pennies on the expensive leagues this summer.
If Arsenal were to operate like a ruthless business this summer, they’d be hoovering up players from distressed clubs.
There are some other transfer stories doing the rounds. It seems like we’re quite into Sander Berge of Sheffield United. He’s 23 years old, absolutely towering, and 20m Euros is good money and a distress price.
Then there are the exit stories.
WILLIAN MIGHT WANT OUT
Can you imagine? Inter Miami. I think he’d bang there. Ok food, big Brazilian culture, nice weather every day. Fabrizio Romano is getting that story from somewhere and I couldn’t be happier. One would assume Willian landed his green card or whatever if he’s now pushing to exit the club. Whatever the reason, it’d be absolutely amazing if he just wanted to go and play football somewhere that wasn’t Arsenal next season.
We’ll see though. Moving on average senior players hasn’t been an attribute of the Arsenal hierarchy, but let’s see what they have this summer.
Right, on that note, I am bouncing. See you tomorrow!
Camavinga – sign him up!
Good morning
What this early in the comment section, NEVER!
Could it be?
BOOM! I did get the Tr4phy.
No real scouting department in place just individuals recruited by headhunters this will most likely be another not too good summer TW\.
Jamie
Nice one. Fingers crossed for Saturday, not least so you can give your wife’s rellies some banter they’ll enjoy. St Johnstone sometimes seem to be a bogey team for Hibs but I think they’ll win. I remember their last appearance in the final against the Huns and the fun and games on the pitch. I’ll be watching on TV wishing I was in Leith.
Last thing we need to do is replace dead wood with more dead wood. Depends on the contract Bertrand gets. 2 year max.
Top 10.
I know the hype machine is big on Camavinga and I hate to be Debby Downer but Camavinga screams Renato Sanchez to me.
Unless he’s under 30m, we should stay away, we are still dealing with Pepe.
Honestly it can’t be that hard to find an understudy LB. Continually signing old vets isn’t moving the needle.
With a younger player at least you have a chance at having a successor to Tierney down the line.
I get we don’t wanna spend our energy on this position, but with Bertrand we’ve got the same problem again 1 year later. (Maybe sooner knowing how fast old players can crumble!)
I’m ok with signing Bertrand. We have seen what happens when KT goes down, and I’d prefer having an experienced backup in that role until a younger player is ready to play. It isn’t “sexy”, however not all signings have to be…they just need to be competent!
Younger players and premiership proven should be the way to go.
As an alternative to plastic Bertrand, what about Diego Laxalt (on loan at Celtic, parent club AC Milan). Signed by the bhoys presumably to replace KT. Looks a very similar player – good crosser and loves getting forward. Or Rico Henry at Brentford?
Need to see it to believe it. Not gonna be excited about any rumors about arrivals or departures, been there, done that and been disappointed time and time again.
Pedro
“find midfielders that can transition to attack”
And midfielders that can compete and take control of a midfield. Central midfield.
One would have thought no platform is necessary to attack.
In many cases it is necessary.
Kroenkephobe — Good shout, if he’s still got dreads it’s an upgrade for me
Tierney plays well in a back three, which the Chelsea games shows, Arteta might employ on occasion. So, a younger left wingback may get more minutes if Arteta does so next year.
I understand the need for some ‘filler’ hires. But couldn’t it be a younger player from a cheaper market (Eastern Europe or South America) looking to transition into the PL rather than someone who has lost a yard of pace already? Oh, I forgot, we have no scouts to find those players……
Think anti-kroenke protests might force them to drop some $$$ this summer given they’re not leaving. I think ultimately that will please the vast majority. Think most would take Stan & Josh staying (for now) if it means signing like Camavigna to be honest. Doubt Ek would be able to buy the club & fund the necessary summer. Hope transfers are a bit more objective this summer. If players from relegated teams/Championship clubs fit the agenda absolutely bring them in. Berge/Buendia/Toney come to mind. Feel as though Willian/Luiz deals were examples of trying to shortcut out way back to top… Read more »
I think we do have a ball-playing Centre back. His name is William Saliba . I think we have to believe in him . I’ve heard Azeez is being promoted to the first team next season We need to shift – Bellerin, Runarsson, Kolasinac, Luiz, Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willian and Nketiah . Willock and AMN are homegrown and that matters .Thats a lot of exits worth probably £100 m and about £10 million off the wage bill. Losing Odegaard and Ceballos frees another £150 k per week. We need to sign Ryan and a partner for Partey and a right-back.We… Read more »
Is there really no one in any of the 3 relegated teams or in the Championship who is in his early-mid 20s who can be a suitable understudy for Tierney?
1yr contracts and extensions only for outfield players over 30 from now on, full back is one of the most physically demanding role in the team, and when players dip physically, it’s usually a rapid decline You’d also have to question Bertrand’s motives in joining us, he knows he’s going to be behind Tierney, so he wouldn’t be joining us to enjoy his last few years of football, he’d be joining us for one last payday Once he’s got that last payday, what’s left for him to chase? This type of signing reeks of a lack of ambition from the… Read more »
Pedro
Just a couple of points – “He’s being signed as a proper back-up. Here for 20 odd starts next season.” I’m not judging the player but next season we’re looking at probably a total of 45 odd fixtures if the back up LB is doing 20 plus Tierney is going to be missing a lot of PL matches with a quieter schedule.
The other is on Camavinga – if we are in for him and do get the money somehow let’s hope he doesn’t speak to his mates Guendozi or Saliba on what life is like at Arsenal.
Dan Ahern
“Honestly it can’t be that hard to find an understudy LB. Continually signing old vets isn’t moving the needle.:”
You did not qualify it well.
It will be hard to find an understudy for KT, a guaranteed starter 100% of the time. That’s a miserable understudy role.
Rich
That all depends on what Bertrands salary would be – £50 – £60k per week and we’re saving a couple of million a year compared to Kolas if we put him on £100k we’re in the same boat just it’s now got a bloody great big hole in it.
Bertrand will be a good signing and good voice in the dressing room
How many of our players have two European medals. The lad has played in a champions league final before.
“Younger players and premiership proven should be the way to go.”
Oh dear – PL proven players pretty much mean they play for a current PL club. PL clubs earn so much money now from TV rights they don’t need to sell so buying from the PL is expensive, if the player comes from a relegated team there’s a chance that he’s part of the reason the team has been relegated and even relegated teams earn a fortune from the parachute payments. There are of course always exceptions but we need to start buying smartly.
Bettrand stinks of the leichtsteiner signing, everyone was praisng the signing saying he’s experienced and will guide the youth. Turned out to be one of the worst signings ever. Guy was out paced by almost every winger in the PL.
Bertie Mee I’d be keen on signing Toney from Brentford A real old fashioned penalty box striker, been really impressed with him If Tuchel wanted Aubameyang, I’d have no issues in the club accepting £30 mill, and going for Toney as his replacement The more I think about Aubameyang being late and revving his car outside, instead of warming down with the other subs, the more I think we’d be right to let him go, I don’t think he’s suddenly become a bad player, and would probably have a better season next time But there’s no way Alex Ferguson, Pep,… Read more »
“The level or your bias is outstanding You are the only one on the planet that lumps 2021 Willian with Pepe. You can’t get past your dislike of the player and the fact that he was bought ahead of Zaha to review his performance with fairness. If Pepe’s output is academy level, than that academy player must be an extra-terrestrial being. ..and for god’s sake don’t throw in Saka because he’s a fully established England international with three seasons in our senior squad.“ So Saka playing a couple of games for England somehow negates the fact he’s barely out the… Read more »
What’s the point being a voice in the dressing room, when you get skinned alive every time you are on the pitch.
Here is one for the laughs, Willian needs to be moved on, but who will take him as he has scored as many goals as Liverpool’s goal keeper?
Gons
Lich might not have been a success on the pitch but he started a great fight with a group of Spud’s
Oh dear
Norwich have already said Aarons can leave.
For how much?
If you have an understudy for KT you need one who can provide a similar game. That’s probably why Bertrand is being suggested. He’s also highly experienced, as Dissenter says his experience will be useful around some of the younger players and he’s probably going to be more accepting of a bit part role. Homegrown is also useful. Going into the transfer window with whatever funds we have available, it makes good sense to minimise our spending on ‘cover’ positions and maximise what we have for the key positions in the team. I’ve moaned for some time about the quality… Read more »
No idea.
Mike needs to get a grip and a system of attack and defense that is consistent. His tinkering is worse than Emery.
The players we are targeting should fit that system. However, what is the system?
And before the fan boys start saying, Mike knows… blah blah
he doesnt have a clue.
Not Edu.
No to berge. last thing we need is a slower Xhaka in our midfield. Like WTF??
I like Camavinga, and I hope these types of players are allowed to use their natural talents instead of being clipped by Mike.
30 million apparently. Get 20 for Bellerin and that’s no a bad deal.
AFC
You’re right that is important – having to change the way we want to play in a match because a FB is injured or even being rested is crazy but that’s a consequence of not having a long term plan with a proper DOF guiding things.
Karsa
Well I’d like to know whether it is £30 million or £depends on who’s asking.
“ Basically, if we get Auba scoring 30 next season, we’ll qualify for the top 4.“
Pedro, so basically we need Auba to do something he’s never done before in the best of scenarios under any coach.
Why not just ask Leno, or whoever else is in goal next season to chip in with a few to make top 4………about the same odds.
Did you see Auba’s heat map from the Chelsea game btw?
It looks like left wingback’s and not center forward’s.
Marc Agree. You have to remember that Arteta inherited most of these players, that has always been my beef; it’s not a well-balanced squad. Whoever constructed the squad previously seems to have forgotten about the need for balance let alone anything else. You have a similar situation at right back. Bellerin, Chambers and Soares are all different players. If you’re going to play with pace and drive from those positions, the cover needs to be able to play that way too. Not in every game, of course, depends on the opposition to a certain degree but ideally you need to… Read more »
AFC
“You have to remember that Arteta inherited most of these players,”
Sorry but that doesn’t cut it – the vast majority of the squad are his players if yo don’t think so list how many first team options aren’t.
AFC Forever
Thise same inherited players won Arteta the FA Cup.
Diet pep is lucky he inherited Saka Not Willian, Martinez not runnarson
Diet pep inherited a golden boot contender, chose to play him on the left wing,
Guns of SF “”””””The players we are targeting should fit that system. However, what is the system?”””””” Great Question.And off course you are 100% correct Its a complete dereliction of duty that 18 months of his management , he has no identity, no pattern of play or settled side. Like the Clown previously , he thinks its his tactics and his changing formations that will ultimately come through in the end. We could sign Grealish, Aarons and Harry Kane and I doubt it would make a shred of difference to the teams results under this style of management. But theres… Read more »
Diet pep should thank Emery for getting Tierney
If we sign Kane, Diet Pep will claim he is a good diver and play him as GK
AFC Forever
Agree. You have to remember that Arteta inherited most of these players, that has always been my beef;
—
Lol
Someone else must have signed Willian.
Someone else must have given Luiz a new contract when he has Saliba.
Someone else must have begged Xhaka to stay.
Someone else must have sold Martinez and bought Runnarson.
Etc.
Bertrand will be just like Soares, he will just sit there collecting a pay check while Diet Pep plays Xhaka at left back.
Arsenal must have the worst recruitment pound for pound in the premiership. All the signings are either through mates and super agents, or seem based on PL reputations from 3 or 4 seasons ago. Most of us would do no worse.
Camavinga is the real deal and every big clubs is hovering around him. I can’t see his agent advising him to join us over joining PSG to replace the often injured Veratti, Real Madrid as a successor to Modric or Barcelona and becoming However in order to shine he needs either a chaperon (Somebody who is purely defensively) or somebody with the same quality (can defend but can also go forward). Vieira and Petit and then later Gilberto and Vieira were like two pistons in tandem. When one went ahead, the other retreat. It is similar to the way, Pogba… Read more »
“Basically, if we get Auba scoring 30 next season, we’ll qualify for the top 4.“ I echo Tom on this one, Auba has peaked at 22 league goals for us. We should be expecting that level of return from him next season, but it needs a lot of supplementing from the rest of the players in attack. Laca is a guaranteed 10-15 league goals each season, and then it falls off a cliff. Pepe has peaked at 6 league goals so far, Saka has upped his to 5, ESR has a couple, Martinelli had a few last season pre-injury, Willian… Read more »
Was reading through your list , BertieM, waiting to disagree and then boom, you nailed it. Absolutely spot on.
Valentin
“Combining Camavinga with Xhaka would be a complete waste of talent.”
Can you see Xhaka staying for yet another season Valentin?
At least it’s recognised that Xhaka can have a negative affect on the midfielders he plays alongside just due to the simple fact that he can’t occupy the middle of the pitch for any considerable period.
Sadly I think Arteta rolls with him again next season.
This is all about valuing on the ball over everything else.
Massive spanner in the works.
it is disheartening to be hearing of Bertrand and how Pedro is supporting that kind of ,ove is beyond me, We have Ashley Cole and Clichy was there to replace him when he left, we had Clichy and Gibbs was there to replace him so how come we are now afraid of trusting younger players to step up in the event of injury?. The suggestion that Bertrand being experienced is the best option to deputize for Tierney is akin to saying we should sign Glenn Murray to deputize for Auba instead of trusting Martineli, Eddie or Balogun to do that.… Read more »
Arsenal 2016/17 – 77 goals
Arsenal 2017/18 – 74 goals
Arsenal 2018/19 – 73 goals
Arsenal 2019/20 – 56 goals
Arsenal 2020/20 – 50 goals
Scoring goals has been an issue since the arrival of the novice.
Camavinga is a daydream, we can fantasize about Camavinga and Partey dominating the middle of the pitch in every game Arsenal play next season, but there is no chance he’s coming to Arsenal. I’d love to be wrong, but Real and Bayern are interested and he’s almost certainly going to be to expensive for Arsenal.
Re the right side of the defense, Arsenal do have a center back, whose distribution will eventually be just as good as Luiz’ distribution, if it isn’t already. Per whoscored.com Saliba has completed 91% of his passes and 68% of his long passes this season.
Dela Mere
Scoring goals has been an issue since the arrival of the novice.
—
Have you not gotten the memo that it must be our shit attackers: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe, Saka, and Martinelli?
So shit Leeds United has scored 7 more goals than us this season.
While choosing a back up for Tierney it must be kept in mind that the back up will have to start at least a dozen league games a season given KT’s proneness to injury. So, the back up must be a solid player.
Ishola70,
As reported by every media sources (despite some people on this blog denying it), Xhaka’s wife wants out of London and wants to go to Germany or Switzerland. The problem is that very few clubs in those countries can afford both the fee Arsenal is seeking and the salary Xhaka is on.
So unless Arsenal drops their price demand, I can see him staying another six months before being shipped on loan to Germany at the next TW. Then a cut down price being agreed the following summer.
Riding on hypothesis we’d need experience in backups.like Bertrand
Let’s sell Eddie and talk to Shearer or Owen as backup striker next season. Either has good PL experience and last I know they just appear on some TV shows and s available on free transfer. I think a 3 year £110k pw plus bonuses, would work… same as what we (still) paying Kolac!
“Have you not gotten the memo that it must be our shit attackers: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe, Saka, and Martinelli?“
Don’t think anyone regards Auba and Laca as shit, they’ve both provided consistent numbers in their Arsenal careers.
Comical to prop up Saka, Pepe, and Martinelli in a discussion about pure goal scoring when they have 21 league goals combined in 2 seasons.
I’m sure their average of 10.5 goals per season is going to fire us back into top 4.
Aubameyang scoring 22 league goals last season was quite a bit of over performance. He had an xG value of something like 15. We simply do not create enough. That’s what happens when you strip your team of creators. He had about a similar xG in four months during his first half season here. Mkhitaryan, Ozil and Iwobi along with Ramsey when fit, were behind him in the same XI.
It’s interesting that we’re so focused on a back-up LB for Tierney when we don’t have a quality starting RB. For the most important game of the season, Arteta selected the RB that everyone expects will be gone in the summer. We’re left with Chambers, who is extremely vulnerable against pace and Cedric who looks to have been relegated to deep bench duty.
Nothing, absolutely nothing justifies signing a Ryan Bertrand, it’s lazy and unimaginative and purely stupid, can’t spin it any other way
Charlie
We’ll see though, wish i was like you and could see the scope of improvement with Arteta and the hope going coward but i don’t but we’ll see.
What we do in the summer might play a big part but we’ll see, not holding my breath though
We need to make that RB position a priority. A highly athletic, mobile, defender with plenty of attacking upside. Our left side is great, we need that RB to get a good chemistry with Saka ( who I really hope stays at RW) to get more balance into our attack Then we need 1-2 CM that can attack, dribble and score. Mike needs to stop with his stupid instructions to actually allow our CM’s some freedom to join the attack, get into the box and become a scoring threat like we used to have. I dont want to see the… Read more »
Barcaryisgod- Think they’ll go for Max Aarons
Marc
“The vast majority of the squad are his players if you don’t think so list how many first team options aren’t”.
Are you smoking something?
Bati
That’s fair, I just shelved my expectations when we hired Arteta because of the nature of him as a coach. I didn’t advocate for him given our situation, I was touting Benitez because I’ve been deeply unimpressed with matters off-field associated with recruitment and club direction – he’s a history of building a good base at clubs and I admire that.
That said, expectations will ramp up sharply on Arteta following this summer’s activity and rightly so imo.
Batistuta
That’s the way I feel,wish I could have Charlie’s faith but I don’t. Like a condemned man on the gallows thinking that maybe those lads talking about God were on to something.
How is it that milan have no one to step up for Ibra, a club of that size? Was it saturation or mismanagement that saw them (and other Italian clubs) fall behind? Is there no youth coming through now, I’m struggling to think of young Italian players in demand,Donnarumma excepted.
Fans who are hating on Bertrand still cant come up with a possible alternative for the same price and with the same experience. And NO, we aren’t going to spend big bucks on a back LB. So if you are against Bertrand, please put forward the alternate option you have in your mind. But also keep in mind our budget for this position is nearly 0, but for the sake of argument lets make it 5 million. Kolasinac is going to be sold for cash. He earns around 130k a week which is more than our first choice. He is… Read more »
Thought that Aarons had been earmarked by Bayern. Not much of a choice is it?
Dream10
Aarons contract runs through 2024 and Norwich have the leverage. Farke said he sees no reason why Aarons would leave. Also, the betting sites have Everton as a clear favourite if he does leave.
There is a connection to the club through Darren Dein but our history with him is certainly far from ideal.
Aarons should definitely be our first choice RB target this season.
Tierney was crocked when we bought him and hasn’t managed 10 games consecutively as yet, hope he doesn’t turn out to be another Jack Wilshere, shouldn’t we have the mindset that he is back up LB when he is fit and look for someone younger with a good fitness record ?
Captain T
Kolasinac will not be sold for cash unless by cash you mean Arsenal will pay him to leave.
No club will pay anything for him. Best-case scenario is someone will pay 30-40k per week to take him off our hands for the final year leaving us still paying close to 100k for him over the next year.
Bergkamp – hardly Tierney’s fault that Arteta pushed him into the red when he got injured against liverpool. He played every minute for Scotland too. This season has been unique too: no preseason, unrelenting schedule, etc. Hardly think that’a a fair jugement.
There’s a guy named Lloyd Kelly at Bournemouth who is a left back and can play as a center back too. Haven’t watched him but I read somewhere Liverpool were looking at him.
bac
How many times? Le Grove is not the place for common sense.
I agree with Pedro on Bertrand. We have so many higher priorities this window that he would make sense. Hopefully, we won’t make the same mistake as we did with Willian. This needs to be a 2 year max deal.
AFC
No the majority of the first teamers are Arteta’s players – list all those who aren’t?
I dare you.
Kroenkephobe How’s it going man? I had a little rant there earlier and had to go back to work. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city isn’t it, I have been several times but never saw a match there, always out of season. Was actually in Larne years ago, went so see them play,the facilities were miles ahead of the league down south but that was the 80’s ,the gap has closed now(both still poor though). Yeah, you’re spot on about certain issues that have to be addressed, conflict cant always be avoided, I find you think along the same lines… Read more »
I don’t think we need an understudy for Tierney — without the distraction of European Football, Tierney is likely to play most games and, when unavailable, Saka and Martinelli make a good vertical pairing on the left flank I don’t think there is much wrong with the quality of our attacking personnel — I think the slow build-up play is the major reason that we haven’t scored enough…on the occasions when we have broken fast, we have looked very dangerous My suggestion would be to focus on the tactics and required personnel to get the ball through the middle third… Read more »
‘Is there really no one in any of the 3 relegated teams or in the Championship who is in his early-mid 20s who can be a suitable understudy for Tierney?’ There are, we’re just being incredibly lazy by looking at Bertrand. I get like everyone else that we don’t have to money to drop serious coin on a LB that won’t be guaranteed a starting place if Tierney can manage to stay fit, but you can’t have the quality fall off a cliff if he goes down injured either. It shouldn’t be Betrand or bust, there are alternatives. He will… Read more »
bacary
If you were advising an up-and-coming young LB, would you recommend Arsenal to back-up Tierney?
It’s a potential career dampener. That’s why the likes of Tyrick Mitchel will never come as back-up.
Kane tells Spurs he wants to leave, City, United, and Chelsea have all been in touch to register their interest.
I remember when a certain poster claimed he’d never move to top side and certainly for no more than 40 mil.
Marc
I think overvaluing our players will be a recurring theme over the coming summer. It’s not like we don’t have recent history to guide us, with Sokratis, Kolasinac and Ozil all unmovable last summer.
This summer might be even worse. Many clubs have eaten through their cash reserves and we’re sitting on a pile of players who have either a questionable or no future at the club and with contracts running down.
Captain T
Can this Berge of Sheffield play?
CG
Dissenter has the Nordic market covered, ask him.
Captain Tierney
Lee Buchanan at derby, Omar Richards at reading and Rico Henry at brentford all can be had for under 8 mil I think. We are just too lazy to do that. A good championship player can become a decent back up. We got holding for 2 mil back in the day. And he is a solid player. You can’t justify Bertrand with his performances this season. And he is 31. He has been crap for Southampton all year. There is no reason we can’t get a 5 mil backup LB who is young from the championship.
AFC
Arsenal players who fall into being Arteta’s:
Leno, Runnerson, Ryan
Tierney, Soares
Gabriel, Luiz, Mari, Chambers
Partey, Xhaka, Ceballos, Ode
Saka, Willlian, Laca & Auba
That’s 17 players if you want to drop 1 out I’ll just add in ESR as the Arteta lovers will soon be claiming that Arteta is behind his development. That’s more than enough players earning a shit load of cash to do better than 9th.
Kane had asked to leave that’s great
Dissenter
The only downside to having a fantastic left-back in Tierney is that a young, talented back-up will be hard to recruit. We don’t have an internal back-up as Joel Lopez is still too raw and questionable defensively. Bola is a bust.
In this instance, it’s hard to see past a Bertrand-type solution.
Charlie
“‘CG Dissenter has the Nordic market covered, ask him””‘
Dissenter, can this Berge of Sheffield play?
bac
People constantly ask why other clubs can unload players and we can’t. It’s pretty simple when Liverpool (for example) unload a squad player he’s not earning over £100k per week. We’ve had so many players on just crazy money whether it’s Ozil on £350k per week or Kolas on £100k per week.
How many players in Germany who don’t play for Munich earn over £100k per week?
Serge
Official?
I can understand Kane wanting to leave but why on earth would this come out now while they are still competing for a place in Europe? I love it, of course.