By Sir Hardly Anyone (and a friend)
So that’s it. Despite the fact that his brief appearance against Man City made it look like he had recovered his notion of how to be … well, Theo, it seems the deal is done and dusted. “Theo Walcott ‘on the verge’ of sealing £20m West Ham move after deciding to leave Gunners” is the headline and its in the papers so it must be true.
State Aid Utd are of course rolling in money, not only having all the TV dosh, but also bucket loads of tax payers’ money paying for the aptly named Tax Payers’ Stadium. So they can afford him. Indeed they could afford him at twice the price.
(And if you are not a UK tax payer you can rejoice – unlike the rest of us, you were not mugged).
That story started out in the Star, was picked up by the laughable “Byfarthegreatestteam” and since then has popped up in all sorts of unsavoury places.
Arsene Wenger is chasing goals scoring powerhouse, Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker has gone from strength to strength following a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund to fierce rivals Bayern Munich in January 2014.
And is he going. In France Football he is reported as saying, “Maybe I’ll play in England or Spain one day. I don’t know what my future will look like but at the moment I’m happy at Bayern.”
The other man on the imaginary horizon is “£20 million Julian Weigl who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder has been in fine form in recent months and Wenger will be looking to add him as his style of play has led to comparisons to Sergio Busquets.”
Which raises the question which will appear throughout this thesis: do we need any more midfielders?
But of course that is not all, because “Arsenal have been regularly scouting Holland striker Vincent Janssen, who has emerged this season with AZ Alkmaar as the most prolific forward in the Dutch Eredivisie.”
He scored 26 league goals this season but was previously released by Feyenoord.
After that we are mostly back to the stuff we have had before with Granit Xhaka getting full mentions for the sixth week running and Alvaro Morata of Juve also having a word of two written about him.
Reece Oxford, the State Aid Under-21s mega superduper wonderkid has come back onto the headlines, at least in the Sun, saying that Man U want him, but “face competition from Arsenal and Man C”. He’s the kid who turned up with State Aid at the start of the season..So we come onto the Independent’s Big List of transfers. I won’t go through all the one’s you’ve seen before. Here are the new names, at least new in the sense of this season’s must haves…
Goncalo Guedas (Benfica).
The ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’, obviously. He’s the one Luis Boa Morte went scouting, but Chelsea and Manchester United are also interested although Chelsea’s lack of European football next year is causing them problems. (Did I mention that?)
Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain)
He has been mentioned for forever, but disappeared from the Arsenal radar for a while and someone somewhere got his agent’s friend to say he would like to come to England.
Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain)
Rumour, Rumours Rumours. He’s midfield, is not liked at home because he asked for a move, and the usual list including Chelsea and Man U are interested. Did I mention Chelsea are not in the Champions League next season? [Stop it] £15m should be enough.
Grzegorz Krychowiak (Sevilla)
“Sevilla’s midfield destroyer” – ok but we have got Coquelin and have we really lost faith in him? £32m, is the price as he signed a new contract in November.
Ruben Neves (Porto)
Same issue: we have Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere Mo Elneny, and Aaron Ramsey so do we want to spend £30m on someone battling for his place? Oh and Santi Caz might get a game again next season.
Michy Batshuayi (Marseille)
He’s a striker, he’s 22 oh yes and Chelsea want him but the player is unimpressed as the latter won’t be in the… well you know. £35m is the trifling sum being asked. And he has recently signed a new deal. But hell what does that matter?
Jese Rodriguez (Real Mad)
If it is the transfer window we need to buy someone from Real Mad and this forward is a snip at £21m not least because Real Mad have financial issues and Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale all play in the team. (Except see below).
Rico Henry (Walsall)
And talking of the super big Real Mad what of Walsall. And yes that is the town in the Western Midlands. He is… wait for it… ‘the next Ashley Cole’. Here is what the Indy said about the left back position at Arsenal. “It’s no secret that Arsenal have struggled to convince at left-back since Gael Clichy left the club with Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs both failing to lock down to position.”
So they’ve been watching a different Monreal from me.
Daniele Rugani (Juventus)
He has failed to make a single appearance in the league this season – so just imagine the fun the aaa will have if he comes. Arsenal and Manchester United are chasing him. Chelsea have given up.
Karim Benzema (Real Mad)
He’s involved in blackmail and various other nasty stuff. A lot depends on whether he is allowed out.
William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon)
I still still still don’t believe that we want another midfielder having got Coquelin and Elneny. Especially not for a release clause of £37m in his contract.
Troy Deeney (Watford)
He’s their captain, he will cost £20m, and said he is not going anywhere. So that means he’s off.
Thus there we have it. Another load of names to add to the Great Transfer Index. There will be a new edition of the Index including all the names above, in a day or two. At this rate we are going to buy everyone.
It’ll be players that no one has probably heard of , and with a bloody unpronounceable name that joins us !
The papers talk crap. How can Bilic promise Theo a starting role up front, if they are also after Benteke for the same position?
Also, how can two or more different papers, claim “Exclusive” for the same story?
Anyway, we should only believe what Jim “Bumbling” White tells us – after all, he did say yesterday that he is besties with David Gold (after he had checked his scribbled notes).
Me – I’ll wait till the end of the window and see who we have signed (and who has left).
Forgot the CUE: “Arsenal lose another TOP TOP player to a Premier League rival”
😉
Oh I remember Benzy, the striker Arsenal must buy and when AW didn’t, the WOBs start calling AW money pincher. Since the blackmail allegation came out, it’s just silence about buying Benzy.
Arsenal has vast resources and the club will know things that we the public don’t know. It’s easy being a transfer expert when reading from the media sheets I guess.
At least this time Arsene can’t use the old cliché about there isn’t anyone out there better than what we have.He knows that the fans won’t accept that again.
Your rumours list is a bit outdated.
The latest players we’re being linked to are:Bolton defender Rob (the new Tim Cahill) Holding and the Leicester pair Mahrez & Kante again.
I think there’s more than a grain of truth in the Holding story, but where it leaves Chambers could be a problem.
I can’t anyone sensibly paying Walcott his current salary (K140?), especially with his injury record.
Walcott to WHU, Alexis to Juventus, Giroud to Wolfsberg, Ozil to Bayern Munich, Bellerin back to Barca, and Monreal to Athletic Bilbao. That’s a lot of players AW have to replace if the media reports are correct. But who really believe that crap?
Whatever be the case as regard to Arsenal players transfer in & out and promotion next time. Top quality players are being expected to come in as replacements for those who will leave.
You have listed 7 players who are likely to leave Arsenal at the end of this season. However, the OX should not be among them because age and full recovery are still very much on his side. As for the remainig 6, I would have voiced for Debuchy to be retained because of the big injury suffered by Jenkinson. But since Debuchy is out of the Boss’s favour, the Boss will have to find another top quality RB for option & cover.
.
Inclusively, Arsenal will need to refurbished their back-line, midfied and striker departments with top top goalkeeper, CHB, LB, get replacements for Arteta, Rocisky & Flamini. While Chris Willock could be promoted to replace Sanogo. We all saw how Petr Cech was beaten flat by Debruyne’s 20 yarder. I’ve seen him beaten flat to his right-side diving many times this season. Age is no longer on his side.
I guess if this time last we were linked with Mahrez and Kante everyone would be bitching… Who knows the best buys? Doubt I could really do better than Wenger. Would Mahrez/Knate want to come to get get booed buy the fans? Guess we just ruled out Messi as well. No ways would Lewandowski come to the Emirates. Be careful what you wish for…
@ Samuel, you keep saying AW need to buy players in the positions you stated, but can you list who those players are (realistically) that AW should buy?
I’m not disagreeing with you about filling those positions but it would be good to know who you want to see signed.
I see bayern have started early identifying players that are needed and look to sign them up.Sorry but that is what top clubs like them do nowadays and not wait till the final day to get cast offs or haggle over a couple of million. We have the money now ,target the players required early and go after them.Lets start acting like a big club.
I think either Ospina or Szczesny will be back as Arsenal Number 1 keeper after next season. So I doubt AW will get another keeper.
Chambers goes no where. He’s an investment at Arsenal for cover & option.
Lewandoswki is aging. The Boss shouldn’t buy a player whose goal scoring form might be expiring, save if for a 1 year deal. In that sence, I would preferred if the Boss went after Ibramovich for option & cover to the inconsistent Olivier Giroud. But this should only be done after Arsenal cannot get a top top consistent goal scorer to buy.
By the way, what is going to be the status of Akpom after his return from loan? Would the Boss take a gamble by keeping both Akpom and Willock in his senior team squad as alternative young strikers for options and covers to Giroud? It will be interesting if we can have 2 successful made at Arsenal strikers for our titles winning success next season.
Walcott disappointed me with his inconsistent ambition to score or assist to score in the Man City game. He gave up cheaply after making 1 – 2 efforts to score. Thus later becoming a passenger on d field instead of him to up his pressing for a winner.
@ Nick, how do you know Arsenal haven’t been doing the same? Think about this, if Arsenal was targeting a player and one of the following Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Barcelona, also target the same player, which team do you think target player would choose?
How many so called ‘world class’ players came to the BPL this season compare to say Serie A, Bundesliga, and La Liga? There are more to it than what the media make it out to be.
1 or 2 of Walcott, giroud Ramsey should go. If Ramsey were to go would need a midfield replacement either internally or externally, but doubt wenger will sell him as he likes to give players lots of time to prove their worth I.e giroud Walcott.
If giroud and/or Walcott left would only need to replace with one player given emergence of Campbell and iwobi and future emergence of Jeff. If giroud left in my opinion Lukaku would be a great realistic buy and would not overshadow welbeck enough to stunt his development. If Walcott left, would be very happy with mahrez, although it is concievable we would not even need a replacement rw as jack and Ramsey can play there very convincingly imo as when playing against PTB teams we effectively become a 3 1 2 1 3 formation with a diamond in midfield as bellerin surges forward. Teams struggled to cope with this last year wen we were the best team in 2015, and we only stopped doing this when we had all the injuries to midfielders.
Only main priority is a CB , RB and LB not needed imo as chambers covers RB and I still think monreals got another year left in him
Polo
I can only assume and not prove that they have or haven’t . To gain proof either way you would need to be inside the club.The amount of signings we have made on the last minute and our thrifty Ness with previous attempts at buying players leads me though to believe that we don’t act that way.
Polo
The players will go to not just the richest club but the ones that have ambition and want to challenge for the top honors.Its a shame we haven’t been in either bracket for many years.
Just a word for Debuchy. I personally felt that he was a pretty good full back before the bad injury and was never the same afterwards.
Nick…..another aaa rambling,pointless and unsubstantiated post to shame your little entitled ego?
Sign in a bus in Rome.
‘Do not speak to the driver. He needs his hands for driving.’
@Polo.
I’ve alreay stated one player I will like to see Arsenal buy in the summer for dynamism, power and imposition of authority at Arsenal midfield. Paul Pogba could be that player if he’s still the top Paul Pogba I used to know.
I think we already have, versatile Cazorla, Ramsey and Wishere. And also dmfs Coquelin and Elneny. And supposedly if big player – Pogba is added to the five and then if the Boss can get the diminutive battle ship, N’golo Kante, I think with 7 central, defensive & deed lying midfielders at Arsenal next season campaign, Arsenal are done. But a Marehz can be an added bonus at Arsenal’s midfield if Leicester will let him go and if at all the Boss wants him.
Mark you Polo, Arsenal already have attacking creative playmaker midfielder in Ozil and 3 attacking wing midfielders of, Sanchez, Campbell and now Iwobi assuming Walcott leaves.
In the leading the line position, we already have Giroud&Welbeck for that task. In addition to them we have Akpom & Willock to give a helping hand.
I hope that this transfer window we’ll make one “marquee signing” and another two or three quality players to replace the outgoing ones. I don’t know if Wenger has ambitions beyond next season, but following the disappointments of this one I would expect a major reaction from him.
I think Nick has a point.
Evidence – Stan Kroenke has come out this season stating that he is not here to win league titles. Arsene Wenger is already on record for stating that he would be quite happy to finish 2nd each season.
I’m afraid that the really ambitious players want a little more than that.
Interesting article.
http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2571586-how-many-world-class-players-are-there-in-the-premier-league
@ Samuel, I doubt Arsenal can get Pogba, he either will go to Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Barcelona, I think one of the media report saying he wanted to go to Barcelona. If none of those clubs are after him, I think he will stay at Juventus unless serious money are being offered, some reports say £100 million.
@ Nick and Top Gun, do you consider Ozil, Sanchez, Cech, and Cazorla to be top class players?
Let the Boss take very seriously, the issue of a new LB at Arsenal next season. So that Arsenal will not have the probem they have now at that position next season.
Throwback, Arsenal vs Watford – BPL. we all saw the quality of the ineffective wingback assaults of Monreal. I think Monreal wingback attacking prowess has gradually weakened.
I am not implying the Boss should sell off his 2 left wingbacks of, Gibbs & Monreal. the decision to take that course of action is solely that of the Boss to take.
And for a new CHB at Arsenal for next season campaign, it has been widely agreed within the majority of the Arsenal supporters that Rhinosacker has gone slower bellow the acceptable level for a top CHB manning the ceter defense-line of a big top club like Arsenal who will be competing to win titles in next seasoo campaign.
Consequently, Arsenal MUST replace Mert’ with a top top CHB for their next season campaing. Ask me to name 1 CHB & another 1 LB for replacenents? I can’t for now. But I should latter on.
@Polo.
Ah! if it will take £100m, or do you mean US Dollars?, to get Paul Pogba to come to Arsenal, then no chance. But if it is $100m, which should be far less than £Sterling in market value, maybe $100m is = to £60m. Arsenal SHOULD get him. He should make a huge difference for us in our titles bid if he comes and also gives value for money.
@polo yes I see your point and of course they are. Let’s see if any others join this summer then.
I was checking the results and stats from Turkish league yesterday and I’ve noticed a few interesting details:
-Fenerbahce of Robin van Persie lost a vital match in the title race at Istanbulspor and our ex-captain bottled it from a penalty spot,
-Edin Visca, a Bosnian winger that had been connected with Arsenal in the past, scored a brace to claim his place in Top 5 on the score-charts in Turkey; notable names on that list are Mario Gomez, Samuel Eto’o and Robin van Persie;
-Mario Gomez is 31, on loan at the leaders Besiktas from Fiorentina, and has been banging goals for fun as he has scored 25 in 32 matches. Gomez was part of the impressive Bayern Munich team that won CL 2012-13, still one of the best goal-poachers in the game despite his age.
Ibrahimovic has said that his new club will be announced soon so we can all sit, wait and hope that No.9 that hasn’t been assigned since Poldi’s departure will be given to Ibra.
OMG
I’m sorry if my opinion of Arsenal is different from yours and that you think I’m a rambler.
What part of what I stated have offended you to the degree that you have to throw insults about??
Is it that top players wanting to go to ambitious clubs or that we have ceased acting like one.That came the day we allowed our captain to go to utd to aid them winning the league that year.Even Arsene Wenger stated that we couldnt be considered a big club if we sold fabregas and nasrie .Was he talking unsubstantiated nonesence
@ Samuel, it’s only speculation though.
http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2637800-chelsea-transfer-news-paul-pogba-eden-hazard-miralem-pjanic-top-rumours
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/668428/Chelsea-Reject-Paul-Pogba-Juventus-Transfer-Wage-Demands-Mino-Raiola-Agent
Love the irony and appreciate the humor of this series of blogs from Sir Hardly keep up the good work!! However for all this talk of transfers that everyone is always on about and that Man City/Chelsea/Man Utd/Arsenal and every other team is going to strengthen/buy whatever, I genuinely wonder where all these Star Players are going to come from. There cannot be hundreds of players that are all going to change clubs this summer. Like I said EVERY team apparently is going to be buying.
Hope this makes sense!
I do actually think Theo may go to West Ham and for him I think that will be a good move for him, we will be saying goodbye to Arteta, Flamini, Rosicky and Debuchy and maybe Giroud so we will need re-enforcements. Holding I think is actually genuine and seams like a good investment and this won’t upset Chambers too much because he is a right back and cover for Bellerin. Holding is a CB! Marcel Janssen the 20 year old striker looks a good bet and won’t cost the earth
A lot of talk about squad changes but for me with the following:
GK: Cech? Ospina, Szczezney?
RB: Bellerin; Jenko
LB: Nacho; Gibbs
CB: Kos, Gab; BFG, Chambers
DM: Elneny; Le Coq
CM: Santi; Jack, Ramsey, The Ox
RW: Theo; JC
AM: Ozil; Iwobi
LW: Sanchez
ST: Welbz; Giroud
With the relatively obvious or predicted losses of Debuchey, Arteta, Flamini, amd Rosicky, we still dont have a lot of scope for changes, but if you add someone in the mould and ability of Griezmann to that squad then no need for wholesale changes, maybe add another midfielder depending on availability or promotion of youth…
The very probable departure of Debuchy, Arteta, Flamini and Rosicky will reduce the weekly wage bill by 300K. Some of that will be used in improved contracts for the likes of Özil and Sanchez, but that still leaves room for for a couple of high-paid new signings, or more if Arsenal are prepared to see an increase in the total wage bill.
That’s one side of the money equation. The other is transfer fees – and that depends on whether Arsenal have ring-fenced their likely cash reserves of 250m+ for purposes nobody outside the club is aware of.
Goalkeepers
Cech, Szczesny, Martinez
Ospina is simply too good to be a back-up goalkeeper and he deserves a place in the first eleven somewhere. Woj is 26 so he can still learn from Cech as well as Martinez.
Right backs
Bellerin, Jenkinson, Chambers*
Hec is No. 1, Jenko is injured and there is a star next to Chambers as Mr Wenger has said he sees him as a central defender due to pace requirements of the full-back role. Debuchy is likely to leave, mostly because of that cretin from Stoke who ruined his Arsenal career and Jon Moss who let that happen.
Left backs
Monreal, Gibbs*
Nacho is the best back in the league and I spat my coffee when I saw Rose got picked ahead of him in Team of the year. Gibbs… Well, he has stalled for quite a while but has a HG-status which is his biggest strength right now. I could see him leaving for a younger left back who could live with being Nacho’s understudy. Kieran is 27 and I reckon he would like to play more games.
Central defenders
Koscielny, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Chambers*
Per won’t play for Germany this summer which is good for both him and Arsenal. Kos and Gabi with CC21 are the rest of our CB-contingent for the next season. It would be funny if Mr Wenger brings Holding (central defender) after so many cries for holding (central midfielder)!
Defensive midfielders
Coquelin, Elneny
That part is sorted. Arteta and Flamini are about to leave. I hoped our skipper would stay in the coaching role.
Central midfielders
Jack, Santi, Aaron, Toral*
Rosicky’s contract is up. Jack, Santi and Aaron all give different qualities to our game. Of course, emergence of a player in the mould of Bellerin and Coquelin can be expected. Hayden would be a logical choice given that his last name ends with -n but I would go with Jo-n Toral instead as he had a good spell in Birmingham (Coquelin at Charlton, anyone?).
Right wingers
Alexis, Gnabry, Ox, Aaron*
Alexis has been pretty effective and our powerful weapon in the biggest games. Gnabry is back and could impose himself while Ox is out and if Alexis returns tired from Copa America. Aaron can also play there.
Attacking midfielders (central)
Mesut, Santi*, Jack*, Iwobi*
Mesut is the best one but others can fill for him when he is out.
Left wingers
Iwobi, Campbell, Alexis*, Ozil*, Danny*
Iwobi has been a revelation. Joel as well. Alexis and Ozil have already played a few games there.
Central forward
???, Giroud/Theo, Danny, Akpom*
Again, another emergence is expected. Perhaps Iwobi’s mate Akpom? I don’t see both Giroud and Theo at Arsenal next season so at least one is likely to leave and one big red hot striker to burn the nets across England and Continent as our only big signing next summer.
@ Robert, hmmmm maybe the money goes to paying the Club’s daily expenses? Or maybe Arsenal gets everything for free therefore there’s nothing for them to pay? I’m sure last time I checked Arsenal doesn’t have the same deal as West Ham United.
Polo, cash reserves at the end of the financial year are the positive bank balances left after paying for all the club’s daily expenses, and loan interest and capital repayments – and capital expenditure (eg training facility upgrades).
@ Robert,
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/18/arsenal-profits-cash-reserves
‘The cash reserves are intended to cover costs for a full season, and not all solely designated for player transfers.’
@ Robert, maybe this will help explain even though it’s not this financial year, but I think the breakdown will be similar.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/523492/REVEALED-Arsenal-chief-executive-Ivan-Gazdis-200m-cash-reserves
Oh Nick you want to act like a supporter rather than talk about ‘big club’. There aren’t deep pockets available to a shareholder club. The funds are set aside to purchase assets like any business. There are some assets that will be sold & some will be written off. New players will have already been identified but nothing will have been publicised so as to ensure cost. Any player that is known to be on Wengers radar will rocket in value.
The current state of player power with unscrupulous agents is not easy to control.
The protests have degraded the Arsenal brand & ‘change’ is in the minds of those who would have come gladly before. Any of those that protested are costing Arsenal several million in the market. The damage is a huge financial burden that Wenger has to recover with his integrity.
Polo, thanks for the links. However, in my view the best analyses of Arsenal’s cash reserves can be found on Swiss Ramble, such as this post: http://swissramble.blogspot.com.es/2016/02/arsenal-brass-in-pocket.html?utm_source=BP_recent
Please note that I did not say in my earlier post that the likely cash reserves equate to a transfer fund: “The other is transfer fees – and that depends on whether Arsenal have ring-fenced their likely cash reserves of 250m+ for purposes nobody outside the club is aware of.”
Menace
Another aggressive post from you but at least this one isn’t homophobic .Do your kids help you write such rubbish or do you think it all up yourself?I’ve read some of your senile rants about referees and thus don’t want to communicate with an aggressive barn pot like you.I can only assume your vile comments are tolerated on a site like this is because they detract and blame everyone except the players and manager for our poor season.
Nick you do not have to get to your low level to accept that I am far more intelligent than you. I just pointed out the difference between a shareholder club & a sugar daddy club.
My dislike of referees is in my view justified. Just watching Dean officiate at West Hams last match at the Bolyn. He is dreadful. You & Dean could probably be cousins.
Hahaha, looks like utd will be play ing Thursday night football.
most of London will cry tonight.
http://news.arseblog.com/2015/08/the-wisdom-of-michael-owen/
Don’t know if any of contributors ever read some of the daft shit this midget spews?
@ Robert, thank you for the link. Yes I have already been read that analyses from Swiss Rambles but the analyst is just doing guesswork on how much of the cash reserve is left for players transfer, maybe the analysis is right, maybe it’s not far off, maybe it’s totally wrong I don’t know but I would trust the CEO explanation. It’s a shame but understandable due to commercial reasons that the Club can’t advise what is the players transfer budget, this would ease a lot of the tensions going around at the moment.
My apologies if I had misunderstood your post about the ring around the £250 million cash reserve, as I have seen a few posters on here banging on about AW has £200 million for player transfers but he is to stubborn to use it because he’s a money pincher and think it’s his money. It’s infuriating to see comments like that when it’s not true.
“A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything. “It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses.
As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!”
Menace
Where as you and OMG arsenal act and look like step toe and son.