I’m interested in us having a better pool of midfielders to choose from really.
Frankly, I think our pool of midfielders has been quite shocking the last few years. Retrospectively, I’ve no clue how we competed for Top 4 with last season’s midfield, let alone the PL this season with pretty much the same midfield plus Vieira and Jorginho(for half a season).
This is what excites me:
These are the options a proper challenger should have.
Two thirds of our midfield are class. Just needs Cazorla in place of Xhaka.
Yeah, ideally Xhaka fucks off but that’s 2024 business. 
I agree with you completely about the pool of midfielders over the last few seasons, and as I’ve said before, I really want us to sign two midfielders this summer.
I’ve been sold on Rice since last summer. He was No.1 on my wishlist last year and he is again for this summer. Perfect DM for us, and perhaps with him starting over Partey, you could play Odegaard and Mount in more advanced midfield positions.
I suppose where I am coming from is that our problem isn’t goals. it’s been conceding them and I think the midfield (particularly after Saliba has been injured) have played a big part in that which is why I’m suggesting Caicedo or SMS as more defensively minded midfielders. Assuming Partey is here next summer, and if we sign Rice, maybe you can play both in certain games, with either Odegaard or Mount in a more advanced role.
The positives for Mount, is his goal scoring, we would get one over Chelsea, he may not cost too much considering he doesn’t have long left on his deal, and if we signed Rice, we basically have two best mates in the same squad. Saying all that I am kinda talking myself into this one.
Maybe we need three midfielders? Rice, Mount plus either Caicedo or SMS to replace Xhaka.
What do you think of Diaby as an option for right-wing? Been linked again with him recently. Seems likely to move in the summer.
I don’t see it myself. Leverkusen have picked up since Xabi Alonso took over. I think they’ll ask for a substantial fee to sell him.
Said it elsewhere, but us looking to re-sign Nelson tells me the club isn’t looking to spend big on a winger. We’ve even seen links to Hudson-Odoi and Zaha who aren’t particularly exciting either.
Think most of our budget will focus on midfield. The names we’ve been linked with will require hefty fees, and the contracts won’t come cheap.
Btw, I’ve just clocked you’ve been banging that drum about signing 2 midfielders in the summer for some time. I remember second guessing you for that before but fair play, it does look like that’s the plan.
He’s turning down money at Chelsea commensurate with his scrub status. He’ll want more than he’s worth imo. I just don’t think he’s good enough to get the midfield where we want to be.
Is he more mobile than Xhaka? Sure, but that’s about it for me. And so what if he’s a hard worker. Trossard is a hard worker but it didn’t really make a difference to Arteta down the stretch.
Do I have a massive bias against him? Absolutely. But I just can’t imagine a scenario where Arteta and Edu look at all the midfielders on offer this summer and decide that Mason Mount is the guy to replace Xhaka in that left eight.
Who cares. Lacazette and Auba were best buddies. Ozil and Kolasinac were boys.
Ugh, Rice and Mount. They just don’t feel like Arsenal players to me. I had a hard enough time dealing with Jorghino coming here. 
Might be unpopular btw but I don’t think Trossard is particularly good off the ball.
I think it’s one of the reasons he lost his spot as soon as Jesus returned. Mind you, Jesus hasn’t been the same Jesus off the ball we’re used to either.
If we want too we can probably recoup around 100mill in fees this window. Would make a 200mill spend window realistic
Balogun 40mill
Tierney 30mill
ESR 30mill
Mari 6mill
Holding 5mill
I’d want us to keep ESR though. Give him this season and access again next summer.
Holding should be worth more. He might not be suitable to our game but the guy should be able to do a job for a lower tier team in the league.
He’s not even even a high earner, If we can’t get more than 5m for him then we ain’t doing something right.
Btw, people are forgetting we also have Cedric, Lokonga, Tavares, Trusty and Pepe that can be sold. There’s also Jorginho who may become surplus to requirements if we plan to sign two midfielders.
We should certainly be able to recoup £100+m in the summer if we choose to without losing a key player.
It’s about time Edu shows that he can actually get money for players rather than pay for them to leave.
I completely forgot about all of the shitters on loan. Can’t see us recouping anything of note there unfortunately. Fingers crossed there are some dumb newly promoted teams in the PL.
Who is going to pay for him? I just don’t see a huge market for him. How many PL teams want defenders who can’t play with the ball?
Lokonga, Tavares and Trusty should have some worth. Age to their side and they’re not high earners as well which should make it easier. Should be making £30m back at least for the three of them.
Pepe is a tricky one because of his wages. Had that injury midway through the season too so his stock did take a hit. May be one we take a nominal fee and at least takes his wages off our bill.
He can play with the ball though. Not at the level of White, Saliba or Gabriel of course but he’s not bad.
Our high line is the biggest issue with him. There’s too many shitters starting for PL teams every week, and they don’t play with a high line. Hell, even Man Utd don’t play with one.
Holding’s homegrown, still at a good age, not a high earner and has to have a good mentality to last this long under Arteta.
There will be suitors if he was made available.
They want €70m (£61m) for Vlahovic supposedly
Balogun + £1M.
Swap ESR for Pepe and Tavares please.
The broke bums can take 40m and thank us for it.
If he is available and interested, I wonder if Arteta and Edu would go back in?
There is no hiding that this is a huge summer for us. We have a young squad with smattering of real world-level quality (Partey, Jesus, Saka). We need to bring in two or three high-level signings and we have a squad to be reckoned with.
You’ve literally listed the 3 of them having 30 goals / assists combined haha. So it’s clear as day even based on those numbers that they’re capable of 30/40 g/a without even factoring in Mount has actually had a near 30 goal contribution season himself
Yes I know exactly how many I listed mate but when you chop the next bit of the post I made then there’s not much point 
Odegaard has to keep it up and if he does then what value are the others bringing?
Mount has 2 seasons with ~10 g/a, one with 5 currently and then the outlier fluke of 20+ one season. Xhaka matches the ~10 this season so what value is added? (PL numbers these)
Rice and Partey probably fetch the same numbers so again adds no additional value in g/a front but reduces technical quality.
I mean what’s so special about this 30/40 goals and assists when our current midfield already hit combined 33 in the PL alone this year?
Pretty much just repeating myself here though.