Listen, who knows what is really true on the internet, but it sounds like Arsenal has made a breakthrough with Gabriel Jesus. According to Ben Jacobs on The Done Deal show, the player is convinced, £220k a week is the number, and there are no viable suitors that can offer what we can. Interesting that Champions League qualified Spurs aren’t of interest to him because of Kane and Son. He wants to be the main man, he will at Arsenal.
If this is all true, bravo to Edu for getting this deal done nice and fast.
There also seems to be quite a strong indication in the various media outlets that Arsenal is leading the chase for Martinez because we are the most hungry for his signature. I really am excited about that defender because he’ll give us a different dimension in defence, as a full back, or as a deep-lying midfielder.
The Youri Tielemans link seems to be the one that is starting to lose a bit of steam, but I don’t think that means it’s dead, I just think it’ll take longer to get it over the line because I assume Leicester are going to try and create a bidding war for the player.
Arsenal are definitely in for Raphinha, we’ve already dropped an offensive bid for him, which sounds about right. I love all the Art of the Deal bores that think there’s a world in which you bid first time and get things sealed in one seamless move. If you get an accepted bid first time, you bid too much, it’s that simple. I don’t think the Brazilian is a £65m player in any market. The only way they get that is if Barcelona come bounding in with money I don’t think they have.
Leeds are in a bind, the ideal for them is there is a bidding war, but it doesn’t look like Chelsea want him and I’m not sure Spurs will be either. Even if Spurs are, where is the better destination? Arsenal, a team on the rise, with a collection of Brazilians to share steak and kidney empanadas with… or Spurs? The player has two years left on his deal, this summer is the peak price for him, so I suspect we’ll get him, but it might take a while to get the deal done.
The Youri Tielemans deal seems to have lost a bit of steam, but again, if there’s only one club with the £25m on hand, what are Leicester going to do… let him go on a free next year? Of course not. That doesn’t mean they won’t make it hard for us to move on him.
Right, short one today, I think our latest podcast will give you all the goodness you need transfer wise. Jump in and subscribe.
Some great chat about the way we set up to attack from Andy, Pierre (not so much the right footer for right wing thing, but I get what you mean) and raptora.
Rap
“our problems are that we are playing with the handbrake on and we don’t want to attack in high numbers because we are always uber careful not to concede on the counter. We don’t trust ourselves that if we lose the ball, we’re going to win it back in time. We need to change that and investing so much money should be a guarantee for some exciting football. If it doesn’t happen, then jeez, it’ll be very sad.”
I don’t even want to say it, but 100% xhaka is our weakest link against a counter.
His worst attribute for sure. He’s either bypassed like nothing or makes a horrendous challenge.
If we replace him there, hopefully tets will have a bit more faith letting off the handbrake.
This ridiculous 220k salary is why you sack Edu and hire Granovskaia.
Need the best in the business, not some handsome man whose chief qualification is being a former player. Hasn’t even sucked Pep’s dick like little LegoHair.
I am not a great fan of Jesus but under the circumstances I don’t think there’s much better we can do.
Our fullbacks move forwards a lot more when it’s a deep block we are playing. Makes sense.
But when they aren’t overlapping, especially when it’s Pepe out on the wing, they get a bit stranded and have to do too much. This leads to what we see a lot of; Penetrating run down the wing, overwhelmed with defence, then playing the ball back.
Saka and ode have good chemistry, but it doesn’t translate as well to the other side of the pitch.
I love the spaces that martinelli gets himself into, but a lot of the time, when released into space right on the flank, he moves forwards with very limited options, which leads him to overthinking and a lot of the time he makes a nice run but plays a shite pass.
He needs a runner because he’s always wanting to play forwards but we prefer to have a safer free man a little deeper to help the ball move.
Then the familiar horse shoe is out on show.
It just slows down after one fast paced phase too easily. And in general our play is too slow from the transition, and we rarely get the ball into the other side of the pitch quick enough.
It looks like we are bringing in players capable of upping the ante.
I am very excited about what’s to come this season, and regardless of if I’m left wanting from the transfer window I am very much enjoying seeing a great bunch of young players growing together.
I want Arteta to prove me wrong so bad.
RP7
You mean the Marina who signed Lukaku for £97m / £350k a week? Or that wonderful investment in Werner she sanctioned. And let’s not forget Danny Drinkwater!
Not every deal works out. Martin Edwards had a pretty high rate at Liverpool (was that his name?), and then there are people like Raul and Woodward who are clearly pretty woeful.
So yes, Marina is brilliant but she’s flawed just like everyone else. Besides,, I’m quite enjoying Edu’s barbecue skills.
Some are far too focused on managers, it’s the players on the pitch who win + lose football games.
Managers come + go, the most important part of any club is the recruitment, squad planning, contract management, + youth development
If we get those things right, then whoever our manager is, will have a much easier job.
Tim Vickery gave an interesting take on Jesus that he is very much a confidence player and not scoring a goal at the 2018 World Cup was catastrophic for his own self-esteem and he began to question whether he was even a natural ST.
And before that WC he had scored 20 PL goals in just 1.5 seasons at City. Since then he has scored 38 PL goals in 4 seasons.
For all the talk about Pep molding him as an all-round forward it’s likely also true that he became more passive post this barren WC experience and didn’t welcome the responsibility of being the team’s primary scorer.
So there may be something to it. We need him to rediscover that mindset he had from 2017-18 when he looked much more clinical for City. Unlike at when he was in Aguero’s shadow those early years even playing up top as he will be the focal point here.
Jesus is a massive upgrade on Laca, who we were talking about extending not that long ago. He’s also versatile. If there was a much better option that we could afford I’d be frustrated, but would you rather have someone like DCL just because he’s a different build? Rashford was a name that was getting tossed around too. Richarlison? You never know how a player’s going to work out ahead of time…Willian for instance…but he’s known to Tets and he’s undeniable quality.
It has the look of something that will fit like a glove and make those periods of free-flowing attacking football less rare and those moments of misery where a few good moves are killed off by a poor first touch or a lack of pace fewer and farther between.
We weren’t that far away last year from something special, you could see little glimpses of it peaking through the excruciating patterns of the year before.
Will Tets use the talent we’re gathering in wisely, rotating the squad to keep them fresh, less injury-prone, and engaged, or will he use the new toys to the exclusion of some old ones? Who knows? That concerns me way more than how many goals I think Jesus will or won’t score or how much money we put him on. Only time will tell, for now I’m stoked that we’re bringing in some serious quality.
WE
Thanks for sharing that. It’s a really interesting take. I’m encouraged by the fact that his goal contributions are still very decent, and maybe a change of scene will do him good. As with all transfers, it might not work out, but I do think that being made the main man will be the psychological boost he needs to be a top level striker.
From the Tielemans thing, that looked as certain as it comes, we need to be cautious with Jesus. We haven’t closed the deal yet. Let’s hope it happens but as of now, it’s not done.
People frequently talk about ‘fine margins’ and even with shiny new players we’ll still need to improve on those in certain areas.
For example, Odegaard creates losts of ‘chances’ which isn’t even a stat the Premier League feature, but he doesn’t create lots of ‘Big Chances’ which is a more reliable indicator (and which the Premier League does record).
Then assuming we sign Jesus he needs to improve on his GS v’s xG which he regularly significantly underperforms. A combination of low quality chances and a lack of clinical finishing isn’t going to move the needle much. With a small improvement in both areas the results would be significant.
Gabriel Jesus has a goal involvement every 101 minutes for City
He’s 3rd, only just behind Henry + Aguero for non penalty goal involvements per 90, in PL history
He’s 25, he’s played on the biggest stage for club + country, he’s won big trophies
He’ll be an excellent signing
“Is there a difference between Jesus choosing us because he wants to be the main man and Martinez wanting assurances that he’ll be first choice?”
No, not really.
He’s 3rd, only just behind Henry + Aguero for non penalty goal involvements per 90, in PL history
That’s the sort of stat I like!!
I’d still prefer Gnabry, if he was available, over Raphina.
Ballard to Burnley loking likely.
Looking
Karsa I’m hearing Ballard to Burnley is for 2 million which sounds cheap hope we have a sell on clause included
If the latest batch of wage predictions are correct, it won’t be long before we return to the Champions League level wage bill we had before.
So much for “cost-savings” and “trimming the fat”.
Just shows you what freaks that Henry and Aguero were.
Aguero did that for 10 years (!!!). TH14 for 8 years.
What made Henry greater again was that he was a LF/ST hybrid and he created so many of his own goals and didn’t mostly operate in the box like Aguero.
Henry more so than any other forward from the 2000s era would be absolutely insane in this current era of football. Imagine having prime Arsenal Henry as your LF in a 4-3-3, fucking hell.
I saw the video of Edu welcoming Fabio Vierra and taking him on a tour
That video made me realize how far we have come from the days of Wenger
We now have former players in key positions in the club; Edu. Mert and Arteta. We are in a much better place now to face whatever the future brings.
Edu comes across as a genuinely good guy trying his damn best. He has a connection to the club, same as Arteta. You could tell Vierra was in awe walking those hallowed corridors.
There are good times ahead with the youth policy, that’s what most of us have been demanding for years.
I’m excited in a different way, not because of the manager but just the general direction we are going. I still bristle when the memories of the big choke come flooding in but we are in a much better place, thanks to the former players running the club.
…and the Kroenkes a re coming good. They aren’t perennial losers anymore- Arsenal may now be the sick baby of the sporting empire.
People are going to be disappointed with Jesus.
Just telling you.
A good, versatile player, but not a 220k/week player for sure. That’s why he was on 91k at City and not on Debruyne money. The “goal involvements” of his are not going to give us top 4, bet your bottom dollar on it as he’s not going to be surrounded with the same class of players and not going to play for the same class of manager.
“Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha are now the priority targets for Arsenal, claims CaughtOffside.
That means that any interest being shown in Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans is set to be shelved for now.”
“Death on Xhaka hill” it is then.
WE
I suspect we’ll need to find someone who can be the absolute Talisman, they’re just so hard to find. Saka will likely get there, but he needs a few years. Patino probably has the potential, but that’s even further out. One presumes we’ll need to bring said player in.
The thought experiment becomes even more sumptuous if you imagine Fabregas joining him.
I saw the video of Edu welcoming Fabio Vierra and taking him on a tour
That video made me realize how far we have come from the days of Wenger
We now have former players in key positions in the club; Edu. Mert and Arteta. We are in a much better place now to face whatever the future brings.
Yeah Diss just watched that video just now. The facilities are immaculate.
Read a rumour that Marseille have submitted a loan with option to buy offer to Arsenal for Nuno Tavares
IAT
If our targets come in, and we shift the deadwood, looks like first team wages will come in at £110-£115m.
Will be the best it’s been in best part of a decade.
The upcoming season brings so much unknowns for all the big seven clubs, with the exception of Spurs. They have the most settled attack in the division.
-City and Liverpool are pruning and freshening up.
-Chelsea’s entire team is up in the air- defence and attack is in major transition
-United are in a major rebuild mode.
-We too, are in a major rebuild mode of our attack. I don’t know how fast Vierra will adapt to the league but he has the makings of a top class player.
-Spurs have all the pieces of a good attack line in place and they have a dynamic midfield trio of Bentancur-Bissouma-Hoybjerg that will cover every blade of grass
I believe this season will come down to who gets the best start, leading up to the world cup in November. The WC is going to disrupt big time.
RP7
Gabriel is the best our sick desperate arses can get right now
We are not going to be able to sign a more suited, desperate-to-succeed and league ready striker.
Of course we have to pay a mediocre’s tax on his wages and transfer fee.
It is what it is.
No way we are paying jesus 250k a week I would understand if he gets laccas 180k but no way we are going ozil and auba money for him .it’s just sky chatting shit
Raphinha…I’m not so sure
I hope the deal goes up in flames
There are cheaper and more exciting players we could sign
Jeremy Doku will cost one third of the extortionate fee Leeds are asking for Raphina. He’s only 20 years old and offers far more that Raphina. He’s already a lynchpin of the Belgian team at that young age, much like Saka.
We need to stop buying players are the peak of their transfer values- Doku is the better prospect.
If Afc have budget, who are we to argue?
But £220k pw for Jesus? Jesus!
Media reports he’s on £100k pw at City? What’s left of his contract again? Any other serious suitors? Many here could have brokered the deal…
Mr Serge
“No way we are paying jesus 250k a week I would understand if he gets laccas 180k but no way we are going ozil and auba money for him .it’s just sky chatting shit”
That’s the same stuff people like you said when were signing Auba’s extension in 2020 and Willian’s signing the same summer.
“I can’t possibly be true”, they said. It turns out it was true.
Good agents can smell desperation and they exploit it.
We are in a market of ONE with Gabriel, he knows it and so do we.
It is what it is.
It’s not our money so lets stop worrying about it.
David Dein used to show new players around Highbury, teaching them about our history, and historic players.
When we signed Ian Wright in 1991, Dein challenged him to go on and become Arsenal’s all time leading scorer
Wright went on to do just that.
£215K/wk mooted for Gabriel J does not gel with the policy of reducing the wage-bill. And the inevitable knock-on effect of wage increase demands from other players. My guess is that figure far exceeds what the Club is prepared to pay him, or anyone. So either Gabriel accepts circa £120K/wk – or it’s all smoke and mirrors. Otherwise the Club will re-enter the wage morass that Wenger inaugurated, and left behind.
Should we be disappointed if Gabriel does not sign? Not me. It will be confirmation that the Club is sticking to its guns. I have no doubt that Spurs have offered him a higher wage. So what’s keeping the guy?
He wants to play for Arteta and Arsenal.
Diss what do you mean people like me ? Wtf comment is that ?
While signings in the right areas are great, we just got out of a prolonged inflated wages cycle so should be cautious in financial. Also, wish we’d dispose of player assets much better, rather than almost giveaways in today’s market.
The deal breaker or hold-up for the Jesus deal has to be agent fees
Many of these Brazilian players have agents and people on their posse [family members] that have to be paid as part of the transfer.
Mr Serge
People that keep saying there’s no way the club can pay x or y
Wind your neck in mate, wasn’t taking a dig at you.
Jeez, just chill.
Rich,
Doesn’t work for everyone though. Word is that when Kim Kallsrom was being guided through the hallowed halls on his first day he began to feel the weight of expectation on his back…….
#Kallstrom
While I didn’t envisage us trying to spend £80 million on 2 left footed forwards, Raphinha would be an excellent signing if we can get him for £50 million
Buying from other league’s is always a risk, there’s never any guarantees how long it’ll take players to settle, or if they’ll settle at all.
Sancho, Havertz, Pepe, Pogba, Lukaku, Di Maria, Morata, Keita
They all came with big fees + reputations, and either never settled, or in Sancho + Havertz cases, are taking a while to find their feet.
Buying players 22-25 with PL experience, who’ve been through their teething stages at other clubs, is the safer way to conduct our business
Jesus, Raphinha, Tielemans, Zinchenko, would all be excellent acquisitions, all 4 are equipped to hit the ground running
PL proven players, who we’d likely be signing for their best years.
We can’t afford another season outside the CL, we need players who are likely to bang straight away
dissenter
You are what you are.
englandsbest
“Should we be disappointed if Gabriel does not sign? Not me. It will be confirmation that the Club is sticking to its guns. I have no doubt that Spurs have offered him a higher wage. So what’s keeping the guy?”
so what’s Arsenal going to do?
Walk away from a 25 year old player who’s starter for the Brazilian national team that is coming from a team with a winning mentality?
Tim Vickery the South American correspondant on many football programmes said that Edu is far too close to one or two agents yesterday and make of that what you will. I still think he makes all the major decisions but hopefully the scouting is dramatically improved as are the medicals.
So there may be something to it. We need him to rediscover that mindset he had from 2017-18 when he looked much more clinical for City. Unlike at when he was in Aguero’s shadow those early years even playing up top as he will be the focal point here.
Weagle
We did it with Henry RvP and sanchez
It could happen with Jesus. Time will tell
He is a natural finisher when you look at the positions he gets into and how he always picks a corner, often delaying his shot slightly to get that corner.
dissenter
No, persuade the guy to take £120K/week – which is what Arteta is endeavouring to do.
It’s not Gabriel or nobody, it’s not a one-horse race. There are other runners – such as Raphina, and most likely a couple more.
Englandsbest. We can’t offer CL so we have to offer wages. According to Pedro there is a 2 year plan before we are able to compete with the best. If that’s the case we need to get a move on. We always overpay it’s the Arsenal way.
The bard
Come now
We got Saka ESR Nketiah and martinelli for £6m combined
That’s easily £200m worth of talent there
Vieira could be a £100m player in a year or three
Tomyasu for £17m is a snip
So is Ramsdale for £23m
Our current midfield cost £55m for Elneny Lakonga Xakha and partey
Add tielemans and that’s £80m for a very good midfield
Tierney for £25m was cheap. He’s now being touted for £50-£60m with a questionable injury record and being linked with city and Madrid
Let’s not even go into Henry santi sanchez RvP Freddie anelka pires Giroud Eduardo Adebayor cesc hleb rosicky Sagna Jens Koscielney sol Campbell Ashley Cole Lauren toure and Gilberto
I’d say it’s anything but the arsenal way outside of wengers last 2 years and 2 years of Don Raul
Not one bit of defending in that video just pure long balls.
Not one bit of defending in that video just pure long balls.
My thoughts exactly.
Rich
If you are going to show highlights of a defender, don’t you think it should consist of them actually defending?
We have Xhaka for those long balls.
Samesong
The name of the video is “Lisandro Martinez, The Defender Who Breaks The Lines”
I wouldn’t have expected any clips when he’s trying to defend opposition players trying to break his own defensive line….
I’m not surprised we’re trying to sign an inverted left back, more inverted full backs who play as defensive midfielders in possession, who’s jobs are to intercept, win the ball back early, pin teams in their own half, and get the ball quickly + directly into our forwards, are how we move to playing with 2 x No8s
Which is why I think we’re trying to sign Tielemans, and have signed Vieira
It’s the next evolution of this team,
Almunia: Doesn’t work for everyone though. Word is that when Kim Kallsrom was being guided through the hallowed halls on his first day he began to feel the weight of expectation on his back
😂😂😂
Rich
My bad didn’t check that line. However I’ll be damned if he gets that time and space do those Beckhamesque, Pirlo type passes in the EPL.
Pedro also talked so much about Ben “the Rolls Royce of defenders” White’s passing/ breaking the lines last season.
Sorry Pedro but I think Jesus is an OK player, nothing that will move the needle. Christ in a team that create as many chances as city, yet he’s never hit 20 goals a season for them. So what makes people think he’s going to be good for us?? I’m sure for the money we spent on him we could have found better.
Samesong, its a good point, especially against the 4/5 hardcore pressing teams, but then there’s every reason to expect him to adapt. The one thing I remember us doing well in Tets first year, was those lovely long balls out from fullback on the counter attack against the big teams, just a shame the rest of the play was rubbish.
If we could have our fullbacks offering that kind of threat in addition to all the other things we’re cooking up, I’m all fot it! Let’s see if we get him, and then let’s see what he’s conjuring once he’s had a few months to settle in.
Jesus is NOT a starter for Brazil, dissenter.
I checked their last 7,8 games and he had 0 starts.
Raphinha had about 4 or 5.
Richarlison had about 3.
So those who hold Jesus in high esteem due to his participation in the national team must NECESSARILY hold Richarlison in higher esteem. I mean, unless you hate logic.
Anyway, Raphinha is roughly in Jesus’s league (for me slightly better), so if I were him, I would ask for at least 200k if Jesus gets 220k. Saka should also get at least 220k.
““Arsenal have put a heck of a lot of work into this Tielemans deal, dating back a year. They’ve agreed terms with the player, but at no point have they tabled an offer. Tielemans isn’t off the table, but it’s true Arsenal have backed off for now.”
Galaxy brain Edu.
Agrees terms with Tielemans, but fails to table an offer to Leeds LOL
Jesus is an OK player only. Came with big hype but has failed to meet expectations. Seriously not a great signing.
Great interview with Edu on Sky yesterday.
SKY: “We’ve seen over the last few transfer windows an investment in youth, is that still a central part of Arsenal’s plan going forward?”
EDU: “100%. That has to be Arsenal. So we have to go to the market and sign exciting players, with the right age, right attitude, right mentality,. We want to see Arsenal with a young squad, an exciting squad with a big, big future. Because, as I said last summer, the idea is to have a young squad and to give them the opportunity to play together for two, three, four, five, six seasons together. So we have a lot to do, but we are really excited to start the season with the players we target and the players we want to sign as well.”
SKY: “When the Transfer window starts how do you go about the process of finding the right player, working on who’s right for Arsenal Football Club?”
EDU: “to be fair when you go to the summer, when you start the summer, it’s because we plan six months or seven months or eight months before we face the summer.The summer is just the consequence of what we’ve been working a lot on to try to find the best player, the best targets, identify what we need in the squad.So when we started we were prepared. So Fabio is a good example because we moved quickly, because we prepared for Fabio a long time ago. And then when we face it we make the things happen.”
SKY: ” We’ve still got plenty of time to go into the transfer window, lot’s of hard work still to do but what will the next few weeks bring for Arsenal?”
EDU: ‘Yes I am quite excited! We have some good conversations and positive conversations to be fair, I hope we can give to our fans some good news.”
BOOM
Sid he is not Brazilian you Muppet lol
So many Arsenal fans wanted Jesus and now that it seems clear he’s coming to us, the groans seem to have increased.
I m gonna go ahead and make a prediction with my chest, I m glad Jesus will be joining us,…but Nketiah will be a more successful striker for Arsenal.
Jesus will begin the season as our starting striker but eventually Nketiah will become Arsenal’s number one striker.
Azed
“Rich
If you are going to show highlights of a defender, don’t you think it should consist of them actually defending?We have Xhaka for those long balls.”
Will just point out that xhaka rarely plays more than 1 or 2 long balls these days compared to 4 or 5 when he first arrived…
As for Martinez , all i can say is he pings a ball like David Beckham and there is no higher praise than that..
Those long passes were absolute perfection , he uses his left peg like phil Mickelson uses a wedge on the golf course.
Dissenter “It is what it is.
It’s not our money so lets stop worrying about it.”
Weren’t you the person who spent days agonising over the ‘VAT’ involved in the Cedric deal a couple of years back?????
Pierre
If Xhaka didn’t play the long balls again, then it’s most likely because Arteta doesn’t like it or there were no runners (Auba, Martinelli).
If Arteta doesn’t like it, then Martinez still also stop playing it.
Cor Lisandro Beckenbeur
Those Ajax forwards miss more than ours do on the Odegaard compilations
Pierre
Did you sport the b silva/Odegaard stats for last season?
Almost identical…..