Emi has a contract until 2027 and its really hard to get players out of Villa, as we saw with Douglas Luiz. I don’t see it happening, Levy won’t offer enough.
I think they go for Raya but he may have better options.
1 Like
He’d do it just to spite us
I hope he does. Lol
5 Likes
What would be his minimum valuation? 40? Would spurs given their reputation really put that much into a goalkeeper when someone like Raya is available on a free?
His club form has been pretty average tbh. I actually think Emery would be happy to let him go and get a new goalie of his choice, which should tell you something.
If spurs are going for Martinez, he’s going to cost serious money.
Aston Villa paid 20m for him, when he was our our second choice GK, so considering since then he has become a World Cup winner, anything above 50m would be acceptable.
But if spurs replace Conte with Frank, he might bring Brentford players like Raya with him.
every week we will have a new soundbite about how arsenal wasn’t good for him and how he was a victim of our club.
1 Like
He was a victim though. Years and years of being paid to work on his craft, including at some state of the art facilities in one of the best cities in the world, culminating in a FA Cup Winner’s Medal. It’s comparable to what Gitmo detainees faced. The man’s got a heart the size of a watermelon to have survived that ordeal.
1 Like
Wait, what?
I mean. Yeah wtf. Know it’s in jest but after the weekend. Not sure man.
Emi and Spurs is not a bad fit actually, it would be a significant upgrade for player and club.
And they’re both cunts
2 Likes
I would be surprised if he costs more than 40m.
I think if he got a move right after the World Cup then maybe someone would’ve paid something stupid for him but the World Cup rub is slowly going. He plays for a midtable club and he’s having a bog standard season. His manager doesn’t seem a big fan of his either, and I hate to say it but he is 30, and while 30 isn’t particularly old for a goalkeeper, it certainly isn’t gonna help with his valuation.
Reckon Villa will be happy to do business for something around 30m.
1 Like
Mason Mount anyone?
There was a period I’d have been pretty high on the idea of signing Mount, I think much like Maddison he’s a little underrated in terms of his actual ability on the English scene. Saying that if he’s struggling to agree terms with Chelsea I wouldn’t be in favour of him being a high profile, expensive signing. Obviously he’d play much better here as Jorginho has shown but Jorginho came on our terms.
Would you want him here?
he’s fallen away quite a bit lately, still would take as a backup though
If Mount came in, one of Vieira or ESR would have to leave.
He’d be an improvement but I don’t think it’s a big priority. At least not nearly as big as having a real Xhaka alternative (which Im not sure any of Mount, Vieira, or ESR are) or a long term successor to Partey.
I’m not sure I buy that. Not that I want Mount but we could absolutely bring a player of his ilk into this squad. Look at City trying to get Maddison in January, they don’t care whether they are stacked or not.
I love ESR and I want to see him flourish here and I admire Vieira’s ability to trip over his own feet and get a FK but honestly we have to be ruthless moving into the CL next season.
We’ve effectively achieved what we have this season with next to nothing of note from ESR outside his assist to Partey, and a few moments from Vieira. Not to mention a Nelson having the odd clutch appearance.
We’ve also seen in the EL our fringe squad just ain’t at the races, you can’t get away with that in the CL.
1 Like
I’m not against upgrading at all and Mount would be an upgrade on either ESR or Vieira. I just think realistically we play with one attacking midfield player at a time, very occasionally with two, and it doesn’t make sense to have four. Three is already a lot.
Arteta has had a lot of chances to give Vieira or ESR a serious run in Xhaka’s position and he just doesn’t want to do it. I think that role just involves too much rotation and defensive responsibilities, as you really have to be aware of what Zinchenko is doing, when you need to fall back and cover, when you need to slide toward the outside, etc. And then you need to be able to play next to Partey in our defensive block when we’re defending deep.
Mount’s basically similar to ESR and Vieira. He doesn’t have the physical qualities or dribbling ability to play regularly on the wing for Arteta but he also doesn’t have the defensive instincts and inclinations to play where Xhaka plays except for maybe against very weak sides that we expect to pin back the entire game. And like those guys, he doesn’t have a prayer of taking Odegaard’s job.
Don’t you feel you’re pigeon holing players positions a little too much here? With ESR you’re talking about a young guy who can play lw, 10, false 9, although we’ve never really had the chance to see how where his best position is as his development has been corrupted by injury. And Vieira, well word on the Twitter street was he played everywhere in Portugal- which rings a little true as we’ve seen him utilized at RW, CAM and in Xhaka’s 8. Which yes I agree he’s woeful in, in regard to keeping our balance.
Your point about Xhaka is an important one albeit a slightly different discussion but it’s one I made a while back, - not so calmly - about how Xhaka and Zinchenko would have the perfect synergy as Mikel essentially tried to play Xhaka in that quasi-left back role in his early days.
For me personally guys like ESR, Vieira, Ode, Madders, Mount, fall into a different category than Xhaka, Partey and Jorginho.
Although Xhaka walks those lines he’s still a fish out of water at times.
The truth is who does Arteta get to improve upon Xhaka within his system, he needs a young player he can teach the design to. I don’t really see Bellingham falling back in to cover left back, but I do with Rice.
Yeh there will be games and times you need someone more attack minded than Rice or Xhaka and for me that’s where a player like Maddison comes into the equation
2 Likes