Summer Transfer Temps and Journeymen

[Mac76]

Deal (supposedly) agreed to bring Dani back for another year - one less thing to worry about, if true

Good news if true, though i'd prefer a full signing

[Mac76]

https://amp.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/aubameyang-rejected-two-other-bids-to-sign-new-arsenal-deal_412376.html

:pray:

[I am invisible]

Ornstein reckons Gabriel has already signed and has just been in isolation, seeing out his quarantine - club just waiting for that to be over before making the announcement.

Sounds like that’s probably true - there’s been zero new news on him for a good few days now, so I guess all the other clubs that were after him have moved on.

[Mac76]

Yeah, everyone's talking about it like it's in the bag

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Deal (supposedly) agreed to bring Dani back for another year - one less thing to worry about, if true

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/31/dani-ceballos-to-make-arsenal-return-for-second-loan-from-real-madrid?CMP=share_btn_tw

Thought this was a shoo-in since seeing his reactions on Twitter from winning the Community Shield.

You just don't react like that when you're still in theory at another club. :lol:

[I am invisible]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/31/dani-ceballos-to-make-arsenal-return-for-second-loan-from-real-madrid?CMP=share_btn_tw

Thought this was a shoo-in since seeing his reactions on Twitter from winning the Community Shield.

You just don't react like that when you're still in theory at another club. :lol:
And his “see you soon” birthday message to Joe Willock.

Never doubted Dani - it was just the Real factor that was making me nervous.

[Gooner23]

Great news if true, I know its short term but these sort of deals could become more common anyway. He provides some much needed quality on the ball in midfield.

[I am invisible]

Great news if true, I know its short term but these sort of deals could become more common anyway. He provides some much needed quality on the ball in midfield.

It buys us time to deal with at least one problem on a different day - obviously if we do nothing else with the midfield this summer then we should have pushed harder to sign him now, but if this is what let's us go after players like Partey and Aouar (still not sure what to make of that one) then this is a good deal for us.

Got a horrible feeling his price will probably have doubled by next summer, but, you know... that's a 'next summer' problem.

[Mac76]

could be we're shifting Ozil... :pray:

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/mesut-ozil-offered-lucrative-contract-from-saudi-club_412455.html

[Marc Overmars]

It will have to take something insane like that for him to go because I have no doubt he's happy to sit out his final year here.

Something has obviously broken down in terms of relationship with the club hierarchy, it's not just footballing reasons anymore.

[selassie]

Great news if true, I know its short term but these sort of deals could become more common anyway. He provides some much needed quality on the ball in midfield.

We are desperate to have him on board, well I am anyway, I'm not so sure a midfield of Xhaka and El Neny is the way forward!

I get the feeling that another good season and he will be ours, we will be in a position where we need to buy him regardless of the fee.

[selassie]

It will have to take something insane like that for him to go because I have no doubt he's happy to sit out his final year here.

Something has obviously broken down in terms of relationship with the club hierarchy, it's not just footballing reasons anymore.

He's going to sit it out like the c*nt he is.

[selassie]

https://www.arsenal.com/news/mkhitaryan-joins-roma

Mkhi joins Roma permanently.

We've basically paid him off to leave, it would have cost us a fair few million.

What worries me about this rebuild is the difficulty we seem to be having shifting players. Most seem to be linked to loan aways, even younger players like Holding. Ive not been following the Kola, Torreira or Sokratis transfer news...but by all accounts it seems all these guys are loans with obligations to buy, I dread to think of the pitiful fees we will get for any of these guys.

The likes of Mustafi and Ozil at this stage appear to be in the "untransferable" bracket, in that no team is daft enough to make an offer, let alone match their current insane wages. In Ozil's case, I don't think we are in a position to pay him off, it will cost us millions.

The sad thing is we genuinely appear to have some kind of sensible plan to improve / rebuild the squad...but it hinges on outs. Where this becomes a bottleneck is that we have largely a squad of duds who are by all accounts seem very difficult to shift. Even some of our more what you would think would be sort after players, seem to be attracting little to no interest.

[Özim]

We've basically paid him off to leave, it would have cost us a fair few million.

What worries me about this rebuild is the difficulty we seem to be having shifting players. Most seem to be linked to loan aways, even younger players like Holding. Ive not been following the Kola, Torreira or Sokratis transfer news...but by all accounts it seems all these guys are loans with obligations to buy, I dread to think of the pitiful fees we will get for any of these guys.

The likes of Mustafi and Ozil at this stage appear to be in the "untransferable" bracket, in that no team is daft enough to make an offer, let alone match their current insane wages. In Ozil's case, I don't think we are in a position to pay him off, it will cost us millions.

The sad thing is we genuinely appear to have some kind of sensible plan to improve / rebuild the squad...but it hinges on outs. Where this becomes a bottleneck is that we have largely a squad of duds who are by all accounts seem very difficult to shift. Even some of our more what you would think would be sort after players, seem to be attracting little to no interest.

Spot on with everything you said, we can't shift any of these guys unless we pay them off or loan them out and we can't spend much before we sell, it's a shocking state of affairs and just shows how bad our transfer dealings have been.

Are there any other big clubs out there (or indeed PL clubs) who struggle to shift players like we do, I mean Elneny is still here! I'm amazed that with todays agent we can't shift any of these players.

Mhkitaryan we paid off to leave it seems, Holding Newcastle are only interested in a loan, even Kolasinac Schalke only seem to have an interest in loaning (this is the guy that came from there and was apparently good?). The others noone is interested in it seems.

[Mac76]

the mistake is trying to get any money for somone like Mustafi - just get rid for free, then at least we're not paying his wages, neither do we have to look at his ugly face again

[GP]

Gabriel is official

[dostoy]

It will have to take something insane like that for him to go because I have no doubt he's happy to sit out his final year here.

Something has obviously broken down in terms of relationship with the club hierarchy, it's not just footballing reasons anymore.

It would take a miracle to get rid of fairycake in any transfer window.

He is useless, has a very bad attitude, is useless, he is souless, gutless, shameless and useless, is ill regularly, gets paid far far far far far far too much and he is useless.

What football team in the world is going to want a 'player' like that ?

He is fucking useless as well, lets not forget.

[I am invisible]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/01/paris-saint-germain-make-25m-offer-for-arsenals-hector-bellerin

£25m + £5m in add-ons for Bellerin?

I like Hector, but that’s really tempting, especially given his injury record and the fact that we have 3 RBs...

[selassie]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/01/paris-saint-germain-make-25m-offer-for-arsenals-hector-bellerin

£25m + £5m in add-ons for Bellerin?

I like Hector, but that’s really tempting, especially given his injury record and the fact that we have 3 RBs...

I would drive him there personally myself, we should bite their hand off for this given it will most likely secure us Partey.

Ornstein is saying that we are basically waiting on sales to trigger Partey release clause & that we are in discussions with Lyons over Aouar.

Adding Partey & Aouar to our midfield would be a 10 /10 window for me, both are amongst the very best in Europe in their positions right now, they would be major coups for us and would massively improve this team. In the case of Aouar, if he continues to develop he will be legit world class in the next few years.

[Marc Overmars]

Would be sad to see him go personally. He’s had an injury plagued 2 years but I think he’s still got plenty to give. Of course I get the situation though and it’s a tempting offer for sure, hopefully we push for something closer to 40m, PSG have a bottomless pit of money after all. If we’re going to sell our players of value then at least make it worthwhile.

[I am invisible]

I would drive him there personally myself, we should bite their hand off for this given it will most likely secure us Partey.

Ornstein is saying that we are basically waiting on sales to trigger Partey release clause & that we are in discussions with Lyons over Aouar.

Adding Partey & Aouar to our midfield would be a 10 /10 window for me, both are amongst the very best in Europe in their positions right now, they would be major coups for us and would massively improve this team. In the case of Aouar, if he continues to develop he will be legit world class in the next few years.
Don’t know what to make of Aouar? I’ve only seen a few short highlights of him, and I thought he looked a little underpowered and slow to get away from markers, but then he still always seems to be able to turn his man and come away with the ball on the other side? Got rave reviews after the City and Bryan games, so I’m assuming I’ve just watched some rubbish highlights?

[Mac76]

Bryan?

[Globalgunner]

Bryan?

Thats the new Bayern of course

[Globalgunner]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/01/paris-saint-germain-make-25m-offer-for-arsenals-hector-bellerin

£25m + £5m in add-ons for Bellerin?

I like Hector, but that’s really tempting, especially given his injury record and the fact that we have 3 RBs...

Would be sd to see him go especially as he seem to have picked up a bit of his old self in the latter half of the season. Unfortunately I believe he was ruined by 6 years under the non tutelage of Wumger. If he stayed i would be happy but if his sale would help us revitalise the sorely dysfunctional midfield then yes, lets sell and put the money towards Partey and Aouar.
Spuds want to sell Ndombele. Id be interested but they would never sell to us. He was one of the most highly rated yougsters in Europe before he joined the shitmeisters

[Mac76]

if selling Hector means we can keep AMN then I'd be very tempted, as long as AMN's happy being an RB of course

[selassie]

Don’t know what to make of Aouar? I’ve only seen a few short highlights of him, and I thought he looked a little underpowered and slow to get away from markers, but then he still always seems to be able to turn his man and come away with the ball on the other side? Got rave reviews after the City and Bryan games, so I’m assuming I’ve just watched some rubbish highlights?

From what I've seen of him he is a baller. I only really paid close attention to him in the Lyon CL games against City and Bayern, he was superb in both games, technically excellent, great decision making, very good dribbler, he gets stuck in too for someone small. He looks like a classic "Pep" CM to me, kind of like a David Silva. I have no doubts he will develop into a World Class player if he continues to improve rapidly.

[I am invisible]

Bryan?
It’s an old Soccer AM thing - Bayern were always Bryan Munich

[I am invisible]

From what I've seen of him he is a baller. I only really paid close attention to him in the Lyon CL games against City and Bayern, he was superb in both games, technically excellent, great decision making, very good dribbler, he gets stuck in too for someone small. He looks like a classic "Pep" CM to me, kind of like a David Silva. I have no doubts he will develop into a World Class player if he continues to improve rapidly.

Yeah, he does look a talent, and I like his attitude, which are the two main things. Like I said my only slight worry with chucking him into the Prem is I thought his 0-60 looked a little underpowered - looked like he was running through sand at times, trying to pull away from his marker - but I guess that's just strength and conditioning work? Probably one of the easier things to work when you get to spend half of every day down the gym...

[Mac76]

There's a report that we def want to keep AMN ... and Tierney

Wtf?! Was there any question of Tierney leaving - surely not?

https://www.90min.com/posts/exclusive-arsenal-transfer-decisions-ainsley-maitland-niles-kieran-tierney

[I am invisible]

There's a report that we def want to keep AMN ... and Tierney

Wtf?! Was there any question of Tierney leaving - surely not?

https://www.90min.com/posts/exclusive-arsenal-transfer-decisions-ainsley-maitland-niles-kieran-tierney
I doubt it - probably just someone getting some more mileage out of that nonsense story about Leicester wanting him because he played for Rodgers at Celtic

[dazthegooner]

I doubt it - probably just someone getting some more mileage out of that nonsense story about Leicester wanting him because he played for Rodgers at Celtic

Yep read that said Tierney was homesick and wanted to join Leicester which was in England the last time I checked... :yikes:

[Marc Overmars]

Messi has done a u-turn and is now staying at Barca. :haha:

Led by the people around him. Pussy.

[dazthegooner]

Seems to me he was always staying at Barca Messi just having a pre season period :console:

[LDG]

Messi has done a u-turn and is now staying at Barca. :haha:

Led by the people around him. Pussy.

Guess he saw his contract was not in fact flexible.

Little shit. Hope he gets boooo all season.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos is back. :bow:

https://www.arsenal.com/news/dani-back-ceballos-returns-loan

[Mac76]

Ceballos is back. :bow:

https://www.arsenal.com/news/dani-back-ceballos-returns-loan

:clap:

Brilliant news

[LDG]

Dani Ceballos!!!! Dani Ceballos!!!

[GP]

He eats paella, he drinks estrella!

[LDG]

The boy is fucking magic!

[Letters]

Does he wear a magic hat? :unsure:

[Niall_Quinn]

I watched him play and I think he's average. He looks good on the ball. But he doesn't do much in the final third. Plus it's not a long term proposition, these silly loan deals. Better to let an Arsenal kid come through the ranks, if you ask me.

[Marc Overmars]

Villa have bid 20m for Martinez.

His stock probably won’t be higher than it is now. Tempting...

[Mac76]

except i still think he's better on the ball and taking balls from crosses than Leno

i'd be really sorry to lose him now, we should start him in the PL from Saturday and if he keeps his place sell Leno in the summer if we have to

[Mac76]

looks like Holding's staying put after all

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/arsenal-make-u-turn-on-rob-holding-future_413413.html

[GP]

except i still think he's better on the ball and taking balls from crosses than Leno

i'd be really sorry to lose him now, we should start him in the PL from Saturday and if he keeps his place sell Leno in the summer if we have to

It's difficult. I don't think there's much between them. And it's easier to sell Emi than it is to sell Leno.

I'm happy with either of them, but we can't really afford to keep both.

[Marc Overmars]

looks like Holding's staying put after all

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/arsenal-make-u-turn-on-rob-holding-future_413413.html

Can’t see where he will fit in. We have like 8 centre backs on the books so that will need trimming significantly.

[I am invisible]

except i still think he's better on the ball and taking balls from crosses than Leno

i'd be really sorry to lose him now, we should start him in the PL from Saturday and if he keeps his place sell Leno in the summer if we have to

I'd be sorry to lose him too, but either way we're still left with a really, really strong keeper.

Could come down to how much we can sell him for vs how much a replacement would cost (assuming Macey isn't ready to be 2nd choice)? Not much point in selling him for £15m if a new keeper ended up costing us £10m - lot of unnecessary hassle just to walk away with £5m...

[Chippy]

I'd be sorry to lose him too, but either way we're still left with a really, really strong keeper.

Could come down to how much we can sell him for vs how much a replacement would cost (assuming Macey isn't ready to be 2nd choice)? Not much point in selling him for £15m if a new keeper ended up costing us £10m - lot of unnecessary hassle just to walk away with £5m...

:gp:
Exactly!

Keep both of them and make Leno force his way back into the team.

[Chippy]

Can’t see where he will fit in. We have like 8 centre backs on the books so that will need trimming significantly.

I was thinking that today. I just cant see who is going to buy the likes of Mustafi and the rest of our mediocore defence :(

[KSE Comedy Club]

Villa have bid 20m for Martinez.

His stock probably won’t be higher than it is now. Tempting...

Tempting for what?

Selling Martinez is the dumbest idea since giving Ozil that fucking contract

[KSE Comedy Club]

:gp:
Exactly!

Keep both of them and make Leno force his way back into the team.

Agreed.

Martinez looks much better between the sticks than Leno imo.

[Mac76]

i still think £20m sounds too little for a really good keeper - after all how many points does a really good keeper get you in a season - it must be a lot, one save can make the difference between a defeat or a draw or a draw or a win - 10 points? 15?

[Globalgunner]

Why dont we make it a loan to Villa. I year and then we see where things stand. I would keep both. Give Martinez all the cups and Leno the league

[I am invisible]

Can’t see where he will fit in. We have like 8 centre backs on the books so that will need trimming significantly.

Not right now, but beyond this season it starts to make a little more sense.

Luiz, Sokratis and Mustafi only have another year on their contracts, so they could all be gone by next summer.

And Chambers and Mavropanos could both be earning more money and getting first team football elsewhere, so I can see them moving on within the next 12 months too.

Gabriel, Saliba and Mari are obviously here for the long-term as they've only just signed, but that's only 3 CBs.

Which leaves Holding, who I suspect we might be looking at keeping him as our 4th long-term CB option.

Obviously if a large enough offer came in for him then we'd have to consider it - he's not so good that he's untouchable - but I think it would have to be something pretty big to make it worth our while. Again, it comes down to who we could get as a replacement - Holding currently only earns about £25k/wk (yeah, I know... "only") and has a contract until 2023, so we'd have to be able to find someone as good or better for less money otherwise it's not worth it.

In terms of this season, I reckon there there's probably a couple of plans for him: if no one goes, then we may look to loan Holding out for the year so he can build up his form and fitness up after a long injury (whilst we bring in a small loan fee and get his wages covered); but if 1 or 2 of those CBs do move on then it would probably be better to keep him here? Mari, Mustafi and Chambers are all currently out injured, and Gabriel, Saliba and Mari are all new to the league, so he'd end up having a larger role to play.

[Niall_Quinn]

Why dont we make it a loan to Villa. I year and then we see where things stand. I would keep both. Give Martinez all the cups and Leno the league

Why not have 2 decent keepers that strive for the #1 spot - as it used to be? Injuries happen, form dips. Are we so strapped for cash we can't hang on to a couple of decent keepers? Can't go forwards if we keep going backwards.

[fakeyank]

Sell Leno if we have to.. Martinez is the second name on the team sheet after Auba.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Villa seems a really low bar for Martinez to go to given the form he has displayed.

[dazthegooner]

Villa seems a really low bar for Martinez to go to given the form he has displayed.

Yeah surprised Manure didn't go in for him... Oh wait they have Henderson :haha:

[Mac76]

Villa seems a really low bar for Martinez to go to given the form he has displayed.

Totally, he obviously just wants to be gauranteed first team football, and simply on merit i think we should make him our PL keeper and play Leno in cups, I don't dislike Leno but let him earn his place back

[I am invisible]

Why not have 2 decent keepers that strive for the #1 spot - as it used to be? Injuries happen, form dips. Are we so strapped for cash we can't hang on to a couple of decent keepers? Can't go forwards if we keep going backwards.
:good:

At the very least I’d like to be certain that what we’re seeing from Emi is permanent class and not just a bit of form before there’s any talk of cashing in on either keeper - Alex Manninger had a similar run of 10 or 11 amazing games in the ‘98 run in, but he never really kicked on after that.

[I am invisible]

Sell Leno if we have to.. Martinez is the second name on the team sheet after Auba.
I’ve been blown away by how Emi has stepped in, but I wouldn’t be keen to sell Leno just yet. Good as Emi’s been, all of his performances have come after the defence had tightened up and Arteta had got the side organised - what Leno was doing earlier in the season was behind an absolute shambles of a defence, where it was basically open season on his goal for 90 minutes every game! I’d like to see how he looks behind a decent defence before I made a final call on either of them...

[Mac76]

I’ve been blown away by how Emi has stepped in, but I wouldn’t be keen to sell Leno just yet. Good as Emi’s been, all of his performances have come after the defence had tightened up and Arteta had got the side organised - what Leno was doing earlier in the season was behind an absolute shambles of a defence, where it was basically open season on his goal for 90 minutes every game! I’d like to see how he looks behind a decent defence before I made a final call on either of them...

True, although you could also say that a defence is calmer if they have a goalie they trust and understand, Emi's better at playing out from the back so that calms things down

[I am invisible]

True, although you could also say that a defence is calmer if they have a goalie they trust and understand, Emi's better at playing out from the back so that calms things down
Yup, also true.

I guess my point is that I’d ideally like another season with both of them to be certain which one it is? Unless we receive an absolutely crazy offer for one of them, and can also find a solid replacement for like £5m, I’m not sure it’s worth selling either at this point.

[GP]

I just think we will need to sell one of them to improve the midfield. And we REALLY need to improve the midfield.

It's much easier to sell Emi, so that's what I think will happen.

[Niall_Quinn]

Or, we could send out a search party for Kroenke's long lost wallet. Last I heard it was either on Mount Sinai or buried in a crypt in a modest Scottish church.

[Globalgunner]

Leno wont be too keen to play 2nd fiddle. He has been back in the reckoning for Germany I hear so he will want to be first choice or leave. I like them both. Emi is slightly larger in size but Leno is better at clutch saves. There are enough games for both of them this year if the team progresses on all fronts

[Mac76]

Leno wont be too keen to play 2nd fiddle. He has been back in the reckoning for Germany I hear so he will want to be first choice or leave. I like them both. Emi is slightly larger in size but Leno is better at clutch saves. There are enough games for both of them this year if the team progresses on all fronts

sure but the PL games are considered the games for the No 1 goalie so whoever gets them, the other will be pissed off, no matter how many cup games they get

[Gooner23]

Apparently PSG tried to sign Bellerin on loan, and we rightly told them to do one. Looks like he will be staying, unless the Barca rumours are true.

[Gooner23]

Also Auba has agreed a new contract according to Ornstein. Massive boost for the season!

[Mac76]

people have been saying that about Auba for a while now, i'll believe it when i see it

[Master Splinter]

It feels like the Auba announcement is being saved for tomorrow for maximum pre-season HYPE.

It sounds like Martinez is close to joining Villa too. He was brilliant for the last few months, wish him well. Leno has been our most consistent performer for the last two seasons, so aside from sentimental recency bias, it seems like a good deal for everyone.

[Marc Overmars]

I don’t blame the club for cashing in on Martinez. A few months ago he was worth nothing and 10 games later he’s worth 20m. It’s an unexpected source of income and we’re not really in a position to turn down good money like that in an area of the pitch we don’t have to improve on.

Emi was fantastic last season, that can’t be denied. Let’s not forget that Leno is also a very good keeper though and I’m sure we can find ourselves another decent understudy.

[Gooner23]

Disappointed to see him go but can't blame him wanting to be a clear no. 1 somewhere.

[I am invisible]

Can’t really blame Emi either, tbh. Leno already has a solid, top-flight career under his belt so he walks straight into another top side if he loses the GK battle; Emi, on the other hand, only has a handful of top-flight games to his name, and he may never get another chance like this if he ends up as Leno’s no.2 (chortle!) again - from his POV, and as much as he might love the club, the move is the far safer bet, both got his career and his family.

On the plus side, I can’t imagine the club would be sanctioning this move unless the money we’re going towards something that’s going to make us stronger, so there is that. If the choice is between, say, an amazing 2nd choice keeper and an amazing 1st choice CM then it makes sense for the club too.

[GoonerMan]

I don't believe Arsenal manage possible transfers choices for direct funds for other targets they want to acquire, it's bad business and club sense in my opinion. I believe they are deciding if Martinez is a big enough prospect at AFC which I think he no longer is, he is an outstanding professional who could start at other teams.

[Mac76]

Emi going to Villa for £16m apparently, swapping an FA Cup-winning side to fight relegation - smart move :rolleyes:

https://sportsmole.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=221bbb694f800d334c71246c5&id=c091175590&e=b3db5315c8

[Marc Overmars]

Emi going to Villa for £16m apparently, swapping an FA Cup-winning side to fight relegation - smart move :rolleyes:

https://sportsmole.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=221bbb694f800d334c71246c5&id=c091175590&e=b3db5315c8

He could probably do better but if the interest isn’t there then what can he do? Can’t knock the guy for wanting to go and be a number 1.

Apparently we’re interested in David Raya from Brentford to replace him.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Right, we turned down £15 million and accepted £16 million.

Even with us I doubt those figures, unless we're just rounding it up to £20 million I guess.

Not that it'll matter either way.

[dazthegooner]

And reports saay were are going to pay £10m on a replacement...

[I am invisible]

We apparently had an offer of £31.4m + Guendouzi rejected for Aouar - my question is: is that £31.4m we already have, or is it money we’re anticipating making through sales / planning on paying in instalments?

Just trying to work out how much more we need to find to be able trigger Partey’s release clause. Will another couple of sales like Martinez get us there, or are we still a way away? I think release clauses have to be paid in full, don’t they?

[Gooner23]

Was that before buying Gabriel? According to reports neither club budging on asking price / release clause.

No thanks to Raya. Selling Martinez for 20 mil but then spending half that in a new keeper doesn't make sense at all. Find a cheap alternative.

[GP]

Apparently we are signing some Icelandic dude from Dijon.

I hear he's mustard.

[Mac76]

:rimshot:

[GP]

Sounds like Emi to Villa is done.

Looks like Torreira back to Italy is close and West Ham are interested in Kolasinac.

Good business if we can get them all out the door.

[Marc Overmars]

It’s a shame Torreria has fallen out of favour because that kind of high energy pressing and tackling can always be of use. If it helps fund a more dynamic midfield option then fair enough though.

[Chippy]

Sounds like Emi to Villa is done.

Looks like Torreira back to Italy is close and West Ham are interested in Kolasinac.

Good business if we can get them all out the door.

Holding Loan to West Hampsted?
https://tbrfootball.com/report-west-ham-ready-to-offer-5m-to-loan-arsenal-defender-rob-holding/

We kinda need this one to be permanent for the cash!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8734245/Arsenals-Lucas-Torreira-set-Torino-loan-view-permanent-deal.html

[Mac76]

i agree with what the TBR article says

"Holding, who earns £25,000-a-week (Spotrac), has looked extremely dependable as part of a back three recently for Arsenal and it would be somewhat of a surprise if he’s allowed to leave the Emirates Stadium. He’s a ball-playing centre-back that is comfortable at the back and a real leader for his age, plus he’s not afraid to put his body on the line and is a physical presence too."

we should keep him at the club, given there actually aren't as many options as it looks - sokratis is toast, mustaphi is far inferior to holding and saliba will be phased in

iu know it was jsut one game away at Fluham but that and on the back of the other recent results, i'm just starting to get quite optimistic about what we could achieve this season if we really get firing but we need the strength in depth to achieve it

[Mac76]

there's about to be an announcement at the Emirates... :popcorn:

[Mac76]

a pen and piece of paper on a table in the dressing room...


https://www.arsenal.com/

[Mac76]

and a sand-timer...

[Mac76]

captain's arm-band

[Marc Overmars]

Auba signing da ting live. :lol:

[Mac76]

wrestling mask

[Letters]

Yeah, looks like he’s signed da ting.
Noice.

[Mac76]

auba's signed da ting :yippee: :dance: :whacky: :cheers: :dancingman: :clap:

[Mac76]

he's talking to laca on the phone - "happy to stay with you" - until Laca's sold :haha:

[Mac76]

such excitement on here... :tumbleweed:

GW :pal:

[Marc Overmars]

It’s not really been in doubt for a while tbf. :lol:

Auba. :bow:

Let’s hope he doesn’t go the way Ozil did after he signed his deal. :ninja:

[Gooner23]

Get in there, apparently he turned down two big offers from other clubs so this is a massive deal for us.

[Letters]

Signing of the summer tbh.

I was pretty sure he would sign but nice to have it confirmed

[GP]

Now if we can get in a midfielder and have Ozil murdered it be a really great window.

[dostoy]

'signing for this great club was never in doubt'

Especially when they offered me more money then I could get anywhere else.

I'm glad he has signed but lets not kid ourselves its for sporting reasons, massive wages certainly came into it.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Well done Auba.

Old Man Bale is going back to the Spuds apparently.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

auba's signed da ting :yippee: :dance: :whacky: :cheers: :dancingman: :clap:

Rio. :haha:

[Chippy]

Well done Auba.

Old Man Bale is going back to the Spuds apparently.
Monkey faced ****

[I am invisible]

Now if we can get in a midfielder and have Ozil murdered it be a really great window.
There’s got to be something brewing there, right? For the midfielder, not the murder. I mean, we’ve just sold a player that we didn’t really need to sell for £20m and are looking at a replacement for just £1.5m - that feels like we’re trying to raise funds for something, doesn’t it?

[I am invisible]

Brilliant news about Auba! And it’s really come out of the blue too! Literally no hint that it was coming whatsoever.

Delighted he’s stayed and committed though. I’m a big believer in good coaching and collective performance being more important that individuals, but there’s no question that world class players are difference-makers when it comes to those fine margins that win games, and Auba is certainly that.

We need to pitch this as a massive show of faith in the project, and use it to convince our other targets that this is the place to be.

[I am invisible]

Old Man Bale is going back to the Spuds apparently.
OK... fair enough.

Most of the spurs fans I know think they desperately need a new central defence, fullbacks, central midfield and play-maker, but I guess if you lack all of those things then you might as well not have them AND have someone like Bale up front.

As an Arsenal fan, obviously I hope this saddles then with their own Özil, and causes no end of problems on Kane’s next contract negotiation - no idea how much of his £600k/wk they’re going to be covering, but I would imagine he’d be coming in as their best-paid player by some margin.

[GP]

There’s got to be something brewing there, right? For the midfielder, not the murder. I mean, we’ve just sold a player that we didn’t really need to sell for £20m and are looking at a replacement for just £1.5m - that feels like we’re trying to raise funds for something, doesn’t it?

Aouar, apparently.

[Marc Overmars]

'signing for this great club was never in doubt'

Especially when they offered me more money then I could get anywhere else.

I'm glad he has signed but lets not kid ourselves its for sporting reasons, massive wages certainly came into it.

I’m sure he wouldn’t be short of a few bob at Barca or especially Inter though. He’s happy and settled here, you can tell from the way he speaks he’s a pretty genuine character who’s enjoying his time here and looking forward to the Arteta project. You’re doing him a disservice saying it wasn’t for sporting reasons. He’s captain of a team that he feels is moving in the right direction, put some respect on his name!

[Letters]

Aouar, apparently.

Old McDonald had a Farm
A O U A R
:unsure:

[Marc Overmars]

Martinez confirms he is leaving.

Good luck and thank you for the great run of form that helped us win the cup. :bow:

[Letters]

Martinez confirms he is leaving.

Good luck and thank you for the great run of form that helped us win the cup. :bow:

Bit sad about that but he's too good to sit on the bench and if Leno has been declared our Number 1 then understandable he'd want to go somewhere and be first choice.
Wish him well.

[Niall_Quinn]

Old McDonald had a Farm
A O U A R
:unsure:

The real reason you don't go to games.

[Mac76]

'signing for this great club was never in doubt'

Especially when they offered me more money then I could get anywhere else.

I'm glad he has signed but lets not kid ourselves its for sporting reasons, massive wages certainly came into it.

well he's taken a real punt on us, he could be in a regular CL-competing side but he's chancing it with us and Arteta - we're very lucky, and sure he wants to get paid well that's par for the course, he won't be another Ozil

[Niall_Quinn]

Are they seriously going to carry Ozil for another year? That can't be the whole plan.

[WMUG]

Are they seriously going to carry Ozil for another year? That can't be the whole plan.

Don't see how we can get rid of him really

[Gooner23]

Seems quite content to go full Bogarde on us. Zero sporting ambition, what a loser.

[Marc Overmars]

Don't see how we can get rid of him really

Which is why I find it bizarre how he isn’t even involved. Our squad isn’t that great for a player of his ability to not even make the bench

Use the fucker rather than let him sit around earning millions, it’s sickening.

[Mac76]

Which is why I find it bizarre how he isn’t even involved. Our squad isn’t that great for a player of his ability to not even make the bench

Use the fucker rather than let him sit around earning millions, it’s sickening.

wasn't he at least in the squad for a friendly the other week?

maybe we'll use him in the EL and league cup, captaining sides of kids - he's done that before

[Globalgunner]

Which is why I find it bizarre how he isn’t even involved. Our squad isn’t that great for a player of his ability to not even make the bench

Use the fucker rather than let him sit around earning millions, it’s sickening.

Use him for what?. Unless they allow us to field 12. He will be taking the place of a fully functioning human being. The man makes 2 killer passes a game and thinks to himself. "Job done"

[dostoy]

Don't see how we can get rid of him really

Absolutely.

How is it possible to get rid of him ?

He is useless, lazy, massively massively overpaid, ill regularly and doesn't give a shit.

What team would want him, regardless of the financial side ?

[dostoy]

17m for Martinez seems very very cheap to me.

I know none of us like the Spud chairman but he usually sells players for more than what they are worth and would have got at least 25m in this case.

[Mac76]

17m for Martinez seems very very cheap to me.

I know none of us like the Spud chairman but he usually sells players for more than what they are worth and would have got at least 25m in this case.

i agree, we never get what we should for these players

[I am invisible]

Unfortunately, negotiation is all about leverage, and everyone knows we need dollar bucks, fast!

Tbh, I don’t actually think it’s an unreasonable fee for a 2nd choice keeper who, at nearly 28, still only has a limited number of first team appearances under his belt - we’re all convinced that he’s the real deal, and if we could have kept him for another year to prove it then I think we’d have been talking closer to double that fee, but as it is I can understand the price getting haggled down.

Edit: is it a max £17m, or are there add-ons?

[GP]

17mil isn't bad for someone who was worth nothing 6 months ago.

[Marc Overmars]

Clearly a good guy and grateful for how he stepped up last season, but he's averaged less than 10 games a season his entire career. 17m is good money.

[Niall_Quinn]

Use him for what?. Unless they allow us to field 12. He will be taking the place of a fully functioning human being. The man makes 2 killer passes a game and thinks to himself. "Job done"

Well, that's 2 more than we usually make.

[Niall_Quinn]

Absolutely.

How is it possible to get rid of him ?

He is useless, lazy, massively massively overpaid, ill regularly and doesn't give a shit.

What team would want him, regardless of the financial side ?

Plus he has the U.S or China lined up for next yer I suppose, where he'll probably double his money.

It could even be argued that players have too much power these days.

[I am invisible]

Use him for what?. Unless they allow us to field 12. He will be taking the place of a fully functioning human being. The man makes 2 killer passes a game and thinks to himself. "Job done"
That’s assuming he even shows up on the day! The biggest issue for me is that I never know when he’s going to cry off sick - why would you spend all week building a game plan around him when you know there’s a 3/4 chance he’ll phone in on the day with a tummy ache or crick in his neck (and on the 1 in 4 games he does show up for there’s a 50-50 chance he won’t be arsed)?

If I were the coach, I’d want to be as sure as possible about the players I’m working with going into a match, and Özil is just way too erratic and unpredictable to be useful for me - that one moment of magic every 8-10 games isn’t worth it...

[Mac76]

The illness thing is clearly just a cover, to reduce the controversy of his not ever being picked - though whether it's him or the club that's responsible for the hralth stories is less clear

No-one (apart from one or two people on here apparently) believes it, if he started being picked the illness would be gone...

[Niall_Quinn]

Can't be the player deliberately not turning up. Surely contracts would deal with that and he'd be out on his ear. And to say he's not good enough even for the bench is not realistic. So must be some sort of personality issue or similar that the club is prepared to eat 350k a week for. Very odd indeed. Have we even tried to loan him out? Maybe pay half his wages?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54188430

Thiago is going to Liverpool after all it seems.

Will be interesting to see Liverpool with a more technically based midfield, given previously it was mainly the fabled 'pace and power'.

[Mac76]

Can't be the player deliberately not turning up. Surely contracts would deal with that and he'd be out on his ear. And to say he's not good enough even for the bench is not realistic. So must be some sort of personality issue or similar that the club is prepared to eat 350k a week for. Very odd indeed. Have we even tried to loan him out? Maybe pay half his wages?

i think his agent just says 'no' to all these things - hopefully one day someone will write a book and give the inside story, not sure who that would be seeing as ozil's on his fourth manager (if you count Freddie) and the club heirarchy has changed so much, but would love to read it...

[Chippy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54188430

Thiago is going to Liverpool after all it seems.

Will be interesting to see Liverpool with a more technically based midfield, given previously it was mainly the fabled 'pace and power'.

Talking of other annoying clubs! How do people feel about PG Tips Bale going back to the Spuds? Will he improve them that much?

[Marc Overmars]

Possibly but it depends on how Kane adapts to not being the go to guy.

His injury record is terrible anyway so I’m not particularly bothered.

[Niall_Quinn]

Talking of other annoying clubs! How do people feel about PG Tips Bale going back to the Spuds? Will he improve them that much?

Doubt it. Doubt he'll even play much. How old is he now? What's the equivalent of one chimp year to a human year? He's probably over 100 in human terms.

[I am invisible]

The illness thing is clearly just a cover, to reduce the controversy of his not ever being picked - though whether it's him or the club that's responsible for the hralth stories is less clear

No-one (apart from one or two people on here apparently) believes it, if he started being picked the illness would be gone...

If it had only started happening over the last year then I could have believed it was just a cover, but the pattern goes right back to when Wenger was in charge and he was one of the first names on the team sheet - he's always been suspiciously unavailable for away games, or prone to sudden colds / illnesses / back problems, or would disappear off on a mini holiday somewhere. I don't think there's any doubt that he's simply being dropped now - Arteta doesn't mine his words about that - but I think he's been dropped because of his attendance record and because he's unreliable. I don't he's been dropped for no reason, with illness being used as a cover.


Can't be the player deliberately not turning up. Surely contracts would deal with that and he'd be out on his ear. And to say he's not good enough even for the bench is not realistic. So must be some sort of personality issue or similar that the club is prepared to eat 350k a week for. Very odd indeed. Have we even tried to loan him out? Maybe pay half his wages?

I'm just guessing here, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's got himself signed off with stress or anxiety at some point - if he's managed to get a diagnosed mental illness on his medical / employment record then he'd pretty much have to take a swing at the owner before you could let him go (and even then it would be tough)!

Think about everything that's happened to him over the last few years - he's always had to deal with unfair criticism in the press, which must take its toll after a while, but then there was the whole racism row with the German national team, which alienated half of his home country, the constant character assassinations that followed from everyone at Bayern Munich (the self-appointed mouth-pieces for German football), he was robbed at knife-point, he wasn't backed over his Uighur muslim comments, there was the PR disaster of being photographed cozying up to a dictator. And on the playing side, his biggest supporter and protector, Wenger, left the club, and he's had 3 managers since then who haven't been prepared to coddle him. I think he probably feels like he's taken so much shit over the last few years (some deserved, some not) that he just doesn't care any more, and I think he's just done with the game, simple as that. What is there that's left for him to do? I don't think he has any interest at all in going anywhere else after us - wouldn't be shocked if he banked his £18m for this year and then retired.

[I am invisible]

Talking of other annoying clubs! How do people feel about PG Tips Bale going back to the Spuds? Will he improve them that much?

I mean... it's not going to make them worse, is it, but I don't think it really addresses any of their biggest problems?

This feels like the sort of thing we would have done a couple of years ago to shut the fans up.

[Mac76]

I mean... it's not going to make them worse, is it, but I don't think it really addresses any of their biggest problems?



well of course not, but how DO you address being a bunch of c**ts playing in a gigantic toilet bowl??

[I am invisible]

well of course not, but how DO you address being a bunch of c**ts playing in a gigantic toilet bowl??
Vagisil and Harpic?

[GP]

https://i.redd.it/56qeupaqlpn51.png

[selassie]

I’m sure he wouldn’t be short of a few bob at Barca or especially Inter though. He’s happy and settled here, you can tell from the way he speaks he’s a pretty genuine character who’s enjoying his time here and looking forward to the Arteta project. You’re doing him a disservice saying it wasn’t for sporting reasons. He’s captain of a team that he feels is moving in the right direction, put some respect on his name!

I agree, sure money played a big part but ambition too. I am sure Arteta has repeatedly sold him the project.

I'm as cynical as they come regarding Arsenal but I'm genuinely very excited about Arteta and the recruitment drive to upgrade the team.

We have been linked and have signed some real quality already this summer, we are being heavily linked with Aouar who apparently wants to come. We are still being linked with Partey who wants to come, this calibre of player is exactly what we need, Partey and Aouar are amongst the best in Europe in their respective positions. Exciting times for sure.

[Mac76]

we just need to get rid of all the dross - kola, mustafi etc - i'd like to see xhaka go too

[Chippy]

we just need to get rid of all the dross - kola, mustafi etc - i'd like to see xhaka go too

This.

I am surprised that it has gone quiet on people going out the door!
We have so much dead wood, it must be costing a fortune on wages, and in addition, preventing other signings coming in.

[Mac76]

there's been talk of kola to west spam i think, but sadly not heard much re mustafi

[Marc Overmars]

Thiago for up to 25m is a steal. I know last year of contract and all that but still. Not much Liverpool really need but a midfielder as silky as him definitely could take them up a notch.

[fakeyank]

Can we even sell Mustafi with him being injured?

[I am invisible]

Can we even sell Mustafi with him being injured?
Doubt it - he might be fit enough to pass a medical, even if he’s not match for for a while, but his wages on top of the injury would probably be a deal-breaker...

[Marc Overmars]

Liverpool are close to signing Jota for £35m.

[Mac76]

Doubt it - he might be fit enough to pass a medical, even if he’s not match for for a while, but his wages on top of the injury would probably be a deal-breaker...

Plus he's shit, don't forget thar...

[LDG]

Plus he's shit, don't forget thar...

Thar she blows!

[Mac76]

Thar she blows!

damn... :getcoat:

[fakeyank]

Suarez getting released at Barca. If his wages werent an issue, I'd love to have someone like him at Arsenal..

[Mac76]

it depends, i've not seen much of him since he went to Barca - if he's cut out the diving, biting and racism then maybe i'd be OK with it but he doesn't feel like an Arsenal player to me...

[GP]

He's going to Atletico.

They also want Torreira, apparently.

[Mac76]

we've signed Runarsson on a four-year contract

No. 13 :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Same height as Pickford apparently.

[Mac76]

Same height as Pickford apparently.

let's hope that's all they've got in common... :lol:

[I am invisible]

£20m in, £1.5m out - don’t know if the new kid is in Emi’s class, but I’ll buy him a beer, if that extra £18.5m helps get us a new midfield.

[I am invisible]

Suarez getting released at Barca. If his wages werent an issue, I'd love to have someone like him at Arsenal..
Just my opinion, but I think we may already have that player in Martinelli.

[fakeyank]

Just my opinion, but I think we may already have that player in Martinelli.

Is he even going to play this season?

[Mac76]

Is he even going to play this season?

think he's still injured but will surely get opportunities

[I am invisible]

Is he even going to play this season?
Should be back around Christmas, I think? Match fitness will take longer, but hopefully we’ll see him at some point.

[Chippy]

Should be back around Christmas, I think? Match fitness will take longer, but hopefully we’ll see him at some point.
IMHO, the season will be suspended pretty soon. Players are dropping like flies with covid 19 already. We wont get past October.

[Mac76]

IMHO, the season will be suspended pretty soon. Players are dropping like flies with covid 19 already. We wont get past October.

Yeah i think you're right about that, sadly...

[Marc Overmars]

Suarez signs for Atleti.

Diego Costa and Suarez, it doesn’t really get more shithouse than that.

[Letters]

IMHO, the season will be suspended pretty soon. Players are dropping like flies with covid 19 already. We wont get past October.

Points per game :bow:

[Mac76]

Suarez signs for Atleti.

Diego Costa and Suarez, it doesn’t really get more shithouse than that.

:)

Now all they need is Sergio Ramos

[Niall_Quinn]

Suarez signs for Atleti.

Diego Costa and Suarez, it doesn’t really get more shithouse than that.

Maureen and Bale comes close.

[Globalgunner]

:)

Now all they need is Sergio Ramos

Dont forget Pepe. The original one. Not our clusterfk winger.

[Chippy]

Dont forget Pepe. The original one. Not our clusterfk winger.

We seriously over paid for Pepe :(

I don't think he is in Arteta's plans and we will never recoup £70m :doh:

[Marc Overmars]

He’s a horrible player to watch most of the time but he also has a nack of being involved when it matters too. We’re never getting that money back but hopefully we do our best to try and polish him, rather than just stick him on the scrap heap and write off more millions.

[GP]

At his best he can be devestating, but how often do we see that? Then he's not on it he's a passenger and we aren't good enough to carry passengers.

Emery woz rite.

[Niall_Quinn]

If we passed the ball forwards at 2mph, rather than backwards at 1mph, Pepe would be more useful. He's not suited to playing in a coma.

[Mac76]

If we passed the ball forwards at 2mph, rather than backwards at 1mph, Pepe would be more useful. He's not suited to playing in a coma.

yes he's someone who needs to be in a pacy team - i think he's a good player and i hope Arteta can work out a way to use him regularly

there's no doubt we overpaid though - Raul was to blame for that so at least he's gone...

[Niall_Quinn]

yes he's someone who needs to be in a pacy team - i think he's a good player and i hope Arteta can work out a way to use him regularly

there's no doubt we overpaid though - Raul was to blame for that so at least he's gone...

Gone with a few quid in his pocket, I'd imagine.

[GP]

Ray Parlour is dead to me.


https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/alli-50m-great-arsenal-parlour-spurs-north-london/grgxmonronyv1d6jxgxzegeac

[Xhaka Can’t]

Someone must be holding his family at gunpoint.

And even, at that, he has gone too far.

[Globalgunner]

I wouldn't judge any player , even Divey Alli based on his performances under Mourinho. If Mourinho could play a team of 11 Cunts like Eric Dier or 11 musclebound pillocks like Mossa Sissoko. That's exactly what he would do.That being said. No Dele Alli. Id rather have Covid 19

[Ralpheroo72]

Looking like Aouar or Partey, what are people’s thoughts? I haven’t seen much of either, Partey seems be a beast in midfield if you believe what is written in the press.

[Marc Overmars]

Hardly seen anything of Aouar.

Partey would be a great addition to our midfield though. Reads the game well, super strong and athletic, everything we need in the middle of the park at the moment. Frankly anyone that comes from Atletico Madrid is going to be a fairly solid defensive addition.

Sounds like neither will happen though unless we can shift Torreria and/or Guendouzi.

[I am invisible]

If it’s one or the other then Partey.

Let’s be clear - both players would improve us, but I think Partey would be transformative. He’s a genuine all-round midfielder who does everything well, and he would instantly give us the security we need in midfield to be able to play 2 at the back and gain an extra attacking / creative midfielder. Or he would be like having an extra man in a 2-man midfield whenever we go 343.

He’s big, strong, fast and very consistent, and I think he’d be instantly ready for the league. Probably his standout feature is his driving runs from the defensive 3rd to the attacking 3rd; he has an incredibly high dribble success rate, given the area he typically plays. No fancy tricks or stepovers - he just uses speed and strength to drive through the lines with violent runs. Decent long-range shot too - him and Xhaka would give opponents something else to worry about when we push up.

Aouar is a quality midfielder, and has the potential to be one of the best in the world in a few years - if we could somehow get him too then it would be one of the best windows we’ve ever had, but at 22 I don’t think he’s quite as consistent as Partey yet. I think he’s the guy you bring in once you’re already stable enough to play a midfield 3.

Aouar is more creative in the final 3rd, but doesn’t add much more security at the back (despite being a decent tackler). Partey adds that defensive security AND buys us the luxury of a 3rd midfielder to improve our creativity (and he’ll also make things happen with those driving runs).

(Edit: not only would Partey let us play 3 midfielders, but he’s such a dominant presence that 2 of those 3 could be more offensive options - we wouldn’t need to keep playing 2 deeper midfielders.)

[I am invisible]

*Obviously the club will now go out and prioritise Aouar.

[Mac76]

Apparently if Chelski buy Declan Rice we might get Jorghino - hopefully that would be the end of Xhaka as our go-to DM

[Marc Overmars]

Jorghino would be quite the anti-climax.

Plus I’d rather not take another Chelsea clearance item.

[Mac76]

Aouar's looking close, provided the clubs can agree on a price

https://amp.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/houssem-aouar-agrees-to-join-arsenal-this-summer_415953.html

[I am invisible]

Apparently if Chelski buy Declan Rice we might get Jorghino - hopefully that would be the end of Xhaka as our go-to DM
Yeah, but it would mean that his replacement is Chelsea’s Granit Xhaka.

[GP]

Jorginho is shit.

[Globalgunner]

Jorginho is shit.

And he takes the most stupid penalties since that Italian clown character (name escapes me)

[GP]

And he takes the most stupid penalties since that Italian clown character (name escapes me)

Zaza!

[Gooner23]

Sounds like the Aouar deal is getting closer now

[selassie]

Hardly seen anything of Aouar.

Partey would be a great addition to our midfield though. Reads the game well, super strong and athletic, everything we need in the middle of the park at the moment. Frankly anyone that comes from Atletico Madrid is going to be a fairly solid defensive addition.

Sounds like neither will happen though unless we can shift Torreria and/or Guendouzi.

Aouar is the REAL DEAL imo, absolute baller. Watched him a fair bit in CL last season and he ran both City & Juve ragged, literally had their midfields chasing shadows. He’s technically excellent, creative, gets stuck in and knows where the goal is. Make no mistake, he’ll be a major coup for us if we get this deal over the line, in a normal market this kid is going to City or Real.

Partey I agree is a priority, he reminds me of a modern day Essien.

[I am invisible]

Pretty confident about Aouar at this point, but less so on Partey - not sure we’d be able to pay all of that release clause up front so we probably need them to accept a different deal? Hope we have a backup plan, just in case - we really need someone like that in the team...

[Gooner23]

Think the biggest issue is not being able to flog anyone. I'm sure the club were hoping we'd bring in reasonable money for Guendouzi, Torreira, Mustafi & Kolasinac. I can see a few a last minute loans to at least get some of the wages off the books, but that won't help generate the funds needed for Partey.

[GP]

Pretty confident about Aouar at this point, but less so on Partey - not sure we’d be able to pay all of that release clause up front so we probably need them to accept a different deal? Hope we have a backup plan, just in case - we really need someone like that in the team...

They want Torreira so surely a deal can be done.

[I am invisible]

They want Torreira so surely a deal can be done.

You'd think so, wouldn't you? They really seem to be holding out for that release fee, though. Probably because they'll only be given 25% of whatever they make to reinvest (for some reason), so I guess having the whole €45m in one go is more attractive to them.

They can fuck right off if they think they're going to get LT on loan with no obligation to buy, if they're not prepared to give a little with Partey!

[I am invisible]

Think the biggest issue is not being able to flog anyone. I'm sure the club were hoping we'd bring in reasonable money for Guendouzi, Torreira, Mustafi & Kolasinac. I can see a few a last minute loans to at least get some of the wages off the books, but that won't help generate the funds needed for Partey.

There'll be sales, don't worry about that - it just doesn't make any sense for any buying clubs to make offers until the last minute with these players. Everyone knows we're desperate for funds, and a lot of these guys are down to their final year's - if it fgoes down to the last day then we'll pretty much have to accept any offer, or risk another year of big salaries for players we don't want who will walk for free next year.

I'd be looking at Torreira, Kola, Mustafi, Sokratis and Chambers as definite outs, and maybe even a shock sale of Lacazette, if a reasonable offer came in - really don't think he offers anywhere close to value for that £180k/wk contract (and there's been absolutely zero interest in offering him an extension, as I understand it).

Really can't call Guendouzi - you'd like to think that the total lack of interest in him from any top club might have knocked some sense into him, but we'll see. He might have to accept a step down or swallow his pride and ask for another chance.

[Mac76]

I'd be looking at Torreira, Kola, Mustafi, Sokratis and Chambers as definite outs, and maybe even a shock sale of Lacazette, if a reasonable offer came in - really don't think he offers anywhere close to value for that £180k/wk contract (and there's been absolutely zero interest in offering him an extension, as I understand it).



i still think Chambers is a useful player who can do a decent job in several places on the pitch, better in some cases than the so-called specialists in those positions (e.g. CB)

i'd keep him around but the rest of that list can go

plus Xhaka of course...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Aulas. :haha:

The guy never shuts up. Still it's better than Silent Stan I guess.

[fakeyank]

I still cant grasp how Torreira went from the player he was in his first season to not being able to even start Carabao cup games. He is our Partey solution at home IMO. He hustles, covers every blade of grass and breaks play better than anyone I can think of at Arsenal, yet he doesnt even get on the bench!?

[Marc Overmars]

Torreria is probably seen as a headless chicken and too small to dominate a Premier League midfield.

[Gooner23]

I don't think he has ever really settled in England either, there was some noise about him wanting to leave last summer as well. Suspect his camp are really pushing for the move away now.

With Athletico so keen on signing him it seems mad we can't do a player + cash deal for Partey.

[fakeyank]

Torreria is probably seen as a headless chicken and too small to dominate a Premier League midfield.

Umm.. he was phenomenal in his first season and was dominating most games.. I remember many saying that he was as good as (if not better) than Kante. Things started to go downhill when Emery tried to play him as an attacking midfielder. He also had an injury somewhere in there and things started to unravel after that.

[fakeyank]

I don't think he has ever really settled in England either, there was some noise about him wanting to leave last summer as well. Suspect his camp are really pushing for the move away now.

With Athletico so keen on signing him it seems mad we can't do a player + cash deal for Partey.

If we get the right price for him, he can leave. Otherwise I'd rather give him a chance to shine over the likes of Elneny and Xhaka.

Elneny and Xhaka remind of Denilson.. lots of sideways and backward passes with no end product.

[Marc Overmars]

Umm.. he was phenomenal in his first season and was dominating most games.. I remember many saying that he was as good as (if not better) than Kante. Things started to go downhill when Emery tried to play him as an attacking midfielder. He also had an injury somewhere in there and things started to unravel after that.

Yeah but I don't think Arteta has ever really fancied him. Doesn't fit in with whatever it is he's trying to build.

[Niall_Quinn]

I'd get rid of all three and buy one decent replacement, then play AMN in there with him. Our current midfielders are all pretty crap tbh. Everyone has a go at Xhaka, but he's (sadly) the best of that bunch. I don't count Ceballos as he could be off at any minute, depending on the terms of his loan.

[I am invisible]

I feel for Torreira a little bit because if he’d joined 5-10 years ago he would have been the perfect signing for us. As it is, everything’s been turned on its head by the high press - most of the terrier work now gets done by your forwards, and your defensive players (including the keeper!) now need to be able to evade and either pass or dribble out of trouble (or both) to beat the press and break the lines. Lucas joined just as it all started to change and now his main selling point feels like it’s become a secondary concern in that deep midfield area.

(I have a theory that Emery thought he was being terribly innovative by having a midfield terrier join his attempt at a high press, and that he thought it was going to lead to us forcing loads of defensive errors? As with all things Emery, though, I don’t think the player really understood what he was being asked to do, or why.)

[I am invisible]

Kolasinac to Leverkusen is gathering a bit of steam

[McNamara That Ghost...]

£9 million apparently.

Difficult to call them Neverkusen after this act of charity though.

[I am invisible]

£9 million apparentlyi.

Difficult to call them Neverkusen after this act of charity though.
It does feel like we should send them a basket of muffins at Christmas or something.

[Globalgunner]

We should offer them Xhaka for free as a bonus

[McNamara That Ghost...]

It does feel like we should send them a basket of muffins at Christmas or something.

That seems a little much, how can we afford that?

[Xhaka Can’t]

We should offer them Xhaka for free as a bonus

Do you want them to take Kolasinac or not?

Best stick to the basket of muffins.

[I am invisible]

That seems a little much, how can we afford that?

“New Arsenal offer for Aouar / Partey: €5m, minus the cost of a basket of muffins, plus Guendouzi.”

+£1, obvs.

[Niall_Quinn]

If there's no place for Ozil then why are we after this Aouar guy? Isn't he pretty much the same player? And what has led us to believe he'll transition from an attacking team into a comatose team any better than Pepe? Shouldn't we be after a powerful, creative midfielder that can hold the centre without shitting his pants? I don't think Pires in his prime would fit into the current setup, or have any success beyond moments of individual brilliance - like Auba. Won't this guy just have to do everything on his own too, if he arrives?

[selassie]

Umm.. he was phenomenal in his first season and was dominating most games.. I remember many saying that he was as good as (if not better) than Kante. Things started to go downhill when Emery tried to play him as an attacking midfielder. He also had an injury somewhere in there and things started to unravel after that.

He started off well but tailed off. He was awful towards the end of the season before last when admittedly the whole team collapsed.

Torreira is a decent player but I honestly don't think he is suited to PL, he is too weak, easily gets shrugged off the ball and he isn't a efficient passer of the ball either IMO. TBF non of our midfielders really are suited to PL with the exception of Ceballos and he isn't even our player, classic Arsenal!

Torreira is made for a Simeone team though, I think he'll be a star at Atletico.

[selassie]

If there's no place for Ozil then why are we after this Aouar guy? Isn't he pretty much the same player? And what has led us to believe he'll transition from an attacking team into a comatose team any better than Pepe? Shouldn't we be after a powerful, creative midfielder that can hold the centre without shitting his pants? I don't think Pires in his prime would fit into the current setup, or have any success beyond moments of individual brilliance - like Auba. Won't this guy just have to do everything on his own too, if he arrives?

Because Aouar is a better player? Ozil is finished. He's on 350K per week, he should be turning out De Bruyne type performances every week and he's not, he's been given chances too and whilst he's not been awful, he certainly doesn't add anything to the team. His wage is the issue, if he wasn't on that salary then I honestly think he would be getting games.

I don't even think Ozil will have many suitors when his contracts up, he's damaged his rep with his petulant attitude towards his wage and so forth.

Back to Aouar, he's not really that similar to Ozil, more like a hybrid of De Bruyne and Bernado Silva, he gets up and down the pitch a lot and gets stuck in. Yeah he's creative and technically excellent but he has more to his game than that, he's almost the complete Midfielder, he's no more a number 10 than a number 8.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don't think De Brown or Silva would be much use in the current setup either. What would be the point of them if all we're doing is fucking around at the back and then hoofing it? If Auba can't get a touch, why would they? Much better to go for a dominant midfielder and build from there. Have some genuine fire and craft in there so all the faffing around has a viable outlet, rather than a Pepe with his back to goal. You need the cake before the icing.

[Marc Overmars]

Sounds like Torreira to Atletico Madrid could be done very soon. Unclear whether that’s a loan or permanent though.

Doesn’t seem like there’s any progress on Partey though and it might be only Aouar we’re pursuing.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Partey is much more simplistic given Atleti won't consider anything else other than his buyout clause.

Makes sense we'd be working on the more complicated one first, however Partey I think will be predicated on the amount of outgoings.

[Gooner23]

Torreira close to joining Athletico on loan, but no obligation to buy. Hopefully this means we are confident of bringing someone in otherwise I don't see this as a good deal for us. He is comfortably better than most of our existing centre mids.

[selassie]

I don't think De Brown or Silva would be much use in the current setup either. What would be the point of them if all we're doing is fucking around at the back and then hoofing it? If Auba can't get a touch, why would they? Much better to go for a dominant midfielder and build from there. Have some genuine fire and craft in there so all the faffing around has a viable outlet, rather than a Pepe with his back to goal. You need the cake before the icing.

Well if we can actually get someone who can keep hold of the ball and recycle it effectively then that is a start. None of our current lot can do anything, they can't pass, press or tackle. A dominant midfielder doesn't have to be one that is physically dominant, dominant can be technical too.

[Marc Overmars]

There is some talk that Saliba could be sent back on loan to Rennes. Doesn’t sound like he’s ready to play, which would explain why he hasn’t been involved this season.

[Mac76]

i jsut want Gabriel to permanently take the place of Luiz - he was very competent last night, did a decent job on Salah and doesn't have all the baggage and mistakes that come with Luiz

i just wish Arteta would bet on some of these younger players a bit more and give them longer runs in the first team

[Gooner23]

Gabriel has to be a regular starter going forwards, looks excellent every time he plays.

Hopefully Saliba comes good, still plenty of time as he is only 19. However you have to question again dropping 100 million on him and Pepe last summer. Glad Raul has been given the boot.

[Gooner23]

These rumours of wanting Jorginho on loan aren't going away. Not exactly the mobile creative midfielder we desperately need. Would be very underwhelming..

[selassie]

These rumours of wanting Jorginho on loan aren't going away. Not exactly the mobile creative midfielder we desperately need. Would be very underwhelming..

It would be absolutely disgusting. He is basically Xhaka Mark II

[Marc Overmars]

Jorginho would confirm my suspicion about what Artetaball is. We said for a while we had lost our identity but now I think we’re getting a new one and I would describe us as a defensive team now.

[GP]

These rumours of wanting Jorginho on loan aren't going away. Not exactly the mobile creative midfielder we desperately need. Would be very underwhelming..

Aouar looks likely.

[Gooner23]

Fingers crossed, sounds like Jorginho is our back up

[Mac76]

Arteta's made a few transfer-related comments in his press conference, including a bit of a weird bit on Saliba: "Well as I explained, the difficult year that the player had and the plan that we had for him, for the transition year, we could not achieve. We are looking at different options to try to have the best possible development for the player and to protect our intentions with William for the future. We want to both be aligned and make the best decision for now and for the future."

that last bit is a bit cryptic, they're not thinking of selling him again are they...or maybe a loan?

https://www.arsenal.com/news/arteta-signings-sales-transfer-window

[selassie]

Aouar looks likely.

Yep, I think it’s pretty much done. A lot of the stuff in the press sounds like sensationalist bullshit to me, especially the bit about PSG wanting him but not having the money to pay for him until next year.

That in itself is ridiculous, but Aulas would sell Lyon players pretty much anywhere else than to PSG! It’s equivalent to Man U selling their best players to Liverpool or vice versa.

[I am invisible]

Signings please.

Now.

At once.

It’s urgent.

! High Priority

[I am invisible]

Maybe Edu forgot to write “URGENT” in his email to Lyon? I know that always works with me.

[Master Splinter]

The cryptic Saliba comments might be in relation to him losing his mum recently.

Apart from something as difficult as that, he also had an injury-plagued year and hasn't played regular football for a while because of the pandemic.

If you take all that into consideration, a year back in France with his family starts to make sense. It's obviously not a question of his ability. He's still a kid, so I think giving him some time to properly rehabilitate mentally and physically isn't at all unreasonable. But most football fans seem to be selfish, petulant, inconsiderate brats and can't see anything beyond the game.

[I am invisible]

There’s nothing cryptic in the Saliba comments - he’s 19, he’s missed almost all of the last year of football and he needs regular games to get up to speed, which we can’t offer him just yet.

A lot of us (myself included) have clearly pinned a lot of hopes on him forming an immense partnership with Gabriel, but it’s clearly not going to happen as quickly as we’d like.

[Letters]

Signings please.

Now.

At once.

It’s urgent.

! High Priority

We are in the waiting period.

[Mac76]

The cryptic Saliba comments might be in relation to him losing his mum recently.

Apart from something as difficult as that, he also had an injury-plagued year and hasn't played regular football for a while because of the pandemic.

If you take all that into consideration, a year back in France with his family starts to make sense. It's obviously not a question of his ability. He's still a kid, so I think giving him some time to properly rehabilitate mentally and physically isn't at all unreasonable. But most football fans seem to be selfish, petulant, inconsiderate brats and can't see anything beyond the game.

ok, i didn't known a lot of that, makes a bit more sense now

[Marc Overmars]

Signings is one thing but we also need to get rid of about 5 players at least if possible.

[I am invisible]

We are in the waiting period.
When Arsenal knocks on a player’s door it’s a different knock.

It’s a silent knock.

It’s no knock.

[I am invisible]

Signings is one thing but we also need to get rid of about 5 players at least if possible.
That will happen on the last day now - any interested club will leave it until then to see if we’ll write off the final year of those players’ contracts and let them go for free, like we did with Mkhitaryan. Beyond this window we’re not getting a fee for them anyway - the only difference is whether we want to pay another year of 100k/wk wages for unwanted, unused players. That will basically be the only offer we get: “we’ll save you that final year of salary”. And we’ll have to accept.

[Marc Overmars]

Yeah it’s money we will just have to write off. Really makes you reflect on how poor and misjudged the recruitment has been, players hardly ever seem to appreciate in value with us now, feels like we’re always left with crap we can’t even give away.

[Mac76]

All true, i just hope we get rid of that crap somehow even if, Invisible says, it just gets them off the wage bill and out of the squad

[Niall_Quinn]

This is the real cost of comedy clubs like city and the chavs. The long term effect. We have dross hanging around on silly money because you have to pay a fortune just to get dross these days. The comedy clubs have driven inflation through the roof. It's even a problem with the youngsters. I'd be happy to sign nobody, because I don't think it will make a difference anyway, and build a team around the kids. But the minute that plan started working they'd all be at the manager's door demanding six figures a week, because some bench warmer in gypoland gets it. If football people couldn't have a rethink during this covid chaos then they never will.

[Mac76]

That's very true about wage inflation, IIRC it was calming down until Abramovic arrived at Chelski - then Citeh jpined in and ofc Moan U have thrown silly money at players

The irony is Chelski did alright whem they were forced to play their younger talent consistently, i wish Arteta would be forced to do the same

[I am invisible]

Yeah, I’d like to see more of the younger players more often, but I also kind of get why we’re showing a bit of restraint - players like Smith Rowe and Saliba have already suffered long-term injuries before their 19th birthdays so you do have to carefully manage their workload. Just because we chucked guys like Wilshere and Cesc straight into the starting XI at that age, doesn’t mean we should have. It certainly didn’t do Wilshere’s career any favours in the long-run!

Tbh, I haven’t been blown away by what Lampard has done with the younger players at Chelsea - looked impressive to start with but the longer the season went on the more it looked like there was no real plan behind it. Mostly it looks like they’ve just thrown caution to the wind - results in some exciting football at times, but their defence is shocking and they’ll never seriously challenge for anything playing that way. They’re basically Wenger’s Arsenal in his second 10 years.

What we’re having to do at the moment is more dour to look at, but at least it feels like the first part of a plan, and that we’re laying the long-term foundations for something. Hopefully Arteta will be the man to take us to that next level with our attacking play, but even if it’s the next guy then this work will still have been worth it.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Everything suggests Aouar is staying now. :lol:

I hate transfer windows, always such a saga.

[Gooner23]

Yeah sounds like we're some way off their valuation so deal is dead. Going to be a long season with our current centre mid options.

[I am invisible]

Everything suggests Aouar is staying now. :lol:

I hate transfer windows, always such a saga.
:lol: Aulas on top form, I see!

I mean, sure, there’s always a chance a deal will collapse whenever we’re involved, but it won’t be because we’ve missed some deadline that Aulas has set - if an offer comes in that he likes, he still sells.

Haven’t they already signed Aouar’s replacement? And didn’t he recently say they had to sell two out of Aouar, Depay and the Jeff?