FULL SQUAD + WEIRD TRANSFER EXIT RUMOUR + SUPER JACK IS BACK

by .

HOW ARE WE ALL TODAY?

I’m feeling pretty damn fine.

The good news? We once again have a full squad of players to choose from. It now seems very likely that every player is going to head out to America tomorrow. That is good news.

Players transfers seem to be taking their sweet time, there’s not a lot of gossip running through the system, but rest assured, the club is working hard on new deals.

If we can get a left back and a midfielder in the next week, we’ll be a much better side than the one that ended the season.

Main concern is injuries and keeping players fit. Watching Harry Kane collapse on the floor during preseason isn’t the vibe I want to see in America this week, but it was a sharp reminder… these players get put through the wringer, our season crashed because we couldn’t maintain the fitness of our key players without Europe, what is being done to make things better now we have Europa League?

Well, for starters, we have a deeper squad of talent. We’ll start the season minus problematic low talent, low attitude players. That’s a really good place to be.

… but. The most important element comes from the coaching staff. They have to make sure Arteta rotates his players this season. Big Mo, Eddie, and Cedric all proved capable deputies last season. We do NOT have to beast our starting 13 every single game. If w do that again, things will go south in December and March again. We can’t afford for that to happen this season. The stakes are simply TOO high.

YOU WANT FEEL-GOOD VIBES?

Jack Wilshere retired from football. Sad.

Jack Wilshere is back at Arsenal as an U18 coach. Yay!

GROWN MAN WRITING YAY WHAT IS THIS?

You wait, when Arteta exits, the clamouring for Jack as the next first-team coach will be MASSIVE.

Good luck to him.

YOU WANT SOME SCHADENFREUDE?

Mesut Ozil, the most wronged footballer of all time… has had his contract cancelled by coach number two at Fenerbache.

Wow.

But I thought Emery, Freddie, and Arteta were the problem?

Johnny on the podcast cut a classy muted view on this that maybe the player is missing something in his life.

For me, cutting an unclassy tone, I think he has it ALL in his life and doesn’t need football.

He should have retired years ago. Passion is gone. He’ll find another club, do the same, and the cycle will repeat.

An outrageous visionary of the game who gave up.

YOU WANT A WEIRD RUMOR?

Using builder identification language, Big Gabriel as we’ll now call him (it’s usually too many Dave’s on a building site), is attracting sticky rumours from Juve.

The player is a fan fave, he’s had ups and downs, but he’s pure talent… but everyone has a price.

Is Don Pep G doing his underling a favor here? Is he buying De Ligt for £76m, so Mikel get take all that money to bolster his title dreams this summer?

Who knows, but if Juve took that money to Arsenal, I’m not sure what we’d do? We have to sell someone painful at some point, right?

Imagine the damage we could do with that money ON TOP of the money we’re already spending.

Right, short one today, I have a NEW podcast that I recorded with Johnny. I am VERY sorry we messed the sound up.

Also, do you want to feel special? Do you want to feel love from three men on the internet? Sign up to our Patreon and BE that person.

It’ll be all the before the whistles next season AND any European AFTER the whistles.

Become a Patron!

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Terraloon

Rewenger.

Baloguan for me is a country mile away from being anywhere near ready to even be in the squad he needs to have a full season out on loan to keep him at the club for the upcoming season will stunt his progress. He scored what 3 in 21 on loan at Middlesbrough.

It’s a big enough gamble going with just Jesus and Eddie

Rewenger

Terraloon, agreed. Baloguan is not ready. Thats why I say a forward is number 2 priority, after a dm of course.

WengerEagle

Agree with Samesong on Torreira.

Good little player in Italy but he’s not able to the PL. 5″6 and not strong or quick or particularly technically gifted either. Plus he doesn’t want to come back and play for us more importantly.

WengerEagle

I’m not a big Eddie fan but what was the point in tying him down and paying him £100k a week if you don’t even trust him to be a 2nd choice PL striker?

A ST should be way lower down our priority list than sorting out the CM and getting in another LB and wideman.

Mysticleaves

Vintage Let’s remember that it was in fact Arteta that made Torr feel unwanted. When he was signed, under Emery of course, he played alot, became a cult hero and never complained. Man was happy and enjoying his job. The weather might not have been favorable to him but he was enjoying his job. Arteta benched him and Guenduozi after he took over (for no reason discernable with non generational eyes) and they mostly never played again with any consistency. Before Arteta came in, Torr and Guen were our most played CMs. When he joined, they were reduced to bit… Read more »

Mysticleaves

In his most recent interview, it was important to note that he first mentioned that the reason he wanted to leave was because “they” told him “they” had no place for him in the team “from the start” before he mentioned anything about having suffered to adapt to the weather

Mysticleaves

“Good little player in Italy but he’s not able to the PL. 5″6 and not strong or quick or particularly technically gifted either. ”

Wow. Did you watch Torr for us? Wenger Eagle? Kante is 5″7 if I am not mistaken. Not particularly technically gifted?? Pffft!!

WengerEagle

I did Mystic, never was particularly impressed by him. Not saying he is a bad player by any means but come on, you really comparing him to Kante?!

Kante is ten times the athlete and a better footballer.

WengerEagle

Or was at least if you believe he has fallen way off like some on here.

Kante that is.

WengerEagle

And by not technically gifted I mean he is not standout.

Cazorla was 5″6 but he was a magician and arguably the most technically gifted player in the PL.

Rewenger

Wengereagle, as I said a dm is number 1. I can agree that left back is important, but we have very good starter and I like Nuno. Cedric can also play lb (as bad as rb). Wide players? Saka, martinelli, ESR, pepe, and jesus, Vieira and ode can play there. Even nkhetia has played wide. I would like new players all over the pitch, but dm, forward, lb first. Then a cm and a wide attacker.

Rewenger

Agree with wengereagle on torreira. To small and to slow. Slow beeing the biggest problem, we have to many already..

Dark Hei

WengerEagle

Cazorla was so good they just threw him as the deep lying mid knowing that he is completely press resistant.

The press just glides off him. AND he is great at stealing loose balls or picking them off your toes.

Emiratesstroller

Terraloon Jesus is clearly an automatic starter when fit. Nketiah will have plenty of game time, but I doubt that he will start against teams like Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea. Saliba will I am sure be competing with White and Gabriel, but this is likely to be a “rotation”. He may prove to be the best CB on our books in which case he will be an automatic starting X1 player. The others are squad players. As I posted it is the CMF/DMF position which is for me still a priority for the reasons which have been discussed many… Read more »

Mysticleaves

Wenger Eagle

I mentioned Kante because of the height. Of course he’s more physical and better overall than Torr. But Torr is more technically gifted than Kante. No need to compare him to Santi levels in terms of technicality. Few in the world can match that.

What all 3 have in common though is height. If the other 2 made it in the PL, then Torr can. For me I just think he needs the coach to trust him and have a plan for him.

Samesong

Mystic

Torreira doesn’t want to play in England
He has one year left on his contract.
What makes you think he will be a big success all of sudden in the EPL?

WengerEagle

Dark Hei

He was also completely two-footed to tbe point he was comfortable taking set-pieces with his left peg.

It meant he could do everything in stride too and never had to correct his body positioning so he could get the ball back into his stronger foot.

Sanchez and Ozil were our two other best players but both were painfully one-footed.

Samesong

No one hardly mentioned LT during his loan here but now all of a sudden he can do a job. He’s head gone. Just like Lukaku did.

Un

Weagle

Throw me a frikkin bone here
We used to be in lock step but you’re shooting down every opinion I have these days 😞

Emiratesstroller

Torreira is not going to stay with Arsenal. His family did not settle in this country and he is
clearly better suited to the game in Italy.

Arsenal’s problem is that most clubs in Italy do not have a pot to piss in and they want to
recruit players on the cheap.

Our club has unfortunately been too generous when it comes to offloading players. The
club needs to manage contracts and transfers more professionally than was the case in the
past.

WengerEagle

Rewenger Disagree about LBs importance, for me it is critical we strengthen there. Tierney has proven himself a crock and unreliable unfortunately and Tavares while in isolation is not a terrible player unbalances the entire backline and injects chaos and instability. As others have pointed out, it makes Gabriel’s life that much harder when Tavares is constantly being caught out next to him and inviting pressure. Grimaldo for me is a no-brainer signing for €7m if there is any truth to that. Let Tavares go out on loan and we’ll see if he is another Aly Cissokho or if he… Read more »

WengerEagle

Un

What are we out of sync on? You like Torreira?

WengerEagle

Mystic

You’re wrong on Kante. He is not a Makelele, the guy can really ball even if he is not technically superb. He does all the fundamentals as well as any CM and his off-ball contribution is immense.

Torreira is lightweight and slow. He doesn’t create/score many and he isn’t great off ball either. Think you greatly overestimate his ability based on one decent season at Sampdoria.

Rewenger

I think we agree cm/ dm is our biggest problem. My largest concern is mobility. Elneny, torreira, ode, sambi all slow. TP only player that can cover ground. With him out its clear what we need and torreira is NOT the solution.

Samesong

Grimaldo for me is a no-brainer signing for €7m if there is “any truth to that.”

I hope this Grimaldo isn’t injury prone.

WengerEagle

That’s why I am not sure that Paqueta is the answer either. He is a lot of good things but he is not quick or strong.

I still prefer his teammate Aouar. Super player and a very vertical runner/dribbler.

Rewenger

Aaand xhaka of course. How could I forget him talking about slow midfielders lol

Rewenger

Yeah, when I read Paquetas weakness was slow. Thats a no from me.

Emiratesstroller

WE

Torreira will be moved on.

For the record Torreira was grossly overrated when he arrived at Arsenal. He was physically
not strong enough for the role he played as DMF and was easily dispossessed.

I think that Athletico Madrid also reached the same conclusion when he played for them and the fact that Fiorentina were not willing to exercise the purchase option at what was
a fairly modest fee says it all.

I am not a huge fan of Elneny, but he is a better option than Torreira. He is a much better squad player.

WengerEagle

Samesong

He seems to average 27 starts a season in the Portuguese League but they only play 34 matches (18 teams).

So no, no injury-prone.

raptora

At this moment I’m pretty sure Aouar fked Edu or Arteta’s wife or something. No way that we were pushing so hard for him 2 years ago and we were ready to pay £35m-40m (some sources say plus Guendouzi) when they wanted £55m. And now, when he has 1 year left on his contract and will be available for probably £20-25 max, we are still short in CM but we’re suddenly not interested. Like what?!..

Ishola70

Don’t worry about physicality regarding Paqueta.

EPL may be a physical league but there is too much fixation with speed and muscle.

Paqueta is a good player. Intelligent, combines well with team mates and is actually not a physical weakling.

Mysticleaves

Wenger Eagle, Torreira’s role is not to create or score if he’s to play DM. It will to close down passing lanes, make interceptions, evade the press from deep, make quick incisive passing to initiate or carry on counters. He’s at a very good level, if not excellent at these. He’s not a physical specimen, yes but there’s more to football than physicality

Vintage Gun

“I still prefer his teammate Aouar. Super player and a very vertical runner/dribbler.”

It’s his mentality that’s stalling his career . For club and country. Great technical little player who would slot in at LCM fine, but the mentality accusations have bee attached to him for a few years now. Probably explains his remarkably low price tag. (15m euros)

raptora

Truth be told Matteo G is ahead of Aouar in the French national team. We might have kept him, sign a DM and be ready to roll. Our £9m option to buy so shocking I swear.

Karsa

Nobody seems interested in Aouar.

DigitalBob

Stroller – I think Torreira had a pretty good season in Italy with Sampdoria before we signed him, I do agree with your assessment of his ability though, I think the idea of Torriera was a lot better than the reality which was unfortunate for us. For 26M however we should have probably been smarter with our scouting. I was also at the Xhaka boo game and remember getting messages referring to Torreira crying at Xhaka being booed as I didn’t see this at the time. My immediate thought was “regardless of how much respect you have for Granit, to… Read more »

Mysticleaves

Samesong and Emirates Making use of a good player is better than dashing him out for free..surely?? He’s got 1 year left. We can’t seem to buy reinforcement in a position he can adequately cover. Why not bring him in and use him?? As it is, no player will pay for him. What next? Tear up his contract and start Xhaka as DM? Are we even remotely being linked to one Partey cover? For me, Torr is much better DM than everyone at the club currently bar Partey. If we can’t sell him, we should use him and let him… Read more »

Ishola70

Some of the Man City central/attacking midfielders in the past and present don’t actually stand out for purely their physical aspects.

What they all had/have in common though is very good intelligence on the pitch allied with the technique.

Big physical attributes is not the be all and end all unless we are talking snail and lack of intelligence. A bit thick.

WengerEagle

Yes Vintage Gun it is strange all right. He has stagnated at Lyon and clearly needs a change of scenery but he does seem a mercurial type mentally which isn’t desirable.

I just think for a player of that ability and age that you have to take that punt on him for so cheap. He has the talent of a £50m player.

Hopefully not another Ben Arfa.

Un

Eagle

Tongue firmly in cheek mate but we have disagree lately on
Xakha, Gabriel, Holding, Torreira Sterling off the top of ky head
Still always look for your posts first though princess 😘
Now that my old mucka Charlie doesn’t post anymore 😞

Wicked Willy

Rap 2 years ago we didn’t have quite such a resolute attitude towards character and determination me feels. Seems like the club feels so bruised by players who had question marks over their character that they’re reluctant to repeat the same mistake. Not saying Aouar is confirmed problematic, but enough people have questioned his attitude for it to be a doubt. I also think that’s why we’re not going for Moussa Diaby….let’s his head drop and doesn’t appear to be a fighter. Just conjecture, but I suspect that’s the reason. Plus which, he hasn’t really kicked on these last two… Read more »

WengerEagle

Mystic

Of course there is but the guy is a fucking midget and he is a slight build. He isn’t 5″8, he is 5″6 in shoes and he couldn’t weigh more than 130 lbs.

We disagree on his ability but it’s all moot anyway isn’t it given he has absolutely no desire to play for us again and Arteta doesn’t rate him a lick.

Wicked Willy

Also notable that no one else seems interested in the bargain buy either, which suggests it’s not just Arsenal who have their doubts

Ishola70

Torreira was a pressing animal when he was playing DM for Arsenal so much so that he would run out of gas sometimes in the last quarter.

That’s why Emery pushed him up higher for some matches because of his incessant pressing of the opposition.

I’m not sure Arteta is actually interested in this type of player from the holding midfield position.

Torreira’s work-rate was top notch for the most part.

Un

Mystic

Agree
It makes so much more sense than going aftersomeone Kante on £290k pw plus fees for a season or two.
Partey will be 30 next summer anyway so I am sure the club will be looking ti bring in a long term guy to fill those requirements (athletic, press resistant etc)

Why not keep LT on until then? We are back in the champions league (hopefully) Who knows maybe the next big thing might be available to come to us next summer.
I can’t see the club spending big on a DM this season

Habesha Gooner

Well Partey’s case seems to be ongoing. He is left out of the America Tour. This is going to have a significant impact on our start to the season.

I would hold off on the winger and bring in 2 CMs right about now. One offensive and the other one a bit more defensive. And a LB too. We can’t hope that his case will e thrown out and hang our season on him. Get a decent DMF and a CM and we will be fine without him for a while.

WengerEagle

Ishola

Paqueta is similar to Odegaard. Maybe better in some aspects but they are not very different players.

Do you rate his off-ball contribution that highly where you would be happy to see him as an 8 for us?

WengerEagle

Un

That is a fair few disagreements yeah. You’re slipping a bit!

Think we both at least agree that SMS is a player that would transform our midfield and should be a priority target. Lad does it all and is built for PL football.

Habesha Gooner

And oh it seems to me that Torreira is going to be kept against his preference of going back to Italy for this same reason. Arteta might be thinking it is cheaper to keep him for a year rather than get 10 mil for him instead of signing a player that can play until this whole Partey issue is resolved either way. I like Torreira and I wouldn’t mind having him. He is a better midfielder than Elneny and for me Xhaka too. But he doesn’t want to stay. I don’t know if it is a good thing for us… Read more »

Ishola70

Paqueta seems a sensible choice being that he can play box to box.

That can cover a couple of positions in midfield with one signing. More central or more attacking.

But it’s going to look dodgy with no Partey if that comes to pass.

We are likely to be having Xhaka as our holding midfielder going into this season,

Hold onto your hats.

I’d rather have Torreira as a pure holding midfielder than Xhaka.

WengerEagle

As I said there isn’t much to Paqueta’s game not to like.

But for his position we have Odegaard, ESR, Fabio Vieira. How do you accommodate all of these into an XI?

We struggled with just Odegaard and ESR with the latter benched often. And if Partey isn’t there to start the season as is looking likely, where is the defensive protection?

englandsbest

almuniasaynomore Yeah, gout is out. But more to the point, Newcastle is another wannabee elite. It’s getting mighty crowded up there with seven clubs – Man C, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Newcastle and us – fighting for a top 4 finish. And right now I’d say that not one is a dead cert, there are too many imponderables – such as how will Pep manage without Raheem and Gabriel J, and will Haaland hit the ground running…. And with ALL seven clubs throwing money around like confetti. And with a mid-term WC in Qater!!! For me, though, if Arteta/Edu… Read more »

WengerEagle

Physical teams like Palace will make minemeat of us on the counter with just Torreira providing the shield.

Mysticleaves

Weagle 166m, 60kg for Torr 168m, 70kg for Kante 165m, 67kg for Santi. I wonder why you keep taking a pop at Torr’s height and weight as a determinant of his success and not his very capable abilities. Yet clearly doing the opposite for Kante and Santi. Ishola seems to remember when Torr played for us and how he performed from his last post. I am not so sure you do, Wenger Eagle. The only problem here is whether Arteta rates him or not. From previous insinuations, it seems he doesn’t. But he has called him back, so let’s see… Read more »

Ishola70

Weagle

“Paqueta is similar to Odegaard. Maybe better in some aspects but they are not very different players.”

I like him. For me he has more about him than Odegaard as an all round player.

Of course you don’t want him being last man in midfield really do you. You would want a more obviously defensive midfield player with him but we have the Partey problem so the balance of the midfield is going to be a mess if another midfielder is not purchased along with Paqueta as the more holding one.

Ishola70

Damn this site is now absolutely top heavy and plagued with advertisements.

Awful.

Dissenter

Just read that Partey isn’t traveling with the squad to the USA
He has to keep training at London Colney

raptora

Mystic, surely you look at the weight of the 3 that you posted, and see that Torreira is lightweight. I like the player, he’s good. But the English football is still very physical and draining. From what we know, he also hated being in England. Just let him go and get someone else in his place.

Ishola70

Internet has actually diminished over the years.

Adverts, adverts everywhere now plaguing you everywhere you turn.

Vintage Gun

So no ‘Tommy Disco” on the flight to America huh? FFS!!!

When Pedro said all the players are due to go i guess i took it literally and assumed “Tommy Disco” was included.

Yeah, we might have to scrap the Winger signing this window…

WengerEagle

Mystic 7-10kg/16-22 lbs is a massive difference in build for an athlete of the same height. That is an entire weight class difference in the UFC for reference. Cazorla was stockier and sturdier, had powerful legs that allowed him to win tackles and put himself about more than you would expect for a 5″6 player. 10kg is an incredible difference for Kante. Athletically on a different planet to Torreira given his pace on top of that. And Torreira’s on ball ability was decent but pretty ordinary really. He wasn’t at all a standout for Fiorentina last season which was all… Read more »

Mysticleaves

Rap, nothing he can’t make up in the gym. He’s not a baby. He’d just be lighter than some. And football isn’t just physical. He presses hard and evades the press too better than most in our team.

Obviously he won’t be a guaranteed starter or key player but better to have him around this season than to dash him for free to some 2 faced Italian team. Esp if we aren’t buying anyone in that situation.

I’d rather Torr than Xhaka at the base of my midfield.

Un

Eagle

Don’t worry. I can look past it for now…
Yeah on that we do agree. And many other things
Whatever happens we are in line for an exciting season by the looks of it
I’ve not looked forward t the coming season tis mcuh since sanchez was ripping it up on our left wing

WengerEagle

Ishola

How about ESR and Vieira? What role do you see both having here long-term?

I don’t particularly rate Odegaard either. Just surprised at your enthusiasm towards Paqueta given you were very lukewarm towards Tielemans for defensive reasons.

Paqueta didn’t strike me as a typical Ishola signing.

Un

Torreira is better on the ball than partey and I think he’s a better tackler too, just smaller and less athletic.
That’s obviously a big deal but as a footballer he’s got more to his game than any of our other DMs outside of physicality

WengerEagle

Lol, make it up in the gym?!!!

Mystic no disrespect intended but have you lifted wrights before? Adding 10kg/22.5 lbs of muscle is virtually impossible without getting Torreira on gear.

Mysticleaves

“He wasn’t at all a standout for Fiorentina last season which was all but confirmed by them having no interest in making it permanent and he couldn’t get a look in at Atleti” I read that he won 3 player of the month awards for them. I would be interested to find out if there was a player that won more than he did the whole season, apart from Zlahovic. Atleti brought him in strictly for cover. They had a settled starting XI and he was never going to break into that team. Torr is a fine player. I agree… Read more »

Mysticleaves

Weagle, of course he’s not going to make 10kg on the gym but he can make 3-5kg. That’s better than 60kg surely? Except you are setting the “weight of success” in the PL to 70kg?

raptora

The news that Partey isn’t travelling is another confirmation that he is the player mentioned in the news. I really hope he gets cleared of all charges and he restores his good reputation as this stuff is as serious as it gets.

I assume he will not be allowed to leave the country for a while, so he might be available to play in the EPL and maybe not in the away games of the Europa League group phase which is not that big of a deal.

Ishola70

Weagle

“I don’t particularly rate Odegaard either. Just surprised at your enthusiasm towards Paqueta given you were very lukewarm towards Tielemans for defensive reasons.”

Again as with Odegaard I think Paqueta has more about him than Tielemans as well as a more rounded midfielder.

I have seen less from Paqueta that I didn’t like in comparison to Tielemans put it that way.

Mysticleaves

“Torreira is better on the ball than partey and I think he’s a better tackler too, just smaller and less athletic.
That’s obviously a big deal but as a footballer he’s got more to his game than any of our other DMs outside of physicality”

Debateable but agreeable

WengerEagle

Mystic

Player of the month awards? I found one source for that (Daily Cannon). What is the criteria for voting on them (is it fans?).

He had a 6.67 Whoscored rating for the season, 5th highest on Fiorentina.

He’s no mug and is a decent footballer but for me we need a better option in MF, especially a more motivated one.

Ishola70

I don’t see Arteta playing Torreira tbh in the obvious bigger matches such as EPL games even if I’d prefer him to Xhaka.

He may get a run out in some of the lesser matches.

It’s all pointing to Xhaka being our holding midfielder unless this Partey situation is sorted.

WengerEagle

I’m not Mystic, it’s the fact that he is 5″5- 5″6 to go along with the light frame.

You could only name me x2 other similar height players and both weighed 16+ lbs heavier than him which is a massive difference.

Terraloon

ES My sixth sense is that Arsenal will wait for outcome of what will happen to Partey and also if we are planning to buy Tielemans it will be done later in the window when we have managed to offload some of the unwanted players. How do you rate the possibility that the final outcome in those rape allegations will be known before the season starts ? Of course we have absolutely no idea as to what the police are doing or indeed are we sure which player is being investigated. Unless the Police have dismissed the allegations ( in… Read more »

Mysticleaves

Weagle 5th best in a squad of 23 you can agree is a stand out. Not just top top. Player of the months are usually voted for by fans. And I don’t know the accuracy of the source, I just read it a while ago. “He’s no mug and is a decent footballer but for me we need a better option in MF, especially a more motivated one.” I agree that we need better but my scenario has always been in the case where we aren’t able to secure better. We shouldn’t just release him cos “he doesn’t want to… Read more »

Dissenter

Mystic
7kg /15lbs of muscle is a LOT, like night and day.
I just read that list you’ve posted.

Torriera is a lost cause
His head ain’t right in England. I’ve never seen a player who intentionally ruled himself out if the English game.

They recalled him back to make it easier to sell him before the window closes. Had they not taken him into the fold, his potential suitors would have been hoping to get him for peanuts.

WengerEagle

Ishola

There is more to playing in CM than winning tackles and pressing though.

Do you consider Paqueta a vertical runner/dribbler? Or a player that excels in shutting down passong lanes and winning the ball back with interceptions?

He is more rounded than Tielemans in the sense that he has superior end product and dribbling skill but off the ball is he any better?

Maybe he is, haven’t watched much of him. The numbers don’t really indicate it though.

TR7

Between getting a paltry £7 to £8M for Torrera or keeping him here at Arsenal, I would choose the option of keeping him especially in the wake of Partey saga.

Many people don’t rate Elneny but he once again proved last season how useful a squad player he is. Torrera may or may not become a regular at Arsenal but he for sure is good enough to be a good back up. He was good when he was played as a DM by Emery, he is a good little footballer.

WengerEagle

Mystic

6.67 is an average rating and 5th best (marginally) in a Serie A team that were closer to midtable than European spots.

That screams of a squad player for us and not a starter. And we all know he would be a sulky, checked-out distraction if he weren’t starting games.

Best off just bringing in a fresh face that wants to be here imo. Doesn’t have to be a marquee signing even.

Soham

Football.London are reporting that Juventus have offered £25 million + Adrian Rabiot and Arthur Melo on loan for Gabriel.

TR7

“Football.London are reporting that Juventus have offered £25 million + Adrian Rabiot and Arthur Melo on loan for Gabriel.”

If true a very good deal in my opinion.

Karsa

I’d be amazed if Gabriel is going anywhere.

Dissenter

It makes sense to keep Torriera is he can be sold
Better to keep him that send him on another loan when he has only one year left.

He’s better than Lokonga, at least 2X better, small size notwithstanding
I suspect that there are academy players who can do what Lokonga did last season.

WengerEagle

TR7

Only issue(s) with that is:

(i) we would be going back to the days of quantity > quality after spending so much effort and money (paying players off) in streamlining the squad.

(ii) would be bad for squad harmony as players want to play and we would be leaving a fair few stuck in reserve limbo.

On paper for CM even without Partey there would be Xhaka, Elneny, Torreira, Lokonga, AMN for x2 spots. Maybe even just x1 spot if Paqueta is signed as an 8.

Mysticleaves

Weagle You used Fiorentina as a metric to measure his standout-ability. He finished 5th on your favourite stats site as far as the team is concerned. Whether they are midtable or not could as well be determined by other factors like strength of the league and selling their best player mid season. When he was on our squad, he was one of the better players. His whoscore rating will allude to it. In a team he anchored, we finished 5th. Since he left we have finished 8th, 8th and 5th. Not better. Again, league positions depend on much more than… Read more »

raptora

TR7,
sure I agree about Elneny and Torreira that could be decent backups. But how many backups can we have? Surely if TP misses a lot of the season we don’t need 2 backup quality DMs. We need 1 starting quality DM + Elneny. Keeping both Torreira and Elneny to be backups when they might need to start a lot of our games makes no sense.

Freddie Ljungberg

Torreira was fine in a pivot for us, don’t think he can anchor the midfield by himself if we’re going with 2 more attacking 8s. Doesn’t have the legs for it.

That’s not counting the fact that Arteta doesn’t like him and he himself doesn’t want to be atthe club.

New links with Carney yesterday. We can probably get him and Onana for 50-55m, I’d be happy with that + Grimaldo if we don’t have the cash for a marquee signing. Winger isn’t that important.

Mysticleaves

“It makes sense to keep Torriera is he can be sold
Better to keep him that send him on another loan when he has only one year left.He’s better than Lokonga, at least 2X better, small size notwithstanding”

We are singing from the same hymn book Diss

Dissenter

Juventus must think very little of the Arsenal back room team.
They want to get one of the best young defenders in the world while clearing their weekly wage bill of at least €400k.
I suspect they want that £25 million over 25 years too.

WengerEagle

Mystic

As Rap says, how many back-ups can you have?

I would be down for keeping LT if we were selling Xhaka but he is an Arteta favourite and Elneny was just given a new deal.

We seem to agree that LT isn’t going to move the needle as a starter for us and would be suited as a back-up option. How many of those can you have in your squad? And how do you keep them all happy?

Mysticleaves

Exchanging Gabriel for Rabiot and Arthur will be terrible business. We’d be back to looking for an adequate first team signing replacement for Gabriel. That would be about 50m going by how much we signed White and Spuds Romero

Ishola70

Weagle You may have seen before that I wrote on here I don’t like what I see from Tielemans off the ball on too many occasions. Paqueta less so. So my preference for CM/AM would be Paqueta over Tielemans. It’s just a simple personal preference over one player over another. You also see on occasions Paqueta operating from wider positions which you don’t see as much from Tielemans so that could be seen as an indicator also that Paqueta has more to his game. Paqueta for his versatility and quality would be an excellent signing. But I would bring in… Read more »

TR7

WE/Raptora Unlike Elneny, Torrera can be a starting 11 player for us. So he is not necessarily merely a “back up” option but rather a player who if things work out can start for us and at worse provide cover. Mind you we can have 5 subs now and we will playing in 4 tournaments. I see AMN as a good back up for fullback position. He can provide cover for both Tomi and Tierney. I don’t see him as a back up CM option. We can sell Cedric if AMN stays. If Paqueta is signed as 8, Xhaka need… Read more »

Ishola70

Not fvcking Rabiot links again.

The man is a prick.

We would be going down the Xhaka route with him.

So slack off the ball.

WengerEagle

That’s a crap offer considering we paid £25m for Gabi who has only appreciated considerably in value and those are x2 unwanted players at Juventus.

If it was Rabiot on a permanent move + £25m it would be a more interesting offer. I’d still want more money though considering Rabiot was better at PSG as a 22 year old than he has been for Juve.

youdaman

Was Lokonga all that bad last season?

TR7

I am not considering Lokonga at all, think he needs a season on loan preferably to a lower team in the league.

Mysticleaves

Weagle

Very reactionary, giving El Neny that extension. He’s the worse player than Torr and even if he’s got suitable height and weight is less athletic and technical. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us on the bum..

Honestly, I view Torr as a back up that’s capable of even usurping the starting player. I don’t see El Neny as that. But like you said, seems we have made our bed and we must find a way to lay on it no matter how badly made it is.