By Sir Hardly Anyone
1: DONE DEAL. Sokratis
L’Équipe is running the story that we really really have signed Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos. Plans are being launched for the Arsenal programme to print the team sideways to allow for longer names. Actually I made that up, just as I think have L’Équipe. And given the whole sorry Fekir to Liverpool saga you might think they could try and stay off the made-up bits. But no, seems not.
Anyway he’s 29, and if the story is true that means we’ve gone back to Borussia Dortmund again (you will recall that Aubameyang was also from there). Media jargon for him is “no-nonsense stopper”. And as a word of warning, Sokratis’ father claimed that his son’s transfer would be completed on Tuesday LAST WEEK.
Oh no, shock horror. Something went wrong.
2: TORREIRA
One that hasn’t finished because it hasn’t started is the signing of Sampdoria defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira. Sport Review, the Metro, Calciomercato Sampdoria, the Express and the Daily Star, all have this one. He is 22 and a midfielder, and is going to cost £22m. Still I suppose if no one is saying that we have signed him there is still a chance.
4: Caglar Söyüncü
Sorry I can’t get the accents to work if I write it in caps, so he is in lower case.
He is 22, and he plays his club football with Freiburg, and is going to cost something in the region of £35M. He’s a centre back. And why should we believe this? Well Talksport, The Sun, and ESPN are all running it.
Better, 101 Great Goals has this as confirmed. So it must be happening.
5: JACK WILSHERE
And, according to the Evening Standard, Wilshere now wants to define his role at Arsenal before he puts pen to paper. Playing in midfield I would imagine, but what do I know?
6: KOLSTERMANN
Arsenal are ready to make an offer to sign RB Leipzig full-back Lukas Kolstermann, according to a report in Germany (Sport Review)
But wait, what is this? According to Bild, yes we are interested but Football Fancast tell us that this is NOT happening (an interesting approach now to list the Arsenal transfers that are not coming to pass on the grounds that this list is shorter.) Their reason – he’s a right back and we just bought one. But actually he has also played left back for German sides.
7: MORGAN SANSON
The Express says we are fighting Tottenham for this man. He is 23, he is a midfielder and he is with Bordeaux.
8: GELSON MARTINS
“Arsenal fail with £26m bid to sign Sporting Lisbon star” according to a “report” in Portugal. Metro says he wants to join and so Arsenal are putting in a second bid. But HITC says Everton wants him. He’s a winger. Why do we need another winger?
9: LEAVING
Another report, this from Yeniakit that Fenerbache are ready to buy Alexandre Lacazette – just a year after his arrival in the Premier League from Lyon. I really really really really want Laca to stay and play in the same team as Auba.
10: CRISTIAN PAVON
West Ham want him but Arsenal are holding talks according to the Mirror. He’s Argentine, he’s 22 and he’s a forward. Sports Mole have said Arsenal have already held talks with the man from Boca Juniors.
So there you have it. Another run of men coming and going, most of whom won’t as it is all made up.
Arsenal seems to be wanting more players than their 50m budget
WorldFootball is reporting that former gunner Vieira has picked up a nice position, as manager of Nice.
I think you will find that the Sokratis deal IS done but is going to be announced next month as Arsenal want it to fall into a different financial year ( 17/18 ends 30/6) .There are some silly stories out there as there always are but the Torreira story is also likely and tge French lad Adli is also almost over the line.
Kolstermann is actually spelt Klostermann but seems a strange deal as we have two right backs already . It’s nice to see decisive action after the Horlicks Wenger made of recent transfer windows
Sorry but we do not have a winger. We sold The Ox and Walcott. Martins is a real winger.
A few hours ago, Daily Cannon reported that a number of players have been released. I’ll not include two, as one is a player that is still with the club and the other everyone already knows about:
. Marc Bola
. Alexander Crean
. Aaron Eyoma
. Ryan Huddart
. Chiori Johnson
. Hugo Keto
. Tafari Moore
This illustrates how difficult it is for goaltenders to come in from youth ranks. You probably need at least one good goaltender for every year (23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, … ?) but it can take a goaltender until mid 20’s (or older) before they challenge for top spot.
Keto, Crean and Huddart are goaltenders, and all are still listed as being Arsenal Academy players. So this story from Daily Cannon could be hot air.
Sir H
You ask why would we want a winger…
Well because we don’t really have any! Iwobi Welbeck and Auba played out wide but aren’t really wingers.
I think the squad could handle a winger being signed.
Really not sure why were linked to the Sampdoria player Torreria? He isn’t really a DM. More a central midfielder a bit like Xhaka.
@Gord,
The players have indeed been released. I’m away from home at the moment without a full computer and haven’t been able to do an update piece on the remaining players we have retained. I’m back home at the weekend so will do it then. We have already signed a new goalkeeper who will be pushing for a starting place with the U18s next season as it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of our U16 year old keepers decides not to take up the scholarship deal he has been offered.
The released players contracts actually expire at the end of June so technically they remain Arsenal players till the end of the month. That will be the reason they are still listed on the official website.
It appears the overiding criteria is that the player must be 22
Great that we can get all the newspaper bullshit in one place.
Why can’t arsenal replace zhaka.. For me he is too slow. I wonder how he’s going to cop with emeri’s type of football.
This happens every summer transfer window mate. According to the media, we’re going to spend around £150 million on new players which is clearly a load of old flanel as we simply don’t have that amount to spend.
In real terms, it will probably be about £50-60 million…… tops. That’s why our transfer team is on the hunt for players at the end of their contracts or ones who are available for free. For example…..this new defender released, Liechtensteiner, and the young lad from PSG Adli that will be available for around £300k. We’ve almost wrapped up the Greek defender for around £16 million so we don’t have a great deal left. We need to be smart with our transfer kitty, we simply don’t have spending power like the 4 clubs above us at the moment, missing out on the Champions League has cost us dearly.
I think given to our limited budget, if we get a DM in ,it will be OK but we still need a solid defender and s goal keeper too.
Haribo
Also itr seems like we havent got the spending power of the 14 clubs below us either..
What?? The press are making it all up just to sell their publications?? No way!!
Ha, Ha ha ha…
Where they get their info from is a mystery really, in my opinion the bull crap stuff they pump out just makes them look ridiculous. How do I know that we’ve signed a player? When they’re paraded around in their new shirt at the Emirates, until then…… It’s just ridiculous rumours.
Can’t quite see how you reach that conclusion Jim. Long way to go til the window closes