Yeh I agree, wanting Pepe to move on won’t be as easy in application. Still he had a hell of a reputation in France so I’m sure some clubs will take him on a cut price deal. How cut price that will be remains to be seen
The concern is that his stock is so low that it prevents us from bringing someone else in or forces us to a cheaper target.
My two cents:
Scenario 1: Mikel and Edu want to sign two strikers in this window (or one striker and one winger/striker). They choose to keep Eddie as a backup but given his contract is running out, they have to give him a new contract and Eddie is in a good bargaining position as he’s been scoring goals off late. So they give him decent contract. Do we care about the size of the contract if they are still looking to sign 2 more strikers in this window?
Scenario 2: Mikel and Edu are only sure about getting 1 striker (agreement already reached, only paperwork pending kinda thing) and don’t have any other convincing/achievable target. So instead of ending the summer with just 1 striker, they decide to give Eddie a new contract. If he has a half decent season, we can sell him next Summer and get a fair price. Beats losing him for nothing. In this Scenario, they might also sign another young prospect for cheap.
Scenario 3: Mikel and Edu only want 1 striker and are convinced Eddie can be the backup. This is the scenario that worries me. Not very different than Scenario 2 in the final outcome but this raises serious doubts about Mikel and Edu’s judgment of what we need. Of course, the upside remains the same as Scenario 2, which is the chance of getting a good price for Eddie if he does reasonably well next season.
I am really hoping Scenario 1 is what is playing out, or worst case Scenario 2, with a chance of signing some hidden gem for cheap.
I think this is the most likely scenario.
They wouldn’t give Nketiah 100k a week to be third choice so he’ll be cover for whoever they buy.
The club has saved a bit of money by not having to get two strikers so let’s hope the player they bring in is top quality.
A window of Jesus and Nketiah would be underwhelming but it would be acceptable if they bought a top quality wide player like Sterling as well.
1 Like
If we get Jesus + a wide player like Sterling or Gnabry I’ll say it’s acceptable and the club is showing ambition.
5 Likes
Yeah Jesus, Gnabry (or Gakpo or whatever) and Nketiah re-signing is the bare minimum imo.
Then a utility WB like Hickey plus a CM reinforcement and I would say we’re on the right path.
Jesus
Gnabry/Gakpo
Hickey
CM
Any less than that is a bad look imo
10 Likes
Okay @Iceman let’s get you back into the football and have your say on this.
3 Likes
I’m getting ready for said bad look
1 Like
I am amused and bemused by the outrage to the £100k/week…
Over 5 years that is £26M, what do you think it would cost to sign a backup player and even pay them half those wages? Who we signing for £10-15M to fulfil that role?
2 Likes
Question is do you think he’s back up. 80/100k doesn’t sound like.
I see him and Jesus (maybe) in the same eleven.
I do think he will largely be a backup/off the bench (barring injuries/suspensions). Arteta generally doesn’t play 2 strikers and he won’t be 1st choice.
With the number of holes to fill this window, it makes perfect sense to me to keep Eddie (vs letting him leave on a free and having to sign a new player). Same as it made sense to me to keep Elneny in the background
2 Likes
I dont think they understand this tbh. Also the fact that it would take 1 year bedding in period for a new striker to settle.
1 Like
Who says it takes a year? You reading that from the PL manual ?
Also the question some have is he even good enough to be backup period maybe that’s what you don’t get.
The concerns are perfectly reasonable.
6 Likes
It’s going to be around 80k putting him on par with his other young peers in the squad.
We’re also protecting a homegrown asset that has potential to be worth some money in the near future.
Also I don’t see any other young English strikers coming through at the moment? It’s a no brainer ffs.
3 Likes
1 year is a estimation. It could take 1 day or 2 years, but a bedding in process is largely to be expected.
Regarding his quality as a backup. There is no guarantee. But if his end to the season is anything to go by, I am definitely comfident of him being our second striker going in to the new season. And as people are pointing we can always sell him to West Ham, Brighton etc. for a healthy fee if it goes tits up. And no 100k a week is nothing special in todays market. Wages will only increase in the future.
Be concerned all you want. But having Eddie as our second striker is one of the least concerns I have regarding our current squad.
1 Like
If we signed Mbappe some wouldn’t deem him good enough…
There will always be concerns no matter who we sign…perfectly reasonable but nothing this club does will appease everyone
As for bedding in, regardless of bedding in immediately or over time, for the money spent on Eddie to keep him vs signing a new player and paying a wage, the balance of probabilities says Eddie is the lower risk lower cost option
Nah don’t use Mbappe as an example, absolutely no one would be saying that.
2 Likes
There’s hyperbole and then there’s this
Nketiah isn’t a low risk option if we have to rely on him for a sustained period, only signing one striker because we have extended his contract is also another concern because contrary to what some believe he has not shown he is good enough to lead the line if say the main was injured for months. I don’t see that lil run as proof of that at all.
@Aussiegooner: indeed, what a strange thing to say
2 Likes
By the way, I thought it was ackowledged Wenger’s wage structure didn’t work. Why are we doing it again? Whats with these young guys being paid the same based on nothing other than they’re young?
3 Likes
This makes perfect sense. Still not sure why the majority are pissed on here about this lol
4 Likes