Some in the Italian media are reporting that Arsenal have moved to official bid stage when it comes to Dusan Vlahovic.
Here is what I don’t understand: If AFC knew who they were targeting in October, why does it take until Jan 17 to place a bid?
I am just asking that, it’s not a criticism, I’m still in the ‘don’t know what you’re talking about’ dog house after thinking the Arsenal press release was too naive. We might not have even placed a bid here.
What does seem clear from factual evidence sourced in the FT is the agents of Dusan are the worst kind. They tried to extract £6.69m in fees from Fiorentina just to keep the player there. I read one random thread that stated there could be as many as 15 parties trying to extract fees from this transfer. Edu is more than comfortable running in those circles, the guy was shameless enough to put Willian, his agents player, on £250k a week and do the signing at the Kia’s house. Not sure he’s getting that sort of long leash these days. Certain clubs might indulge mega agents, but I don’t think Arsenal are rich enough to be adding 10-15% on top of a big fee… did I say rich? Stupid.
This is another total guess out here, but I’d imagine part of the push from Arsenal to the player will be, ‘fuck your agent, do what you need to do to go to the next level in your career.’ I really don’t understand why so many players are happy to let their agents extract so much cash from their deals. If I were the star and I knew 15 parties were leaching onto my deal, I’d put a stop to it. If an agent is slowing you down, creating a bad rep for you, and cratering your options, then you have the wrong agent. There’s a story doing the rounds in Spain that Ousmane Dembélé was set to sign with Xavi; his agent Moussa Sissokho held a meeting with the club, was very rude, demanded 200m euros over 4 years for the player, and 40m euros for himself. It’s amusing because who doesn’t like to see Barca getting rolled like that, but it does speak to a wider issue… some agents are poison. Going back to Fiorentina, their owner basically confirmed that Gattuso joined and told him which players to sign, and at what fees. The owner told him to go fuck himself and that was the end of that.
There will be a reckoning at some point, the money made around the edges of football is often far from clean, and no one ever seems to pay a price for wrongdoing. I suspect Italy will drop the first show with the price fixing scandal that’s engulfed a load of clubs, then we’ll see if the UK or Spain decide to move on it. No doubt an ex-Arsenal person is sweating about that somewhere in the French Riviera right now.
Arsenal fans took the banter to new levels yesterday, we’re all united online, which makes a nice change, and the misguided pundits looking for retweets and likes at our expense took a battering yesterday. There was a common feature amongst them all. Those that took jabs at Arsenal for postponing the game had NOTHING to say when Liverpool postponed in scandalous fashion. Absolutely zip.
Now, this is a kind of bias, and I won’t have anyone pretend it isn’t so. Jurgen Klopp is the new Alex Ferguson in the media. He has a lot of love from fans, he’s a winner, so journalists don’t want to cross him. They don’t want to lose access, get spanked by him in front of their friends, and it seems there’s a bit of an unwritten rule about criticising him. All is not well at camp Liverpool, but no one writes about it. The German rockstar drew 11 false positives, there was no Martin Lipton hit piece about it, the big journo Twitter accounts didn’t debate the moral bankruptcy of it all, no one questioned their sporting intent. Even when the EFL investigated, the story was written in an almost apologetic manner. Why? Because he has the power.
Arsenal are the whipping boys in the media still. Arteta doesn’t have enough credibility yet. In most lines of business, your reputation doesn’t update in real time, it takes a bit longer. Arsenal should be getting more respect, but we don’t, because we’re still seen as easy prey. Our time will come though, I think Arteta is doing a good job in his press conferences, and there will be a time when he has a bit more edge to him, and journalists have to think twice about whether they want to cross an Arsenal manager that might be around for a long time (or at another fancy club).
Arsene Wenger had the power in the media. Everyone wanted him to answer their question. The big journalists didn’t want to write about his clear demise or ask him tough questions. Every time our season crashed, they all ran to his defence with ‘the warchest is coming’ and ‘there have been internal meetings and Arsene really took this season’s failings hard, he’s going to fix it.’
We are all bias at heart. In our jobs, there is always an element of self-preservation. So when big names ignore bigger names doing bad things, it’s not an accident, it’s because no one wants to damage their career writing things that piss off the biggest names.
Onto other stories. The Arthur Melo story seems to have died a death. The player was subbed at halftime versus Juventus last night and the press in Italy is reporting the loan is off. I cannot say I will miss this rumour, it’s emergency cover at best, so if we have to look elsewhere, then that will work for me.
Miguel Azeez has been recalled from his loan with Portsmouth under the guidance of Dan Cowley. He had this to say.
“There are some areas of his game that are beyond this level and other areas that he needs to keep working at, as with any young player.”
“I have absolutely no doubt that he’ll go on to become a top player..” “We’ve been impressed with his focus and commitment to improve.
I’m not sure if we’ve recalled because we need him in our midfield or Ben Knapper has another loan move up his sleeve.
Auba is going to come back to Arsenal for further treatment. The Gabonese star has rumoured heart lesions. I have no idea what that’s related to, but there’s been a stint of athletes with heart issue post-covid. Good luck to the player, I hope whatever the problem is, it can be fixed.
Get a vaccination, people.
ALSO, watch and listen to our latest podcast.
Mid
Ah. Ok
If the arsenal docs have missed it on Aubameyang then maybe they’ve missed it on others
https://thewest.com.au/sport/soccer/aubameyang-out-with-cardiac-lesions-c-5317853#:~:text=Gabon%20forward%20Pierre-Emerick%20Aubameyang%20has%20b
Un here is the article.. I read. Seems strange all 3 players would have same thing.
Honestly Auba has had it pretty rough in the last couple seasons, can’t seem to catch a break. Although some of it self inflicted. From my dodgy memory all in last few years: Malaria, dropped, covid (twice?), stripped of armband, bombed from the squad, grandmother died, mother ill, & now heart complications. Shame when you look at it all together really.
Think his race is run with us but naturally wish him a speedy recovery.
Midwest, if it’s real issue, one suspects he might retire.
No catalog of Auba’s struggles should be complete without the mention of hair extensions.
Can’t disagree with that Tom!
Jim
Was just thinking that. Guy been going thru a rollercoaster of problems. No wonder his form dropped
Pedro, doubtful Auba retires.
Remember Eriksen and his plight, and how everyone thought he was done?
He’s looking for a new club.
The love of the game is a powerful drug………. that, and the money of course.
Does Aubameyang still smoke?
Jim.
Everyone’s mum got sick in the last 2 years
“Sid, being a dickhead about vaccines is a banned practice. Do it again and you will be binned.”
Pedro
Rightly said. But I also think that encouraging people to get the vaccine, like you did, should also be a bannef practice here too. It’s a controversial issue and everyone has their opinions on it.
Banned* smh
sid listens to 50 cent. That explains the rebellious attitude.
Nigel, Oh for sure I am concerned about his health first, no doubt. I really hope he gets whatever treatment he needs and can function as normal. I probably worded it badly, I wasn’t trying to incline that I was only thinking about lowering our wage bill or anything similar. Scary times though with so many instances in what are otherwise very healthy people. Just happy it’s being caught early. ——- Looking forward to the game on Thursday. Felt slightly empty without the NLD at the weekend but I’m glad it was postponed. Would be great if we did a… Read more »
*does anyone think
Mysticleaves I agree. I have always believed in free choice. Without it, we become a communist state with no free thought allowed. We all know how they turn out; poverty and death. There is a bit too much language control and cancel culture for my liking, it’s getting to the stage where you can no longer have an opinion without someone attaching a label to you. That’s very, very dangerous. You need to hear people’s opinion, not shut them down but you don’t have to agree. I am able to accept what the majority say without a temper tantrum, that’s… Read more »
Djokovic totally deserved what he got. Ignoring the vaccine debate, he held an interview with someone and took his mask off for photos KNOWING he was positive and then lied on his immigration form on entry to Oz.
Complete prick of the highest order. Hope he’s banned for 3 years from Oz now!
Unoni
De Jong is better on the ball. But thats like comparing Apples and Oranges. We ve had players like De Jong for ever. But we ve always been missing that transformative player, that cornerstone, that rock that gives the team its strength a la Van Dyck, Vieira, Keane yea that player is Tchouameni.
Can De Jong transform us ?
Can De Jong have that sort of
Impact ?
Mystic, when you’ve had loved one’s struggle for treatment for real illnesses because personal choice dickheads realise science is pretty fucking awesome when they need to be hospitalised with covid… you really don’t have any fucks to care what is controversial on here.
Vaccines work.
Personal choice should never come at the expense of society.
There are too many dumb people that get their advice from the internet.
9 billion doses have been given. It works. Pussy footing around dumb people costs lives. This is not an anti vax safe space.
Fuck them all.
TeeCee
Agree. The arrogant, selfish tosser.
Yes Pete.
AFC
I very much enjoyed your post
Mb Sorry but I don’t agree with your argument. If you decide you don’t want to be vaccinated you should accept the consequences. It’s all very simple. You are fully vaccinated and yet you are passionately defending those that aren’t vaccinated. You board a plane, having got your passport checked and stamped. Would you be happy if the person you were sitting next to on that plane hadn’t had their passport checked and stamped? I don’t think you would. Hypothetically speaking, I know, but you get the gist. My take on it is that those folk who don’t get vaccinated… Read more »
AFC,
I still coach and every now and then play football and I’m well into my fifties.
>>>>>>>>>>>
Do you think you could put a shift in next to Lokonga on Thursday?
Naija
I think de Jong transforms this side more than any other midfielder
We already have a solid defence. I don’t think we really need a powerful dm when we already have partey and lakonga who are similar in style, if not output.
De Jong brings something we don’t have. A constant ability to control the game from box to box
A bit disappointing that Auba had to go to the AFCON to get properly diagnosed with a cardiac ailment.
For a professional footballer on contract with a major club in a super rich league. They need to do a review as to how that happened.
Shouldn’t happen again.
Pedro
Hear hear!👍
How are you feeling now Pedro?
Ha! All these vaccine talks is making my eyes bleed. Came here for the sport.
We should ban all the people that deviate from talking about football.
Diss, don’t be disappointed in Arsenal’s world class medical outfit with half baked info and no understanding of what he has.
This is Le-grove not Le-flu.
This is not a BMA website, it’s a fucking football website. It is treading some very dangerous waters. The truth is that, under normal circumstances the vaccine would not receive approval until May 2023. I made my decision based on that plus what I know about my body.
Rant over
Graham, I’m very good thanks. I didn’t have a bad bout, glad I got boostered and all that. My sister wasn’t as lucky, she was in a bad way. But all good now.
Midwest. I’m down for Haiku thursday! Let’s do it this thursday and see how it goes. Cheers.
Taylor, this is my site, there’s no dangerous water here.
Auba tested positive for Covid on his way to AFCON. Covid is known to cause heart lesions; so one followed the other.
Nothing to do with Arsenal’s medical team as he almost certainly developed the heart lesions after he left London and contracted Covid.
Very good Naija 🙂
Yesterday, the Smellie Cowboys committed an eye watering 14 penalties. I know that no one here cares, but my point is, all 14 calls were spot on. There were no challenges, no multiple players surrounding the officials, no VAR, they just got on with it. Lessons surely to be learned.
Pedro
Arsenal’s medical set-up ought to be better than what the Gabonese FA has
Shouldn’t it, not with all the investments
Isn’t it the same folks who let David Luiz continue a game that left the other head involved with a depressed skull fracture.
Don’t get so defensive.
I said they need to do a review, something isn’t right.
Strange to hear a marketing executive tell me my medical know how is half baked.
Arsenal downplayed the problems when the Gabonese FA reported it, now it’s sever enough to have him recalled.
Something ain’t right.
Unoni
I disagree. In Odegaard and ESR, we already have players who can move the ball up the pitch. I like De Jong but Barcelona won’t sell him to us. Tchouameni’s club on the other hand.
Also Partey will be 29 this year and Lokonga is good but Tchouameni is a world class player in the making.
“You board a plane, having got your passport checked and stamped. Would you be happy if the person you were sitting next to on that plane hadn’t had their passport checked and stamped? I don’t think you would.”
I don’t think passports are necessarily the critical issue where flight safety is concerned…….. luggage and body scan might be the better example.
Give all those people complaining about long TSA lines and violation of personal freedoms a choice of an airline that skips that process and let’s see how many would book that flight.
In my opinion Man City didn’t arrive until they purchased Yaya Toure. He was their transformative player over Silva, Aguero. Thats what Aureliens Tchouameni would be for us. Taking us back to the top.
Yesterday, the Smellie Cowboys committed an eye watering 14 penalties.
>>>>>>>>>
Is this football?
Diss, you know nothing about what has gone on here, so don’t speculate. Especially if you are slandering one of the best medical setups in the world of sport.
Aubameyang contracted Covid after arriving in Cameron. The Arsenal medical team can’t diagnose something that hasn’t happened yet!
“Diss, you know nothing about what has gone on here, so don’t speculate. Especially if you are slandering one of the best medical setups in the world of sport.”
Cazorla
Tom, again, same to you, do you know what happened to Cazorla?
You don’t. So speculating that it was an Arsenal issue is just that. It’s also incorrect speculation.
Naija
Mate it’s not just moving the ball up the pitch
It’s total technical excellence from box to box. Vision and control of tempo.
Your lad may well be the next best midfielder in the world
But right now that’s de Jong. Hands down. And he does it through sheer footballing intelligence.
Pedro It can’t be the ‘one of the best medical setups’ in the world when they misdiagnosed malaria as the flu for days/weeks for anyone who;s been to a malaria endemic region recently.. I’m not even knocking them tbh, something about a player having to go to an international tourney to get diagnosed doesn’t sit right with me but we are different. Like I said they need to do an independent review of how then missed things. . That’s what truly elite centers of excellence do, they don’t get offended over calls for audits. They don’t just rely on marketing… Read more »
Hope the Diego Costa links are nonsense. With 30y.o. Laca and 32y.o. Auba why on earth would we want another 30+ over the hill big money striker?
Tets and edu should move mountains to get de Jong to arsenal. Use bergkamp and overmars and rvp to influence. Use whatever it takes. Get that lad to arsenal
Diss, again, you aren’t a doctor that Liverpool tried to sign, so I’m pretty sure you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to medical competency
Pedro, you’re right, I don’t know what happened to Cazorla.
Other than what he said in his interview cited by the guardian how he kept looking for the long term solution to his injury in England to no avail, and that’s why he decided to go to Spain where they fixed his nearly amputated leg.
Diego Costa and Xhaka in the same starting Xl a ticket to finishing games with nine players.
Pedro I know what I didn’t know, thanks a lot You think the sports doctor that Liverpool tried to,sigh is infallible, Don;t you? Do you tuning they handled the David Luiz head injury with Jimenez properly? You could hear the loud crack of the heads from the telly, both players lost conciusness, David Luiz momentarily. They let David Luiz continue only to realize afterwards he had a concussion. He missed multiple games afterwards for the concussion. Then they mistook Malaria for the flu for a player that had been in a malaria endemic region. That’s a basic error. You think… Read more »
Pedro, is that the same Liverpool that had their medics manage to find the statistically improbable number of false positives?
and that’s why he decided to go to Spain where they fixed his nearly amputated leg.
>>>>>>>>>>>
Is there such a thing as ‘a nearly amputated leg’? Did the surgeon stop half through.
Tom
Let Pedro pretend that our medical set-up is infallible
How do you not consider malaria as a differential from the beginning for a player that just returned from a malaria endemic region.
Every system needs to review itself to stay on top. That’s all I requested for before Pedro got defensive.
They picked up Kim’s broken back didn’t they? 😉
Unoni
I never said it was about moving the ball up you did when.you said we need a box to box midfielder. And yea I agree it’s more than just that.
But if I asked you to pick between pick David Silva and Yaya Toure who would you pick ?
Some really petty arguments here tonight
But if I asked you to pick between pick David Silva and Yaya Toure who would you pick ?
I’d pick de Jong!!
Peak*
And they missed Willian’s pregnancy…
Unoni
‘ Some really petty arguments here tonight’
More petty than your 100 post arguing that Wilshere needs to be offered a contract?
“Is there such a thing as ‘a nearly amputated leg’? Did the surgeon stop half through.” Good point. But if there was a Hollywood screenplay depicting that scene it would probably go something lime this: a team of Saudi ‘doctors’ surrounding the the stricken Cazorla on an operating table putting a bone saw to his gangrene stricken leg suddenly interrupted at the last second by a Spanish speaking surgeon who looks like Rafa Benitez telling them he has a cure. Ok, definitely a B movie material that still needs some work. Maybe Almuniasaynomore could fix it…….. he’s the talented one… Read more »
Very good Andy. Very good
Diss
I did t argue that he should have
I thought that the club was left with no choice but to bring him in for spurs.
Had the game gone ahead I bet he’d have played some sort of part
I’m over wilshere now
It’s all about de Jong
Tom, you get your info from the papers, I get it from people at the club.
You don’t know what you are talking about.
Diss, how do you diagnose malaria?
‘And they missed Willian’s pregnancy…’
Lol
Kalle O Haas –
Midwest. I’m down for Haiku thursday! Let’s do it this thursday and see how it goes. Cheers.
___________________
Hi kalle… ummm well.. The last time I tried it…
The best review I got was … Midwest stop the fuckin Haiku’s you have gone too far.. That was the best one.. the rest were nastier.
But hey I’m not against more abuse if you are. You know for the art. 😀
Well I f Auba does retire… That makes our striker search a little more urgent, perhaps.
For me, the way I read it.. it is more likely the Gabin doctors misdiagnosed something since 3 players all had heart lesions.. Not sure how statistically probable that would be.. anyhow….
They will figure out his condition I would imagine quickly before the transfer window runs out.
Pedro, true.
Although those were still Wenger years and considering how you used to rail against him……. not sure I believe you had much insider info on anything back then.
As opposed to now when I wouldn’t doubt you’ve got Artetas number on speed dial.
Pedro I’m going to ignore your question about how to diagnose malaria, I won’t give you the cheeky rely it deserves. The giemsa smear has been available for over a century. It’s not rocket science. Talk-less if the numerous antigen screening that/s readily available. If a 4th year medical student in any of London’s numerous medical schools misses malaria as a differential diagnosis of fever and malaise for a young man who;s just returned fro a malaria endemic region, that medical student.may very well fail that rotation. His consultant will give him a proper telling off. Thst’s how basic an… Read more »
Florentina 3-0 up at half time. Vlahovic missed a penalty. Tried dinking it down the middle and keeper saved it. Looked like a right whopper.
Tom, I never railed against the doctors or the physios.
Yaya ? Silva?
I’ll take healthy Diaby.
Dissenters examples are pretty good but I really don’t know what went so wrong with Santi. Possibly a rare infection? That wouldn’t be the doctors fault?
That Luiz thing, I can’t believe they left him in the game. I was angry at Arteta that day.
Misdiagnosing malaria not great either, which I didn’t know happened. At least it wasn’t ebola.
Nigel
You would love Tchouameni then. He’s what Diaby shoulda been.
Vlahovic just scored. He is definitely off somewhere the way he celebrated the goal.
Sampaoli told a press conference, in quotes carried by GFFN : “Aside from his youth, Matteo has a particular energy. He has a desire to win and he’s a natural leader. “We imagined that would be the case but that it would happen over time. Seeing this in addition to his performances, we have an energy that everyone can envy. “It is contagious and it’s a very important value in life. Experience is important for everyone but, for young people, sometimes difficult events are not good experiences. “There is also personal capacity on the mental side. “Guendouzi, for example, he… Read more »
Sid… your time on this blog is done.
By trying to be smart , you’ve pissed off more people than you’ve impressed (if that’s the correct terminology).
You’re being a complete bell end,and, although I don’t comment very often, I’ve seen the way you comment and the type of shit you post. You really do get off on riling people.
In a very real sense you need a good slap….no…not with your ‘long stuff’…with your own ego. That should do the trick.
DT from AFTV being sentenced is a shock to me. When I used to watch AFTV regularly back in the Wenger years, the edgelords in the comment section used to joke that a bad Arsenal result meant that DT’s (then) wife was in for a beating. That was still in horrible taste but who knew the trolls were on to something.
Genuinely bewildering.
Vlahovic just scored a banger
Interesting celebration to say the least, he either just did a really big sorry to the fans for missing a penalty in the first half
Or that’s a Thank You and Goodbye
Unoni
I see the issue now. You love flair players. I do too but I love dominant players more. Players who make other players look small. Funny enough, he dominates with his physicality AND skill.
I’m flabbergasted wit the AFTV DT sentencing for some horrible stuff.
He left the channel because he got blow back for calling Arteta’s critics “rats”
I just checked Vlahovic’s penalty stat.
Penalties scored – 17.
Penalties missed – 1
Tonight was his first ever pen miss. No better indication that he’s coming. Guy is a full-fledged Gooner already!!!
I try to avoid putting on the tinfoil hat as much as I can but this agents situation is surely a part of a wider system where the UEFA and FIFA leadership are getting massive kickbacks. Why else would they be allowed to carry on? The solution is ridiculously simple – just introduce a licensing system with rules and enforcement mechanisms. It’s not like it hasn’t been successfully implemented elsewhere. As much as I’d love to see Vlahovic banging them in at the Arsenal, I think this deal is dead because of his agents. And even if it’s not, do… Read more »
Rap, that’s quite the penalty record for 21!
‘edgelords’
this made me lol
He waved at the fans after he scored today. Hopefully he’s not just playing with our emotions.
Looks like he’s saying goodbye
https://twitter.com/AFCAMDEN/status/1483192665101549575?s=20
AFTV’s DT’s last name is Goodenough ?
I guess his ex didn’t feel that way.
Taylor Swift
You are right that the vaccine approval process took less time than is typical. What you should also mention is that there are numerous examples of people who refused the vaccine on those or other grounds that wish they could have reversed their decision but they are too dead to do that now.
Pedro,
Quite insane really.
Hopefully he does better than the other excellent penalty taker we have – Pepe has scored 15 out of 15 in his career.
Amen to that Bacary
Peds… it really does doesn’t it…. ? I’m gonna go ahead and speculate …
Vlahovic … incoming!
There I said it. hahaha
Naija
I am partial but what I enjoy more are clever players with elite control vision and football brains. Even more so if they are physically slow or small
If Vlahovic is as good as he clearly thinks he is then surely he would realize that joining a team in contention for a top 4 place without a prolific goalscorer would become a near certainty with him in the team.
“He left the channel because he got blow back for calling Arteta’s critics “rats””
Diss,
I wasn’t even aware of that. Just thought he left because he got bored. Last time I watched AFTV, it was more boring but also more family friendly. The statement given by the Attorney General’s Office is some harrowing stuff