Nothing new really but with that hanging over his head, could be another reason we may look to move him on. He's brilliant but it looks like he cannot maintain that high level over the course of a full season. The drop-off in the last month or so was pretty significant. I think his age and injuries have caught up to him.
Tough to move him on with that 'trouble' hanging around his neck. I would reason that even Martial is easier or even our own boy wonder. How long is the contract on him?
Unless they sell him to a Saudi club? But would he go to the nation of an eye for an eye? Public castration?
Tough to move him on with that 'trouble' hanging around his neck. I would reason that even Martial is easier or even our own boy wonder. How long is the contract on him?
Unless they sell him to a Saudi club? But would he go to the nation of an eye for an eye? Public castration?
His contract expires in 2025. Yes the Saudis seem most interested and some reports suggest they're willing to pay about £20-30mil. Would love to keep him as losing both him and Xhaka at once would be quite unsettling for the team IMO.
It would allow Havertz to take up the positions on the left that Xhaka liked to roam into and deliver from, but it asks a lot positionally of Rice. He should be up to it, given his fee but we will see. Zinchenko will likely float in to play alongside him on the ball which will help in the build up, but replacing Xhaka with Havertz seems like a big risk defensively.
Will be interesting how quickly they can change how they build the game with 2 new players in such key positions if they do go as above. Especially new players with question marks over them. Seems like an exciting summer for Arsenal anyway.
I don't see them getting better then last year. Signings they have made aren't better then what they already have. Havertz might be upgrade but otherwise nothing. More games in the season, now that they are in Europe will make it even worse. They should be happy to even get top 4 next season.
They're not selling him for at least 2 years with Kroos/Modric retiring. It might also depends on who comes in for Ancelotti but i'm sure he will succeed there.
They're not selling him for at least 2 years with Kroos/Modric retiring. It might also depends on who comes in for Ancelotti but i'm sure he will succeed there.
I posted this in the Timber thread, but it should probably be posted here:
Outgoings since he's taken over have totalled €60.1 million (according to Transfermarket). The year prior we got €53.65 million alone.
That's really poor and our fans have bemoaned our inability to sell unwanted players for years, which has mainly been due to their huge wages. Quite a similar situation to the one United is in now.
But over that same period we've been able to significantly reduce the wage bill by moving on - PEA, Mustafi, Ozil, Kolasinac, Mkhi, Torreira, Mari, Ramsey, Sokratis, Willian (easy come easy go), Chambers, Bellerin, Lacazette. Almost all of them were nearing the end of their peak years, or were well past them.
We've gone from having an older and overpaid squad, to now having a young squad with only five players over the age of 27 that will be in the squad for next season - Trossard (28), Turner (29), Partey (30), El Neny (30) and Jorginho (31). With the arrival of Rice I'd argue that none of them are starters.
Trossard, Partey and to a lesser extent Jorginho will be important players though.
* likely sold or moved on (Patino and Balogun's choice unfortunately)
** likely loaned again
That means that the core of the squad could be together for several years - this is something that's being overlooked with the discussion regarding our big spending. IMO it means that we won't have to spend as much moving forward as we've got a core now, and will be able to (hopefully) sign top players here and there to replace outgoings.
Arsenal is actually up to bigger things and not a joke anymore. The players that they've targeted the past few years, youth that they've developed, the idea all behind it, they have done it the proper way.
I don't see them getting better then last year. Signings they have made aren't better then what they already have. Havertz might be upgrade but otherwise nothing. More games in the season, now that they are in Europe will make it even worse. They should be happy to even get top 4 next season.
They're definitely better than last year with Rice added to their team, don't be silly.
And why would they be happy just to make top 4? If they play anywhere near their potential its a comfortable top-4. Can you name 4 teams better than them?
The fee for Rice was excessive and the Havertz signing could go either way but all in all they’ve done very well this summer. Although I wouldn’t add Rice to our squad but for Arsenals tendency to have a soft centre and extremely attacking set up he seems a good fit (more so than any other of the top 6). And Timber’s looks to have so much quality on the ball - he seems an ideal fit for their system and one Id really have liked to see at United.
I don't see them getting better then last year. Signings they have made aren't better then what they already have. Havertz might be upgrade but otherwise nothing. More games in the season, now that they are in Europe will make it even worse. They should be happy to even get top 4 next season.
The whole entire core of the team is young (sub 27). The whole starting XI is 26 or below.
Jesus (26)
Martinelli (22) ------------------------ Saka (21)
Havertz (23) --- Odegaard (24)
Rice (24)
Zinny (26) - Gabriel (25) - Saliba (22) - White (25)
Ramsdale (25)
If they continue to develop as they have been then they should improve.
Whilst it could be argued that the new signings aren't currently better than the starters from last year (Xhaka/Havertz, Partey/Rice, White/Timber) they have at the very least added very strong depth to the squad. This will help cover and keep the standard up in those extra games you have mentioned. Edit: we also did actually play in Europe last season, so there aren't going to be a number of extra games.
Think they’re doing great business. They’re stockpiling talent and not worrying about “who’s he going to replace” etc. city have done it for years and it’s good to see someone else wake up and do it. The league is in serious danger of becoming a yearly stroll for city so hopefully arsenal keep this up. Rice is a step up from Partey/Xhaka. Timber means Holdings minutes will be limited. They’ve got great options in their ten and nine role now. I reckon Arteta will want to go for all four competitions unlike last year and this is beneficial for that. When city signed the likes of Grealish, Akanji etc on the face of it you couldn’t see who in the strongest eleven they were better than but now look.
I don't see them getting better then last year. Signings they have made aren't better then what they already have. Havertz might be upgrade but otherwise nothing. More games in the season, now that they are in Europe will make it even worse. They should be happy to even get top 4 next season.
They're strengthening their squad. Nobody they've signed so far makes them a better team but they'll have a lot more games this season, and they wont have such a fortunate run as last year. They need more rotation but until they sign better players than Rice and Havertz I won't be worried about them challenging for anything more than top 4.
Think there's a lot to that squad. If we sell Partey, then Havertz will start over him and Rice drops back, and I expect us to sign another midfielder to fill the void too like Lavia. That starting XI has a bit of everything tbh, would be very happy with it.
After this week time to focus on sales. Need to raise around £100m from sales, some a lot easier than others there. 9 players is a lot to offload though.
After this week time to focus on sales. Need to raise around £100m from sales, some a lot easier than others there. 9 players is a lot to offload though.
I'm not sure anyone is going to give £30m with a buyback for Balogun, unless the buyback fee is set very high. It just wouldn't represent very good value for any buying club otherwise. Might have to accept a lower fee or take the £30m with a sell on and hope to profit again in the future.
I'm not sure anyone is going to give £30m with a buyback for Balogun, unless the buyback fee is set very high. It just wouldn't represent very good value for any buying club otherwise. Might have to accept a lower fee or take the £30m with a sell on and hope to profit again in the future.
Yh it's me being ambitious tbh. I imagine the buy back would be over £50m, probably £60m. There is a chance Balogun explodes, not quite sure if it'll happen but you never know.
Apparently we want £50m though which seems very ambitious.
Yh it's me being ambitious tbh. I imagine the buy back would be over £50m, probably £60m. There is a chance Balogun explodes, not quite sure if it'll happen but you never know.
Apparently we want £50m though which seems very ambitious.
£50 is not that ambitious for a full international young player. 21 goals in Ligue 1. Strikers are in huge demand right now, I would be very surprised if he was sold for that low.
I’d rather keep him and give Balogun a chance.
also add holding to the transfer list. Turkey will be good for him especially for any future hair transplants.
£50 is not that ambitious for a full international young player. 21 goals in Ligue 1. Strikers are in huge demand right now, I would be very surprised if he was sold for that low.
I’d rather keep him and give Balogun a chance.
also add holding to the transfer list. Turkey will be good for him especially for any future hair transplants.
He wants to leave though so not really an option, and the club needs to make some money. It is ambitious tbh, nobody is paying £50m for him. £30-40m is what we should get.
Holding could leave, i'd rather he stay though. We're already losing Xhaka, we need characters in the squad and he is a leader. He won't play too much, probably just cups but he is a good option to throw on to see out a game.
£50 is not that ambitious for a full international young player. 21 goals in Ligue 1. Strikers are in huge demand right now, I would be very surprised if he was sold for that low.
I’d rather keep him and give Balogun a chance.
also add holding to the transfer list. Turkey will be good for him especially for any future hair transplants.
Full international for the USA though. If he'd opted for England and had a few caps, then yeah £50m would make more sense. He's also only had the 1 season of first team football, and that was in France.
The gossip today is that Chelsea are interested in him, so you may well get that £50m, seeing as they're throwing money at everything. He probably needs to go somewhere he'll start most games though and not be under huge pressure to perform every week, like he will be at Chelsea. Those clubs can't afford that fee though.
Oh aye. Fella was solid. Definitely didn’t take a shine to every single available ball playing midfielder and just keep buying them, despite having a squad overflowing with them.
We are asking for some very high fees after years of mostly ditching our excess and outs on the cheap. Xhaka went for more than I expected. Balogun for 50 mil sounds like a lot but they will probably get something close to that. Tavares is going for around 20, not sure about that one. It looks like we might be able to return WH the favour and over price Lokonga. We even managed to get 6 mil for Mari.
Big question mark is Pepe. This must be the most difficult one to get done.
To their credit most of the transfers have worked out since Arteta has come onboard. You look at the list and most of them are involved in the first team/squad. Fabio Vieira still looks like a failed project. At 34 mil there were a lot more expectations.
Oh aye. Fella was solid. Definitely didn’t take a shine to every single available ball playing midfielder and just keep buying them, despite having a squad overflowing with them.
I’m a die-hard Wenger fan… and must admit this is spot on. Pires, Cesc, Nasri, Rosicky, Hleb, Ozil, Cazorla... buying Havertz is precisely the sort of thing Wenger would do.
I’m a die-hard Wenger fan… and must admit this is spot on. Pires, Cesc, Nasri, Rosicky, Hleb, Ozil, Cazorla... buying Havertz is precisely the sort of thing Wenger would do.
unfortunately)