By Sir Hardly Anyone
In my earlier note (see links at the foot of this piece) I took a look at a range of players we are about to sign “allegedly”, and so now here is part two: all the players we are losing one way or another.
1: Per Mertesacker
The story is that Per will become Arsenal academy manager next season, while remaining for one more season as a registered player, and so part of the first team squad. Certainly given the performance he put in, in the cup final, he is still extraordinary for a man who hadn’t played in the squad for so long.
The aim, as I understand it, is for Per to then move on, the season after, to be full-time academy manager.
2: Glen Kamara and Savvas Mourgos
These two players have now had their contracts ended by mutual consent leaving them free to seek playing experience elsewhere. Kamara had the misfortune to be involved in the League Cup disaster against Sheffield Wednesday, but has played at youth level for Finland and should be able to find employment readily. If you know about what might happen to Savvas please do tell.
3: Alexis Sanchez
We now have people saying that Arsenal’s dealings in the transfer market might make him stay although it is also being suggested that Inter Milan want him as their “poster boy” signing (according to the Daily Mirror who seem to be getting a bit carried away with stuff at the moment.)
According to several Commentariat bloggettas, they are saying in Chile that Alexis is going to sign a new contract with new super wages and remain at Arsenal. Now there’s a thing. Untold doesn’t have a correspondent in Chile, so I can’t verify that.
4: Krystian Bielik
The story is that he might go to Leeds as part of some exchange deal, but it looks to me like a misunderstanding for the fact he is going to be given a season long loan deal – perhaps with Leeds.
The ratings Bielik got with Birmingham City were very positive, and his performances did not go unnoticed across the Championship. But with Zola leaving Birmingham before the end of the season it seems unlikely he would return there, much though many people at Birmingham would welcome him.
Indeed Zola’s exit might make Birmingham less appealing for Bielik, and Arry would be unlikely to welcome him unless there is some sort of deal to be had – which is why Leeds is on the radar.
5: Selling the Ox
The latest is a flurry of stories saying that he is being held back and stultified at Arsenal, which surprised me since I didn’t know the Commentariat were familiar with the word “stultified”.
But learning that word suggests that the Ox has not flourished with Arsenal this past season. So let’s consider flourishment as a concept.
The Ox made 45 appearances last season. So if that is not full of flourishidity, just how many times will the poor chap have to play?
6: Giroud
The Telegraph tells us State Aid United are still preparing (as they have been doing for weeks apparently) to offer a club-record fee of around £20m for Olivier Giroud.
It raises the question: just how long does it take to prepare such things?
Anyway, lots of clubs in England and France are after the man who is still, after all, the first choice centre forward for France. Marseille is still often being mentioned
7: Theo
The Daily Star claims that Arsenal really really are going to sell both Giroud and Theo to the club with the pitch so far away from the changing rooms that the players have to leave extra early to get out there. Theo is a fast runner however so should easily get there in time.
8: Gibbs
Watford are still refusing to pay the £15m asking price. Brighton and Stoke are interested. (London Football News). Although the Mirror says Watford are determined to “prize him away from Arsenal”. So Arsenal are cutting the price to £8m just to get rid of him.
9: Bellerin
Apparently he has now asked for a transfer and Arsenal have refused to allow it, while also talking with Barcelona. In fact according to these stories it is Arsene Wenger who has told Arsenal’s board that it is time to sell the player – and if you believe that well, you might as well make your own transfer stories up and open up your own bloggetta.
10: Ozil
Ozil has given a very positive interview about welcoming Lacazette, which would seem very out of place if he genuinely were thinking of leaving, so maybe he is staying.
11: Debuchy
The Mirror is reporting that Newcastle are looking to sign Debuchy. The newspaper is slightly confused about the reason why Arsenal need to reduce the squad size (thinking about the number of “foreigners” as they like to call the non-home-grown players, when that isn’t exactly right) but the talk is of letting Debuchy go on a free.
12: Wojciech Szczesny
Juventus want him but they need to get rid of one of their existing keepers, and their current second-choice goalkeeper (Neto) is not excited about leaving. Hence the delay. On the other hand maybe the plan is to keep him at Arsenal.
And that is about it for now.
Coming up we’ll have the latest comparison table looking at how many or few players Arsenal has signed compared to five other clubs. And a consideration of how the transfer world looks from a Tottenham point of view. And of course a new edition of the Index.
- Arsenal prepare for 3rd big transfer, before the selling starts
- Exactly how will Arsenal’s forward line look in 2017/18? Here’s the answers
- Wenger’s regrets, two transfers out, playing on a Friday, what Pep said about “ten years”
The dead wood needs to be burned, the sooner the better. They had plenty of opportunities to express themselves,they have left the club that I have followed for fifty five years down. We need change at arsenal.
I am absolutely ‘over the moon’ to use a good old foootball cliche that BFG is staying on and in line to be Academy manager. Looking ahead this role could be a stepping stone to him eventually becoming manager of the club. He appears to me to have the necessary qualities needed to manage our great club and is an embryo Arsene Wenger in my opinion.
Regarding Per becoming Academy Manager, I think we can be pretty confident that all the youngsters will look up to him…
Thank you… I’m here all week!
U would think that per might be delisted from the EPL squad to allow him to concentrate on the cups and gaining the relevant badges. I am hoping that cazorla looks at him and decides to hang up his boots immediately and also join the coaching staff. It would free up 2 spaces for new signings.
‘…flourishidity…’
When you laugh aloud in a quiet office– people take notice.
Followed by inquiries.
jw1
Tricky one for Giroud. Stay in lovely London with Wet Spam, who are basically a bit shit and itching to get relegated again, or set up shop in the turgid grime of Merseyside, playing for an alright Everton who aren’t shy on spending some wedge to beef up their team. Most exciting of all, if he does go Oop North there’s a strong possibility he’ll get to play alongside Wayne Rooney. Imagine! He’s probably foaming at the mouth just thinking about it.
I say, if ye must go, then go with our blessing back to the Motherland for the lazy sunny evenings of Marseille or some such like. You’ve earned it.
Yes, I agree, Per Mertasacker could one day become the senior Gunners coach if he progressed well at the Arsenal academy school of football. Mert’ has the aura of personality, physical structural height & the commanding voice speech in him that’s easily makes him suitable to become the next senior Gunners manager after Le Prof has retired from managing Arsenal. Maybe in the next 4 – 5 years time when he’ll would have had his current deal at Arsenal renewed again if the Arsenal CEO, Ivan Gasidiz’s comment in this regard is taking into account. And by that time, I think Mert’ would have matured as a coach after he’s schooled at Arsenal academy school and armed with the requisite coaching badges. So, I believe this is a deliberate plan by Le Prof to implant his successor a head of the time when he’ll leave Arsenal.
Nonetheless, the Goal.com media report is saying Alexis Sanchez is adamant not to renew his current deal at Arsenal which expires at the end of next season. And he has made up his to join Pep Guardiola’s Man City next season. Consequently, the Goal commentariat have alleged that, to avoid losing Alexis on the free next season, Arsenal are bracing up in their minds to allow him go to Man City who are said to be bidding their time before submitting a bid to Arsenal for Alexis’ signature. However, Arsenal are said could delay the move near to the transfer deadline day to deny Man City playing Alexis in some Premier League games.
Yes, I agree, Per Mertasacker could one day become the senior Gunners coach if he progressed well at the Arsenal academy school of football. Mert’ has the aura of physical structural height & the commanding voice speech personality in him that’s easily makes him recognizable and suitable to become the next senior Gunners manager after Le Prof has retired from managing Arsenal. Maybe in the next 4 – 5 years time when he would have had his current deal at Arsenal renewed again if the Arsenal CEO, Ivan Gasidiz’s comment in this regard is taking into account. And by that time, I think Mert’ would have matured as a coach after he’s schooled at Arsenal academy school and armed with the requisite coaching badges. So, I believe this is a deliberate plan by Le Prof to plant his successor a head of the time of his leaving Arsenal.
Nonetheless, the Goal.com media report is saying Alexis Sanchez is adamant not to renew his current deal at Arsenal which expires next season. And he has made up his mind to join Pep Guardiola’s Man City next season. Consequently, the Goal commentariat have alleged that, to avoid losing Alexis on the free next season, Arsenal are bracing up in their minds to allow him go to Man City who are said to be bidding their time before submitting a bid to Arsenal for Alexis’ signature. However, Arsenal are said could delay the move near to the transfer deadline day to deny Man City playing Alexis in some Premier League games.
My comment posted twice. I thought the first one didn’t post as it did not indicate it did. So, I edited it and repost. Sorry.
Can’t wait for Walter’s article on Per’s appointment!
I think if Arsenal conclude all their 3 senior players summer signings this window. By adding one more big money signing, and haven already spent over £50m to bring in Lacazette, Arsenal could want to recoup some of the money they spent if not all to bring in the one target of Lacazette and the next one more target they should bring in soon.
Already, Alexis has become a targeted candidate for selling but unwilling. Which if he’s sold, the proceeds will recoup some money spent on the incoming transfers by Arsenal this summer. While one or two of: Jenko, Campbell, Debuchy, Perez, Gibbs, the Ox, Olivier Giroud and Walcott in the pecking order could become surpluse to requirements to also become candidates for sales this summer to also enabled Arsenal to recoup the money they’ve spent to bring in two costly targets this summer.
I would have edited my last comment and repost it as I saw some errors in it on my reading it after posting. But I can’t do that on my Nokia C3 that I used to type it. Had I used my Android, it would have been possible for me to do so.
I have said on previous occasions that I do not like any Arsenal players (or people in any organisation) being described as “dead wood”. Yes, some players are better / more successful / effective / fortunate than others. That does not justify a lack of respect from contributors, towards any professional player on Arsenal books.
Talking on recoup of big money spent on 3 targets last summer by Arsenal to the tones of £87m according to media report. And the likelihood they’ll could spend more than that in bringing in 2 big money targets this summer, one of whom a Lacazette they’ve brought in already which could escalate the total money spent on 5 incoming transfer targets in 2 summer widows close to £187m in my own unreliable estimation. The Arsenal who spent £B7m on 3 targets last summer did not do any significant recoup for their spending to balance their accounting books at Arsenal. Thus, leaving the books in red if I am to imaging that.
Therefore, since Arsenal FC is not a football club that is being sponsored by any money owned philanthropist like some others are, and not to repeat leaving their bank books in unbalanced state again after drawing heavily from it as they’ve done one big and likely could do another big money incoming transfers this summer, it has become imperative Arsenal should be balancing their books after doing incoming transfers by selling some of the surpluses to requirements in their squad to balance their books so as to avoid doing bad business in 2 consecutive summer windows that will leave their books not balanced.
Sean casey
07/07/2017 at 1:39 pm
The dead wood needs to be burned, the sooner the better.
Lets burn some of the so called supporters instead.
I hope I am wrong, but worry that Ox may end up under the indluence of the most agenty of agents, Aidie Ward.
He is an excellent player, but if he won’t sign, sell
I like the new “hard ball” Arsenal; compared to the kind and fatherly Arsenal, easily conned by its favorite sons. Competition for shirts is looking to be furious all season long!! Is it possible for one’s mouth to water in anticipation of the coming season or one just have to settle for waiting for the season’s flourishidity to begin?