It’s weird that I want to talk about a transfer window like it’s a person:

I feel weirdly disconnected to it. Is it me? Or them? Maybe it’s because I see the power of other clubs and know that there’s no point in getting to excited until we see how the chess pieces land? Maybe I’ve grown up and realised that the exchange of grown men for money shouldn’t be the most important thing in my life?

Ok, the last bit was too far… I BLOODY LOVE TRANSFERS.

Though I am a bit despondent at the money being thrown around that we quite simply don’t have.

Haaland for £500k a week is mad.

Darwin for £100m is mad.

Mbappe for £300m is mad.

Tchouaméni for £100m is mad.

The haves and the have-nots in the footballing world are getting further and further apart, but what is interesting is was, as fans, lose our mind that all this money makes a mega difference… but at the end of the day, great teams can only put so many players on the pitch, and not all money equates to success.

Barcelona were dreadful last season, as were United, Chelsea, and PSG.

The more money I see getting splashed elsewhere, the more I think our strategy of getting back to the top can work.

If you are a young player right now, are you going to move to City and sit on the bench like Jack Grealish, or would you like minutes? What was the better option for Odegaard last season, stay with Madrid on the bench, or get a season in the first team at Arsenal?

I see a lot of ‘young players was our decision’ and it’s true, that’s called a strategy. But I think if you are very good at finding the young players, you can grow a team to the level of one of the bigger teams, a bit like Liverpool did to get where they are now.

Arsenal is in a unique position this summer, we are the premier destination for 21-24-year-olds who want to develop their career. We’re not getting the Darwin’s of this world who are the top tier, but there will be names that sit below them that carry more risk, but have the same talent ceiling. The job we have to do this summer is find the players with the high talent ceiling without the tall price.

Those moves aren’t always popular, but if you get them right, they can work wonders for your squad. Aaron Ramsdale was a terrible signing last season, the other night, he’s keeping a cleansheet against Italy. Martin Odegaard wasn’t at the level, was written off as boring, then he ended the season as one of the top 5 chances creators in open play in the Premier League. Eddie, I believe, will be a striker that fits that shape next season when he proves out his credentials next season.

Youri Tielemans also lives in that world, top quality, a little out of fashion, people calling him shit despite being a regular in the the midfield of the 3rd best national team on the planet.

My bigger worry is that there are rumblings that KSE are talking about sell to buy and that’s why there’s a holdup. Could the tanking stockmarket and overall pessimism in the world be impacting plans? I don’t know. The simpler answer to the bad news is there is no news and Arsenal fans will click on anything.

We have signed a player, he goes by the name of Marquinhos, and no one knows the Brazilian market like Edu. Do we have a Martinelli like talent on our hands or are we talking more like a Pablo Mari?

Who.

Knows.

Still, great to have another youngster in the squad that seems to have all the core ingredients needed to make it in the league. It’s also extremely amusing that Wolves lost out. It has to be noted, they were planning to send him to Grasshoppers next season, so this player is not for the first team just yet.

Right, short one today, see you tomorrow. We’ll have a podcast for you then! x