Summer Transfers 2025 Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[Letters]

Juventus now interested in Gyokeres

Bayern interested in Sesko.

This is going well I see, glad we didn't do our business quickly or we wouldn't have been treated to another drawn out transfer saga

As much as I think you've been wringing your hands a little prematurely, I have to say it is galling to see other clubs doing business and it all seems quite quick. Maybe it isn't, maybe it's just week keep a closer eye on our sagas. But it is annoying to see other clubs announcing signings when for us every day it's rumours and speculation of people we're interested in or have made initial offers on or...

[KSE Comedy Club]

As much as I think you've been wringing your hands a little prematurely, I have to say it is galling to see other clubs doing business and it all seems quite quick. Maybe it isn't, maybe it's just week keep a closer eye on our sagas. But it is annoying to see other clubs announcing signings when for us every day it's rumours and speculation of people we're interested in or have made initial offers on or...

Indeed it is.

I was never expecting us to announce 5 players on day one of the window, but knowing that we have supposedly been doing the groundwork on a striker since last year, I would have at least expected us to get something done by now.

So far it is:
'maybe' Kepa for £5m
'maybe' Zubimendi for £50m
'Not sure which one we want' Sekso or Gyokores for £50-70m

Or Ollie Watkins as he's cheaper.

But mostly - looking, admiring, monitoring, discussing, meeting with, freezing, talking to, etc......

I thought things would be different with Berta here, but it seems to be more of the same

Meanwhile within a week, City signed 4 players and Liverpool signed 2

[HCZ_Reborn]

Have to say don’t remotely give a fuck at the moment. I care about signing the right players not how quickly they arrive

If we sign a striker who isn’t Gyokeres (preferably two) a winger and an attacking midfielder…and we do not waste any money on a left back or any form of defender I’ll be happy.

[Letters]

Have to say don’t remotely give a fuck at the moment. I care about signing the right players not how quickly they arrive

This is the Letters' Patent Pending Wait Till The End of The Season ™ approach.
It's one I, being Letters, generally subscribe to. And we are still quite early in the window. It's just a bit irritating seeing other clubs announce things early. We don't want these things dragging on all summer.

[Mac76]

That's become my feelings on this wholly pathetic 'which one' saga.

Just get both of them, Gyokores for the now and Sesko for the future. Hopefully they can teach one another a thing or two and we will reap the benefits.

Trouble is we always do 'nearly enough' instead of doing whats required and a bit more to guarantee success.

[Mac76]

Indeed it is.

I was never expecting us to announce 5 players on day one of the window, but knowing that we have supposedly been doing the groundwork on a striker since last year, I would have at least expected us to get something done by now.

So far it is:
'maybe' Kepa for £5m
'maybe' Zubimendi for £50m
'Not sure which one we want' Sekso or Gyokores for £50-70m

Or Ollie Watkins as he's cheaper.

But mostly - looking, admiring, monitoring, discussing, meeting with, freezing, talking to, etc......

I thought things would be different with Berta here, but it seems to be more of the same

Meanwhile within a week, City signed 4 players and Liverpool signed 2

I'm with you on this, I have no faith in the club getting this right - i especially don't get the Gyokeres / Sesko seesawing - what does either player think of our talking to the other? - it's like trying to chat two girls up at once - shouldn't we give them the impression they're 'the one'?

tbf I think Kepa is pretty much done as is Zubi, with the latter I hear it's because his club want ot wait until July for accounting reasons

That said we have indeed had a year to work on the Sesko deal so if that's who they want why isn't it done?

Man City and Chelsea, we're told, signed players early for the Club WC (and i use the letters 'WC' deliberately)

but Liverpool are also moving quickly and they aren't in it

We should just buy both Sesko and Gyokeres and have done with it

[KSE Comedy Club]

I'm with you on this, I have no faith in the club getting this right - i especially don't get the Gyokeres / Sesko seesawing - what does either player think of our talking to the other? - it's like trying to chat two girls up at once - shouldn't we give them the impression they're 'the one'?

tbf I think Kepa is pretty much done as is Zubi, with the latter I hear it's because his club want ot wait until July for accounting reasons

That said we have indeed had a year to work on the Sesko deal so if that's who they want why isn't it done?

Man City and Chelsea, we're told, signed players early for the Club WC (and i use the letters 'WC' deliberately)

but Liverpool are also moving quickly and they aren't in it

We should just buy both Sesko and Gyokeres and have done with it

Add to that, Utd have signed Cunha and supposedly working on a deal for Mbuemo.

But yes, I would much rather we put on our big boy pants and sign both of them.

[IBK]

As I've said previously, while we don't know what is really happening, the impression our club continues to give is one of dithering. I don't want us to pay over the odds for players, but the truth is that if we want to be winners, our transfer needs are greater than managing the purse strings. It's a bit disconcerting to see our rivals displaying what appear to be clearer and more efficient transfer strategies than we are. The other thing that worries me a bit is signings at Citeh and Liverpool that suggest that there is an evolution in how the game is being played. We have had the same playing approach for 2/3 years now, and are supposedly pursuing targets that have been identified for up to 2 years. We are ineffective against mid/low blocks, and have been increasingly figured out by other teams. Citeh and Liverpool appear to be focussing on advanced MF's and more traditional wingers whose role is to distribute more effectively to their strikers, yet we hear no news of Arsenal's intentions in these roles.

My concern is that we are sticking to form in being over confident that a few tweaks to our existing system will get us where we need to be - whether that involves transfer plan B's or C's or depending on renewals of existing players who haven't really progressed over the past season. But our rivals are evolving and certainly seem more dynamic than we are at present.

[HCZ_Reborn]

As I've said previously, while we don't know what is really happening, the impression our club continues to give is one of dithering. I don't want us to pay over the odds for players, but the truth is that if we want to be winners, our transfer needs are greater than managing the purse strings. It's a bit disconcerting to see our rivals displaying what appear to be clearer and more efficient transfer strategies than we are. The other thing that worries me a bit is signings at Citeh and Liverpool that suggest that there is an evolution in how the game is being played. We have had the same playing approach for 2/3 years now, and are supposedly pursuing targets that have been identified for up to 2 years. We are ineffective against mid/low blocks, and have been increasingly figured out by other teams. Citeh and Liverpool appear to be focussing on advanced MF's and more traditional wingers whose role is to distribute more effectively to their strikers, yet we hear no news of Arsenal's intentions in these roles.

My concern is that we are sticking to form in being over confident that a few tweaks to our existing system will get us where we need to be - whether that involves transfer plan B's or C's or depending on renewals of existing players who haven't really progressed over the past season. But our rivals are evolving and certainly seem more dynamic than we are at present.

Don’t, I get push back here when I talk about dealing with mid to low blocks. Ultimately for me it’s about having quick passers and dribblers in the team. And it means speaking heresy that we need a more creative player than Rice at 8.
I think that speaking of tactics doesn’t really mean a lot to me, it’s about having the tools. I don’t believe our build up play is slow because that’s how we’ve been sent out to play, it’s slow because too many players are not good enough ball to feet to play more positively, looking for safe passes sideways or backwards. They aren’t confident enough in their own ability to pick out a forward diagonal pass that would cut through the entire defence and find a player running onto it.

That requires footballing intelligence, Rice has high football intelligence in spotting danger, he can’t dribble or see a pass in the way a top creative player can. Arteta’s problem is about being obsessed with players that are as hard working without the ball, as they are good on the ball…and I’m sorry we don’t need every player to be a worker bee. If our creative players can do something brilliant going forward, we don’t need people to roll their sleeves up so much.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Don’t, I get push back here when I talk about dealing with mid to low blocks. Ultimately for me it’s about having quick passers and dribblers in the team. And it means speaking heresy that we need a more creative player than Rice at 8.
I think that speaking of tactics doesn’t really mean a lot to me, it’s about having the tools. I don’t believe our build up play is slow because that’s how we’ve been sent out to play, it’s slow because too many players are not good enough ball to feet to play more positively, looking for safe passes sideways or backwards. They aren’t confident enough in their own ability to pick out a forward diagonal pass that would cut through the entire defence and find a player running onto it.

That requires footballing intelligence, Rice has high football intelligence in spotting danger, he can’t dribble or see a pass in the way a top creative player can. Arteta’s problem is about being obsessed with players that are as hard working without the ball, as they are good on the ball…and I’m sorry we don’t need every player to be a worker bee. If our creative players can do something brilliant going forward, we don’t need people to roll their sleeves up so much.

See that's just not true.

We all watched the same players at the end of last season (23/24) do exactly the opposite of your statement. They were playing quick passing, counter attacking football.

So they are capable, but have been coached to be more defensive and possession based in their approach. That is 100% what we are seeing.