Re Haverts. If we don't sign a striker better than him for our ambitions (they are many better strikers) then I'm going to cheer him every match day, hoping he scores a hat-trick amd we win all our games. That doesn't change my opinion about him though.
If many on here believe Merino to be the guy that brings up closer to the title then you have to ask yourself why they also applaud the unnecessary hagling?
"He's 28, no resale value"... Which is more important? Resale value or few trophies?
Arsenal moved on Calafiori early, as we were apparently worried about other clubs entering the bidding.
But we had the Smith Rowe to Fulham deal quite far down the line.
We’ve apparently been waiting for an exit, likely Eddie, before committing to bringing in another player in Merino.
If we want to tie down the Crown Jewels in future, or on the rare occasion one of the really top players comes onto the market…
If we want to be in a position to compete for that players signature, then we need sensible housekeeping when navigating the rest of our squad.
So far we’ve done-
Setford - Hein
( But we apparently still want a homegrown third choice keeper)
Calafiori - Cedric
Which as our squad stands, means that Timber + Tomi will be pencilled in for more minutes on the right.
Lewis-Skelly - Elneny
Elneny has played just 444 minutes across the last 2 seasons, so why not age down.
Nwaneri - Smith Rowe.
Smith Rowe had played less than 700 minutes across the last 2 seasons, he needed to leave for regular football, and Nwaneri is clearly highly rated.
Merino - Eddie?…
This would mean Havertz plays more up top, sharing minutes with Jesus + Trossard.
And Merino would take Havertz minutes in midfield, leaving us the option of Rice playing more at No6.
This to me just looks like sensible housekeeping, and evolution of our squad, maybe leaving powder dry for 1 big signing, if a top player comes into the market.
Other than Mbappe, I haven’t seen any transfers I’m jealous of so far.
I need to see the stat on our foreign player numbers but I'm not sure that they are up to 17 so far considering we let Pyramid Pirlo and Cedric go who were registered on the team.
Even if we seal Merino before any exit, it doesn't stop us from bringing on a super player that suddenly becomes available.
But I suspect that Tierney who’s classed as non homegrown, will almost certainly be loaned out, but this time we’ll likely need to still pay his wages.
Yeah, I read that Jokin Aperribay - Chairman of Real Sociedad, is in London to finish the negotiations for Merino today. I read €35m+5m add-ons.
What's mystifying is the GK transfers we're supposedly cooking.
If Ramsdale leaves, we're supposedly going to sign Joan Garcia of Espanyol.
The weird thing? He has a €30m release clause and from what I'm reading, Espanyol won't negotiate the fee. They will ask for the full €30m. Very weird.
Think we are now in a state of operating with a financial buffer. One that allows us to be prepared to move if a top-flight talent comes available (think Nico Williams, et al). We've been astute in our dealings with purpose-- being proactively prepared for any event.
But if we keep operating without sensible housekeeping, not just in terms of balancing the finances, but balancing the size of our squad and wage bill…
Then we’re likely to get issues in future.
The club are absolutely right to not stockpile players, agree to loans, or stack the supply + demand dynamics against us.
Eddie out and Merino in, balances things nicely.
Unless we can get ahold of a game changing signing like Rodrygo, Williams, Bruno etc… In which case we just do it.
But to be in contention for those types of players, we can’t be run badly when evolving the rest of our squad.
I don’t think the club has helped Arteta much this summer with the pace of how we are doing business. City still have the overwhelming advantage to win the title, that just went up the roof with Gundogan returning.
Quibbling over a few millions when we’ve gotten so close doesn’t help Arteta at all. It’s not like we’ve never overpaid before, we paid 34 million for Viera who had barely played for Porto and was crocked at the time, so spare me this brinkmanship negotiations
Sociedad aren’t been excessive with their demands, Atletico just paid €42 million for Conor Gallagher who had only one year left on his contract.
Connor Gallagher is 24 with resale value. Merino is 28 and we will likely get nothing for him when he leaves in 4 years. I get the club trying to negotiate. But it is taking way too long.
My frustration is the fact that it is looking like our only business alongside Calafiori. That isn't enough.
The Saudi league has changed how we view 30 years + players, they retain their value, more so when they are Spaniards who have won the euros and are in the team that are favorites to win the World Cup in two years time.
In 3 years, a 31 year old Merino will hold as much value as Connor Gallagher. We are talking about a player that his club sincerely believe is the best in La Liga. He started for Spain most of the last year.
Nah, the Saudi thing is for superstars now. Last summer was the only time teams can offload their old players for mega money. Now it is a closed shop as we have seen from this window. They are signing younger players or players in their prime. The fee for old players is now earmarked for the Debruyne, Salah's and Modric's of world football.
🚨 EXCL: Nottingham Forest close to agreeing fee with Arsenal for Eddie Nketiah. #NFFC also progressing talks over 25yo’s personal terms - top striker candidate. Negotiations continue after £25m offer rejected; #AFC want more towards £30/35m
@TheAthleticFC
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For the love of God. Just sell him now. We have to move on for a forward. And this isn't helping our cause. We need to move out Kiwior and Neslon, Ramsdale too. That Merino is taking ages.
We are moving like we won the PL last season. City are stronger than they were with Savinho, Gundogan and possibly kyogo when they lost Alvarez only. I am getting frustrated.
You have to remember that we're in no hurry. Our squad is assembled and Merino is, I bet, just a matter of time. Any outgoing transfers we make will be extra for our coffers in the winter/next summer. I believe we're done (not counting a backup keeper in the place of Rams) even if we sell Eddie, Kiwior, Nelson and Ramsdale. We're done.
City just signed Gundogan. And they are apparently in for Kyogo of Celtic to back up Haaland. They are going to literally be stronger than they were last season.
We can't stay still. Merino and Calafiori alone isn't enough. We are coming 2nd again if we leave it at that.
I would loan out Fabio Viera and get a left footed player that can play in both Saka's and Odegaard's position. Someone like a Brahim Diaz (not saying we can get him but a similar profile).
But how? You cannot loan out a player that there is no interest in.
Calm....the market works in mysterious ways and since we are not Chelsea and 115 and Atletico Madrid for whom everything works out so well, we just have to learn to build a reputation similar to the Lyon and Napoli presidents.
Fabio Vieira in the right position would be a star for some team that needs creativity and goals. He scores and assists.. just needs regular playing time to make good numbers. He has never had it with us behind Øde.
We probably had a few top targets that we were willing to break the bank for.
Nico Williams is one. Possibly Sesko another. Bruno G maybe as well.
The position I wanted top player in was LM but apparently they've went with Merino. I hope I'll be positively surprised with his performances cause I'm honestly not too crazy about him.
But I don't think we should be making too many mid punts like Lokonga, Vieira, Kiwior. We've got experienced backup players. We don't need anymore of those. We need top talents and top players only.
Top talents and top players equals expensive. I'd rather we save our money for the winter window and having the means to reevaluate what we need and be able to do what needs to be done transfer wise. If there's not much movement in the winter either, go all guns blazing and have an incredible summer with a blockbuster signing similar to Rice - Leao, Kvara, Nico Williams + Bruno G or someone similar.
TLDR: I'd rather we don't spend money on squad player quality - we've got that. If there's a top player we want and they want us back, we would have 100% explored that option already. We have to think about Rice's record signing fee as well. This ain't the summer to go hard. I'm already at ease with it.
We ought to be the protagonist trying to topple a club that has won four consecutive league titles . City by the way, wrapped up the Gundogan deal seamlessly
We shouldn’t be so effing laid back like we’ve won it all.
We have two positions in the team that we don't have quality replacements at the moment. 7 & 10. Last season at least we had ESR. who replaces odegaard this season? So much talk about saka but I think we are underestimating odegaard's quality and how difficult it might be to do without him in some games this season
New post:
🚨RyanTaylorSport
Exclusive
Arsenal have agreed a deal to sell midfielder Charlie Patino to Deportivo La Coruna on a permanent deal. Fee in the region of £1m with a sell-on.
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What a laughable fkin fee... Sorry Rich.
Was my dream too. Sorry to see him go. Wish him the absolute best
Re Haverts. If we don't sign a striker better than him for our ambitions (they are many better strikers) then I'm going to cheer him every match day, hoping he scores a hat-trick amd we win all our games. That doesn't change my opinion about him though.
“Red-hot Havertz leads European rivals in goal stat”
Read at: https://arsenal.page.link/Jh7xiezMLh4DKSvc8
I’m not convinced Havertz will ever be clinical, but his all around game is far superior to Haaland.
I’d also expect Havertz to continue punching decent numbers, his movement is elite, and we create a lot of chances.
Cheers to favorable expectations my friend
"they are many better strikers"
Like Solanke, right?
Yup
If many on here believe Merino to be the guy that brings up closer to the title then you have to ask yourself why they also applaud the unnecessary hagling?
"He's 28, no resale value"... Which is more important? Resale value or few trophies?
It’s a bigger picture move.
Arsenal moved on Calafiori early, as we were apparently worried about other clubs entering the bidding.
But we had the Smith Rowe to Fulham deal quite far down the line.
We’ve apparently been waiting for an exit, likely Eddie, before committing to bringing in another player in Merino.
If we want to tie down the Crown Jewels in future, or on the rare occasion one of the really top players comes onto the market…
If we want to be in a position to compete for that players signature, then we need sensible housekeeping when navigating the rest of our squad.
So far we’ve done-
Setford - Hein
( But we apparently still want a homegrown third choice keeper)
Calafiori - Cedric
Which as our squad stands, means that Timber + Tomi will be pencilled in for more minutes on the right.
Lewis-Skelly - Elneny
Elneny has played just 444 minutes across the last 2 seasons, so why not age down.
Nwaneri - Smith Rowe.
Smith Rowe had played less than 700 minutes across the last 2 seasons, he needed to leave for regular football, and Nwaneri is clearly highly rated.
Merino - Eddie?…
This would mean Havertz plays more up top, sharing minutes with Jesus + Trossard.
And Merino would take Havertz minutes in midfield, leaving us the option of Rice playing more at No6.
This to me just looks like sensible housekeeping, and evolution of our squad, maybe leaving powder dry for 1 big signing, if a top player comes into the market.
Other than Mbappe, I haven’t seen any transfers I’m jealous of so far.
I need to see the stat on our foreign player numbers but I'm not sure that they are up to 17 so far considering we let Pyramid Pirlo and Cedric go who were registered on the team.
Even if we seal Merino before any exit, it doesn't stop us from bringing on a super player that suddenly becomes available.
Arsenal currently have 9 homegrown players
(8 if Eddie leaves)
14 Non homegrown players
( 15 if we sign Merino)
But I suspect that Tierney who’s classed as non homegrown, will almost certainly be loaned out, but this time we’ll likely need to still pay his wages.
Thanks for the info
The thought of Jorginho/Partey chasing after Morgan Rogers is nightmarish
Yeah, I read that Jokin Aperribay - Chairman of Real Sociedad, is in London to finish the negotiations for Merino today. I read €35m+5m add-ons.
What's mystifying is the GK transfers we're supposedly cooking.
If Ramsdale leaves, we're supposedly going to sign Joan Garcia of Espanyol.
The weird thing? He has a €30m release clause and from what I'm reading, Espanyol won't negotiate the fee. They will ask for the full €30m. Very weird.
We paid Chelsea for Jorginho while Man c pay nothing for Gundogan and less wages than Yakubu
Yes, because Mother Market favors the cheaters. 115 and Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are the favored teams right now.
40M for Merino is better than the same amount for Vieira
I suspect Kiwior will head to Palace now.
They will be desperate, so we better extract maximum value.
If Kiwior goes, then Arsenal moves for a wide forward.
A Spanish journalist was talking the other day about how Merino is the most comparable Spanish midfielder to Rodri in class/quality. He’s that good.
That’s the reason we stayed at the negotiating table, we know it and Sociedad know it too.
…I keep seeing it everywhere that we have to sell…to buy.
“ if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck"
If it has to sell to buy, that comes across as an entity that has sailed close to PSR, not breached it, come close to it.
Think we are now in a state of operating with a financial buffer. One that allows us to be prepared to move if a top-flight talent comes available (think Nico Williams, et al). We've been astute in our dealings with purpose-- being proactively prepared for any event.
I slightly disagree.
But if we keep operating without sensible housekeeping, not just in terms of balancing the finances, but balancing the size of our squad and wage bill…
Then we’re likely to get issues in future.
The club are absolutely right to not stockpile players, agree to loans, or stack the supply + demand dynamics against us.
Eddie out and Merino in, balances things nicely.
Unless we can get ahold of a game changing signing like Rodrygo, Williams, Bruno etc… In which case we just do it.
But to be in contention for those types of players, we can’t be run badly when evolving the rest of our squad.
I don’t think the club has helped Arteta much this summer with the pace of how we are doing business. City still have the overwhelming advantage to win the title, that just went up the roof with Gundogan returning.
Quibbling over a few millions when we’ve gotten so close doesn’t help Arteta at all. It’s not like we’ve never overpaid before, we paid 34 million for Viera who had barely played for Porto and was crocked at the time, so spare me this brinkmanship negotiations
Sociedad aren’t been excessive with their demands, Atletico just paid €42 million for Conor Gallagher who had only one year left on his contract.
Connor Gallagher is 24 with resale value. Merino is 28 and we will likely get nothing for him when he leaves in 4 years. I get the club trying to negotiate. But it is taking way too long.
My frustration is the fact that it is looking like our only business alongside Calafiori. That isn't enough.
I disagree though
The Saudi league has changed how we view 30 years + players, they retain their value, more so when they are Spaniards who have won the euros and are in the team that are favorites to win the World Cup in two years time.
In 3 years, a 31 year old Merino will hold as much value as Connor Gallagher. We are talking about a player that his club sincerely believe is the best in La Liga. He started for Spain most of the last year.
How many players have Arsenal managed to offload to Saudi so far?…
That’s because we’ve never had the type of players on our squad that the Saudis want, maybe if we had pushed Partey harder.
Arsenal have been trying to sell Partey the last 2 summers.
Any type of bid, that allows us to also dump his wages, and he’d be gone in a heartbeat.
Nah, the Saudi thing is for superstars now. Last summer was the only time teams can offload their old players for mega money. Now it is a closed shop as we have seen from this window. They are signing younger players or players in their prime. The fee for old players is now earmarked for the Debruyne, Salah's and Modric's of world football.
The Saudi are not hosing the World Cup until 2030 and they need to have the profile of their domestic football super hot, so that shop not closing.
You really think Ivan Toney is in that super star status?
He is in his prime bro. He is 28.
David Ornstein
@David_Ornstein
🚨 EXCL: Nottingham Forest close to agreeing fee with Arsenal for Eddie Nketiah. #NFFC also progressing talks over 25yo’s personal terms - top striker candidate. Negotiations continue after £25m offer rejected; #AFC want more towards £30/35m
@TheAthleticFC
--‐--------------------------------------------
For the love of God. Just sell him now. We have to move on for a forward. And this isn't helping our cause. We need to move out Kiwior and Neslon, Ramsdale too. That Merino is taking ages.
I share your frustration
It’s like we’ve forgotten the enormity of what we have to do, we have very little margin for error.
We are moving like we won the PL last season. City are stronger than they were with Savinho, Gundogan and possibly kyogo when they lost Alvarez only. I am getting frustrated.
Fabrizio Romano 6m
🔴⚪️⏳ Mikel Merino still not training with the squad as his move to Arsenal is just matter of time.
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Calm down, Hab. It's all lining up nicely.
You have to remember that we're in no hurry. Our squad is assembled and Merino is, I bet, just a matter of time. Any outgoing transfers we make will be extra for our coffers in the winter/next summer. I believe we're done (not counting a backup keeper in the place of Rams) even if we sell Eddie, Kiwior, Nelson and Ramsdale. We're done.
City just signed Gundogan. And they are apparently in for Kyogo of Celtic to back up Haaland. They are going to literally be stronger than they were last season.
We can't stay still. Merino and Calafiori alone isn't enough. We are coming 2nd again if we leave it at that.
I would loan out Fabio Viera and get a left footed player that can play in both Saka's and Odegaard's position. Someone like a Brahim Diaz (not saying we can get him but a similar profile).
I respect that you would loan out Fabio Vieira.
But how? You cannot loan out a player that there is no interest in.
Calm....the market works in mysterious ways and since we are not Chelsea and 115 and Atletico Madrid for whom everything works out so well, we just have to learn to build a reputation similar to the Lyon and Napoli presidents.
Fabio Vieira in the right position would be a star for some team that needs creativity and goals. He scores and assists.. just needs regular playing time to make good numbers. He has never had it with us behind Øde.
Worst signing in clubs history?? And it's all on Arteta/Edu
Not sure tbh.
We probably had a few top targets that we were willing to break the bank for.
Nico Williams is one. Possibly Sesko another. Bruno G maybe as well.
The position I wanted top player in was LM but apparently they've went with Merino. I hope I'll be positively surprised with his performances cause I'm honestly not too crazy about him.
But I don't think we should be making too many mid punts like Lokonga, Vieira, Kiwior. We've got experienced backup players. We don't need anymore of those. We need top talents and top players only.
Top talents and top players equals expensive. I'd rather we save our money for the winter window and having the means to reevaluate what we need and be able to do what needs to be done transfer wise. If there's not much movement in the winter either, go all guns blazing and have an incredible summer with a blockbuster signing similar to Rice - Leao, Kvara, Nico Williams + Bruno G or someone similar.
TLDR: I'd rather we don't spend money on squad player quality - we've got that. If there's a top player we want and they want us back, we would have 100% explored that option already. We have to think about Rice's record signing fee as well. This ain't the summer to go hard. I'm already at ease with it.
I hope thats ment to be coffers....not coffin 😂
Whoops...
Raptora
We ought to be in a hurry
We ought to be the protagonist trying to topple a club that has won four consecutive league titles . City by the way, wrapped up the Gundogan deal seamlessly
We shouldn’t be so effing laid back like we’ve won it all.
We have two positions in the team that we don't have quality replacements at the moment. 7 & 10. Last season at least we had ESR. who replaces odegaard this season? So much talk about saka but I think we are underestimating odegaard's quality and how difficult it might be to do without him in some games this season
On paper we've got Fabio and Nwaneri.
But we can always play Saka there and Jesus/Marti in his usual position.
We can play a midfield of Rice, Merino, Havertz.
We've got a lot of options. It's a well rounded team. I don't think we need squad players.
Fabrizio Romano
🚨🌳 EXCL: Nottingham Forest send an improved bid to Feyenoord for Santiago Giménez worth €30m package.
Initial €25m bid was rejected, #NFFC are working on it again with new proposal.
The other name on their shortlist is Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal.
______________________________________________________________________________________
I expect their bid to be rejected as supposedly Feyenoord want €40m-€45m. Also, supposedly Giménez isn't sold on the opportunity.
Remains to be seen if that's the case though and if that'll be their final bid for the Mexican.
Fabrizio Romano
🚨🔵 Ilkay Gündogan back to Manchester City, here we go! Deal in place with German midfielder to join on contract valid until June 2025.
Agreement reached after positive talks in last 48h and Pep Guardiola said yes, as revealed yesterday.
Gündogan will leave Barça for FREE.
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Not again. Hopefully he's not the same player. But yeah...