Well good morning my darlings.
Transfer window isn’t even a month old and it’s already dragging.
Where are my players?
Where are the sales?
Why are we still arguing about William Saliba?
Non-Arsenal news is that away goals are going to be abolished next season. We’re back to extra time and penalties, which certainly makes things a little more exciting… but it’s still quite an excessive way to settle a game in an industry that brutalises the bodies of the players. I don’t have a better solution though, unless they were thinking of bringing back MLS penalties from the 90s?
The transfer rumour mill has well and truly dried up. The most uninteresting story was that William Saliba might go out on loan or be sold. The fuss created over a 20-year-old defender being created is truly baffling. Until a decision is made, we should all just take a valium and calm down. The best he can hope for next season is that we make him part of the 5 or so centre-backs that we’ll keep at the club. That is absolutely standard at the level of football we’re trying to move towards. If the player was sensible, he might take a move to a Premier League club if one is interested. Get some ENGUUURLAND in the legs, learn the language, make mistakes on someone else’s dime, come back fighting in January.
Big clubs don’t take chances on 20-year-old center-backs. Big Weng, a hero for the youth 2006 onwards, did not play 20-year-old centre-backs. In fact, when he joined Arsenal, one of the biggest assets he had was a robust, extremely experienced back 5. He didn’t really deviate that wildly from that idea in his second coming. He added Sol Campbell, Lauren, and Kolo Toure. Ashley Cole was his one youth sensation through that period and by all accounts, he was a dodgy passport away from being sold to Crystal Palace.
If William Saliba wants to make it at Arsenal, he’s going to have to fight, and there should be no fear about him having someone ahead of him… because if he’s good enough, he’ll play.
If he goes out on loan to a Premier League, that’s also good news, because he’ll get loads of game time, develop his Premier League grit, and come back a powerhouse next season.
Ben White, according to Ornstein, is moving closer to Arsenal (released by Southampton followed by 3 loans). The players wants in and the club is close on the fee. The move is a big gamble from Arsenal. He’s coming with an English tax and just one season of Premier League football. I suspect Arteta sees a bit of John Stones in him, a classy centre-back that has only just come into his own at 26 years old.
As a part one signing, you can’t knock the ambition. We need a ball player, we have one. He’s young, he’s played under two of the most intelligent coaches in the league and earned a promotion and a player of the season award. If you didn’t have the baggage of Arsenal pissing money up the wall, you’d be pretty thrilled at this sort of move because it’s bold.
There’s likely still a way to go on rebuilding the defence. We need to think out the crop of players because there’s too many names there. We need a right back and we’ll likely need a keeper. Integrating potentially 3 new first-teamers next season will be tricky, so there’s a lot of risk in fixing something that isn’t broke by Arsenal standards.
Again, I cannot say it enough, Edu needs to ramp up the signings because a settled squad before preseason is going to be essential to a fast start. Also, it’s a great thing that we’re not in Europe, the week off for coaching could be golden this season.
Minor stories:
- Torreira to Lazio
- Hector to Inter Milan
- Xhaka close to Roma
- Patino lands Saka’s old squad number
- Both Gabriel’s could go to the Olympics
RIGHT, that’s all I have. Listen to the podcast.
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Can’t understand it at all. We have two very good young centre halves in Saliba and Mavropanos. With any progressive club that knew how to read and coach a player they would both be starters. Instead it is being reported that we are about to drop 50 million on Ben White who has had one pretty decent season only in his career. Saliba and Mavropanos meanwhile will not be coming back. Mavro stays another year with Stuggart for half a million and they are delighted to be getting him.back. So they are paying 100 times less than we will pay… Read more »
Terraloon
Please don’t confuse debt taken out by Kroenke and KSE with what Arsenal Group PLC
or Arsenal Football Club Limited owe.
The Bond repayment was not paid by Arsenal and any overdraft debt will be factored
into the profit and loss account of Arsenal.
The only figures which matter are the published debts owed by the company and the profit
and loss account published by Arsenal and approved by the Auditors.
Habesha
“ The Transfer of Ben white is opposed because of two things.
1. We don’t need another CB.
2. He is way overpriced. “
The transfer of Ben is like priapism. The pain will drive you into any rathole.
Aptly so is the Inferiority Complex of Arteta which drives him towards any mad attainable exercise to ensure dominance over Saliba who apparently questioned his methods. That schizoid individual will go to any extent to obtain dominance.
Sicko who we are saddled with. His only grace is exudes sexiness , so has his 5 acolytes.
I wonder how many clubs above Arsenal will be spending $50 million on Ben White. Probably none. I wonder why Arsenal can’t give Saliba, a £27 million player, even 10 games. Because he’s 20? Is he worse than Mustafi who got games? Or Mustafi deserves game time because he’s older? I wonder what Pedro would be saying if Spurs are buying White for £50 million. How much wages do you think a £50 million player will take? Definitely not £50K per week. So we’re spending over £70 million on this player in the next few years? Makes no sense at… Read more »
Antonio Rudiger was antagonized at Chelsea by Frank Lampard and was most probably gonna be sold . Look at how Tuchel managed that , and Rudiger turned around his season and won CL.
Stroller, I have no more information than you do on who is owed what from previous transfers. What I do know is that I trust an expert in football finance far more than I do you who as I say knows as much as I do – i.e. next to nothing, about these matters.
It is okay to admit that you might be wrong on this one you know, it isn’t going to kill you.
Wasting 100 million on Ben White and Calvert Lewin would see us out of the CL for the foreseeable future.
ES See here’s the point the accounts are so out of date we have a no idea how much extra debt has been loaded onArsenal FC. I don’t know nor do you. That said the fact that Barclays have taking so much security suggests that it’s the club owe far more than they did pre COVID. The Bond repayment was made by Arsenal the monies for that came from loans either from KSE or from commercial sources again until we see the 31/5/2021 and accounts we have no idea what the arrangements were or are. As for me mixing up… Read more »
Arsnil
””””””’Can’t understand it at all. We have two very good young centre halves in Saliba and Mavropanos”””””
give these x 2 nuggets x 2 weeks of training with GG and TA and they would be potential world beaters.
No genuine candidates? Like Saliba who plays in the same position? Give me strength!
it is rare indeed for any player purchases to be made with a single ‘one off’ payment up front.
Barca and RM were the original masters and often spread their purchase payments over several years – AFC sold several players to Barca and were always paid with several instalments.
andy 1886 Bluntly I don’t trust any so-called football expert when it comes to talking about a Club’s finances. The only finances and opinions I take seriously are those of the Club’s auditors who prepare the club’s published accounts and which are on “Public Record”. However, there is one expert whose opinion I do value and that is Swiss Ramble who has published frequently reports on football clubs including Arsenal. What I do know is that if Arsenal were building up debt on their transfer business in the fashion that you suggest it would be brought to attention of UEFA… Read more »
“Pepe 72m, Auba 57m, Lacazette 48m, Ozil 42m, Xhaka 40m player, Mustafi 37m, Mkhitaryan 30m, Torreira 27m, Saliba 27m and you can add Partey 45m and Gabriel 24m. How did none of them improve under Arteta? Not a single one of them (maybe Pepe but that’s in spite of Arteta). Just the opposite, most of them regressed badly.“
If you ever needed evidence of the clear agenda at work look no further.
What a fucking comment.
Rudiger is a perfect example.
Otamendi was the defender with most starts in City’s 100 pt total in 2017/18 with 5 MotM performances in the process.
Victor Moses, Gary Cahill and David Luiz were all main players in Conte’s title winning season.
Henderson, Robertson, Trent, Joe Gomez were nowhere near high end players before Klopp made them and won everything with them.
All of these players played the best football in their careers under those managers.
Who has Arteta developed to play better than before?
Pedro used to say Mustafi and Xhaka. It didn’t age well did it.
Rich, How are things? I hope all is well. Apologies for the late reply,one of my kids thinks that my phone is his own personal amusement arcade. I enjoyed your post as always, I keep coming away from what you write feeling that you have influenced me in some way though I’m not always sure how . You would be a great debater I think. I still don’t agree with you but that’s the challenge in reading your opinions! I’ll try to reply to you but if i ignore a point you’ve made or have misinterpreted something you’ve said please… Read more »
Said it yesterday but worth a revisit how is this club selling Mavro at those numbers,
what am I missing?
I watched a fair amount of Stuttgart this season and it just doesn’t add up. Perfect metaphor for current Arsenal selling one CB well under his value and bidding for another at what most would agree over his value.
Fully backing a summer of madness but can’t help but think what someone with a better plan would do with those funds. .
I have just referred to Swiss Ramble’s most recent financial report on Arsenal published in
March 2021.
He attributes most of Arsenal’s annual loss for the Financial year 2019-20 to Covid and TV
Revenues. He points out that our Commercial Revenues rose by more than £30 million.
His overview was that but for Covid and its financial consequences Arsenal might actually
have made a profit in that financial year.
There is too much doom and gloom about Arsenal’s finances. Most other clubs are in the same boat as ourselves.
CC,
Tell me how can other managers reignite the careers of players like Rudiger, Otamendi, Moses, Cahill, Luiz and Henderson, make them play the best football in their lives and win titles with each of them starting over 30 EPL games, yet Arteta can’t do the same with Mustafi, Xhaka, Laca, Ozil, Mikki, Torreira, Pepe even Aubameyang has regressed?
I’m not asking that he elevates all of these players, just 1 would do. Sadly, he can’t, so he’d rather say he needs 5-6 players when he already brought Partey, Gabriel and Willian.
Top class managing right there.
ES I would be surprised if you can name any. What you should not confuse are “additions” based on perfomance or numbers of games played. That may well be excluded from the amortisation of transfers. The accounts show two different sums in respect of monies already contractually obliged to pay. Here’s what is said in respect of monies still owed “Other creditors, above and as disclosed in note 16, include £153.6 million (2019 £76.7 million in respect of player transfers.” There isn’t enough detail in the accounts to determine which transfers there is still money owing on but the growth… Read more »
ES
The Swiss Rambler doesn’t say anything of the sort
Here’s what he said
Excluding COVID, #AFC revenue would have been £54m higher, as £34m broadcasting deferred to 2020/21 and £20m lost (match day £14m, commercial/TV £6m). Offset by £19m cost savings, including player wages cut, giving net £35m impact. However, would still have made a £19m loss.
ES,
The losses are not just for the last two years.
In previous years, the club made operational losses that were covered by the players sales and exceptional revenue such as property sale.
Operational losses can be temporary covered by exceptional revenue or by the owner covering them (Chelsea, ManCity, PSG, …), but if the goal is to be financially self sufficient that showed that the club were heading in the wrong direction way before the last two years.
Raptora
I’d rather take a shit in my hands and clap, Arteta-out has become a personality trait you wear on here.
It’s nauseating to see every single post full of contempt, ‘Pepe has improved in spite of Arteta’, ‘Saka has improved as he would’ve regardless of Arteta’, there’s nothing objective about you at all.
Plenty of posters share critical views of Arteta and matters relating to Arsenal, but none provide the one-sided bullshit you do day in and day out.
Okay, I know you’re a lost cause.
If you tell me that Arteta developed Pepe, by giving his minutes to Willian who he brought to take Pepe’s place and by benching Pepe after he was scoring goals, and Saka, who Emery was already playing game in game out, then you are surely taking the piss.
It’s to be expected that you don’t say anything about the older players, that he gifted away, when other managers win titles with such declining players.
Good to see you have no answers. To be expected.
ES,
I don’t know where you got the idea that Arsenal pays its transfer fees within two years. That has never been the case and the increase of debt show that it is not the case.
The increase in football debt following the flurry of transfer activity shows that it is the source of the debt. Even Swiss Ramble that you quote wrote extensively about it.
This is the preferred method of payment because it allows to make the installment payment amounts match the accounting amortisation.
Raptora
There are no answers for a person like you, you’re looking for an opportunity to argue against and reiterate your opinions. Like I’ve said, I’d rather have a wank with a scouring pad than indulge the level of contempt you show daily.
Saka could go on to win the Ballon D’or and you’d still circle back to him getting his debut off Emery who takes credit with the rest of his career just ‘happening’. That’s the level you operate, and you talk about lost causes? Comical.
“I am one of the few who DO expect Auba gone, and for the reasons you have given. Arteta is replacing the old and past it with the the young and vigorous. Auba is vastly overpaid and somewhat inflexible in style.“ Englandsbest, is this the same Auba whom Arteta convinced to re-sign by telling him “he could go to other clubs to win more trophies , or stay at Arsenal and build a legacy”? I expect Arteta the manager might’ve had something to do with the decision to make Auba “vastly overpaid” as well. So a year ago Auba was… Read more »
Saliba off to the Olympics, misses pre-season and the start of the PL campaign.
You know you lot are having the same conversation over and over again for the last 5 days
The same 20 or so people saying the same thing over and over
Especially the guys with nothing absolutely nothing good to say about anything to do with the club
Mr Serge
You’re right I’d say but the alternative of having the same conversation with myself over and over would see me locked up I fear.
Almunia Nice thought provoking reply as always, you absolutely nailed my parenting style, I encourage my kids to take as many chances as possible, then try and arm them with the confidence and resilience levels needed to bounce back quickly when they get things wrong, as young people inevitably do I was saying at the start of the season that not having attacking midfielders would hurt us, and I think it was CC and Pedro who were also making that case, so I wasn’t at all surprised that we did better when Smith-Rowe + Odegaard came into the team You’re… Read more »
Saka would’ve and will become a star even with Remi Garde at the helm.
AlmuniasaynomoreJune 25, 2021 15:00:21
Mr Serge
You’re right I’d say but the alternative of having the same conversation with myself over and over would see me locked up I fear
So true lol
“You’re living in fantasy land of you think a manager/coach can just coach someone into a top player. If it’s so easy then why, for example, is Klopp signing van Dijk after 18 months in charge” VVD was one of the few missing pieces Klopp needed to get over the line. Getting stupid money for Coutinho from Barca ($150m) made it possible to spend over the odds and market valuation and bring VVD to Anfield, with Alisson to follow. Also, when you say “after 18 months” —which is technically correct, do you actually mean 28 months —which is the exact… Read more »
“Don’t be fooled by YouTube video.
Ben White is a decent CB, but pace and defending 1v1 are not his strength”
Lies from the pit hell.
It becomes disturbing when posters go to weird length to rubbish a specific target.
Rich, Odegaard isn’t coming as of couple of days ago. At least that’s the situation at the moment. He said Real Madrid were clear that they want him there and he says that was always the goal for him. We need to look elsewhere if we’re going to spend money on a AM, and by bidding for Buendia, undisputedly waiting for Odegaard’s RM situation to resolve and the rumours around Maddison, it looks like we are on the market for that offensive player. The sooner we concentrate our efforts on the next player in line, after Odegaard and Buendia, the… Read more »
“Saliba off to the Olympics, misses pre-season and the start of the PL campaign.“
So it all makes sense now.
Arteta knew all along Saliba couldn’t be counted on because of the Olympics and that’s why he’s getting White.
Nothing to do with him not rating Saliba then. That’s a relief.
“The only finances and opinions I take seriously are those of the Club’s auditors who prepare
the club’s published accounts and which are on “Public Record”.
Thanks Terra, so the accounts that ES takes note of state that:
“Other creditors, above and as disclosed in note 16, include £153.6 million (2019 £76.7 million in respect of player transfers.”
Which is exactly what I suggested originally.
Case closed as they say.
Saliba has been called to the France Olympic squad along with Camavinga and all the other exciting French talent.
At least someone appreciates his talent.
Saliba to play in the Olympics with Eduardo Camavinga.
There goes our chance of signing him.
Funny how Martinez almost certainly didn’t have a good word to say for us as Buendia joined him in Villa.
Funny how Saliba refers Arsenal as being “locked up”.
Yet many believe Arteta is a huge pull.
Rich, For the record I think your philosophy is the better one, now more than ever our kids need to be taught to fish rather than given the fish to paraphrase that old axiom. But when I see the big mistakes coming I can’t stop myself intervening,it’s a weakness I know, I’m working on it. I am actually optimistic enough about the playing squad, I really think a couple of quality signings would make a huge difference. But I don’t have any faith in Arteta and I can’t separate those two things when I look to the future. Either you… Read more »
What I don’t get is how Aston Villa offer £25M for ESR and we’re told £40M-£50M is the EPL premium price for Ben White
By that logic, the EPL premium for ESR must be c. £60M?
I know they’re dicking about, but still…
Raptora:
None of the good guys have left or are seeking to leave, just the ones we all want gone… so he could be doing something right, for all we know
Le Grove factions crack me the fuck up.
Raporta: He’s not going to tell his mate to go to his old club, when he has a chance to play with him at his present club is he!
What with two Le Grove favs — Emi and Buendia — Villa should walk the league next season, or at least be way ahead of us
Would be funny only if it wasn’t the case that that is precisely what some of the anti-Arsenal bunch on here crave
Raptora
Perez just said that Madrid have 35 players, is speaking to the agents of Odegaard, Ceballos, Kubo
Odegaard apparently wants to join us, he’s our top target, and Madrid look like they might be open to sell
I think this one could happen pretty quickly, realistically he’d be my top target for this summer, I like Maddison, but Odegaard would be my preference
We need to start getting players out that door quickly though, before we checkmate ourselves
I can’t get enough of the holding jokes today, during the round on reddit.
Some of my favourites were,
We should not be holding on to him
Can he play in the holding position?
This guy has been holding his hairline since 2014
Almunia, I like your comments but I get put off by very, very long paragraphs. Any chance of an edit before posting?
CC, thanks for the scouring pad imagery…made me laugh!
KT signs extension….brilliant news.
NEW POST
Bob great news indeed it keeps coming let’s get some more signings
Christ Bob, you want an edited version, my wife wants me to go for longer,the pressure!!
Bravo Almuniasaynomore
Ben White looks 6’2″ to me. Why are people saying he’s 5’11”? Definitely looks tall to me. Sorry if someone had addressed this.
Sorry Pedro but this is one pathetic post. You are bigging White, a player who has had one good season in his life. Bigging him because our club in a completely delusional manner are about to drop fifty million on him. Yet we have Saliba on our books for two years now and not a look in and yet we dropped big money on him too. But the greatest travesty has been Mavropanos, after an excellent season in the Bundesliga and now an international and what do we do, we loan him out again to a delighted Stuggart for half… Read more »
I like the look of B.White, he is the same mould as KT. we need that in our team and the same goes
for Camavinga .. he excites and makes things happen
Busy week so I am still catching up on the comments. Some great posts yesterday guys.
Big shout out to China! Totally schooled Pedro, with calm concise and simply put truths and logic that literally have no comebacks from the usual suspects. Total tumbleweed 😂.
Don’t worry China we all hear you 👏👏
2nd shout out to Almuniasaynomore , Great post yesterday and you get extra props for having the conviction to come out and express the inner you. 👏
Welcome to the Dark side..😂
We have amazing fans who appear so accommodating, positive, yet forgetful, on here … recall any of the following discussed here? * poor/ irresponsible financial management especially with owners loading clubs with huge debts for whatever causes * mid table teams paid over the odds for mediocre English players, top teams too * we had more cash than rest of the PL clubs put together… * complained about the lack of astute football people in management and Board since DD was ousted… * most other clubs play boring football…we at least have beautiful attacking football in our recent history and… Read more »
*interesting *
I think positive is having a can do attitude. I believe,
not hope, Arsenal would become great again and pick up the PL trophy… just that it’s not under the leadership and management of this trio.
There’s a fine line between being positive and wishful thinking, or supporting every decision the club /incumbents make , regardless, and just say “why not”, “let’s give it a go” etc and hope for the best…
*and* hope
*not*
@Batistuita “Where is the caoching too? That was what was sold as one of the managers key strengths, isn’t it supposed to come in handy in times like this. You’ve just had tow young defenders who are coning off quite successful loan spells at good clubs in a good league so how about working on whatever kinks they may come back with and give them an actual chance ” This!!! Excellent point, that’s what a smart manager would do. Funny how none of our so called Me Grove experts ( Pedro especially !!) have been able to suggest this as… Read more »
.Mark
Which calls for the question, should we not upgrade the DoF and manager if they appear incapable of doing the obvious… especially durimg difficult times
Again, if rumour mills are true, Arteta has already been found out… trying the only thing he managed to learn from Pep …that is, buying his way to heaven