Winter Transfer Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don’t think anyone is 100% convinced by the summer argument, it’s just what choice do you have. Plus if you flip the equation, if we wouldn’t sell one of our top players half way through the season you’d have to conclude other clubs won’t either

I blame Arteta because it’s whilst it’s clear that because we are getting into top 4, the wallet is now closed….nothing stopped him from buying strikers at any time over the last few years. We are in the situation where we desperately need a striker because of Arteta. We are meant to believe that he has a Goldilocks attitude to strikers (have to be just right) when he’s had no trouble piling up a load of sub par full backs, goalkeepers etc


We only have Havertz because Arteta relented from using him in the no 8 role. The guy is a complete cunt. One doesn’t have to absolve KSE of just using us as an asset for their portfolio to acknowledge this

[Niall_Quinn]

I don’t think anyone is 100% convinced by the summer argument, it’s just what choice do you have. Plus if you flip the equation, if we wouldn’t sell one of our top players half way through the season you’d have to conclude other clubs won’t either

I blame Arteta because it’s whilst it’s clear that because we are getting into top 4, the wallet is now closed….nothing stopped him from buying strikers at any time over the last few years. We are in the situation where we desperately need a striker because of Arteta. We are meant to believe that he has a Goldilocks attitude to strikers (have to be just right) when he’s had no trouble piling up a load of sub par full backs, goalkeepers etc


We only have Havertz because Arteta relented from using him in the no 8 role. The guy is a complete cunt. One doesn’t have to absolve KSE of just using us as an asset for their portfolio to acknowledge this

Right, there is some truth to the argument Arteta is allergic to strikers when you look at the transfer business and the way he eased Auba out. Plus the years spent with Pep who brought Barcelona to Manchester along with his Villa/ Aguero and (ironically) Jesus notions on what makes a striker. But even Pep has relented. So I hope it's not that with Arteta or else we're fucked anyway. And that would make the talk of Isak pure smokescreen, more concern for next summer.

As for not wanting to sell and therefore not being able to buy, Vlahovic has refused to sign a new contract and (IIRC) has a buy-out clause. And Gyokeres has 4 months left to run on his contract doesn't he? And a buy-out clause. I can see the players would be sitting there themselves waiting for the summer and the chance to secure big signing bonuses. So trigger their clauses, pay the fee, bundle the signing-fee on top. Either of those players would not just solve the problem this season but they'd also satisfy the requirements of the summer window. Not saying it couldn't be done for sure, but it doesn't look like we made much of an effort after the initial approach.

The Watkins thing was full Suarez + £1 territory again. Embarrassing. But also instructive and a clue to the real intentions, conning the fans. Another bad indicator for the summer.

And do we actually want Isak btw? Is there a chance he's just Jesus MkII? And at 120-150mill? That's not going to happen, is it? And it probably shouldn't happen.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Isaak would make sense in so far that Arteta like a lot of coaches goes with what he knows. He is from San Sebastián, therefore him looking to build his team on ex Sociedad players would be no more strange than if you or I coached a big name European club and wanted to build a team that includes Arsenal players past and present.

It’s possible that we are hoping that Newcastle miss out on top four again, and the pressing issue of being FSR compliant means we have more leverage over them. I don’t think he’d be Jesus mark 2 because Jesus was never exactly prolific even at Man City where as Isak yes there are injury question marks but he’s almost got to 50 goals in less than 75 games. In a day and age where top strikers are at a premium, that’s stand up and take notice stats

[Niall_Quinn]

Isaak would make sense in so far that Arteta like a lot of coaches goes with what he knows. He is from San Sebastián, therefore him looking to build his team on ex Sociedad players would be no more strange than if you or I coached a big name European club and wanted to build a team that includes Arsenal players past and present.

It’s possible that we are hoping that Newcastle miss out on top four again, and the pressing issue of being FSR compliant means we have more leverage over them. I don’t think he’d be Jesus mark 2 because Jesus was never exactly prolific even at Man City where as Isak yes there are injury question marks but he’s almost got to 50 goals in less than 75 games. In a day and age where top strikers are at a premium, that’s stand up and take notice stats

Fewer

[Niall_Quinn]

Apart from which, what would it have been like to come off the back of a 5-1 against city and then welcome a new striker to boost the whole club and signal to our one remaining rival we are out for blood. It HAD to be done, didn't it? Essential for so many reasons.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Apart from which, what would it have been like to come off the back of a 5-1 against city and then welcome a new striker to boost the whole club and signal to our one remaining rival we are out for blood. It HAD to be done, didn't it? Essential for so many reasons.

Despite what we did to Citeh, everyone was still unanimous that we needed a striker, and to any normal person, if you outdid everyone's expectations and people are still saying the same thing, "you could have and should have done better if you had a.....", it should ring alarm bells.

However, what is done is done.

If we end up with nothing at the end of the season, there remains mainly one person to blame and even a schoolboy when asked will respond that Arsenal won nothing in 24/25 because their manager stuck out his middle finger to the whole world.

[Niall_Quinn]

According to gunnerblog, so maybe true, maybe partially true, maybe false, maybe entirely made up for clicks...

On the 18th Jan at the Villa match Villa offered us Watkins for 60 mill.

Arteta wanted the deal even though he knew it would scupper the Sesko deal in the summer.

But club execs weren't sure because of the player's age and the probably limited sell-on fee.

However, Arteta got his way so Josh Kroenke flew in to discuss the details at an internal meeting.

On the 27 Jan we made a bid for 40 mill which Villa rejected out of hand.

We went back with a £40mill + £1 bid (okay, I made that bit up)

By then the Saudia had come in for Duran, 74mill or something like that plus ridiculously good terms for the player. Deal done.

Watkins deal dead.

Jan 28, media says we are back in for Watkins. And the rumours persist all the way to the window slamming shut.