Pedro: "Matt Kandela asked me last night if I’d sacrifice Gabriel to get Alexander Isak. I wouldn’t. We have the best defense in the league—why mess with it? I don’t want us scoring more goals next season but relying on an injury-prone Italian to fill the gap we created just to cash in a few extra pennies."
100% agreed. Gabriel has demonstrated a world class level in the last couple of seasons. I wouldn't sell him to bring in an injury prone CF that misses 1/3rd of the campaign as a rule and is quite suspect in his overall contribution although he has magic in his feet, and rely on another CB who most probably won't be on Gabriel's level individually and in combination with Saliba.
If we have to make a big boy sacrifice, sell Trossard and Marti, sell Odegaard, obviously sell Zinchenko, Jesus and Tomi if they are even sellable at this point, Vieira, Kiwior, Nelson, Tavares, Lokonga, Marquinhos etc.
We've got a full team of 11+ players we should be looking at offloading before we reach the elite group of 4. Raise the required funds that way, not by selling one of our 4 best players.
But talking about the broader picture here, Partey is out in couple of months.
Raya, as much as I love him, can be replaced by another GK, this Joan Garcia bro or Porto's GK Diogo Costa, probably a couple others that can be that good.
Good luck trying to buy a DM/CM as good as Rice that's youngish with vast experience and quality.
Same goes for our 2 CBs who are such a good pair it'd be a travesty to disrupt them and for what? To sell for 70m and buy for 50m? That's the stupidest shit I've ever heard.
Saka, Rice, Saliba, Gabriel is the axis of our best players. Add to them, don't sell them. We can sell about 15+ other players before we touch the main 4.
Speaking about the Spaniard (Mikel Arteta), Calafiori said: “I was immediately impressed by how much he cared about getting to know me. One day on the phone he sent me some photos of my family and asked me to say what each member of the family meant to me. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before, I’m not saying that he convinced me with this alone but it certainly represented an important moment.”
They leave holes in the back and we can compete with them.
Anyone who watches La Liga would have seen them lose to Betis, then struggle to beat Raya and Villareal.
It depends on how Arteta sets us up: does he set us up to try to win or not lose by a large margin?
We have to win the individual battles whilst trying to keep all 10 outfield players on the field.
We have to take our moments and we will get those moments because Madrid leave holes all over the field.
They have at least 5 starters that can individually win them games they have no business of winning so it wont be easy. That said, it's not mission impossible.
Aren't you supposed to renovate or build a new stadium from a point of strength? Why are United announcing stadium plans and striker shortlists at the same time as increasing prices for pensioners and doing away with free lunches while sacking staff. That club is a different kind of special these days.
The British billionaire has been a disaster, even worse than the Glazers.
The money he lost from not sacking Erik Ten Hag and then spending another £150 million on player transfers that suited the manager on borrowed time is more than enough to expenses of all the small people he is firing.
They paid Newcastle £3 million as compensation for Dan Ashworth and then proceeded to fire the dude because they didn't like his advice. Isn't that what job interviews are for? They paid about £10 mil to make him go away. That wasted money would have covered for the senior citizen tickets.
His company is only a minority shareholder, the Glazers still own Yahnited. He's a frontman and punching bag. All the Manc bellends and BBC repeatedly call him co-owner or owner.
"'But during the morning stroll before the Leicester game, one of the analysts mentions playing as a forward, a false nine: drop to receive, ‘fix’ the centre‑backs. He asks how I feel about it, was I OK with it? And I said: ‘Whatever you need.’”
There were just a few hours until kick-off, which seemed improvised but was planned. “I think they did it deliberately, not telling me until the last minute because they know I like to have everything under control, have lots of information, and by not telling me earlier they removed the ‘stress’,” Merino says."
LoL who's the crazy person giving you 60m for Martinelli and 30 for Trossard? Get real Pedro, 40 for Martinelli would be a steal if we extract that from anyone
Are you saying we can find anyone like arteta in world football? We can certainly see someone who will buy martineli based on his form of two season ago or someone that will pay 60m by just washing klopp presser where he eulogized him. At least he paid 65m for Kai just because he scored the winning goal in champions league final. We are due a big surprise from him in that front after giving away most of our good players for peanuts
The likelihood of Saliba leaving is quite high. Though he speaks positively but I won't trust him till he signs. The new strategy of Real Madrid is to encourage players to delay extending their contracts just to render their clubs helpless when they make approaches.
If Saliba doesn't extend this summer then something is likely brewing and Arsenal best be ready for a disappointment. We need to guard against him leaving us hanging.
I will fight to keep Gabriel, he's exactly the leader needed on the pitch and dressing room. He's a fighter and a winner and boy does this club need such to reach the summit
The priority for Arsenal in ext few months is to offer Saliba, Gabriel and Saka new contracts.
Personally I think that Saka who is home grown will want to stay. My only concern there is the history of his agency. Most of their clients have left Arsenal as was the case with
Obi Martin who joined them shortly before his departure for Man Utd.
I would be surprised also that Gabriel chooses to leave us to join a Saudi club purely
for financial reasons. He is an elite cb in his prime. I am sure that Arsenal will offer him
a decent financial package to keep him.
Saliba is a different problem. If Real want a player it is always difficult to hold onto him.
That was proven with how Mbappe behaved and strung along PSG. If Real Madrid want
Saliba then Arsenal will need to do a deal this summer and not allow him to run down his contract.
Obviously his departure would be a huge loss and it will be difficult to replace him.
Can he not set himself up a a limited company and pay his earnings into that? He can then purchase property through that company to avoid paying corp tax on profit because “there is no profit”
Rent properties while they increase in value
Or just do the old offshore account like Harry redface
Gabriel has been the best, most consistent player in the whole squad over the last 3 seasons. Yes Saka is world class and our favourite son, but he does have a quiet patch each season where he has less influence.
every once in a while Gabriel make a mistake but literally everyone does. The difference is his overall form never drops. He never has 3 off games in a row etc.
He’s the heart and soul of the spine in this team and if he goes I think he would be exceptionally hard to replace. He’s been the best defender in the best defense in the world. How good does that make him? Fantastic is the answer
But I do think Arsenal need to make him feel more valued. Saliba always attracts the headlines. He earns more money. He’s linked to Madrid etc. it’s understandable if he feels a little under appreciated and if Saudi offer enough money it’s hard to say he wouldn’t be tempted. We need to keep the guy. He needs a new contract and he should probably be captain given how inconsistent Ode has been all season.
Is it time to put him back on the bench? His head might have been turned again like we were told last time around. Mr Benjamin white is fit again to take his place.
Merino scores the equalizer against Netherlands.
I wonder if Arteta gave Declan certain assurances about playing as a box to box 8 rather than solely as a 6 while we pursued him during Summer 23...
Pedro: "Matt Kandela asked me last night if I’d sacrifice Gabriel to get Alexander Isak. I wouldn’t. We have the best defense in the league—why mess with it? I don’t want us scoring more goals next season but relying on an injury-prone Italian to fill the gap we created just to cash in a few extra pennies."
100% agreed. Gabriel has demonstrated a world class level in the last couple of seasons. I wouldn't sell him to bring in an injury prone CF that misses 1/3rd of the campaign as a rule and is quite suspect in his overall contribution although he has magic in his feet, and rely on another CB who most probably won't be on Gabriel's level individually and in combination with Saliba.
If we have to make a big boy sacrifice, sell Trossard and Marti, sell Odegaard, obviously sell Zinchenko, Jesus and Tomi if they are even sellable at this point, Vieira, Kiwior, Nelson, Tavares, Lokonga, Marquinhos etc.
We've got a full team of 11+ players we should be looking at offloading before we reach the elite group of 4. Raise the required funds that way, not by selling one of our 4 best players.
Arsenal 31st on ESPN’s ‘highly coveted’ lol watchability index this year.
I don’t think we are quite that low tbh but it says something when neutrals think we’re a this boring to watch.
It says something when your own fans think your boring to watch especially when you’re winning as often as we do
The best players in this team are Saka, Saliba, Magalhaes, Raya.
Rice can be replaced by Partey in the team without drop in quality.
Timber and White can replace each other without drop in quality.
Based on what we have, sure.
But talking about the broader picture here, Partey is out in couple of months.
Raya, as much as I love him, can be replaced by another GK, this Joan Garcia bro or Porto's GK Diogo Costa, probably a couple others that can be that good.
Good luck trying to buy a DM/CM as good as Rice that's youngish with vast experience and quality.
Same goes for our 2 CBs who are such a good pair it'd be a travesty to disrupt them and for what? To sell for 70m and buy for 50m? That's the stupidest shit I've ever heard.
Saka, Rice, Saliba, Gabriel is the axis of our best players. Add to them, don't sell them. We can sell about 15+ other players before we touch the main 4.
Rice wasnt our 1st choice, It was Caicedo. MLS and Zubimendi( who i dont rate) could replace Rice in midfield too.
You don't rate Zubimendi but you think he'll do as good as Dec?
Sid is saying facts
Rice has been a strategic blunder because the manager isn't playing him in his best position as a result of Partey being better than him in the #6
It doesn't take anything away from Rice because he's an excellent talent
Rice has way too much impact in the final third to be a 6 going forward. We're after Zubimendi so Rice can play a more advanced role.
So we spent £105 mil just to convert a proven #6 to whatever?
The better way is to play him in a double pivot or have an #8 with defensive abilities
There are players that cost one third of what we paid for Rice that play the #8 better.
Just goes to show the strategic blunder
Agreed.Think that’s what the club are intending.And believe that man is either Hato or Diomande.
Speaking about the Spaniard (Mikel Arteta), Calafiori said: “I was immediately impressed by how much he cared about getting to know me. One day on the phone he sent me some photos of my family and asked me to say what each member of the family meant to me. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before, I’m not saying that he convinced me with this alone but it certainly represented an important moment.”
Hopefully you didn't post this as Arteta praise.
Whats just as bad is Cala ate this up, like wow I like this guy.
No no no...
Mike is just a weird one
This is down right weird from Arteta.
Is he trying to emulate Arsène'a father figure style?
If so, creepy indeed (consideringhis age).
If I were Arteta, I would be more worried with ensuring that he doesn't break the team and focus on winning a trophy.
stalkerish weird
That's weird.
Was one of the pictures of Calafiori kissing his sister and did Mike ask if she’s a good kisser?
I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re dying to know
A bit yeah. Spaniards and Italians are on the same wavelength I guess.
Why wasn't he able to convince Niko to come last summer
Maybe he didn't have enough family pics on the same wave length?
It's always personal and different. We'll see if what he did and probably keeps doing, will work a few months from now.
I would say anyone outside of your actual family sending you pictures of your family would be a bit strange.
a lot strange dude
It was with a view to saying “ we know where you live”.A new approach to transfers.Interesting.
I don't disagree. I'd get creeped out lol.
I'm feeling good about the Madrid games
They leave holes in the back and we can compete with them.
Anyone who watches La Liga would have seen them lose to Betis, then struggle to beat Raya and Villareal.
It depends on how Arteta sets us up: does he set us up to try to win or not lose by a large margin?
We have to win the individual battles whilst trying to keep all 10 outfield players on the field.
We have to take our moments and we will get those moments because Madrid leave holes all over the field.
They have at least 5 starters that can individually win them games they have no business of winning so it wont be easy. That said, it's not mission impossible.
Agreeed Diss.There will be opportunities in both ties.Whether we take them or not is entirely another matter.
Aren't you supposed to renovate or build a new stadium from a point of strength? Why are United announcing stadium plans and striker shortlists at the same time as increasing prices for pensioners and doing away with free lunches while sacking staff. That club is a different kind of special these days.
The British billionaire has been a disaster, even worse than the Glazers.
The money he lost from not sacking Erik Ten Hag and then spending another £150 million on player transfers that suited the manager on borrowed time is more than enough to expenses of all the small people he is firing.
They paid Newcastle £3 million as compensation for Dan Ashworth and then proceeded to fire the dude because they didn't like his advice. Isn't that what job interviews are for? They paid about £10 mil to make him go away. That wasted money would have covered for the senior citizen tickets.
Remember this was the die hard Yahnited fan who was a chav box holder.Say no more.
His company is only a minority shareholder, the Glazers still own Yahnited. He's a frontman and punching bag. All the Manc bellends and BBC repeatedly call him co-owner or owner.
Merino interview -
"'But during the morning stroll before the Leicester game, one of the analysts mentions playing as a forward, a false nine: drop to receive, ‘fix’ the centre‑backs. He asks how I feel about it, was I OK with it? And I said: ‘Whatever you need.’”
There were just a few hours until kick-off, which seemed improvised but was planned. “I think they did it deliberately, not telling me until the last minute because they know I like to have everything under control, have lots of information, and by not telling me earlier they removed the ‘stress’,” Merino says."
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/20/mikel-merino-im-adapting-to-being-a-striker-i-like-the-contact-i-never-back-down
That's shoddy management tbh
... and now Arteta is fully wedded to the concept of Merino as #9
It wasn't even the manager or an assistant manager who pulled him in, it was an analyst, probably acting on a haunch.
I thought so as well, seems half assed to ask our 8 if he wants to play as striker a few hrs before match kicks off with no prep.
LoL who's the crazy person giving you 60m for Martinelli and 30 for Trossard? Get real Pedro, 40 for Martinelli would be a steal if we extract that from anyone
Are you saying we can find anyone like arteta in world football? We can certainly see someone who will buy martineli based on his form of two season ago or someone that will pay 60m by just washing klopp presser where he eulogized him. At least he paid 65m for Kai just because he scored the winning goal in champions league final. We are due a big surprise from him in that front after giving away most of our good players for peanuts
The likelihood of Saliba leaving is quite high. Though he speaks positively but I won't trust him till he signs. The new strategy of Real Madrid is to encourage players to delay extending their contracts just to render their clubs helpless when they make approaches.
If Saliba doesn't extend this summer then something is likely brewing and Arsenal best be ready for a disappointment. We need to guard against him leaving us hanging.
I will fight to keep Gabriel, he's exactly the leader needed on the pitch and dressing room. He's a fighter and a winner and boy does this club need such to reach the summit
I agree with this analysis.
The priority for Arsenal in ext few months is to offer Saliba, Gabriel and Saka new contracts.
Personally I think that Saka who is home grown will want to stay. My only concern there is the history of his agency. Most of their clients have left Arsenal as was the case with
Obi Martin who joined them shortly before his departure for Man Utd.
I would be surprised also that Gabriel chooses to leave us to join a Saudi club purely
for financial reasons. He is an elite cb in his prime. I am sure that Arsenal will offer him
a decent financial package to keep him.
Saliba is a different problem. If Real want a player it is always difficult to hold onto him.
That was proven with how Mbappe behaved and strung along PSG. If Real Madrid want
Saliba then Arsenal will need to do a deal this summer and not allow him to run down his contract.
Obviously his departure would be a huge loss and it will be difficult to replace him.
Well said. Extending contracts this summer is just as critical as signing the right players to complete the team.
How is there no way around taxing himself at 40%
Can he not set himself up a a limited company and pay his earnings into that? He can then purchase property through that company to avoid paying corp tax on profit because “there is no profit”
Rent properties while they increase in value
Or just do the old offshore account like Harry redface
Brown bag.Cough,cough.
Gabriel has been the best, most consistent player in the whole squad over the last 3 seasons. Yes Saka is world class and our favourite son, but he does have a quiet patch each season where he has less influence.
every once in a while Gabriel make a mistake but literally everyone does. The difference is his overall form never drops. He never has 3 off games in a row etc.
He’s the heart and soul of the spine in this team and if he goes I think he would be exceptionally hard to replace. He’s been the best defender in the best defense in the world. How good does that make him? Fantastic is the answer
But I do think Arsenal need to make him feel more valued. Saliba always attracts the headlines. He earns more money. He’s linked to Madrid etc. it’s understandable if he feels a little under appreciated and if Saudi offer enough money it’s hard to say he wouldn’t be tempted. We need to keep the guy. He needs a new contract and he should probably be captain given how inconsistent Ode has been all season.
Thats my take anyway
I have five untouchable players in this squad.
1. Saka
2. Gabriel
3. Saliba
4. Rice
5. Timber
Would have added White to that list, but let's see how he recovers from his injury.
White over timber for me
White has lost his place in the team. Even if Gabriel leaves, his spot will be taking by calafiori.
MLS and Nwaneri untouchable too!
Is it time to put him back on the bench? His head might have been turned again like we were told last time around. Mr Benjamin white is fit again to take his place.