By Jacko Jones
The transfer market is getting into full swing as the Premier League advances towards opening day. As seems to be an annual theme, Arsenal are staring down the barrel of a new season with a number of squad requirements unfulfilled.
Speaking after the match against the MLS All-Stars Wenger confirmed he is looking for a least one defensive and one attacking signing to complete his squad ahead of the new season.
World Cup winning German centre-back, Shkodran Mustafi, is topping the defensive signing list but his club, Valencia, have set a release clause of €45m. The German defender has played in England before having joined Everton as an academy player before making a free transfer to Sampdoria where he spent two years.
A potential rival to take the starting spot next to Laurent Koscielny – who is rumoured to be the next Arsenal captain – is Roma defender, Kostas Manolas. Gunners’ fans may remember him being on Arsenal’s shopping list two years ago only to see him sign for Roma. This was due to the Gunners not wanting to meet Olympiakos’ £12m valuation and as an integral part of the Roma defence, the Greek international would cost a lot more than £12m.
In attack, Arsenal are favourites to land Jese Rodriguez from Real Madrid. Highly thought of at the Bernabeu, Jese is a versatile forward who would add some much needed speed to Arsenal’s frontline. He will find playing time hard to come by next season and as such Madrid are prepared to listen to offers for him. He may prefer a move to PSG but as things stand the Gunners are in pole position and is one of those football tips worth following up on.
Lyon’s Lacazette has been the subject of much media attention after the French club publicly announced they had rejected a bid of £29m from Arsenal. They also categorically stated that Lacazette is not for sale at any price. However, this does not seem to have put off Arsène Wenger who is gearing up a final offer of £40m so it’s definitely worth checking the latest odds with Coral because if they land Lacazette they may finally have the fire power needed to win the title.
Ivan Gazidis risked the wrath of Arsenal fans when he proclaimed Arsenal are unable to compete with their rivals for players – this coming after years of posturing and claims of Arsenal’s impending financial power. Obviously the league and market dynamic has changed since some of these statements were made but Arsenal fans will not be very forgiving or understanding should the window close and there still be gaping holes in the squad.
Thankfully it seems Wenger is making moves in the market that defy Gazidis’ words and perhaps it’s a bit of clever PR to help the manager win over some critics. Having spent years protecting the board maybe Ivan has decided to take one for the team and let Wenger get some plaudits for splashing the cash after he claimed it wasn’t possible. Probably wishful thinking but as long as we get the players we need I doubt many would care what PR games are being played.
The football tips always predict a season where Arsenal fall out of the top four but they always seem to defy the odds and make it back in. That seems to have been enough for the board but Arsenal fans have been crying out for some bold moves on the transfer market to finally make a concerted effort to win the Premier League and this summer could be the one. At the moment it is just fanciful thinking but considering the talent in the squad already if Arsenal manage to add Lacazette or Jesé and Mustafi or Manolas to the earlier signings of Xhaka, Holding and Asano that would be a very good summer.
- Xhaka to be top Swiss of the Premier League?
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- This transfer now goes completely beyond a done deal.
- Transfers, sackings, injuries… most of it is untrue, and we can’t go on like this. But what happens next?
The most Un-Untold of articles I’ve seen. But thanks anyway 🙂
Here’s what will happen
Wenger will say over and over how we are active in the market and everyone is working 24 hours a day and then we will go into the the season with the same squad we have now minus several long term injuries.
Easy
@Des,
what strikes me is that you just take for granted that money can buy anything.
As far as we know, the player may not want to come to Arsenal, or to London which is not european anymore, maybe because he is not married and his grilfriend would not get a permit ? Or the player’s agent has a different take on his earnings and wants him to wait out one more year or go some place else for whatever reason.
And finally, wonder what the Arsenal players think of any new signing and why would they collaborate with someone who is 1) taking their place 2) taking all the spotlight 3) not have proven yet anything at the Emirates. Maybe in some past game there was unfinished business between the player and some Arsenal player(s) ? Does he talk english ? etc.
You just assume that the process is like on FIFA 2016. A few mouseclicks and that’s it, you are in full control of their minds and bodies through your joystick.
Maybe you ought to see what happens with the coach of your kid’s soccer team….I’ve been there….tell you what : it’s just like PL, but smaller.
Here is what I see happening – the media , fans , the agents and club presidents continue to put out daily moronic statements and comments , but suddenly and eerily quietens down during the last days. Panic sets in and all manner of concessions will be eked; mazey , hazy and crazy last minute deals done and a lot of red faces will abound.
None will admit to their stupidity and ignorance and more rubbish will be printed and regurgitated . Expect a lot of finger pointing and sore eyes !
Arsenal.com will only confirm any new buys after it is properly sealed and signed . And the player’s family have posted on Fakebook and Twatter.
Arsene Wenger will be talking about the origins , the greatness of the Olympics games in fluent Portuguese and in Latin , while sunning himself on a beach somewhere .
And then he returns to welcome a Brazilian(?) player ( my crystal ball reveals an exotic name sounding very Portuguese like ! ) that no one here has heard of and definitely is not on SHA ‘s list of 92 (and counting )! Or he may be from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, or São Tomé and Príncipe. Or is it Goa or Malacca ?
Or maybe he’s from Gabon ? Anyway the name does not roll off the tongue too easily !
May be we only need one signing, a striker to share out responsibilities with Giroud. You see, players are injured, they have not been discarded or sold. What happens when they all come back? Remember they have to be paid.
“Those who don’t know history (or any better !) are destined to repeat ( or again blow) it.”
One day while on patrol, a police officer pulled over a car for speeding. He went up to the car and asked the driver to roll down her window. The first thing he noticed, besides the nice red sports car, was how hot the driver was! Blue eyes, blonde, the works.
“I’ve pulled you over for speeding, Ma’am. Could I see your drivers license?”
“What’s a license?”
“It’s usually in your wallet,” replied the officer. After fumbling for a few minutes, the driver managed to find it.
“Now may I see your registration?” asked the cop.
“Registration….. what’s that….?”
“It’s usually in your glove compartment,” said the cop impatiently. After some more fumbling, she found the registration. “I’ll be back in a minute.” said the cop and walked back to his car.
The officer called in to the dispatch to run a check on the woman’s license and registration.
After a few moments, the dispatcher came back, “Ummm… is this woman driving a red sports car?”
“Yes.” replied the officer
“Is she a drop dead gorgeous blonde?” asked the dispatcher.
“Uh… yes.” replied the cop.
“Here’s what you do,” said the dispatcher. “Give her the stuff back, and drop your pants.”
“What? I can’t do that. It’s… inappropriate.” exclaimed the cop.
“Trust me. Just do it.” said the dispatcher.
So the cop goes back to the car, gives back the license and registration and drops his pants, just as the dispatcher said.
The blonde looks down and sighs… “Ohh no… not another breathalyzer…”
What a great article.Absolutely spot on.
My crystal ball tells me that during the next 3 weeks, the Ems negotiators will obtain the best bargains possible in order to strengthen the squad. The transfer fees demanded will be obscenely high, hence the need to negotiate.
But all will come right and Arsenal FC will commence next term’s campaign in better shape than for years. 😉
Not Untold Article more click bait.
Untold article should see anither angle …and that is ….who are the excess or players the players we should fet rid of.
My opinion will be all three english players .
Walcot …10 years no improvement
Nothing bur because of their phisical fragility Wilshere and Gibbs should go.
@Chris, I don’t know what FIFA 2016 is? Does it mean we get the players we want?
Anyway in regards to your points about signing players I’m sure that many of them are often relevant but it always surprises me that are other main rivals often seem to have no problem buying the players they want, and some of these teams can’t give the players CL football. Perhaps their targets don’t have such fussy requirements. Or maybe we only have certain targets and they are just too hard to get, Vardy for instance, who just didn’t want to come. Whatever happens I expect we’ll probably get a striker and/or a CB. That seems to be the intention as much as one can glean from our attempted transfer activity.
Good refreshing article by the way which dares to veer beyond the usual UA boundaries.
Nephew says give Sanogo a chance to do good. He better than Theo.
It never felt as if Arsenal were favourites for Jese. Now he has gone to PSG on loan and I expect that he will be the top scorer in Ligue 1 but I don’t think getting a player in for one season on loan is the right way to go so if he wasn’t for sale then no real loss. Very surprised that you make no mention of Mahrez.
Pointless article. More speculation.
@Yellow Canary
I am no expert, but from what I see, stable squad makes signing some players much more difficult.
The other teams change coaches once every other year or so. Each time the squad is subjected to a refurnishing.
Remember when Moyes went, what happenned with MU ? Same at Chelsky, City or Spurs.
A player wants as much playing time as possible. Do you think we’d be able to sign a second Ozil ? Or a second Alexis ? or a third world class goalie ?
Talking about goalie, imagine the situation for Ospina, or if he had left for any ‘replacement’. I could not imagine a Courtois or Joe Hart wanting to come to Arsenal to be second fiddle.
So apart from rumours and so on, I believe that the satability od the club is the one thing that is fundamentaly different from all the others.
Wonder if under Alex F. MU had sich stability ? No one has some statistics about it ?
The vultures are starting to circle.
Wengers last days are being played out.