William Saliba has broken his silence after about 16 seconds. The French centre back has this to say on his loan move to Marseille.
“I don’t think I left for England too early. I don’t care about all that,”
“I chose OM because it is the right choice. I pushed to come here. We will see what will happen next season”
Remember when I told you players choose their loan deals? There you go. I think it’s like an employment law thing or something. Whatever, William made the decision he’d head back to France for the third time and I have to say, I think the decision is a bit meek.
If he was serious about a career in the Premier League, he’d have taken a move to Southampton or Newcastle, learned the language, acclimated to the cuisine, and developed his game. Instead, he opted to go back to a low-intensity league and deliver more of the same. Very, very odd.
The more worrying thing? Marseille, a club in dire straits financially (unless dealing with Arsenal), have made some centre back signings that might make you sweat if you are William.
- Luan Peres (26),
- Leonardo Balerdi (22)
- Micky van de Van (20) (strongly rumoured)
They already have Duje Caleta-Car and Alvaro Gonzalez on the books, though one might leave. Saliba has jumped out of a club with severe centre back congestion, into one that will have purchased three. There were already rumours that Sampaoli told Saliba he has things to work on and that he was concerned about his experience. I really, really hope he doesn’t end up sitting on the bench for 3 months, because you can be sure he’d have landed more minutes at Newcastle, who seem very happy to play younger players.
In other news, more of a general Arsenal gripe about some of the average opinion that goes around on the internet. Namely, anything Arsenal do is a joke, anything any other club does is a spectacular show of ambition.
We’ve had it with Ben White, who was a rip off because:
- We had our pants pulled down by Brighton
- There were bargains to be had in Europe
- People didn’t know about him
Then Spurs go out and sign Romero for £5m more, a player from a slower league, with a similar rise to prominence… and no one bats and eyelid.
Yesterday, the mask really slipped. People just want to complain for exposure even if there’s no statistical grounding in what they are saying. Aston Villa signed Danny Ings, out of the blue, for £30m.
‘Such ambition’
‘Proper striker’
‘This is how you do a summer’
Errrrr, what?
Let’s look at the ‘THINGS ARSENAL SHOULDN’T DO’ checkbox.
- 29 years old ✅
- Dirty injury record ✅
- Inconsistent performer ✅
- No better than what we have ✅
- Massive fee ✅
- Last year of their deal ✅
- Retirement vibes ✅
I honestly cannot fathom anyone thinking that this is a good deal, nor those same people saying the same things if Arsenal did that piece of business to replace Saka.
Here’s how he stacks against Lacazette.
Ings goals last 4 seasons:
- 13
- 25
- 8
- 2
Total: 48
Lacazette goals last 4 seasons:
- 17
- 12
- 19
- 17
Total: 65
Here’s how the assists work out over the same time period.
- Ings: 10
- Laca: 28
There’s a community of people with names like @SalsicciaGustosa14 that drop consistently horrendous football takes, and people lap them up because they are so, so dramatic. If you are reading those accounts and you are sad that we didn’t replace Lacazette with Ings, I need you to hand your digital equipment to a friend and we’ll GoFundYou to a football detox retreat.
‘Hi, my name is @CapelliLisci08, I’m here for my bad football opinions. Last week, I said Ings was… elite.’
As the afternoon wore on, the pivot shifted to… they get their business done early. Excuse me? The football season starts next Friday. Villa spent half the summer convincing their fans they were bringing ESR to their mottled rug to play with Grealish and Buendia. Now they’re having to pivot after selling a player more spectacular than a burger at 4 Charles Prime Rib (if you know you know). They haven’t had a textbook summer of greatness.
Anyway… back to football.
The challenge on Wesley Fofana was an absolute disgrace. I cannot believe some of the things that have gone on during preseason. To break a fellow professionals bone in any scenario is horrendous, to do it in what looked like a petulant retaliation in preseason? It’s unforgivable. Thankfully, it looks like just a break so it should be a clean recovery, regardless, this sort of action needs a punishment to match the crime.
The Arsenal transfer front doesn’t appear to have moved very far. Leicester have said no to the players we have on offer, though one would imagine our collection of centre backs might be more interesting to them now. I really hope there’s genuine intent for them to sell and that we have a deadline on this, because it’ll be messy if we don’t sign anyone.
There are a few ‘voices’ on the internet that no one has ever heard of talking about the Ramsdale deal, indicating the scouting has come from the keeping coach. Please… people have to stop believing every handle with more than 6 followers. If we’re interested in Ramsdale, it’ll be because the scouts have seen something they value for the system. Maybe it’s the passing, maybe it’s something interesting Wilder (who is an innovative coach) was doing… whatever it is, the recco won’t have come from the keeping coach. If you want further confirmation that Arsenal are doing things properly, take a read of what the agent of Ben White said.
‘The way he plays is very conducive with the way that Arsenal like to play, and it was very fascinating the attention to detail that Arsenal put into scouting the players that they are going to sign, whether that would be artificial attention, data analysis or video analysis… it’s all very impressive.’
There’s a vision for how the football should be played, a set profile of talent that makes that system work, and a list of players who fit. We’ve moved beyond ‘the keeping coach knows a guy’… thankfully. Sure, we’ll make mistakes, but at least it won’t be ‘bad advice from <super-agent>’
Right, that’s your lot. Jump into the latest podcast and enjoy it so much, you leave a 5* review and some money.
Mozi
How many Egyptian strikers tore up the league before Salah?
How many Uruguayan strikers tore up the league before Suarez?
It’s not the nationality but the players willingness to adapt
Pedro
It’s official now, confirmed by Barcelona FC.
https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1423341016455819271?s=19
Twitter handle confirming the news.
damn wonder how real that is
hard to picture
Barca are better off without Messi. The financial cost of keeping him is too much for any European club right now.
wow wow wow… who has the £64m a year for him?!
Not saying that Ben White isn’t an effective centre back but given the limited resources and in already having a CB in Saliba who’s an upgrade at this point on Luiz, it can be seen as a wasted investment to that extent.
OM would’ve been a very easy decision for Saliba, given that he’ll add to his experience with Champions League football and will make Arteta look like the plonker. Pedro too, once having to get real about it 💁🏽♂️
Thanks for taking the time out though to post a blog and have comments that make interesting reading :-]
OK. How many series A centre halves have tore up the Premier league? Fair point. But forlan.. and mido? Lol
PSG ane City the only two possible destinations. In case City turn to Messi, Kane just might get stuck at Spurs.
If we signed messi some folks would still be moaning
I dont care about Romero, Asto Villa or others teams. JUST BRING THAT CAM AND GK as soon as possible, we are 8 days away of the (Not that easy) start of the season and we will line up Elneny alongside Xhaka..
Our worries should be about that instead of Ings and Romero. Add to that we are re-negotiating contacts of 2 players that PUBLICLY STATE they want out of the club, Xhaka and Bellerin, plus keeping one that is extremely unhappy, wants out and doesnt care at all, yes you guessed it right, Willian.
Messi loves Miami so expect the MLS to jump right in.
sunday or monday juve meets w locatellis agent for final round etc. fingers crossed hard on this one. the one thing we know is sassuolo need to sell.
Dissenter
Barca are not better off Messi. What the hell ! He is the reason Barca even qualified for CL. Barca without Messi right now probably worse than Leicester.
reckon if inter sell lukaku for 100m they might find room for messi
Zacharse
Unless Locatelli has changed his name to Odegaard, that deal isn’t happening for Arsenal.
ya diss
and barca are better off without messi
i’m keeping my fingers crossed! la la la la la
Diss, absolutely no way they are going there
“Messi loves Miami so expect the MLS to jump right in.”
You do know Messi is going to win this year’s Ballon D’or right ? How can the world’s best player who is still at the pinnacle of the game go to MLS ?
Fucking hell, Messi gone from Barca. End of an era.
Watch them absolutely plummet now in Europe.
TR7
“You do know Messi is going to win this year’s Ballon D’or right ? How can the world’s best player who is still at the pinnacle of the game go to MLS ?”
Either he ends up in the MLS or he goes to Qatar to become the mascot for the WC.
PSG surely has to be the destination?
Citeh pulling the Grealish deal as we speak? Lol.
If Tets doesn’t get his priorities right,he is a goober,last chance saloon for him…. ask an average fan what we need most this TW; a CM,CAM,RB,a ball playing new No 1 keeper (as Leno is confusing himself and everyone into hospitaland) and 2nd choice LB in different order would be anonymous.so far we have just sorted the left side and we might have struck gold with my boy Sambi, but we still need bodies in the midfield. Partey, Lokonga,a new CM and Lieutenant Xhaka would be a lot balance than what we had last season…..I would be cool with Onana($5m),Bruno($24.5m),… Read more »
how could messi go to city if theyve just shelled 100m after a pandemic year?
Chelsea’s still in the market for a striker
Inter selling lukaku
juve are just about to offer dybala a new contract
youd think madrid would enquire but too many reasons thats not realistic right now
France seems like the most corrupt league behind EPL, so i imagine one of those two leagues
Apparently Messi had agreed a lower pay but there’s some La Liga rule which stops Barca from keeping Messi. Barca are so poorly run. Imagine letting go of the world’s best player for free when Ben White is going for 50M.
Whatever moves Arsenal makes will always be more critically analyzed and the passion and rhetoric around them more extreme because we are Arsenal fans. What Villa does or doesn’t do, bar beating us doesn’t matter a bit. I think the issue is more conflation than anything. I can feel like Ings is a good deal for another club but would be rubbish for Arsenal and that’s basic. There’s also the idea running that we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to the likes of Villa, as stated earlier, but to the likes of Man City and Pool. If I get flustered about… Read more »
Hilarious that the chickens are coming home to roost on that band of cronies over in Barca.
Hate Barca as a club. They have somehow managed to tear down 20 odd years combined unprecedentedly amazing work of largely Cruyff and to a lesser extent Guardiola to put Barcelona on a par with Real Madrid as a superclub in the space of half a decade odd with the biggest shower of football illiterate crooks to involve themselves in the beautiful game.
….was told Tets could sell an iceblock to an Eskimo..so can we sell arsenal project to Messi?
Messi left Barca. It couldn’t happen could it? Lol
Chelsea trying to spend 120 mil on lukaku
Might as well pay Messi 70m per year
Looks a genuine possibility
We may go for Messi. £20m signing bonus plus £500,000 a week.
And why not? We were paying Ozil £350,000 per week at the height of his video game career.
Messi wouldn’t actually get into a Tets XI ahead of bitch-tits Willian.
Messi is 34, it a top decision to let him go
Barca did two horrible deals in one swoop when they tried to save face after losing Neymar
Buying Coutinho and Dembele for so much money was certifiably crazy
Had said it many times that Countinho and Griezman were overrated and Barca were massively overpaying for them. These signings killed Barca.
Messi would prob breach one of Mikel Allardyce’s non negotiables. We know only his Granit and Willian are exempt from heeding those.
But really, Messi is 34 years old now
I think they are wise to just swallow their medicine and let him go so they can start rebuilding.
They have a lot of digging to do to get them selves out of that home, letting Messi leave is a necessary start.
Edu should play a bit of 4D chess with this Messi situation and lean hard on City to release Sterling our way.
Not a direct replacement for Lacazette, but a replacement for the goals for sure. Him and Maddison would totally invigorate our attack
Countinho : 140M
Griezman : 130M
Dembele : 120M
Pjanic : 60M
Comedy circus
Ringing endorsement from Dissenter on Cristian Romero.
Absolute cert to be flop of the season on that alone, result
Sign Messi and win the league. How much could he cost? How much would Kroenke spend to win the league this very season?!
TR7 Bartomeu pulling the funding for La Masia is what really killed Barca although I agree, none of Coutinho, Griezmann or Dembele were smart signings for Barcelona although you can at least see some logic for Dembele although I never saw him style-wise as a fit there. La Masia went to the dogs in a big way in the 2010s though. People mistakenly attribute Pedri to being a La Masia success story despite them buying him off of Las Palmas last summer. Rest of their kids barring Fati ain’t shit. Compared to the late 90s and 2000s where it was… Read more »
Mule
its edu who’s busy negotiating 24-7.
Barca have some super talented young payers, they just need to appoint the right manager and let them blossom
They will be fine without Messi. They will spend some time in the doldrums of 3rd/4th place in La liga but will come back stronger.
To be fair Pjanic for Arthur Melo was just to balance the books/money laundering essentially. Neither have played a lick for their new clubs.
Same situation as Cillessen for Neto before that. Barcelona arr shady bastards.
CC
Yes. He will go from best defender in Serie A to becoming a flop!
At least I’m not throwing stats to defend a player I’ve never seen before.
I wonder just how much Messi has left in his tank? At 34 he cannot be the player he was. I doubt whoever gets him will agree a 1 year contract with rolling option to extend but that is what would be necessary
I say Messi will do a Zlatan and play top level football till Tet’s age.
Sign him now!
Barca didn’t buy poor players at all. They’re the poster boy at buying for buyings sake vs actually building and profiling talent.
None of the major signings made sense as Barcelona players, and that much has been proven 10 times over. But put all those guys into some of the best sides around and they’re different animals.
Agree with implication behind Pedros post – Saliba has not got what it takes mentally to succeed. We just have to accept we paid at least £20m too much. Arteta, for all of his faults would have used him if he saw enough but he didn’t see enough
Prime Wenger would have sold Messi last summer.
Wenger was excellent at knowing when to cast a player off.
Dissenter
Yea mate, unheard of for a player to do well in one league and tank it in the prem………..
What are you waffling about now?
Weagle
Don’t hold back about Barca. Say what you really think. 😉
You’re right. They’re a bunch of biscuit-arsed, goody two shoes, arrogant gits. Nearly, but not quite as bad as those two teams of tossers in Madrid.
I can’t see him in the PL. Apparently he was willing to halve his pay, down to about 23 million euros per year (how will he cope?). I think some turd polishing role for the Qatar WC could happen.
Northbanker
He might not be as good as he once was, but he’s still better than any other player on the planet.
Northbanker He is still the best player in the world. Anyone who has watched him regularly this past season would tell you that. Modern pros are pushing into new territory with limits to age. Look at Ronaldo, Messi, Lewandowski, Benzema, Modric will be 36 next month and has only started to decline recently. In Basketball, Lebron is 36. Durant 33. Federer was elite until 38, Nadal is 35 and still a top 2 player, Djokovic at 34 is the best player. It’s not like it was where players fall off a cliff in their early to mid 30s anymore. Sport… Read more »
I’ll believe Newcastle are paying 20+ million for Willock when I see that money.
It seems Mike Ashley is intent on not spending money because he’s selling that club to the Saudis when his appeal comes through.
WE
Bartomeu definitely the worst ever Barca president. Barcelona’s managerial appointments have been laughable too.
given that money will not play a major rle in his thinking, AFC may even be of interest. But however good Messi still is, it is a position we don’t need to concern ourselves with and marginal performance increases will still be higher from key vulnerable positions – GK and RB
PSG are going to be fun to watch next season.
Dissenter
“Prime Wenger would have sold Messi last summer.Wenger was excellent at knowing when to cast a player off.”
Are you drunk ? Since last summer Messi has done enough to be a shoe in for his 7th Ballon D’or.
Charlie Agree to a large extent although I have never been a massive Griezmann fan because he is such a rigid fit to teams system-wise and has to be massively pandered towards to thrive. He’s strictly a supporting striker. Doesn’t have the legs or dribbling ability to beat players out wide and cannot lead the line himself, needs a target man foil like a Giroud to really thrive. He’s a system player, like Dybala who I have more time for given his sublime technique but he too is a rigid and inflexible type. Dele Alli is another one to a… Read more »
Ollie / WE – you might be right and it would be great fun to see hi here. But our resources are not going to stretch to him and the key players needed. Team performances will be better by signing
1 Martinez equivalent atGK
2 Tierney equivalent at RB
3 maybe a top CAM (but low down – ESR with Willock at back up would be enough)
4 a CF who combines Auba as was and Laca
in that order
Griezman can only play off of a target man, a very limited player.
and all 24 or younger
Charlie You think close observers of a league that produced defensive luminaries such as Bergomi, Baresi, Cordoba, Materazzi, Costacurta, Cheilinni, Zambrotta, Zanetti, Nesta, Cannavarro, Matine et all wouldn’t know how to spot a good defender. The one thing that’s undoubtedly special about Serie A is the defending. They take great pride in it. You were too ready to use the “fans picked Ben White” card before so why are you dismissive of someone who was selected as “best defender in serie A based on objective metrics. The chances of Romero failing are less than White stepping out of Dunk’s lime… Read more »
Weagle
Disagree, put him in the prem and he’s a revelation at whoever. Takes such a specific player to thrive in the Barcelona side per position.
Cesc couldn’t carve a place out for himself and he had no shortage of ability or knowledge of how they play even. Still performed better for them, but he eventually left because he wasn’t comfortable.
Think we’ve been back and forth about this before, simply stunning how you can have the player pull that Barca/Real have and fail to build a proper side.
Gentlebris “Sign Messi and win the league. How much could he cost? How much would Kroenke spend to win the league this very season?!” Messi would only have to look at how Arteta uses the 32 year old Aubameyang to realise that coming to Arsenal would be a nightmare for him.. Aubameyang spends a good percentage of the game in his own half, wasting the energy that should be conserved for when he needs it most… The great players like Henry, Messi, Ronaldo and Cantona know how to play to their strengths and of course they need a manager that… Read more »
It is time to Edu to do something and offers Willian, Bellerin, Xhaka and Lac so he coule bring messi to Arsenal.
Surely Messi will be happy having four players fulltime in his England house doing laundry, gardening and cleaning stuff, while eating fro free in Willian restaurant.
“You were too ready to use the “fans picked Ben White” card before so why are you dismissive of someone who was selected as “best defender in serie A based on objective metrics.“
No, don’t get it twisted. Ben White being player of the year was put up in response to your billy basic ‘well nobody thought he stood out against us’ patter.
Good for Romero, he did well in Italy last year. Tell me why that means he’s a shoe in for doing well in the PL over a guy with PL experience?
I would say even Depay and Aguero are poor signings, it is almost as if Barca don’t put any thought behind their signings.
Haha …. Messi isn’t coming to Arsenal to win the FA Cup.. have a word with yourselves.
Probably not on his life long goal ambitions. Money won’t be a motivating factor…. chance of winning something will be… So City, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool… RM…. about it.
PSG has to be most likely to renew his Neymar bromance. but I wouldn’t count Pep out at City… can they cancel the Grealish transfer?
“Wenger was excellent at knowing when to cast a player off.”
Hahahahaha
Wenger Eagle.With you all the way on the Barca bandits bro.They can eat shit.Couldn’t happen to a more classless club( outside of Manure). Hate them with a vengeance.& have Never forgiven them concerning their Cesc antics DNA shit.
Charlie I think you’re over-flogging this one year of premier league experience thing way too much Some defender’s ,playing styles are more suited for the premier league, so long as their manager plays them to their strengths. Romero is quick, reads the game very well, loves a tackle and is extremely strong in the air. He won’t have any problems adjusting to the premier league. You are the one trying to place a guy with one good season in the championship and middling premier league year ahead of the 23 year old was was widely adjudged as the best defender… Read more »
Pierre.Cantona? Prob most overrated player in EPL ever.He got Manure their first title in 27 years is his legend in reality.That’s it.
I mean, is anyone even contending the fact that we massively overpaid for Ben White?
One year premier league experience and an invite to the Euros to cover for TAA’s injury is not worth 50 million
On that basis, playing in the CL would have increased his transfer to 80 million Arsenal GBP.
Dissenter
Why was White’s season “middling” or “average” as you’ve previously stated? The fact Brighton never wanted to sell him, and voted him their best player for the year suggests he wasn’t average. But you have a different take unsurprisingly.
Really weird argument you’re compiling about English football here. Winning the championship, and playing a full season in the prem, is worse prep for the PL than doing well in Serie A? Are you missing the obvious on purpose here or what?
Grealish #10 is such a sexy signing for City, remember him getting the dismissive treatment on here for only doing in the Championship too. Maybe he would’ve been better served after a loan in Serie A…
Question is though, who is getting axed to make room?
Sterling, Bernardo, Mahrez all candidates for different reasons surely. Could maybe see Leicester go in for a Mahrez return.
Champagne Charlie
Good for Romero, he did well in Italy last year. Tell me why that means he’s a shoe in for doing well in the PL over a guy with PL experience?
Same reason City ditched Nathan Ake over Ruben Dias , PL experience is overrated.
Champagne Charlie
Wasnt it the Italians who kicked England’s asses at Euros ? Next thing you know you’ll tell me Bonucci and Cheillini are shit.
Divine
So Romero is levels better than Ben White according to you?
“If we signed messi some folks would still be moaning”
Yup, because it would be a bloody stupid thing to do. Huge wages and another golden oldie on the backslope of his career.
Get a grip.
Divine
What has the Euro’s got to do with the PL ffs?
My heart couldnt handle us signing Messi
Charlie You’re dismissing the 23 year old lad who played in the CL under a very progressive manager who espouses fluent attacking football and yet was deemed as best defender in Serie A. You’re trying very hard to suggest he will do worse than Ben White because White has that golden year in the premier league. The Ben White deal is like how Everton used to over pay for middle table players so that they can be more comfortable middle table dwellers. There’s nothing that suggest he can ever be the best defender in any top league. Just because we… Read more »
“Yup, because it would be a bloody stupid thing to do. Huge wages and another golden oldie on the backslope of his career.”
Is this a wind up?
CC
Devine is telling you that Italians know how to defend and they appreciate the fine arts of defending so when someone is deemed as best defender in Serie at the age of 23 y/o…you don’t dismiss it it so lightly.
Someone please tell me a centre half that’s come from serie A and lit the Premier league up?
Charlie Agree to an extent, Griezmann up to a certain level is a brilliant player to build a side around. No doubt that he would stroll in and be the best player at any club outside the top 4 presuming Kane leaves. I just think that for the really elite sides (Barca/Real’s of yesteryear, Bayern Munich, PSG, Man City) he is a system square peg in a round hole as none of them play with a supporting striker barring Thomas Muller who is imo a level or two above Griezmann. Same with Dybala. He just doesn’t fit in so many… Read more »
Dissenter
Thank you for explaining my point, also Christian Romero also won the Copa . I hate Spurs , I hope he turns out to be the biggest flop. But Champagne here trying to undeniably discredit a good player who I would have surely loved to see at Arsenal is beyond irritating . He is a Champions League player , Ben White is not.
Rudiger has done well for the Chavs.
But yeah, I can’t think of another off hand. Mind you I can’t think of many flops either, Serie A players don’t tend to go to the Premier League for the most part.
Where is Ishola? He was pretty adamant city weren’t interested in Grealish.
“You’re trying very hard to suggest he will do worse than Ben White because White has that golden year in the premier league.“ Is that what I’m doing? Where am I trying very hard? By saying that playing in England is better prep for the PL than playing in Seria A? Yea, I’m really going wild with that one. Looks a lot like it’s you with the Pom Poms out for a Spurs signing just so you remain firmly on track with your verbal assault against the White signing. So much so Romero is the next Walter Samuel, going to… Read more »
Welcomr to Dubai JG10
Ishola is likely locked and loaded and out hunting Edu and Tets upon hearing the Xhaka bumper new deal news.
WengerEagle
Joao Cancelo and Thiago Silva both played in Serie A
Got to say why don’t we give Ben a chance? Sone of you posters here are old enough to remember the double G era. Wgat did he do? We had legends like Terry mancini, Jeff blockley etc in our side. (I know the time zones are not totally accurate the block was under o’niels tenure) but double G went out and purchased bould n Dixon from lower league stoke, seaman from an inferior QPR, nutty nige from Wimbledon, and the rest is history Jeez if social media was around then GG wouldn’t have lasted 2 minutes. Imagine signing players from… Read more »
If we sold auba to saudi/china and laca to atleti then wed have wages for old leo, but thatd be about all we could really offer lol
U guys see grealish signed…