By Sir Hardly Anyone.
The pundits and tipsters, and the drunks at the bar, have made a pretty fair hash of predicting who Arsenal are signing and selling this summer, but with just a short while to go one might hope their information might at least be right by now.
And yet, I suspect maybe not, not least because the Daily Mail has just come up with the headline “When does the transfer window close? All you need to know”. Actually to be fair that is the Hull Daily Mail, but even so.
The answer – and yes it is all you need to know – is 11pm on Thursday 31 August.
So who are we going to sign with just two and a half days to go? And indeed who is going to depart? And after that can we do an article headlined, “Who is Sir Hardly Anyone? All you need to know.”
Part One: Players In
1: Jonny Evans
This one is everywhere. Arsenal have “entered the running” (puff puff) for Jonny Evans as West Bromwich Albion “brace themselves” (brace brace) for an “improved bid from Manchester City” (bid bid) for the Northern Ireland centre-half. [Stop it stop it – Tony] The story goes that…
“City are expected to make a third offer worth up to £30 million for Evans today but Arsenal are understood to have enquired about the former Manchester United defender last night.”
Only an enquiry? Well, the story is here, there and everywhere, so maybe not.
2: Virgil van Dijk,
Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. This one is in The Sun. A horrible little toe rag of a newspaper.
But Liverpool and Chelsea are involved so that means that since Arsenal fail at everything as is well known, we won’t get him. Besides The Sun Says, Southampton are quite certain Van Dijk will not be sold, despite signing defender Wesley Hoedt from Lazio.
On the other hand Arsenal don’t know what they are doing so they might offer 55p or £50m, you never can tell.
3: Raheem Sterling
Apparently Sterling has been offered to Arsenal in exchange for Alexis Sanchez. And there might be some money as well, although City might use a slight of hand and withdraw the money offer late in the night.
4: Thomas Lemar
Liverpool have just offered £74m. Arsenal are also interested. That’s what the bloggettas are saying, don’t blame me. Monaco say he is still not for sale. But the Monaco owner has a huge divorce bill, and some other legal costs, and there are questions everywhere about the finances of the club, so really, who knows other than the judge.
5: Sergio Aguero
Arsenal are keen on “landing” Sergio Aguero, apparently (that sounds very fishy). It will be a monster swap deal with Manchester City.
6: Julian Draxler.
Yep it is not Lemar, it is Draxler. So is this the window where Draxler finally joins Arsenal?
Kylian Mbappe is off to PSG so Draxler is threatened with playing in the reserves and doesn’t want to hang around. The cost is around £40 million.
And this is all according to The Sun, (oh dear). Apparently Arsenal are at the front of the queue for Draxler, with a deal very possible.
Players out
1: Alexis of course (it is always Alexis)
Manchester City are offering Raheem Sterling as part of the deal (see above) although actually they want a straight cash deal to sign Sanchez and now, quickly before the CAS bans them from signing anyone. But Arsenal are in chaos of course, so it will probably be a player who looks a bit like Sterling and who has just changed his name to Sterling and who can’t play.
Meanwhile Man City are flying staff to Chile to complete the deal, which is odd, because neither his agent nor the player is in Chile. But they do make some rather nice Merlot, and the new vintage (currently on offer discounted to £5.50 a bottle in Morrisons just over the border in Corby) is worth picking up by the crate, so that’s probably why they are all off.
2: Mustafi
Arsene Wenger needs to strengthen his back line after reports that Shkodran Mustafi could be on his way to Inter Milan because he doesn’t like the English climate.
But unless Inter suddenly decide to cough up a bucketful of cash, it looks as if Mustafi won’t be leaving the Emirates any time soon, according to the Independent. And Inter don’t have the money.
3: The Ox
Arsene Wenger could be ready to sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, reports The Mirror. Well “reports” is probably a bit strong.
But Chelsea and Liverpool are “on red alert”. Honestly there are still some people around who write phrases like “red alert”.
“Chelsea agree fee with Arsenal to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain” is one headline under which we are told “Chelsea have agreed a fee with Arsenal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the player potentially the first of three England internationals destined for Chelsea – Liverpool, however, retain an interest in the midfielder”. Hmmmm.
4: Jack
Jack Wilshere could also be set to leave the Emirates, with Arsene Wenger prepared to sell him, according to The Guardian. That doesn’t really tell us much does it.
5: Gibbs
Apparently he’s not going anywhere, because Watford can’t agree terms. Oh but what’s this? WBA are now back in. Wow!
6: Lucas.
The deal is not done, he’s staying. That’s according to a bloggetta.
So there we are. Are we any the wiser? I’m not really sure. Mine’s a Merlot thank you very much squire.
- What is wrong with Arsenal, what is wrong with football and how to put it all right
- Do you have to be passionate to be a football supporter? A note to the psychologist.
- Exactly how can things get any worse? Turns out it is not too hard.
i hate hearing about evan’s enquiry, I also don’t want to hear about sterling in swap with sanchez is not worth it. we need aguero
The Mustafi one baffles me and the Perez one . Let’s hope he’s managed to convince Van Dijk to join with Lemar
But you know.you do .you really do.that afc are in fact signing no one.hilarious banter from wenger & the board.what a wheeze.carry on as you mean to go on arsene old boy.splendid work.or should I say a complete & utter bloody shambles?
As a long standing fan it makes me laugh ,the media love to slag us off because of how huge following some radio presenters are as stale aS WENGER MR A MIDDLE CLASS DURHAM TALK SPORT THINGS are poor at present this weeds out the johnny come lately fan having watch us from the clock end under T NEILL and G GHAHAM THINGS ARE NOT THAT BAD YET have a cold beer and join me in a rendition OF JESUS TO PADDY HE SANG IT SO WELL I THINK I GET UP AND SING IT AGAIN
I will be really dismayed if we go for Johny Evans (it came from Sky Sports, which means there may be a slither of truth to it). Haven’t been a fan of him since he was seen spitting in an oppositions face. Is he really good enough for Arsenal? And 29 years old, at that, so he’s only going to get worse. If Arsenal are truly going for him, then that shows an acceptance of mediocrity. I imagine Wenger would have been after a far better and more expensive defender (not that they’re mutually exclusive), but the treasury wouldn’t allow it.
I feel that we need another marque signing; something to lift up the team, the fans and the entire club. Virgil van Dijk would do nicely (or even Asensio, but that seems highly, highly unlikely). Please, for the love of god, not Johny Evans..
@Jammy J
Yes, Evans could possibly become a new Squillaci/Silvestre signing – a relatively cheap defender with experience of winning stuff but only thanks to the fact he was part of the big team. He is not a player that would bring us to the next level.
We will know after 1st September what is going on with Arsenal but right now, I don’t like the sound of it.
The deal put to Arsenal by Man City for a player exchange plus cash looks quite generous, but Wenger might even push for two players in a swap. Jonny Evans is at least as good as any of our central defenders bar Kos. He always plays well against us. Don’t know about his spitting though. Didn’t Petit & Vieira have a history of that?
If Wenger is serious about improving the defence he shd go for the Dm . I have nothing against Evans,He better get guys with proven epl experience and not wc promising kids who will deliver in x years only to disappoint.
The fm has lost the plot with his predictable style. Endless passing and running all over the place.
He shd get the gunners to shoot like Mane.
If not even if he were to get the BM hotshots,he will be let down by the defence. That’s why he is a sif compared to Mourino who has not conceded a single goal.
Making your team hard to beat is also as important as attacking relentlessly especially if you cant score.
If we lose Sanchez to city after all you’ve said here tony, I feel you owe us an explanation
A detailed one at least
Stephan .stephan?are you hearing me? Wake up & smell the coffee ffs!
I should think Arsenal can only sign a 29 year old player on loan and not on a permanent deal. I am surprised to read now that Arsenal have asked Man City for the 29 Aguero in a part player and cash deal for Alexis Sanchez which Man City have proposed to strike with Arsenal before deadline dsy. For heaven sake, how can Le Prof reject the 22 year old Raheem Sterling who by all starndad is a top quality player and can still improve on his quality for a 29 year old Aguero who is on the downturn or approaching it? I can’t comprehend what is going on at the Emirates Stadium in this regard.
PANIC stations…everyone is leaving…apart from the wrong sort of fans, shame really!
I feel sorry for Tony and those that are trying to bring some sort of reality back to what is really happening after 3 games.
Everyone seems to know who is responsible for our poor start, everyone seems to know how to remedy it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no one here really knows whether a change in the board, the management or the whole playing staff would alter anything at all. I don’t think anybody here can tell us who will win the premiership and who will win the Champions league…but there are a number that would stake their lives on Arsenal not finishing in the top 4…and would be happy if that was the case.
I know AW has been given 2 years to change our performance, from a FA cup winning outfit (oh sorry, that’s not a trophy is it?) to PL and CL perennial winners and we the fans, have already had enough. I wouldn’t expect such impatience from British fans, but then again, things have changed in this country beyond recognition. So sad.
Nothing has actually happened so far on Arsenal transfers at 19:25 pm GMT today at the time of my commenting. I mean no deal has been reported on any media websites and confirmed done IN or OUT. So, we may have to wait until tomorrow or by today’s late night to see if we can read something positive on the transfer front that has come Arsenal’s way as expected. Hope so.
Last 4 seasons:
Win FA Cup
Win FA Cup
League Runners up
Win FA Cup.
Only Arsenal fans could see this as failure.
Ask any Liverpool or Spurs fan if they would of swapped the last 4 years with us?
Liverpool: 1 Carling cup win in last 10years.
Spurs: 1 Carling Cup win in last 10years.
Only Arsenal fans could see this as ‘better’ than what we’ve achieved.
I know we were garbage on Sunday and I was as disappointed and perplexed as anyone but really, this onslaught is pathetic.
Alas, nothing more than I expected, but pathetic none the less.
@Nitram
Why don’t you compare yourself with City Man utd or Chelsea?
Besides that, you’re missing the bigger picture
Those teams you’ve called have also changed managers hoping to get better
We’ve had the same one who has proven to be a liar by what we’ve heard today concerning Sanchez and past it tactically.
We’ve bought fresh players, changed the team over and over, yet we get thrashed repeatedly.
He has to go
I really think this season will be humiliating for him, so much he might want to step down
Sanchez was the only reason why we’re even in Europe
Losing him is a big loss no doubt.
You guys may back Wenger all the days of your life, but the fact is he is responsible for the way the team plays, the team selections and results.
He wins the odd matches here and there, but when the pressure is on, he shows he can’t handle it.
No matter how you look at it, the FA cup plays second fiddle to the league.
And it does in all countries, not just England.
Winning the league is a priority.
But I can bet a whole lot we’ll never win the league with Wenger in charge.
That’s a fact.
Cheers
Stephan
‘But I can bet a whole lot we’ll never win the league with Wenger in charge.
That’s a fact.’
No it isn’t a fact.
Do you actually know what a fact is?
Why can’t arsenal offload ozil and go for someone with team fighting spirit like Draxler or Asensio
Mickhazel
Judging from the last dacade, I can actually project
If you feel he’ll win it again, you’re the biggest joker alive
Klopp, Mourinho or Pep will win it multiple times before he dreams of it
Wanna bet?
Nitram,
right on
Stephan,
We are just games into a game run. You have definitive opnions about what will happen in the next months. And it is your damn right to have them, after all we live in a free society. With your prodictive powers, you are set to make a real fortune betting the outcome of games. Keep at it. This fortune will help you buy the club and do as you want with it. And we will be there harassing you because the decisions you’ll take as owner will not satisfy us, that is a fact.
@stephan. Well said
Stephan
Did I say he would win it again, no I didn’t.
All I pointed out was your lack of understanding of what constistutes a fact as you appear to be having difficulty grasping the meaning of the word.
What you think or project as you put it isn’t a fact.
Stephan,
get yourself a PSG tshirt. You’ll be very happy, because they will win every existing competition they will participate in for years to come, that is a fact.
So why do yourself the stress to even think about the loosers Arsenal are and represent ?!?!
Just be HAPPY
Pls why are they loaning out mustafi is the guy wack to that extent
Mickhazel
Not gonna be drawn on what the word ‘Fact’ means or not.
I believe my point has been passed on.
We have 2 years to deal with a man who has obviously passed his time at the top level.
Let’s hope his legacy is not forever tarnished by his stubbornness.
He should have left when the ovation was loudest after the FA cup,but he continued.
To what aim?
Win an EPL title most Arsenal fans know, in their hearts can’t be done with him anymore?
Or the UCL which he hasn’t won before?
Changing the man at the helm of affairs might just be what this players need to kick on.
Someone with new ideas,tactics and a new set up.
If the window shuts down and Alexis is gone, we’ll be even weaker than we were last season.
The idea of promoting a certain campaign against Arsenal by the Refs is just embarrassing.
We lost to Pool without a single shot on target
Were the refs at fault for that?
If you want to support the manager all through,it’s totally fine.
But don’t blame someone else for his failings.
Accept it and move on.
3 matches into the season, 2 loses already.
Looks like it’s gonna be a long season ahead.
Chris
Why don’t you buy a West Ham shirt coz that’s about as good as arsenal will be under wenger! Sounds childish doesn’t it? Now you know how you sound with your AKB attitude! Everyone has moved on from Wenger in! Wenger out! because it’s just common sense that arsenal need a new manager a fresh approach no matter who the manager is he needs to be changed! The reason why Wenger has slipped into the top 4 for so long is because there wasn’t as much competition. You can all talk about the past but in the present its way harder than ever in the prem and wenger and the board have neglected the transfer window and the players contracts for to many years now and it’s catching up on them. No more creeping into the top 4 because Liverpool, spurs or Chelsea have a crisis, no more last day top 4 grabs because other teams are to good now with amazing managers who have imprinted there identity and philosophy into there teams and I can’t wait until arsenal can do the same. Just a team that can defend would be nice but I don’t trust the board to have the guts to sack Wenger and get a real hunger manager that knows what modern football teams need, knopp was the guy I thought we would of went for.
Is Arsenal ever going to become the team the fans want it to become again?
Winning a few games against lower teams (some of them already passing Arsenal) will/should not pacify fans.
Reading comments above, seems like i’ve gone back in time a few years and reading untold, it seems nothing has changed.
Of course, little things has changed, but the problems of Arsenal seem to have remained the same, remain the same, and to be remaining the same which ever time i travel to.
Money.
@Nitram
Pool have won the CL since we last won the PL and have been fortunate enough to enjoy some of the world’s most exciting players of recent times.
Yes, things went badly at times but as a club (and group of fans) with ambitions, they made changes in ownership and management and things are lining up nicely for them.
Spurs have over achieved in recent times.
Neither set of fans would swap us for 3 da cups.
Nice how you left out Man U, City and Chelsea, will we soon be saying Everton and Swansea would love our 5th place finishes??
You want what ?
In a hotel in London –
The room service boy knocks on the door and says , ” Here are your Pringles , sir .”
The foreign guest looks at the box of potato chips for a minutes appearing confused.
Finally he says , ” !@#$%^&* ! I said BRING GIRLS !”
Dalinho, one little problem with your solution. Around 70% of managerial replacements do worse than the person they replaced in the first couple of years – and many don’t last through that time span.
People are going on about Klopp. I’ve nothing against him, but when he left Dortmund they had tumbled down the league. Arsene Wenger, as far as I know, has never had anything like that in his career at the top of football. One bad loss is not going to change that.
On to the Bournemouth match!
Barton, do the maths (if you can) how many times have Arsenal been out of the top 4 in the last 20 years ? How many times have the others been in the top 4 in the same period? Go and support someone else bro.
If anyone cannot see why Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City have been in a different financial world to us for the last 10 to 12 years then they need to open there eyes.
Then we have someone suggesting Spurs have ‘Over achieved’.
I mean they must mean ‘achieved’ in the loosest possible sense because as far as I can see they’ve ‘achieved’ nothing.
What trophies have they WON exactly? And aren’t trophies what it’s all about?
Or has finishing in the top 4 suddenly become a ‘trophy’ after all, now Spurs are in it?
And under what measure is it that spurs can be adjudged to of over achieved?
Please don’t say it’s because of how little they have spent. Arsenal went 10 years with a net profit in the transfer market and managed to finish in the top 4 EVERY SINGLE SEASON.
Over that period UTD Chelsea and City were spending a net £50 million per season.
Liverpool were spending a net £25 Million. And isn’t it funny how it seems prudent to bring up their only real success in god knows how long, the Cl, but slip the fact that they haven’t won a title in over 25 years under the radar.
The bottom line is, people still want to compare us with those 3 financial megaliths and that is totally un realistic.
We should, and I do, compare us with like for like, or at least similar, clubs.
Whether anyone thinks we should have a benefactor sponsoring us to the same level as those 3 is a whole different argument, but until that happens we cannot possibly be expected to be compared directly to them, and you can whinge and whine about it as much as you like but that is the way it is.
So I guess we go back to the issue of money, very soon it’ll be referees and the FA. How much did we spend last season? Was it not that same last season we dropped out of the CL, we spent 100m+ and we were the worse for it. How can one forget the inept tactics, using players out of position, defensive woes, issues with players contract. Arsene said we needed 2 or 3 players to compete this season, we got them but we are worse for it. Like someone said, we’ve simply moved on from the WOB and the AKB arguments, its massively glaring there is trouble, the players are playing as if they don’t care, anyone who doesn’t think the issue is our inept way of running a club or our once great manager should just listen to what Peter cech had to say after that disaster. It’s pretty convenient to blame other clubs, they are doing the best for themselves but we are swimming in sentiments. The funny thing is the fan who keeps telling other fans to support PSG, why don’t you support west brom since you have the ‘small club mentality’. And since you feel we cannot compete with them, why do we charge that much for tickets, I’m sure it’s not to watch the team lose 4:0 without any shot on target, I’m sure it’s not to watch inept football!. Very soon, the excuse would fall back on referees and the opposition
Agreed DM is the key, the defence are going to get split but a counter using modern tactics, it’s the penalty spot and zone aead which needs covering, which is the DM role. Wolfgang is not fool here.
Evans is not the right man for any job at our club, we buy high quality or not at all. Selling Mustarfi to buy evans, I’m sorry I could never think Wenger would do tht, I am not that gullible.
RW is almost as important as a LB, but I think a CB to challenge Mustarfi and Koscielny is as important. When you look here, you see we also need a RB, because we don’t have a second one, Chambers isn’t making the bench! And at this point you relise that we beed a CM with a playmaking ability, because Wilshere or Santi could turn out to be dead.
You play for a club, but the supporters complain, the media harrang you and you are repeatedly determined to be lacking quality, most people don’t thrive off that. 4-0 down I was clapping every intervention, in a pub full of Chelsea fans, it doesn’t matter what we do, I can be annoyed, but I support, the club, players and manager, why jump on a bandwagon designed to undermine all 3?
So indicative of our self destructive, self serving ‘1st’ world societies. I am ashamed to be human, I cannot even enjoy football anymore, worse than the manner of the defeat on Sunday, is the media, the sniping, and the fake fans of football let alone the club.
I just want to see good footy!
Exactly, why charge Real Madrid tickets prices, but field a West Ham?
‘The funny thing is the fan who keeps telling other fans to support PSG, why don’t you support west brom since you have the ‘small club mentality’
Well we aren’t the ones who are moaning, whining, and being irrational. Why support something if it doesn’t bring you any enjoyment? Come back in 2 years time and maybe what you are craving for will bring back your enjoyment.
‘Small club mentality’? Do you understand what that mean? Or it’s just a trolling phrase?
‘Exactly, why charge Real Madrid tickets prices, but field a West Ham?’
I’m sure Arsenal paid for their own stadium and pay their own bills, unless everything is given free of charge to Arsenal? The last I heard Arsenal break-even on the footballing side.
It’s three games in and already the doom sayers are out in force, it’s ironic that they use ‘it’s ground hog day’. I got your point, Arsenal can’t win the league so can you let it be.
Fair enough
I was in denial, everyone else was at fault for our beloved clubs hierarchy. The blame was shoved onto the fans for voicing their discontent. You are right Arsenal did pay for their own ground/stadium.
Can I ask what was the purpose of the new stadium?
Didn’t the fans standby when the club was going through this redevelopment phase in which the club spent very little?
‘Can I ask what was the purpose of the new stadium?’
Increase the revenue to pay for bills such as transfers and salaries maybe? Would Arsenal had attracted Ozil or Sanchez if it wasn’t for the increase revenue coming from The Emirates to help pay for their transfer fees and salaries?
Ask why would the other teams such as Spurs and Chelsea are spending big on their stadium redevelopment? I’m certain it’s to increase the revenue to pay for their rising costs. Let see if their ticket prices stay the same when their stadium development is completed.
I wish Gibbs all the best at WBA, sad to see him leave but understandable.
Yes – to see the likes of Ozil/Sanchez and additions. It was also to compete with the likes of Barca and co. It was supposed to provide us with the platform for our next venture. The cancer that is Kroneke needs to go. Wenger has lost the trust of the fans, you all talk about LFC or Spurs would jump at our last 4 seasons, but fail to see we are turning into a LFC, only good for domestic cups!
All the best Gibbs, but, he should not of been here this long!
‘It was also to compete with the likes of Barca and co. It was supposed to provide us with the platform for our next venture’
This had been debated before and I don’t want to go around in circles. This was in 2012, maybe he was over ambitious with the statement, but he also banked on FFP to be enforced.
http://www.insidefutbol.com/2012/11/15/arsenal-will-be-able-to-compete-with-anyone-ceo-ivan-gazidis-strikes-optimistic-note/72928/
Also a bit of an insight into the way Arsenal work behind the scenes. It’s old but the core business structure is still in place.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/exclusive-arsenal-interview-with-ivan-gazidis-1322335
Now it’s an over statement!
Sorry, but, it’s just another to an already list of excuses.
Why did Wenger purchase players and choose not to play them and others out of position?
Nitram, success is relative, to Swansea or Stoke, success is premier league survival. To spurs CL qualification is success.
To us, anything below competing for major honours is failure or are we not one of the most valuable and biggest clubs in world football?
I’ll give you Chelsea (4 years ago) and City but united are built on strong commercials and good business (same as we claim to be).
Truth is, we act like porpers (at least Wenger does) whilst having 2 of the richest owners in football and a cash pile that devalues each season as inflation in football increases (another Wengerism, economist my ass).
Sport is about ambitions and achievement, unfortunately we don’t display the former and can hardly claim much of the latter on balance, the cup has been eclipsed by falling out of the CL and the price is we are losing our best players.
Wenger’s done, was so after the 8-2…. Time for change
Barton, your comment does not to into account that Kroenke does not invest in his sports clubs. The owners of Chelsea and Man City do, big time. The next Arsenal manager will have the same situation.
Club claims to have no money
Barton
“…..the cup has been eclipsed by falling out of the CL.”
So now, after years of ridicule for NOT winning any trophies and seeing CL qualification as more important than the FA Cup, all of a sudden it is.
“To spurs CL qualification is success.”
Please explain why that is?
If it because you’re making your judgement on net money spent versus expectation, then you are correct.
And that’s exactly what Wenger did. Not for one year but for 10.
And he got nothing but grief from all and sundry, including you know doubt.
Or are you going to tell me you had similar praise for Wenger over those years?
@ Barton
“Sport is about ambitions and achievement”
A modern notion that has distorted the basic fact of life that humans, and many animals, need to play.
Sport is about taking part, enjoying yourself and thus remaining sane.
Winning is great yes, some believe having handed to you is great too, winning whilst overcoming outrageous fortune is far more meaningful and enjoyable. Wenger may have indeed won his last championship, but they where 3 incredible titles that we’ll always have. Winning a few cups has been special too.
Davsta
Nice post. Totally agree.