Summer '21 transfer lunacy and overpayment

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

thought you meant Kolo Toure until i read the story :lol:

bad news though, another one we need to ship out

---

:lol:

Matt Ryan has been released :blink:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dazthegooner

Matt Ryan has been released :blink:

---

must have shown some fighting spirit at some point, Arteta doesn't like that...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dazthegooner

Matt Ryan has been released :blink:

---

Yeah, his loan finished.

Thought his contract at Brighton had ended and we might have kept him on as a #2 unless we are on the verge of signing a new 'Keeper' though we do have Rúnarsson as back up :yikes:

We've had an offer of 30 odd mil rejected for Buendia apparently, but expected to continue negotiations. Villa also in for him.

Guess that means a deal for Odegaard is dead as he was supposed to be Artetas first choice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dazthegooner

Thought his contract at Brighton had ended and we might have kept him on as a #2 unless we are on the verge of signing a new 'Keeper' though we do have Rúnarsson as back up :yikes:

---

I reckon we'll sign him still. So many other positions needed, it should be a simple & cheap deal to wrap up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

I reckon we'll sign him still. So many other positions needed, it should be a simple & cheap deal to wrap up.

---

Yes he seemed decent enough

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

We've had an offer of 30 odd mil rejected for Buendia apparently, but expected to continue negotiations. Villa also in for him.

Guess that means a deal for Odegaard is dead as he was supposed to be Artetas first choice.

---

Or it’s a sighter for Real, as we’d surely sail past that for Isengard.

No to Sterling for me. Dont see how he improves us by any step change. Another guy who will score a big contract and coast through it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

We've had an offer of 30 odd mil rejected for Buendia apparently, but expected to continue negotiations. Villa also in for him.

Guess that means a deal for Odegaard is dead as he was supposed to be Artetas first choice.

---

Buendia would be a smart move - comfortable with both feet and gives you options all across that front line and attacking midfield. Same as Saka and ESR - any of those guys would be happy to go left , right or centre, and give you a good mix of goals, assists, running and defensive work.

Ødegaard might have to be someone we look at next summer, if we even still need him by then - clearly his head is still in Madrid, and he seems to be a little obsessed with the idea of them signing Haaland. We’ll have to see how that one works out for him.

We've lost out to Villa on Buendia, not a great start to the summer..

Lol! Of course we have.

What’s plan C then?

Who's Bendia?

Can’t even sign a player from Norwich.

Be excited.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

We've lost out to Villa on Buendia, not a great start to the summer..

---

Tells you all you need to know about Arsenal's standing these days, Mr Fancy Pants is convincing no-one that we're going places

This is all vulgar. I won't even go into the real world details - but the best way to sum up football now is - VULGAR.

Fucking horrible. A stain on humanity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Can’t even sign a player from Norwich.

---

Correction:

Cant even sign a player from Norwich. He would rather go to Aston Villa :rolleyes:

My local club Southend United are looking to sell a few players on as we were relegated to Non-League :popcorn:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chippy

Correction:

Cant even sign a player from Norwich. He would rather go to Aston Villa :rolleyes:

My local club Southend United are looking to sell a few players on as we were relegated to Non-League :popcorn:

---

Yeah, but we've still got the longest pier in the UK :unsure:

Keeps Jamie Oliver at arm's length, so I guess it's good for something other than catching fire.

Looks like Xhaka is off to Roma.

Does that leave us needing 2 centre mids or will it be Willock & AMN competing for the spots next season?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

Looks like Xhaka is off to Roma.

Does that leave us needing 2 centre mids or will it be Willock & AMN competing for the spots next season?

---

Dont tease me with good news rumours. Its the hope that kills

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gooner23

Looks like Xhaka is off to Roma.

Does that leave us needing 2 centre mids or will it be Willock & AMN competing for the spots next season?

---

Has to be 2 coming in...

Replacement for Ceballos - we’ve put that one off for two years now...

And a replacement for Xhaka if he goes.

Can see Willock getting a shot too, unless we’re desperate for cash.

Don’t ask what we’re looking for coming in though! Been linked to a lot of players, but almost all completely different. Hard to guess what we might do without knowing how we want to play next year?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

Yeah, but we've still got the longest pier in the UK :unsure:

Keeps Jamie Oliver at arm's length, so I guess it's good for something other than catching fire.

---

:haha:

One pier in Europe, there's only one pier in Europe :scarf:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Letters

One pier in Europe, there's only one pier in Europe :scarf:

---

:jumpnana::cheer:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

Yeah, it's a nice thought.

Tbh though, I'm finding it really difficult to judge just how good / bad our attackers have been at the moment - the team has been so disjointed and unbalanced for so much of the season (playing without creatives for the first 14 games, having no first-choice RB, losing Tierney every 3rd game, having no passers in the back line when Luiz is out, problems linking midfield to attack when Partey is out, etc, etc) that it's hard to say how much of our attacking woes are actually down to them and how much is the team being dysfunctional?

I'm not even sure where Saka is going to play next season, yet? He's looked good on the right, but Pepe is also starting to find his feet there, and if we end up going for someone like Buendia then he also plays / covers that side - wouldn't be at all surprised if we see Saka back on the left next year. Wherever he plays, though, they need to keep him there - can't keep bouncing him around like this forever.

---

That is a very good point. I for one don't buy the idea that Auba is shot or doesn't care, for example. He has shown movement and at times killer finishing (scoring some goals that noone apart from Pepe in our team would pull off). But as you point out our obsession with keeping possession and ponderous vertical ball movement has left us too often facing a low block with no space for him to operate in. Too many times we have resorted to crosses because we are opushed out wide. Auba will never be a Giroud - who was built far more for these situations, and in fact we have no attacking players who can effectively do so. It's no coincidence that all our attacking players have looked far far better with space to operate in, and quick ball...plus 2 proper MF's.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IBK

That is a very good point. I for one don't buy the idea that Auba is shot or doesn't care, for example. He has shown movement and at times killer finishing (scoring some goals that noone apart from Pepe in our team would pull off). But as you point out our obsession with keeping possession and ponderous vertical ball movement has left us too often facing a low block with no space for him to operate in. Too many times we have resorted to crosses because we are opushed out wide. Auba will never be a Giroud - who was built far more for these situations, and in fact we have no attacking players who can effectively do so. It's no coincidence that all our attacking players have looked far far better with space to operate in, and quick ball...plus 2 proper MF's.

---

i think Laca's the one best suited to it as he can turn in small spaces and hold the ball up etc. He had a good season and while i know a lot of people say get rid and i understand why, if the circumstances were right i'd be tempted to keep him around

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

And a replacement for Xhaka if he goes.

---

I'm sure there are plenty of players available who are slow, pass sideways or backwards, give the ball away plus get regularly booked and sent off

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IBK

That is a very good point. I for one don't buy the idea that Auba is shot or doesn't care, for example. He has shown movement and at times killer finishing (scoring some goals that noone apart from Pepe in our team would pull off). But as you point out our obsession with keeping possession and ponderous vertical ball movement has left us too often facing a low block with no space for him to operate in. Too many times we have resorted to crosses because we are opushed out wide. Auba will never be a Giroud - who was built far more for these situations, and in fact we have no attacking players who can effectively do so. It's no coincidence that all our attacking players have looked far far better with space to operate in, and quick ball...plus 2 proper MF's.

---

He definitely cares - you could see how frustrated he was getting at times - but his head just hasn’t been in it this year. Too many personal problems. Honestly, I’m not sure we’ll ever see him hitting 30 goals for us again, but no way will we see a season as bad as this one from him again either.

Get cover for Tierney and settle on a LW, build out a right side to match the left (and get them both the stop hammering crosses at him in the air - on the deck, please), get the extra creative, get CMs that can move the ball faster quicker, get CBs who can play higher and allow us to keep the pressure on... it’ll help.

I can see Auba and Willock posing an interesting dual-threat, maybe in a 433, if they ever get the chance to play better: one will push defenders back, almost to their own goal line, and the other forces you to step out because if his well-timed, late runs into the box, so who do you mark? Could be useful for stretching defences vertically and causing a vital bit of indecision.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

i think Laca's the one best suited to it as he can turn in small spaces and hold the ball up etc. He had a good season and while i know a lot of people say get rid and i understand why, if the circumstances were right i'd be tempted to keep him around

---

He is, but with only domestic games to think about next year it feels borderline negligent to keep Laca and Auba, esp. as this is perhaps our last chance to cash in on Laca. Unfortunately it has to be him - the decision was made a year ago when we gave Auba his new deal. Unless someone takes Auba and his wages off our hands (or we have a lot more money than we know about) then it feels like we’ve already made our bed and we’re just going to have to lie in it...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

He is, but with only domestic games to think about next year it feels borderline negligent to keep Laca and Auba, esp. as this is perhaps our last chance to cash in on Laca. Unfortunately it has to be him - the decision was made a year ago when we gave Auba his new deal. Unless someone takes Auba and his wages off our hands (or we have a lot more money than we know about) then it feels like we’ve already made our bed and we’re just going to have to lie in it...

---

yes that's more or less what i meant about the circumstances, I realise we need to cash in now, it just means it's a shame we gave Auba that deal though i can see why we did.

you don't let a 30-goal a season striker go easily.

Auba's chucked away his later career though...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

yes that's more or less what i meant about the circumstances, I realise we need to cash in now, it just means it's a shame we gave Auba that deal though i can see why we did.

you don't let a 30-goal a season striker go easily.

Auba's chucked away his later career though...

---

Yeah, I figured that's what you meant, but conversations are like gold dust atm, so I just wanted to keep it going ;)

There has been talk of an option of a one year extension for Laca, but I don't really see the point? It'd just be delaying the inevitable by a year, and we'd lose another big chunk of his value as he moves into his 30s.

Plus is doesn't change the math of our situation next year: unless we go all the way in both cups, we're unlikely have enough games for the both of them next year, so what's the point? Extra expense and another missed opportunity to sell for the sake of a handful of games (which should probably be going to Balogun and Martinelli anyway).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

I'm sure there are plenty of players available who are slow, pass sideways or backwards, give the ball away plus get regularly booked and sent off

---

Sounds like Neves is the bookies' favourite, atm.

Not sure if I buy into our rumoured interest in him / Bissouma / Berge / etc - all the noise is coming from outside the club on those ones. In fact, the only player I feel 100% confident in saying that we want is Ødegaard, and that's only because Arteta and Edu have basically said it - beyond that I haven't got a fucking clue who we might be after!

i'd be happy with Neves, he's a definite upgrade on Xhaka (not difficult obvs) and although i didn't realise he was more of a DM, that's what they're saying so i think that would be a good buy as he can also give you goals

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mac76

i'd be happy with Neves, he's a definite upgrade on Xhaka (not difficult obvs) and although i didn't realise he was more of a DM, that's what they're saying so i think that would be a good buy as he can also give you goals

---

Yeah, I'd be happy with Neves as *one of* the new CMs - would be a definite upgrade on Xhaka.

Very similar profile of player, but with a couple of crucial differences for me, namely his defensive stats are much better, he doesn't make the errors, he's more agile and better able to evade pressure (even if he's not blisteringly fast or powerful) and, most importantly, he moves the ball forward much, much faster! No pissing around taking half an hour to set it on his favourite foot while he picks out a safe pass - he just wins it and moves it. That results in a slightly lower passing accuracy than Xhaka's (although still good), but I could live with that if it means starting attacks quicker.

His rep for shooting from distance would also be really handy - even if he doesn't actually score that many, just the threat would be enough to pull defenders out.

I want us to go out and get a proper athlete in CM too, but I'd be OK with this if it was one of our moves.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I am invisible

Yeah, I'd be happy with Neves as *one of* the new CMs - would be a definite upgrade on Xhaka.

Very similar profile of player, but with a couple of crucial differences for me, namely his defensive stats are much better, he doesn't make the errors, he's more agile and better able to evade pressure (even if he's not blisteringly fast or powerful) and, most importantly, he moves the ball forward much, much faster! No pissing around taking half an hour to set it on his favourite foot while he picks out a safe pass - he just wins it and moves it. That results in a slightly lower passing accuracy than Xhaka's (although still good), but I could live with that if it means starting attacks quicker.

His rep for shooting from distance would also be really handy - even if he doesn't actually score that many, just the threat would be enough to pull defenders out.

I want us to go out and get a proper athlete in CM too, but I'd be OK with this if it was one of our moves.

---

:good:

Sounds like Xhaka’s move to Roma is at an advanced stage.

:wave:

Never thought it'd happen.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Sounds like Xhaka’s move to Roma is at an advanced stage.

:wave:

---

:pray: