That’s because we didn’t do the deal earlier.
If we had got Maddison at the start of the window, Leicester would have had longer to find a replacement and he would have had a good pre season with us.
I don’t understand why we dither for so long in almost every transfer window.
But I agree, as long as we get him, that is the main thing.
Let’s hope that Arsenal lose this race as well. Doesn’t feel like this is much of any upgrade to the front line.
Maybe the club will learn at some point about Chelsea rejects.
I don’t think Abraham is average - think he’s actually got a decent ceiling. However, he’s not an improvement on what we have and doesn’t raise our overall level.
We’d cement our place as a West Ham / Everton level club with a signing like this…
And giving Chelsea £30-40m to help balance the signing of Lukaku would be reprehensible. Let some other cunts overpay for him.
Yep.
Would any other so called top 4/6 club sign Arsenal rejects?
Lingard and Abraham…cast offs from teams we need to be challenging…kill me now 
So, 3 weeks left before window closes.
What’s realistic at this point for outgoing players? Edu has sold exactly one player since he’s been here, the rest were loans or contract terminations.
Take your point on outgoings but im past these terminations now.
Need more out of the place for me.
Before the window, the list of players we needed to sell, included:
Xhaka
Bellerin
Torreira
Cedric
Holding
Elneny
Mari
Mavro
Willian
Lacazette
Runarssen
AMN
Nelson
Nketiah
It was obvious we were never going to sell all these players but not to get rid of any is ridiculous.
Even more unbelievable, not only did we not shift Xhaka, we gave him a new contract when he still had a couple of seasons left on his old contract.
What exactly are Edu and Arteta playing at?
So basically, before the window opened, we had all these players that we could have sold, in order to strengthen the first team, and we were desperate for a top quality AM, CM and RB as well as cover for Leno and Tierney.
What have we done, after being told to “be excited” because this is going to be a big window?
Absolutely nothing.
This is why I maintain, the board are useless, Arteta and and Edu are way out of their depth and that we are lied to every transfer window.
How anyone can still defend this perpetual shambles is astonishing.
The issue is if nobody wants to sign ANY of the players your trying to replace. What realistically can the club do?
I don’t doubt that the club want to be ambitious and sign players like lautauro and Maddison. But there isn’t a club in the world who would pay a transfer fee for lacazette and his wages.
Same thing for xhaka, or Bellerin.
I would hope that the club would learn that paying large wage contracts really bites you on the ass when trying to shift players later on.
There was a bid for Xhaka. Arteta’s inability to see that getting rid of Xhaka is a plus for the squad is troubling.
Still, don’t tell us to “be excited.” Work hard to do what you can. I refuse to believe that NONE of the deadwood could be shifted.
So when you look at that list I’m left thinking your only option is new owners.
You need somebody who can afford to write a chunk of them off.
Nobody’s carrying that amount of dross to anywhere significant this season or next with this squad.
Sad but desperate times here for the club outside with a few late signings of a good starting 11 maybe.
That’s exactly what I’m saying.
No one forced us to pay world class wages to mediocre players.
The club is run by amateurs who are so inept that they employ, and persist with, people even more useless than themselves.
The worst thing about that list is at least half of those players will be important players for us next year.
Correct in alot of ways, you basically have to wait to the deadwood is phased out through contract expiry or sale.
Then again don’t compound the issue by continuing the same poor business. Signing Cedric and Willian were outright mistakes especially on terms that favoured the player rather than the club.
We need to get harsher when it comes to contracts. Not sure if we have that profile of person at the club
We signed Mari as well to compound the conveyor belt of shit
And are apparently extending Xhaka to compound matters further
spotrac is saying Mari is on £85k p/w !?
You really don’t need to pay that kind of wage for backups. It a privilege for Mari to play here, we shouldn’t have to pay over or even at market values for below average talents like Mari
Surely not! 
Kia and edu getting a slice of that no doubt 
We already played this game with the Welbeck, Perez, Jenkinson etc. era :ozil:
All these players are kind of fine in isolation. Like Mari is probably ok as 5th choice CB when you have 4 good ones. Cedric not a bad cover for both FB positions as 3rd choice when you have good players ahead of him. Elneny an okay 5th choice for a midfield pair. Lacazette maybe an okay backup striker. But you keep going and then these players end up being half our squad.
I guess signing so many backups / squad depth is the big mistake. When your team is shit you don’t need depth signings.