Can you please just get your top target please
I mean shit like this is just dismaying
https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1673462093410885632?t=m8-dTDLdXaELftYymU6f7g&s=19
2 Likes
Hopefully Rice agrees 
2 Likes
Doesn’t make sense for City other than they know he won’t go to them but so they just want to drive the price up to eat at a direct rival’s budget.
1 Like
There are only two players in the world you break the bank to sign, Mbappe and Haaland. Everyone else is replaceable.
Can’t help but feel like this is going to go the same way as Mudryk where we offer the same but with weaker terms.
1 Like
With Mudryk, I think we liked his talent but weren’t actually that attached to him and were very uncomfortable with the eventual price tag. We probably could have signed him the previous summer for something in the 40-50m range, didn’t pull the trigger, went into January thinking about that same kind of price and ended the month with Chelsea offering 100m euros. My sense is that we only got to a seemingly competitive final offer in terms of total valuation by cobbling together a bunch of really crappy payment terms and unrealistic add ons.
With Rice, it feels like we’re both more committed to the player and the eventual valuation shouldn’t be so far from our initial estimates. Given Rice’s overall profile, we should have known that something like 80+10 (or more) with decent payment terms for the seller was very likely to be what it took to land the player. I have a hard time believing that we went into this process thinking we would sign him for 60-70m or something and are now wondering if 80+10 is worth it.
1 Like
I don’t disagree with any of that I just think we will be able to match city’s total fee but not be able to structure it as favourably to West Ham as they can. 2 instalments will probably require us to refinance.
2 Likes
I am actually encouraged by City’s bid. It doesn’t blow us out of the water. As for us offering weaker terms, I would imagine we can at least match City’s bid, given Rice seems to be top priority for us.
The bids we made until now were made under the assumption that we were the only serious suitors. I’d imagine we have more in the tank to offer, which we’ll do now. Perhaps we can offer a player on permanent or loan basis to sweeten the deal.
If City come back with a better offer after our next offer, I think we’ll walk away.
https://twitter.com/City_Xtra/status/1673458539149271040
Well, you hate to see this. This aligns to what Di Marzio reported last week.
Anyway, it was been said a couple times already but surely this is the week the deal is finalized?
We’ll find out if Arteta gets his man.
Always respect your opinion on here @Joshua, however on this one I completely disagree. Elite level strikers are currently few and far between, but we showed last season that if you have a group of players you can still score goals. We are not reliant on a single player to win us a game. However, DM is in my view one of the critical positions in the team. Look at how important Kante was for Chelsea. If we had signed Kante instead of Xhaka (as we should have done), we would have won the league.
Arsenal have always had great strikers - Aubameyang, Alexis, Giroud (well maybe not but you get my point)…but even with those players, we weren’t close to winning the league and sustaining a title challenge. IF we sign Rice, we get one of the best DMs and he will provide the basis upon which we can become a title winning team.
I totally agree that DM is important. I’ve just never been on board with the idea that Rice is the guy to close the gap to City. Not because he’s a bad player or overrated or overpriced but because we’re more than a single signing away from closing the gap to City. If he signs, that’s great because we need good players to sign for us but I’ve got a hard time thinking he’s the guy you sign at any price. If the club want to overpay for him (which they almost certainly are going to even if the market only continues to rise) that’s fine. I’m not gonna be mad about signing him, just not particularly attached to the idea of it.
Come on, maybe just a chit chat outside the restroom and no need to make it a big deal.
Pep: yo Declan, what’s up??
Rice: good
Pep: wish we could have a player like you on my team…
Rice: thank you sir
Then people say Rice agree to join City
1 Like
My sources confirm this. Rice met Pep towards the end of last season. To be precise, the meeting happened on the 3rd of May when City beat West Ham 3-0 at the Etihad.
Can we have a meeting with Haaland in the middle of the season??
Please enlight me.
Can a team officials just set up a meeting with a player who is under contract with other team anytime he wants??
1 Like
Yeah, at least it looks like things will get moving now. Still think it’ll ultimately be down to the player. I don’t think City will blow us out of the water with an offer. Just depends how accurate all the “Rice only wants Arsenal” reports have been.
1 Like
8 Likes
OIL MONEY REJECTED
https://twitter.com/jburttelegraph/status/1673592232400629762?s=46&t=AXaXFdGpC85RzXwk6DBMgA
2 Likes
Lol unimpressed
1 Like