NOTE: The location of this post has been moved and the thread title (which was previously Wenger is Leaving) has been manipulated by a notorious pro-Wenger moderator. What was previously a message that contained no profanity and made a comment on a real life event has now been manipulated by a deliberately provocative title. An old and crude propaganda and censorship technique.
Some folks saying option to buy after loan for that real fella....
It's better to burn out, than to fade away.
I think it’s more about being aghast that such mediocre player has managed to last so long with us.
Even he probably can’t believe his luck at how’s he’s managed to steal a living.
The kid looks the real deal to me, so if the player himself isn’t ready to move yet it’s probably just because he hasn’t got his head around it all yet (I don’t think he was even in St Etienne’s first team 6 months ago, so it’s a lot of changes for an 18yo to process in a very short space of time).
Or maybe it’s got nothing to do with the player? From what I’ve read, a lot of St Etienne’s insistence on the immediate loan back is because they have ambitions of their own, and believe they have a better chance of achieving them with him than without him.
As you say, the fee is encouraging - you don’t put that kind of money up for a teenager unless you’re pretty sure they’re going to be something special (esp. when you’re on a tight budget). Feels more like the sort of thing United used to do with Rooney, Ronaldo, etc than what we’ve come to expect from Arsenal when we recruit young players?
L'Equip and a couple of other sites in europe are reporting that we have bid £80m Euros for Pepe
https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/18/liver...pepe-10412767/
It’s not really surprising when you think about it? The promoted clubs will be jumping from Chamionship money to EPL TV money, they’ll be able to get more for all of their other commercial deals due to their new status, and all of their existing players will be on Chanpionship wages - if spending rules are now based on annual operating costs vs income then the gulf between costs and income that the promoted clubs will have to work with will be absolutely enormous compared to the rest of us!
Give it a year or two and they’ll have maxed it out on more expensive players and wages, same as the rest of us.