THE TWO WAYS ARSENAL WILL PLOT TRANSFERS THIS SUMMER

by .

There are a few ways Arsenal could take their transfer strategy this summer. They could go for a soft landing summer, where they pick-up players from the Premier League, or they could go for a harder landing, where they raid Europe for bargains.

Both of these offerings comes with pro and cons.

Soft Landing

The Premier League approach is basically a twist on what we’ve been doing for the last 5 years. The thinking would be centred on the exciting reality that we’re finally going to bin off some big senior names that don’t cut it over here. However you cut it, those players do an ok job and they’ll be difficult to replace for a number of reasons. The biggest thing they understand is how to operate in the league. They speak English, they have the stomach for the food, and they know how to manage their bodies.

Thomas Partey, one of the best in the business at his role, and one of the fittest came to the Premier League and spent more weeks out than at any time in his career. Why? Likely some bad luck, but also, we have the fastest and busiest elite league in the world. It took time for him to adapt. That cost Arsenal.

The thinking with a soft landing summer will be geared around having a fast start next season. This is a sort of short-termism that makes sense if you look at it from our football leadership’s perspective. Arteta gets pelters whatever he does, if he loses the opening three games because players haven’t adapted, he’s going to have Youtube channels calling for his head. Signing talent like Yves Bissouma or Reuben Neves reduces the chance of a hard landing. They know the league, they’re young, they’ll be additive from day one.

There are negatives with this approach. We’re not going to be picking off the best Premier League players. We’re not in the running for Jack Grealish. The players we’ll fancy will come with a fat price-tag and no guarantee of elite-level success. We’ll also not be top of the queue for talent outside the top 6 clubs.

It’s also clear we’ve been doing this sort of thing but in Europe for the last 4 years. Mustafi, Auba, Xhaka, Kola… it hasn’t worked. If you can’t take the cream from the Premier League, is it worth it?

Hard Landing

This approach is one that is dominating the links in the press at the moment. European football is in deep, deep shit at the minute. The pandemic wrecked the fragile finances of clubs that were badly run. These troubled clubs are successful on the pitch, look at Lille, they won the league and they’ve already lost their manager and they have clubs lining up to pick at the carcass.

This approach to transfers would be more focused on taking the very best young talents from around Europe at cut-prices while we can. If the transfer market was the housing market, this approach is going to distress buyer auctions with a bag of money and seeing if there’s a bargain to be had.

This is kind of what Arsene Wenger built his legacy on. Identifying value in markets that are weak, taking punts on low-risk, high-reward talent, whilst reducing the risk with elite coaching.

Onana, the 25-year-old keeper from Cameroon fits the bill here. He has 1 year left to go on his deal, he’s played in the Champions League, he’s an international, he’s cut-price because of the doping issue. There’s baggage there… a little bit like there was Nwankwo Kanu, but if it pays off, it’s a genius piece of business.

Same with the right-back situation. Do you spend £30m on Max Arons, who is a very good player, or do you take a chance on 24-year-old Zeki Çelik who just won Ligue 1 with Lille? One will likely be a lot cheaper. Both have about the same chance of succeeding.

We all know the objectives this summer.

  • Reduce errors in the system
  • Improve our work in the final third

There’s a financial issue at stake as well.

  • Create a functioning transfer ecosystem

Why are we failing financially when it feels like we don’t spend money? Because we are absolutely terrible at selling players.

If KSE are putting that Barclays loan towards players this summer, it cannot be used simply to ‘get us higher in the table’… that money has to come with strings. My strings I’d be asking Edu for?

GIVE ME PLAYERS I CAN SELL

If you sign Jack Grealish, you land yourself a player who really does move you up a level, but you don’t solve a business problem. That’s why he’ll end up at a club like City or United who don’t worry about business problems.

Arsenal needs to be sharper than that. If we’re signing creators, we really need to think about the potential value as well as what they can offer the team in the ‘now.’ It’s a fine balance to strike, but where are you getting more value from? Ruben Neves for £35m or Albert Sambi Lokonga for £12m? I can’t answer the scouting question, but the potential of Lokonga is that he could be a £40m player, and that for me is where the smart money is. Arsenal have not operated with much intelligence over the past 10 year, but maybe, just maybe, the clubs sees the way Liverpool operates and takes a touch of inspiration.

Clubs like Arsenal move back to the big time by taking lots of low-risk / high-reward signings. The benefits are obvious. But when you sign sharply like this, at worse, you break even when you come to sell. At best, you create a star that funds the next batch of uncut gems.

So how will the summer shape up? I have no idea. I suspect there might be a blend of both approaches, but the good news is the players we’re being linked with so far seem very, very smart.

Let’s see if Arsenal can finally deliver. It’s about time.

314 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mr Serge

Danny Amn played cm for wba and by the end of the loan fat Sam moved him to RB he is not good enough to play where he wants
He needs to go

englandsbest

I hope Arteta tries to most of the younger players – inc AMN, Willock, Nketiah – a huge boost to team spirit. Of course, the decision is theirs as well as his. Most important, they must WANT to stay.

Mr Serge

Willock saka and ESR must stay amn is done some don’t make it he is one of those

Bob N16

Rich,

Luis Campos stories seem to point towards Real Madrid, how much chance do we have?

Leftside

Window opens next Wednesday, the hope is that we get our business done early. We need no excuses next year, just results.

Pierre

How about first deciding what Arteta’s football philosophy is, and then sell the players who don’t fit that philosophy and bring in players who fit his football philosophy, and then we might see some progression.. If it’s about high energy , high intensity with a high press then keep the players who have the energy , hunger and desire to play that way. Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Balogun , Nketiah, Willock, Guendouzi. AMN. If it’s more possession based football , then keep the players who play a low risk game to keep possession . Willian, Xhaka, Elneny , Lacazette, Odegaard If… Read more »

Ishola70

These European Championships coming up unfortunately don’t really hit the mark.

And they don’t hit the mark because of the fact that there isn’t one host nation.

Host nation is a great part of a tournament. It’s what gives a tournement it’s identity.

And this decision was made years go pre-covid to “celebrate” some anniversary of the competition. Celebrate by taking away a key aspect of it.

Platini the fool was behind the decision.

This would have been done even if covid had not shown it’s ugly face in the world.

raptora

I read that Aston Villa are going for Smith-Rowe and Buendia. Imagine.

China1

Lol Aston villa trying to do what arsenal should be trying to do

What is going on

Foxy

Raptora – some really lazy speculative Journalism there basically saying we might buy another no 10 so Villa may then bid for ESR. But we sold our best Goalie to Villa so who knows!

Foxy

Pierre – my worry is that Arteta’s philosophy whatever it is will be flawed as he has no real world management experience outside the last 18 months.

Rich

Bob N16

I have no idea, maybe he’d get more freedom to work at Arsenal

If true?

At least it shows a desire internally to put in someone with a proven track record of constructing winning structures

Someone who adds value in the transfer market, rather than subtracting it

Ishola70

I know in the past we have had more than one nation holding major tournaments but that was more palatable because it was neighbouring countries but even that was veering away.

raptora

If they cash in on Grealish, which I don’t expect to happen, they’ll need to make a couple of transfers to stay competitive and also to appease their fans.

Ishola70

So Aston Villa will sell Grealish and parade Smith Rowe as his replacement will they?

I have a lot of time for Smith Rowe like others but he isn’t in the higher bracket just yet. To do that he would have to consistently perform over a whole season and put up big numbers along with his performances.

Left Testicle

I know I’m in the minority but I really can’t see what all the fuss is about with Grealish. On top of that he is bloody annoying with looking for fouls all the time. Refs are getting wise to it. He constantly drags a leg hoping to get contact and goes down with minimal, or no contact at all. Then looks up at the ref with that squinny look.

He is another Jack Wilshere. Spends more time out injured as he holds on to the ball for too long and invites the tackle. Bloody frustrating.

Sid

AMN going on loan to a fat Sam side is similar to Gnabry on loan to a Tony Pulis side.
The positive to it is that AMN has desire to prove himself unlike Nelson who decided to stay.

Left Testicle

I prefer James Madison and Smith Rowe over Grealish.

Ishola70

Left Testicle

Grealish plays like he is on copacabana beach.

And yes his style is very much like Wilshere which entails losing the ball as well.

Fans love him because of the dribbling aspect and he can pick a pass as well.

But they absolutely love the dribbling aspect.

Sid

Grealish makes a great poster boy, thats the reason for all the fuss

Mr Serge

Raporta it’s lazy journalism from the metro ESR has 2 years left on his 20k a week contract they will give him a new one he is on double what Saka is on

Mr Serge

Sid are you comparing AMN to Gnabry ?

Sid

Im comparing fat sam to pulis

Rich

Grealish is a brilliant player, he’s a joy to watch, but he’s one of the most fouled players in Europe, and his shin injuries are a concern

Makes more sense to spend a combined £80million and £200k p/w on Buendia + Odegaard

Than it does to spend £80 million and £200k p/w on 1 player

Mr Serge

Sid if Amn knuckles down and plays where asked find but he thinks he is the new Gilberto

Nelson

I like Grealish. He is light footed and runs like a horse. He expects to get tripped and falls. I think he can survive all the fouls like Eden Hazard.

Sid

AMN just needs a chance like Coquelin,

Havyn

Buendia yes Odegaad no
Odegaard slows down our games and don’t score enough
ESR is better than Odegaad

CG

Pierre ””””How about first deciding what Arteta’s football philosophy is,?””””””” We do know: That William was his marquee signing for 3 years , so he clearly wanted to build a team around him. Round is his no 2. who has worked extensively with Moyes. And he seems to imitate Pep’s dress sense and demeanour. And he likes the plodders Elneny, Cebollas, Holding, Xhaka etc (I would love someone to explain it to me- after 18 months, we should have some idea.) Maybe the reason he harangues the players for 90 minutes from the touchlines is to give the impression he… Read more »

China1

Rich why would you buy 2 AMs when we also already have ESR?

Words on a blog

This is shaping up to becoming another groundhog transfer window for Arsenal.

Le Grove posters busy compiling lists for who should come in or go out. Of course the usual disputes about players ensue.

Journalists and Twitter warriors even busier with even longer and more implausible lists of names.

Meanwhile, out in the real world, nothing happens. No movement whatsoever.

Spurs get Conte. We get cunted.

Valentin

Mr Serge, It is lazy journalist from the Metro, but they are just regurgitating what others have reported before. Aston Villa needs another CAM as they choose against buying Ross Barkley. ESR is their preferred choice as he is young, good on the ball, accelerates play, is English and has Premiership experience. As ESR has only two years left, the club has to start negotiating now, but Arteta wants Ødegaard, so his sale could partly fund his purchase. Aston Villa just to be able to pounce on the possibility. Regarding Buendia, they have seen the impact that Grealish injury caused… Read more »

Ishola70

China1
“why would you buy 2 AMs when we also already have ESR?”

Cos it’s all about attackers.

Havyn

The Board should be looking at getting rid of Arteta and Edu and bringing in Conte

With the players available this season, placing 8 in the league was bad enough

Edu and Arteta only recruits retiring players and give them fat wages and are not interested in developing the players we have. MA just kept on playing Auba and rarely considered Martinelli. He also pushed ESR to the left when he brought in Odegaard thus hampering the development of ESR as number 10.

Nelson

Compos is free. We have to get him. That would be a game changer.

Pierre

I like Grealish a lot but I have a feeling he won’t make England’s starting line up for the euros … You have to remember that Southgate used to play whatsisname in midfield…let me Google it ….got it ….jake Livermore when he first took the job. Grealish is a bit of maverick, he does take too many touches at times but he is brave on the ball and commits defenders , a nightmare to play against I would imagine. Of course, it is all about balance on the pitch but if you have such talent as Kane, Grealish , Foden,… Read more »

Rich

China1

Depends on outgoings, but direct competition for places is healthy

If we can clear out Lacazette, Nketiah, Willian, Nelson, we could move Aubameyang central

Odegaard, Smith-Rowe
Buendia, Pepe
Saka, Martinelli
Aubameyang, Balogun

We could play with 2 x No8s in certain games, particularly at home

…………..Partey
…Odegaard Smith-Rowe
Buendia…………….Saka
………Aubameyang

Mr Serge

Valentin you think we will sell ESR because he is more sellable than other players and he will partly fund the ODE transfer ? Lolooolol ffs

Havyn

Why is Arteta so much in for Odegaad when in actual fact he slows down our game and don’t score enough

The only players we should add to our midfield are Buendia and a defensive midfield to partner Partey

We don’t need Odegaard
This rookie manager will send us to relegation before he leaves

raptora

I liked us more with ESR than with Odegaard. By a lot. Slow tempo passing kills my brain.

Mr Serge

Havyn the point is we do not know who we are in for its all paper talk the window opens on June the 9th
We are all just speculating
Like us lol selling ESR to villa

Nelson

The last thing I heard, Odegaard wants to stay in Real and wants Erling Haaland to join him.

Nelson

How could all the EPL teams missed Jude Bellingham and let him joined Dortmund. Only 17 years old. On the other hand, Arteta would never trust him.

Mr Serge

Nelson and Bayern just bought a kid from reading as well
I don’t get it Bellingham should be at a premier league side

Sid

WOAB has an accurate assessment of what is in store for y’all

Dissenter

Words
“ Spurs get Conte. We get cunted”

Take a bow 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

Vickingz

If we are honestly in for odegard, it clearly shows that Arteta is suffering from player blindness. The havoc he wrecked all through the season, he hasn’t learned from it. Who uses odegard as 10 when you have ESR who by all account operates better in there than Ordegard.

Vickingz

No young player would favour Arteta over any other coaches, arteta has a thing against young players, especially the very good ones

Vickingz

Words from Aguero’s father is that we made contact with Aguero before he signed for Barcelona. How old is Aguero again please? 24? 25? 26? 27? 28? 29? Arteta clearly has hot pants for oldies

Gbat

We aren’t selling ESR.

I’d definitely take Odegaard if the deal is right. I like ESR a lot but Odegaard is currently a better player. And the data backs that up.

China1

Ode has the vision and technique to do very well at 10 but he seems to lack the confidence to take regular risks and make things happen

Is approach is to wait until the opening is there for him to exploit rather than be the catalyst to create the opening in the first place. With his passing ability he should be doing more of the latter and he’d become extremely dangerous

China1

Vicky arteta likes the game to be played slowly for some reason

Vickingz

@china1

When we play slowly especially at the midfield, it only gives the opponent to block the holes we should be exploiting. It is why I favour ESR over Ordegard, orfegard just wanna play safe, we don’t need that, we need our front 3 always being supplied, we need to be making split second decision when attacking, ordegard isn’t gonna do these. He’d rather slow the game down, hold unnecessarily and play most of his passes safely when we ain’t dangerously attacking

Nelson

If Arteta could get some of Marcelo Bielsa’s football to balance out his style, he would be a much better coach.

Habesha Gooner

Oh fuck off with the ESR to Aston villa rumors. I know we have struggled a lot recently but no player we want is joining Villa from us. I know we made a mistake in selling Martinez but that is just it. We wanted to sell. We are more likely to take grealish from them than them taking ESR from us. Anyway I am worried though they will get buendia. Arteta will wait for Odegaard while a genuine target that improves us moves to villa. That might happen. If we were serious we would press Madrid early and find out… Read more »

Habesha Gooner

Fucking hell Arteta never learns. Why chase an injury prone 30 something Aguero? That to me sounds like a manager who is scared to put in the time and coach yound strikers. Thank God he chose Barcelona. Arteta shouldn’t be allowed to make any signing over 27. Someone needs to manage this cunt.

Nelson

I like the way Saka receives the ball and glides forwards in one motion. Southgate describes it as a slippery eel. Ha! Ha!

Sid

Sterling, Aguero… what team are we now?

Sid

Luiz, willian…. last season

Odegaard, Ceballos…

Might as well try Kane and Son

Sid

We were supposed to be Dortmund 2.0

Loool

Ishola70

All lazy links now to Man City because of Arteta..

Just like some fans lazily think we play anything like Man City.

Shame that the club couldn’t find their own direction rather than being some underling Man City satelitte project.

Ishola70

Sid
“We were supposed to be Dortmund 2.0”

Man City Version 4.0

Left Testicle

That’s a good idea. Let’s add another body to our back room staff!

https://dailycannon.com/2021/06/arsenal-in-talks-with-luis-campos/

Leftside

Those quotes from the City owner in general and particularly about refreshing the team and improving even after winning the league and league cup this year is chalk and cheese from what our owners offer up. Our ambition is in the gutter, I don’t expect anything from the club outside of mediocrity.

Leftside

Makes you wonder, if we were going to model ourselves on City – at least let it be in ambition, improving the team and the will to win.

Marko

Don’t buy into the Campos rumours poor source in all honesty and I have a feeling he’ll end up at PSG cause they’re not too happy with Leonardo over there. That and at Arsenal we don’t hire really obviously talented people at management level who would move the needle for us for example we stick with bums like Arteta while Marco Rose, Galtier, Allegri and Conte are available/on the move elsewhere. Again very careful not to use the word rivals cause these teams aren’t our rivals anymore we lack ambition

Leftside

Yep, the honest truth is we are now a top 8 club (if that is a thing) and a good season is to get Europa League Footy, as long as we persist with the likes of Arteta and Edu (two guys on work experience at an alleged big club).

andy1886

Leftie, modelling yourself on someone else is a recipie for failure, see Barca-lite Wenger. It’s no good following a trend after everyone else, the idea is that if you’re clever you set the trend and counter what others are doing. Always late to the party, arriving as everyone else leaves. I thought Arteta had his own ideas, do you need to pay someone £5m a year to say ‘copy City’? Hardly generational stuff and totally impractical on our budget too.

Sid

Arsenal need Jesus, not Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus and Gabriel

Captain Tierney

Divine Amn has made clear he doesn’t want to play full back. He has made it pretty clear he is not happy being a rotational option (And I respect that). So there’s no more reason to keep him on anymore. He is not good enough to play CM for Arsenal and he is not happy being a backup FB. Keep in mind Arteta crafted a specialist RB role for AMN when he came and he started quite a few games in a row before getting completely binned for reportedly not wanting to play there. This was also the reason we… Read more »

Bertie Mee

Not all older players are transfer disasters .
Thiago Silva has done a great job for Chelsea
But you need to know the player , their attitude and their fitness level
Agree that Campos would be a massive signing ( bet Pedro does too) but that suggests we would need to cull Edu .

Words on a blog

Sid,

Jesus and Gabriel made a joint bid for Arsenal, for £3 billion with automatic access to Heaven, but the Kroenkes are refusing to sell.

Sid

The Kroenkes can tell the tactics of a shoplifter, they own walmart after all.

Dissenter

Arsenal are coming to Florida at the end of July to take part in the “Florida cup”

Leftside

Andy, I agree and that’s my point, we need to create our own path to find success. There’s different ethos at different clubs, financial constraints among other things. The only things I would copy from other big clubs is having the ambition to compete at the top of the game. Not just saying it, actually putting it into plan. With the managerial merry-go-round occurring in Europe, even if Arteta is well thought of at the club, we really should have been making a push for one of these managers who are far more likely to move the needle here than… Read more »

Marko

Good thing about Luis Campos is he would not suffer Arteta long and that’s a huge reason for getting him in but unfortunately it won’t happen

Pierre

Gbat
“I’d definitely take Odegaard if the deal is right. I like ESR a lot but Odegaard is currently a better player. And the data backs that up.”

I would suggest that if Odegaard was taken out of his preferred position and put on the wing , the data would be completely different.

As for who’s the better player, they both give you different things, one’s a risk taker when the opportunity arises and one isn’t.

S Asoa

Valentin As ESR has only two years left, the club has to start negotiating now, but Arteta wants Ødegaard, so his sale could partly fund his purchase. Aston Villa just to be able to pounce on the possibility “
Oedegard slows down the game to within comprehension of Arteta, so he can stay abreast to dictate his instructions. ESR movement is too quick for the Slow Stir Sauce, so naturally Arteta would gladly sacrifice ESR for Oedegard.

Vintage Gun

Smith Rowe to Villa aye?

Silly season has officially commenced

Nelson

KSE could gain instant fan approval if they install Luis-campos as DOF, demote Arteta as a coach only and move Edu as a south America scout. The club would gain back the credibility. Now we are competing with Villa to sign players..

Mr Serge

Smith Rowe to villa because he only has a 2 year deal left lolooolol ffs

Champagne Charlie

Posters actually eating up ESR to Villa stories, my word.

Gbat

Pierre

Even as a 10, Smith-Rowe spends a lot of his time drifting wide. Yes he’s more of a risk taker, but currently he’s a risk taker without much end product.
I know data only tells you so much but I was surprised at how poor his numbers were.

Vintage Gun

Smith Rowe ain’t going nowhere.

I thought it was bad enough Danny Mills advising Buendia to join Villa over us as Villa are now the bigger club!!!

Silly season really does get sillier by the summer

Mr Serge

Cc some the crazy ones lol

Rich

Smith-Rowe is 20, he hasn’t even completed a full season yet He’s not supposed to be the finished article Look at what Grealish, Fernandes, Maddison, De Bruyne, Silva, Buendia, Mount, we’re doing at 20, none of them were pulling up any trees Saka + Smith-Rowe are brilliant young players, but they need to be surrounded by players with similar characteristics + quality, who have a bit more experience Even Foden who’s the best young talent in the country, has been used sparingly in the league this season It’s not just physically we need to be careful with our younger players,… Read more »

Havyn

Pierre
Are you saying ‘the slow merchant’ Odegaard numbers are better than ESR?

Will take ESR over Odegaard any day except its Arteta who sees Odegaard as superior

Havyn

Rich
Remember a player called Messy?
He’s been in the Barca 11 since age 18
They’ve managed him excellently with a combination of food, rest and psychology. He rarely get sick or injured for long periods

Saka could be a generational kid and will form the future core of Arsenal with ESR, Willock. AZEEZ and the other boy called Kido or Kito

We need a groomer manager for them not Arteta who only has faith in oldies

Gonsterous

Havyn

I agree, looking at the stats, saka played more than 45 games in all comp this season. It would have been more if we had progressed in the FA cup.

Add to that he played over 30 games the season before and we are in breaking player territory.

Lad needs a good long rest, hopefully next season with us playing once a week, he is more fresh and sometimes given a break when we play the weaker teams.

Vintage Gun

‘@Havyn

I hear your saying but Messi isn’t the best example to use as opposition players can’t go in hard on Messi. The refs would make sure of that. Protected species due to his brilliance.

Can’t see our players being given the same

Dissenter

Kolasinac isn’t going to play another competitive game for Arsenal

He’s an Ozil-lite, any man that uses his fist to defend Ozil from knive totting thugs cannot be trusted.

I trust Arteta wont repeat the mistakes of the past, tell him to find a club to spend the last year of his contract. Arsenal will pay the balance of his wages.

Rich

Using the greatest player of a generation as an example, is a poor one

Messi is the exception, not the general rule, and even Messi was 21 before he exploded with 38 goals in 51 games

Before that

8 in 25
17 in 36
16 in 40

Decent numbers, but even Messi needed to play to progress

Messi was apparently on HGH for his growth hormone deficiency, which explains an awful lot

When Barca were questioned if he was still on it,, they apparently refused to comment…….

Guns of SF

Interesting about Campos…. this is the best gossip I am hearing so far.
A no brainer. The man is a genius.

Dissenter

The ESR to Vila rumors are the most absurd transfer window nonsense I’ve seen around

Since when did the Arsenal become the production factory for Villa

That lazy journo probably typed it up as he used the loo.

Sid

Yeah, theres no way Arsenal would sell top talent to Villa, a mid table club,

Sid

Anyway a player that chooses Villa over Arsenal is Not good enough

Marko

ESR for Graelish? You just know some Arsenal fans would potentially say no to that

Bob N16

The ESR to Villa story is a journo spending the Grealish money in advance on Buendia and ESR. It makes sense if your a Villa fan but Buendia I suspect would be happier coming to Arsenal and ESR’s agent is negotiating an improved contract for his client so this sort of story is par for the course.

Gonsterous

Marko

I would say no to that. In a way, I have a soft spot for the academy and I feel ESR along with Saka are Arsenal boys, something grealish is not.

Not saying I don’t want Grealish but not for a swap.