I agree with the general sentiment, but on this bit:
It’s worth bearing in mind the £160m is not £160m more than a club would get for coming, say, 6th - it scales for every place.
I don’t know the level of the difference but my point is we wouldn’t suddenly have an extra £150m to spend just for winning the league
That’s the funniest thing I’ve read all day.
Translation: “Arsenal is a football club with players. A football club signs players during a transfer window. The football transfer window is approaching. Arsenal are looking to sign players to their football club in the football transfer window. Arsenals approach to signing players in the football transfer window is exactly like every other football club, ie players can be signed during the football transfer window. Prepare yourself, cos I will report and break the news of every player that Arsenal can sign during the football transfer window”.
I’m Fabrizio, aka Captain Obvious, and I’m soon to be relevant again.
Thing is, it wouldn’t even make sense to do this trade with Tierney.
Both Zinchenko and Hernandez are far too good not to be playing most games. So unless you play Zinchenko in midfield or one of them as right back it’s just not worth it. Especially with how much extra they’d want on top of Tierney in part-ex
What a stupid cunt rumour.
Wouldn’t mind moving on xhaka to make room for zinchenko further forward. As good as both have been this season, zin’ is now doing what we bought xhaka for! That would put Tierney back in place (provided he’s fit).
Alternatively, I see a lot of links to right backs…could this mean as a back up to white…with tomiyasu going to second Lb…?! And then Tierney…?!
Zinchenko has scored one goal. He can’t do what Xhaka is doing. I rate Zinny but I can see why Xhaka is in cm. For everything Zinny gives in technique and compare he lacks in attacking threat and physicality.
I wouldn’t be satisfied with Zinchenko as a starting cm. He’s a good option though.
If we are signing Vlahovic, I don’t mind considering to bin Balogun.
Definitely not doing so for DCL.
With zinny’s assertive style however, I wouldn’t put it past him to match what xhaka has done this season were he in that position. It’s not just about physicality, eg saka, martinelli - more movement, timing and technique.
Expecting us to be in prime position the summer market though, improving this overachieving squad
I’d sell Balogun and Eddie if the right offers came in.
Watching Willock yesterday really reminded me that selling loan players during a purple patch is the smart play.
Willock has went on and had a really good career with Newcastle and I’m sure Balogun will do the same but you have to take advantage of these types of ridiculous loan spells from a financial position.
I think the 100m budget will be a net spend so we could spend more but would have to sell to pay for it.
I think you are seriously underestimating the ambition. I’ve said before and still genuinely believe that we will make several transformational signings this summer. I can see us easily spending more than we have in the last two summer windows (not combined but in excess) and I think we will have two marquee signings.
KDB isn’t getting any younger and Pep isn’t going to be at City forever. The Liverpool train is a train wreck. Three big signings in the summer and we become genuine big players in the game again.
We have to many talented young players for this season to be a flash in the pan.
This was always the project and the way we would compete with Man City. The age profile of our star players within the starting 11 is amazing:
Ramsdale (24)
Zinchenko (26); Gabriel (25); Saliba (22); White (25)
Martinelli (21); Odegaard (24); ESR (22); Vieira (22); Saka (21);
Jesus (26); Nketiah (23)
If we add at least one, preferably two younger DM/CM to the squad in the summer, we have a group of players than can be together for the next 4-5 years at the top level. There is already a fantastic togetherness, belonging and understanding within the squad. Imagine what this is going to be like in the next few seasons. We can potentially achieve great things with this group of players.
And then having Partey, Xhaka and Jorginho as older heads for balance. Partey and Jorginho have won big trophies and even Xhaka was there for THE FA Cups. A player like Rice is the perfect age and profile. Be amazing if we could add another winner like Jesus and Zinny to our roster as well.
Genuinely excited by this summers possibilities.
Hopefully we fucking win this thing and it unlocks another level of talent and better spending available to us to be able to reinforce and mount a serious challenge on a few fronts next season.
At this point I don’t think it’ll take a lot to get elite level talent to buy into what we’re doing here after this season.
I am really hoping our interest in Rice is genuine. Would be an amazing signing for us and perfect age profile to fit with the rest of the team.
I think we are there already, regardless of the outcome of the PL this season. If you are a young talented player (20-25), you would want to come to Arsenal. Key for me is to get Saka signed to a new long term deal, along with Saliba before the end of the season. Then we are in great shape for the summer transfer window.
I’m still very skeptical of him. It’s probably unfair given what’s gone on at West Ham but he doesn’t feel like an Arsenal signing to me. I can’t put my finger on why.
Maybe he just lacks the kind of pizzaz that I associate with Arsenal. I mean even when we sign centerbacks they still have that razzle dazzle. Rice just, idk, he’s fine.
If the club think he’s the guy, I have to trust them at this point. I think they earned it. Ramsdale, White, Odegaard and Jesus were all the guys Arteta/Edu wanted and it’s worked so far.
I completely agree that he isn’t a typical Arsenal signing but then I think you could say that about a lot of Arteta’s and Edu’s signings. Rice is the perfect long term option for us as a DM, but can understand how West Ham’s relative poor season raises questions over the player. He remains my No. 1 transfer target though.