Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Vela is not what we need.

There's a reason why he is good in Spain - cause he's not trying to play in the PL anymore.

Let's hope this is just because he is available so cheap as a squad option and the real money transfers wil be something to look forward to.

Yep I'm a bit skeptical as well because of his past struggles in England but because it's cheap there's not much risk involved in the deal. I hope he isn't the only striker brought in though as that'll be inexcusable.

1) WC Striker
2) Giroud
3) Vela
4) Sanago

Should be decent enough to compete for the league.


The problem is that if we get Vela I'm not sure Soceidad would let us have Greizemann. Unless we can arrange a double swoop for them kind of like Barca did with us for Overmars and Petit.

[selassie]

Real Sociedad's president has apparently confirmed that we want to activate Vela's buy back clause - £3.2m.

Edit: doesn't mean it's done or anything, but it sounds like some things are starting to happen behind the scenes (at least between us and Sociedad anyway).

That's our new striker signed then. No more attacking signings....

[I am invisible]

No Griezmann then. Shame.

Well, like I was saying, it sounds like it's still a way away from being a done, and there's still a chance it could all be a bit of bluff in a move for Griezmann? Until we actually see him in an Arsenal shirt, then all we really know is that we're in talks with Sociedad.

I wouldn't be upset if we did end up with Vela though - by any objective measure you care to pick, he comes out as the better player of the two (and Griezmann looks a good player himself!). He scored a goal more than the french lad, got 3x as many assists, and from what I've read from Sociedad fans, he's faster, a better dribbler, can play more positions, and is generally more integral to their game. He's also an inch taller, if that's important to anyone, and would cost about an eighth of the price, so won't really make a dent in our budget.

(And I suppose it's also worth remembering that it's by no means certain that we'd get Griezmann if we went after him - if clubs like PSG are sniffing around, then it's highly likely he'd opt for the petro-dollars over us.)

Don't get me wrong though, I'd be equally happy if we somehow ended up with Griezmann instead - he's another one of several options who are on my short list for goal-scoring wide attackers that we could add to the squad. At this point, I kind of view any of them as bonus signing, because it then seems far more likely that we'll be going after more than one attacker this summer...

[Globalgunner]

I think the history of Spanish strikers in the EPL is not that great. Aguero apart, even Torres lasted only 2 seasons at Pool. As for Vela, we've seen what he can do before, and its not that great. If he comes in along with Mario and or Etoo, I would be happy. Otherwise Meh!

[I am invisible]

That's our new striker signed then. No more attacking signings....

Nah, I reckon we're looking at him as a wide attacker like Walcott - it might mean that we'll stop looking at other similar players, like Griezmann and Remy, but I still think we'll be looking for a CF...

[Power n Glory]

Yeah, I think Vela will play from a wide position. I have no problem with this move, even if it's the cheaper option. He's just as much as a hot prospect/risk as the other players but he has the more consistent stats. Makes little sense to pay a much higher fee for a similar player unless they completely overshadow Vela.

[I am invisible]

I think the history of Spanish strikers in the EPL is not that great. Aguero apart, even Torres lasted only 2 seasons at Pool. As for Vela, we've seen what he can do before, and its not that great. If he comes in along with Mario and or Etoo, I would be happy. Otherwise Meh!

You might well be right, but I'm a little uncomfortable with that argument because we'd then have to apply it to anyone else that we might be looking at from Spain (Griezmann, Snachez, Pedro, Benzema, Di Maria, etc), and I'm not sure we can really afford to be putting up such a sweeping barrier to potential signings? I think we have to be looking at this on an individual by individual basis.

If we're talking about Vela specifically, then I'd be prepared to give him another chance - if someone like Ramsey can go from being a bit of a 'meh' player to the best player in his position over the course of one summer, then it's not unreasonable to think that other young players might also just suddenly 'click' at some point. I know there's a worry that he failed to settle once so he might not settle again, but I think he'd have a bit more in his favour this time to help him handle the transition this time - he's in his mid 20s now and has been living away from home for years, and not a teenager moving straight from Mexico, he knows what he'd be walking into in the country and the league, he knows the club, he nows the manager, he might still know some of the players, he speaks English now, and there's also more Spanish speakers at the club too.

I'm with you on agreeing that his signing on his own would be nowhere near enough though - if he can manage to bring his current form with him from Spain then he looks like he'd be a great option as a wide attacker for us, but even at the very top of his game, it still wouldn't make him a suitable CF option for us in the system we play. Someone else would have to be coming in too.

[I am invisible]

Yeah, I think Vela will play from a wide position. I have no problem with this move, even if it's the cheaper option. He's just as much as a hot prospect/risk as the other players but he has the more consistent stats. Makes little sense to pay a much higher fee for a similar player unless they completely overshadow Vela.

In this case he's not the cheap option because he's an inferior player - he's cheap specifically to us, and us only, because we still half own his rights and have a clause in his contract. Without that I think they'd be looking for as much as (if not more than) Griezmann, so I really don't think his price tag should factor into this...

[Power n Glory]

In this case he's not the cheap option because he's an inferior player - he's cheap specifically to us, and us only, because we still half own his rights and have a clause in his contract. Without that I think they'd be looking for as much as (if not more than) Griezmann, so I really don't think his price tag should factor into this...

Yes, very true. He's not the cheap option because he's inferior. Far from it. But if we're being honest and if reports are true and we wrap this up quickly, we're moving for him because of the price tag. That's just how we do things as a club and I won't knock them for that this time. Draxler and Griezmann are unproven and probably have a bit more hype behind them on these boards.

[I am invisible]

Yes, very true. He's not the cheap option because he's inferior. Far from it. But if we're being honest and if reports are true and we wrap this up quickly, we're moving for him because of the price tag. That's just how we do things as a club and I won't knock them for that this time. Draxler and Griezmann are unproven and probably have a bit more hype behind them on these boards.

If we end up cheaping out on every deal we go for this summer, then I think the club will have some serious questions to answer, but, as you say, you can't really blame them in this one instance? If you're looking at two players, where one would cost you 30m and the other, who is statistically better, would only cost you 3m, then it would be pretty crazy to go for the 30m option purely for the sake of not looking cheap and making a statement. There has to be a stronger reason for it than that...