POWERHOUSE 6 LINKED WITH ARSENAL MOVE
SUNDAY TRANSFER ROUND-UP FOR YOU TO FEAST ON
I got in at 230am last night after watching the work team take a point in the toughest away game in America. No big deal. As a result, I’ll be zipping through a little transfer round-up for you and we’ll see where we go.
Youssef Fofana of Monaco notoriety has apparently been made available this summer. I’ve done some extensive scouting of the midfielder (4 Youtube videos) and I have to say… I like the cut of his J.I.B.
The French international has 200 appearances to his name, he’s 25 years old, and he clocked 2900 minutes last season. The man is robust, he’s technically gifted, and he covers ground much in the same way as Declan Rice. He looks more of a 6 to me. Good in tight spaces but likes to deploy in a deep-lying role, dishing out moonrakers versus some of that turn-and-move line-breaker stuff Thomas Partey offers to the team. He also seems to make most of his tackles standing - he’s no Lee Cattermole.
In my limited view, he looks a better bet than the destroyer that is Onana, but he does come with some of that Ligue 1 uncertainty. You could be getting Boubakary Soumaré, who went to Leicester the same season some Arsenal fans were saying they were better run than Arsenal. Or you could get a Tchouameni-type figure.
My suspicion is always that these sorts of linked are courtesy of an agent trying to pump a client than there being genuine interest. I think if we’re signing a #6 to replace Thomas Partey, we’ll look to the Premier League for a player that is tried and true. You know I think Douglas Luiz will be on the radar - plug and play, robust, and we know we’ve already been in for him. Guarantees and mitigating risk will always be top of the agenda.
There have been some links to Kudus from certain quarters. Could be an interesting move… if it was last year and the fee was £38m. I haven’t been as captivated by him as some others online and I’m struggling to see Arsenal going anywhere near the £85m buyout clause. West Ham doesn’t have many players under the age of 32, I'm not sure why they’d hamstring Lopetegui by shipping one of the crown jewels, especially as he’s only been there a year.
Fulham has become the first club to be linked to Emile Smith Rowe. The move keeps him in London and you’d imagine he’d be a bit of a star there. No fees have been tossed around, but anything close to £25m would likely get a yes answer from Arsenal. My big prediction on the latest podcast was that this would be a summer where we see more of a focus on NOW players - than the weird obsession clubs up and down the league have had with expensive players that have a giant upside. James Trafford ain’t give you what Aaron Ramsdale could.
Talking of Aaron Ramsdale, there’s a lot of hype around him. The latest club he’s being linked to is AC Milan in the event that Mike Maigan moves to Manchester City this summer. Premier League clubs will also be interested. He’s good with his feet, very capable from crosses, and when he’s in high confidence mode, he can be a top shot-stopper. He’s a good player, he’s leaving because we found someone better.
CIES Football - a research group for god knows what, has pumped out a list of the most valuable footballers in the world.
Here are the Arsenal names:
6. Bukayo Saka (€195m)
9. Martin Ødegaard (€136m)
11. Gabriel Martinelli (€127m)
16. Kai Havertz (€116m)
26. William Saliba (€105m)
29. Declan Rice (€103m)
61. Gabriel Magalhães (€81m)
72. Ben White (€75m)
Jude Bellingham tops the list with a €280m valuation.
Quite wild that our top 8 players clock €938m. Still baffles me that Wenger was so reluctant to spend in a market that was seeing player values rise 30% every summer back in the day. Arsenal invested in every area of the club, took bold steps to make sure Arteta was signing players that could grow in value, and now we have the most valuable squad in the world.
Final word today goes to Kevin Campbell. He’s very ill at the moment, so he needs you send him positive vibes and big love. I always love going on the Highbury Squad with Sophie and Kev. He’s such a kind man who projects joy onto the world. He’s a fighter, no doubt he’ll come through the other side of this.
If you’re looking for the latest podcast, me and Johnny dropped a review yesterday. There’s a little watch along video as well. Get it here.
You can also get the Therapy Session with Matt and Jacob below.
SESKO V OSIMHEN
Frankly if I was given the choice between these two and factoring in the cost of the transfer and wages I would opt for Sesko.
Osimhen is I am sure a very good player, but his goalscoring performance last season was very similar to Havertz. He is not for me a game changer and his costs are frankly prohibitive.
Sesko scored last season a similar number of goals in Bundesliga. If the reports are accurate his
transfer fee and wages will be significantly less.
More importantly if Sesko joins the club he will arrive initially as a replacement for Nketiah and/or
competing for starting lineup place with Havertz.
On the other hand if Osimhen comes to the club he would need to be guaranteed a starting place
in the team.
Osimhen's cost would also impact on Arsenal's transfer business in strengthening the team and
squad.
I do not consider him a strategic buy or good value for the £105 million + wages that he is likely to cost.
If you are spending money on that scale you want an upgrade and/or match winner.
Best wishes to Kevin Campbell.