Summer Transfers 2025 Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[dazthegooner]

I still have this funny feeling that we will end up signing neither of our two targets and will be playing the ‘false 9’ again

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I still have this funny feeling that we will end up signing neither of our two targets and will be playing the ‘false 9’ again

I don't know why you feel those feelings are funny... it's the most likely outcome currently.

Let's not forget, we've got two quality no 9s in Havertz and Merino, plus Jesus will be like a new signing when autumn arrives

[IBK]

i totally agree that last summer's window was a disaster, Merino is a mediocre trundler who just by chance did a job up front for a while and as i say Cala can't play LB and is injury prone

and as i keep saying i think we're messing around with signing attacking players when we should just get on with it

but i'm not going to take any of the above and say that it means the business we've done so far, if you take it in isolation, doesn't make sense

the only point at which we can call it a mistake is if we find we're £15m or so short of being able to buy someone we need up front, but I just don't see that happening, if we don't get our targets it will be because we've buggered up the negotiations and other clubs swoop for these players

I realise you could say that we're only negotiating so hard becasue we've spent some of our budget elsewhere and that's valid, but again I think the money is actually there and I'm not going to sit here and say Saliba doesn't need cover or that we didn't need to replace the two DMs we've lost, because we do

I can't shake the feeling that the business we have 'done' so far is to a degree reflective of where the manager's priorities lie - in midfleld and defence - just as they were last transfer season - which as you say was a disaster, and would have been even more so were it not for MLS emerging from nowhere into a top LB. The evidence we have seen over the past few years is that Arteta either does not value, or lacks confidence when buying forwards. I do struggle to understand why, if Areta is committed and has planned a striker and a winger for a long time, we are not further along this path and instead seem to be indecisive as to who to bring in. Of course the reason for this might be the selling clubs, but my feeling persists nonetheless...

[Mac76]

I don't know why you feel those feelings are funny... it's the most likely outcome currently.

Let's not forget, we've got two quality no 9s in Havertz and Merino, plus Jesus will be like a new signing when autumn arrives

agreed and in particular the idea that Jesus is a credible striker is so delusional that anyone seriously believing it should be sectioned

Merino has a significantly better claim to it than him

[HCZ_Reborn]

I can't shake the feeling that the business we have 'done' so far is to a degree reflective of where the manager's priorities lie - in midfleld and defence - just as they were last transfer season - which as you say was a disaster, and would have been even more so were it not for MLS emerging from nowhere into a top LB. The evidence we have seen over the past few years is that Arteta either does not value, or lacks confidence when buying forwards. I do struggle to understand why, if Areta is committed and has planned a striker and a winger for a long time, we are not further along this path and instead seem to be indecisive as to who to bring in. Of course the reason for this might be the selling clubs, but my feeling persists nonetheless...

If we want to go by the strict interpretation of what constitutes a Striker, we haven’t signed a Striker since Arteta has been coach and the last time we did sign one was under Wenger in January 2018 (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).

But in a way that’s because top strikers are at a premium in this day and age, we seem to have wide forwards or those who can play as part of an interchangeable front three.


Attacking players in general? Yes it’s clear Arteta by the money he’s spent and where he’s spent it does not value attacking players.

[HCZ_Reborn]

agreed and in particular the idea that Jesus is a credible striker is so delusional that anyone seriously believing it should be sectioned

Merino has a significantly better claim to it than him

[KSE Comedy Club]

We seem to be getting the easier deals done, but remain unconvincing when it comes to the most important transfers. I think I am resigned to the fact that whatever happens, AFC are simply not a club that will inspire or excite its fans over transfers. Our business is so protracted that even when deals are completed their sagas have made it all a bit meh.

True.

The striker excitement has fizzled out to the point where, IF we get one in - everyone will be in the 'thank fuck, about fucking time' camp rather than 'Wahoo a STRIKER!!!'

[Mac76]

I can't shake the feeling that the business we have 'done' so far is to a degree reflective of where the manager's priorities lie - in midfleld and defence - just as they were last transfer season - which as you say was a disaster, and would have been even more so were it not for MLS emerging from nowhere into a top LB. The evidence we have seen over the past few years is that Arteta either does not value, or lacks confidence when buying forwards. I do struggle to understand why, if Areta is committed and has planned a striker and a winger for a long time, we are not further along this path and instead seem to be indecisive as to who to bring in. Of course the reason for this might be the selling clubs, but my feeling persists nonetheless...

yes, whatever the merits (or not) of individual purchases, he clearly is focussed on our not conceding a goal ever, which is about as delusional as beliveing Jesus is a credible stirker

as i said above he prioritised an LB (who can't play LB and a DM (who again doesn't seem to be a very good DM) over an attacking player last summer

also his tactics are too defensively minded and in some cases have lost us points

[KSE Comedy Club]

We don't need £300m

I explained a lot of it in the post i put up the other day but this is the essence of it

We will get money for selling Zin and Nelson, Tavares has a sell-on clause which could get us around 13m.

The widely reported budget (pre-sales) is we have '£200m plus' given CL money etc

So let's call it £220m:

Zubi -50
Zin +10
Tavares+13
Nelson +20 (your estimation I think)
Mosquera plus Norgaard -26
Kepa -5

So that's -£38m

From £220 that leaves £182m

Sesko is reportedly maybe 70m euros i.e. £60m

Eze is looking to be around £62m

So that still leaves £60m for a winger

We could raise even more if for example we sell Calafiori, as he can't play LB and is injury prone

and on wages, Partey was on a lot and Jorg probably was too, i should imagine Norgaard will be on less and also Mosquera will be on less as s younger player

Also, none of our signings will be paid for in full up front, they will all be in installments.

It's already been reported that Palace would accept Eze's fee to be pain in three installments.

[KSE Comedy Club]

I still have this funny feeling that we will end up signing neither of our two targets and will be playing the ‘false 9’ again

If that happens then Arteta and Berta need to be sacked.