Self isolation, social distancing, Coronavirus. None of it stops the transfer rumour mill or as it should be known, the twilight zone. Despite suggestions that some Premier League clubs like Burnley for example are in serious trouble, we are still getting crazy agent/family inspired stories picked up and repeated ad nauseam on our favourite lazy click bait sites. Reports of unrealistic fees being offered, so says a reliable source, for very average footballers still percolate through the Internet. I read them sadly but soon berate myself for being drawn in. But hey, I am in lockdown so that’s my excuse.
So yes, this is going to be about transfers, but also the possible departures of five players we have under long term contracts and who Arteta may not see as part of his long term plans even if we might not necessarily agree.
Mikel will need to raise funds if he wants to recruit new players who fit his idea of the team he wants to build going forward. Lowering the wage bill is probably going to be part of that process.
Granit Xhaka isn’t a universal favourite among many Arsenal fans, which might surprise a few of you and if I’m honest, he isn’t a player who gets me out of my seat either but that aside, he has pretty much been one of the first on the team sheet for every Arsenal manager since he arrived from Germany. He’s also a firm favourite among his team mates. I don’t know why I can’t see it, but I can’t and I’m not alone as it’s clear that a large proportion of the fans who attend matches can’t see or appreciate what Xhaka brings to the team either.
Following an unsavoury incident with the fans during another disappointing home game it seemed that Xhaka was going to leave in January and I believe that wheels had been set in motion, but Arteta convinced him to hold fire and help the team out of its crisis at the time and credit to him because that’s exactly what he did. I’m not sure there’s been a complete reconciliation between him and the fans, on both sides, but he is under contract until 2023 and I’m sure that Arsenal could still get a good transfer fee for him if Arteta decides that it’s time both the club and player went their separate ways.
Another who I think is at a crossroads is Alex Lacazette, Arsenal’s player of the season in 2018/19 but here we are, almost a year later and his starting position in the team is no longer secure as his place has come under recent threat from Eddie Nketiah. Lacazette is under contract until 2022 so he still retains a lot of value in the transfer market but Arsenal have not been very smart in the market in previous years when management have probably retained players longer than was sensible and thus seen their value drain away.
Although Alex is well liked at the club by the fans and staff there is an optimum time to move a player on in order to maximise his remaining value and that’s probably this summer. Leave it another year and his value will nosedive. Lacazette is still highly valued, especially in Spain, but with money most likely to be tight this summer it’s possible that a player exchange, maybe involving some finance, could be beneficial to all parties concerned.
In the summer of 2018, before the World Cup in Russia, news filtered through that Arsenal had agreed to sign a Uruguayan midfielder from Sampdoria, what’s more a midfielder who was defensively minded – “at last” I thought. So I went onto You Tube and sourced some his best moments and despite his lack of inches he looked just what we needed. An impressive World Cup by Uruguay and it was looking as if Mislintat had pulled off another Italian Job by stealing a valuable asset from Genoa.
I was delighted when Arsenal finally announced the signing of Lucas Torrieira and he’s still one of my favourite players. However, the rumours of Lucas and his wife not settling in North London and the constant links to Napoli wouldn’t go away despite an impressive first half to last season and when he scored that memorable 4th goal against that mob from Middlesex it really seemed he’d finally arrived. But the doubts remain and there have been games when his stature has been a disadvantage in a league where physical presence is quite important. Because if we really want to move forward over the next few years and give Arteta the best platform for him to showcase his coaching acumen, I wonder if our midfield requires more muscle to achieve all that it should?
Lucas is under contract until 2023 so there’s no rush and I’d be very happy to see him stay at Arsenal, but it would be understandable if the club cashed in and made a healthy profit on a player we signed for a very reasonable fee, reinvesting the funds on a player more suited to the English game, someone over 6 foot plus perhaps?
Emi Martinez seems to have been at Arsenal forever, arriving from Argentina as a fallow youth he has stayed loyal to the club, gone out on loan and gradually worked his way up towards the No.1 shirt. But is that it for Emi? He’s been involved with the Argentinian senior squad and obviously wants to finally establish himself, but with a German International in front of him and playing very well at Arsenal, it’s possible that he might have to consider a move elsewhere?
Leno and Martinez are both 28 and as goalkeepers they are moving into their best years. Leno has been strongly linked to Bayern Munich this season, but he seems settled in North London (although when Bayern come calling it must be difficult for any German to refuse). Leno is under contract till 2023 and Martinez till 2022.
The nightmare scenario would be Martinez leaving this summer and being brilliant for another club, similar to how Szczesny has developed in Italy and then Bayern come in for Leno leaving us buggered. But Martinez cannot hang around forever and I wonder if Arteta might decide to bring in an older goalkeeper, say around 33/34 as experienced cover and allow Emi to move on for the good of his own career?
Finally a player who I know that Adam rates extremely highly, Ainsley Maitland Niles. If Arsenal decide to complete on the signing of on loan right back Cedric Soares, then it’s pretty obvious to me that with Hector Bellerin also at the club, AMN would be a player who might be surplus to requirements and someone who could also generate some useful funds for Arteta to use elsewhere. Maitland-Niles being English means there is a definite financial benefit with the English premium for Arsenal straight away, he is also under contract until 2023 so his monetary value is strong.
Maitland-Niles played in last seasons final in Baku (sorry about reminding you all) and had pretty much held down the right back spot all season under Unai Emery and Freddie Ljungberg, but after just a short period under Mikel Arteta it seems our new manager has lost patience with his casual hip hop style allied also to rumours of complaints from Ainsley about being continually played out of position. Sokratis playing right back in some recent games seems to tell it’s own story so despite the obvious potential of Maitland Niles, is he going to follow the path of another highly regarded but ultimately unfulfilled Gooner in Alex Iwobi and continue his career at another club – possibly Everton?
By AllezKev.
Morning Kev, thank you for another post, you certainly got me scratching my head. I too like Torreira but feel our midfield lacks something different but it’d be Xhaka I’d love to see replaced. A strong and athletic midfielder is much needed imo as Torreira and Willock would benefit. Guendouzi too if he’s to be our future.
I like AMN but I know he really needs to buck his ideas up if he wants to get back into the first team but I have my doubts. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see what happens in the summer but as you’ve mentioned already, there’s sure to be a few players sold.
Good morning all.
Bloody Coronavirus, just about now my wife and I should have been leaving home for a drive down to Heathrow and an overnight flight to Sri Lanka. Still, the holiday has been re-booked for November, when a bit of warm sunny weather and a curry diet will set us up for next year’s pandemic. 😷
Kev, Lacazette and Maitland-Niles are the likeliest to go. Xhaka and Torreira are much needed. I would hate to see Martinez or Leno leave, but I fear Emi may be looking for regular first team football.
Outside of the above five, I expect Aubameyang to go, I only wish we could offload Ozil too but it’s not going to happen.
Excellent Post, Kev, and like Rico, above, it has restarted the footballing cogs in my rusty cerebrum as regards who stays – and even wondering about who might come in.
As regards AMN, like many precocious Arsenal youngsters over the years, he seems to have flattered to deceive, in so much as his physique enabled him to outshine some of the other tyros, as he had that to rely on as well as his inordinate skill at age 17/18.
However, I have been disappointed with his career path since he started to win more first team minutes as a standby at right back, mainly used when there was an injury ‘crisis’.
His concerns that he has been played out of position at RB, and his stated preference to play at either midfield or right wing reflects on his own feeling that he is nothing more than an ‘OK’ RB, and nothing more.
He just isn’t good enough in midfield, with a number of other better players available there to Arteta, and Pepe ahead of him on the wing his chances there are limited. (Pepe has been a little disappointing in his first season, but at a cost of £72m we will want to see more from him next season.)
Oooh, that hurt my rusty cogs! 😳
Following on from my earlier comment, re Ainsley, I was thinking about what the Arsenal defence might be like next season, and there are certainly changes needed there, with some players like Saliba and Tierney already available, but the Corona virus, and its effect on club finances makes it hard to see how things will develop.
I have never made a secret of my opinion, that Bellerin, like AMN, has also been a disappointment to me.
He started brilliantly with his lung bursting dashes down the wing in support, with the occasional great crosses and even goals, but the chronic injuries he has had over the last 2 or 3 seasons has seen him lose some pace, and frankly his poor positional acumen, again like AMN, has produced some less than good defensive play.
Once he hopefully overcomes his latent injury problems, perhaps his speed and ability to get back into position, when he loses the ball going forward, will return, and his increasing experience, which is key for all players, will help, so perhaps his defensive lapses will be much fewer, and those he does make will be sorted out by Arteta’s coaching – but that remains to be seen.
[I know many of you think Belli is excellent — but I is what I is — so them’s my opinions.] 🤪
RA, how do we know whether AMN is good enough to play in midfield until he has a chance though? It could be the making of him. Same with Willock if paired with a much stronger player, Guendouzi too. We have gaps in the squad which I think are making decent players look worse than perhaps they are.
Xhaka’s lack of pace causes problems for most players around him imo and he’s unable to read the game in order to compensate. But then he’s clearly not a defence minded midfielder. I truly believe that a strong, athletic central midfielder would solve a lot of our problems.
“I truly believe that a strong, athletic central midfielder would solve a lot of our problems”
I totally agree, Rico and AMN might be the answer but he seems to lack the necessary concentration levels and defensive nous.
Afternoon Rico, glad you enjoyed it as hopefully something to start a bit of a debate.
Cicero, my youngest son cancelled his holiday to Spain last week, i’m not sure if he’ll get any of his dough back but at least he’ll be saving twice as much as he might have already lost…
It makes you wonder what our world will look like in a years time and how many businesses will have gone over the cliff?
Hi Red, I’m a Bellerin man myself, but I respect your opinion even if you’re wrong. 😄
Morning all.
Kev, this entire situation is a mess.
I wonder if we will ever find out the truth about the origins of this virus.
Is it worth shutting everything down for?
For example, less people have died this past 3 months in Italy than over the same period over the past 5 years.
More die each day around the world due to starvation yet little action is taken-certainly no world wide effort!!!
With other flus, viruses we’ve seen, we’ve not seen anywhere near the panic or reaction as we have with this.
Not sure what’s happening everywhere else, but here in Oz, the fact is our government are suddenly in a position to have more control than ever over us, and they’re taking their chance, seemingly.
More questions than answers, but nothing new about that.
It’s funny Kev, you’d think it’d be a little busier than it’s been but every blog seems to be very quiet, even LG. I guess fans are enjoying a break from the game.
Afternoon Rico and the House.
Rico I just do not know how you keep turning out these great posts.
Allthough I don’t post much I make every effort I can to visit H/H when
ever I have the time.
Kev you have also penned some very good posts and comments,
most of which i find myself agreeing with.
Is the sun shinning in SS11 Kev
Many thanks to you both be back shortly.
Afternoon Rick, too much time spent reading about football. That’s my excuse. Lol
We keep referring to the need to sell before we can buy but I can see that following the pandemic we will be looking at a buyers market.. There will not be too many clubs with the ability to pay large sums except for the artificiarly boosted ones and apart from Auba I can’t see any of our players top of their buying lists .
In consequence I can see bids being low and clubs deciding to keep players rather than move them on for next to nothing and agents won’t sanction moves that affect wages .Freebies and out of contract will be the main movers and once again we are likely to fall foul of circumstance. The days of Chelsea , United and City waving fivers at us are gone and as small businesses are finding out banks are reigning back on lending money.
Arteta will have to work with what he has with possibly minimal additions and they are unlikely to be headline busting ones.
Scott, I just think it’s the nature of the thing, a microscopic virus, it sends a shiver down your spine as it doesn’t respect anyone, but the Wuhan virus is only the latest, I mean for those of us of a certain vintage, we could never forget that old favourite namely Hong Kong flu, circa 1968, I can easily remember that it was a term commonly used by people even after the original 1968 pandemic that killed around 1 million worldwide. Of course the PC brigade of today would never allow you to use that term Hong Kong, even it that’s where it originated. Even though those same Oxbridge, BBC, media types are quite comfortable with calling the 1918 pandemic the Spanish flu even though it didn’t originate from Spain, but then maybe in their world they think that’s the Spanish are fair game?
Then there’s the Asian flu, 1956/58, which also originated you know where!
That killed around 2 million but I can recall the term Asian flu being in common parlance back in the day.
Hi All I think AMN will get sold I don’t think Arteta like him, also any player at the club or on loan that Arteta does not want in the next 12 months we should sell.
But if we sell for less, we also buy for less so it’s all relative really Potter. Only the clubs with money to burn will truly gain imo.
Hi Rick, always good to hear from you and no it’s cloudy out here in the wilds of SS11.
Really difficult to post today, everything is slow, jumpy and won’t load properly, so I’m off for the day, chat tomorrow…
Hi Scott I know its not right but their is a lot of people out their who don’t care about any body but them self and that’s why they don’t care or think of the starving people were as this virus affect them just look at the number of people being fined for not staying at home for a few weeks.
Kev, we re-booked the holiday as the company suggested doing so would ensure that we got some chance of our money back by doing so rather than the company possibly going bust if they were forced to give cash refunds. Not altogether encouraging but the least worst option.
I had a trip into the ghost town that Norwich has become, to visit Specsavers and arrange for some new glasses. All the car parks are closed but parking on yellow lines was ok because all the traffic wardens are self isolating.
The noticeable thing was the number of shops, bars etc that are not just closed but boarded up as though expecting riots.
Very disturbing.
I feel sorry for the clubs struggling who have no option than sell their top players just to survive because of this virus while the rich clubs will sit back and wait for the pickings.
Maybe we should jump in early and other them a small amount of money and 2 players from our under 21 side for there top player.
Cicero did you get rid of that mole that keeps digging up your back yard
I doubt anyone felt sorry for Arsenal when we needed to sell our players Geoff..
They’ll be able to loan players to help them out..
No Geoff, the little b*****d is still at it, I’ll move the traps tomorrow and put some more out. I’ll get him sooner or later.
Kev, we get so much conflicting information, it’s hard to know what to think.
Typical media, but then social media is tie her adding to the problem, or maybe it’s giving us both side of the argument-who knows lol
Geoff, true-regardless of what people believe, the rules and regulations are law and we can’t decide which laws we adhere to and which we ignore.
When you trap him Cicero, bury him alive…
Have you tried ‘windmills, Cicero?
It is believed, by some, that the whirring noise as the wind rotates the vanes encourages the moles to go and bugger up your neighbour’s lawn instead.
Sounds OK, but having to divert a river to turn the vanes of a Norfolk windmill, such as the Hardley Windmill, or the Horsey Windpump does seem a little excessive, and a little expensive.
As I understand it – if the government (FCO) advises against flights to certain destinations, then an insurance or travel company refund for anyone who paid for a holiday to any such destination must be made. [Caution: this wording is not legally stated] . Vouchers or a change of time or venue may be offered.
I suspect you already know all that. 😁
Cicero has already rebooked for later in the year Ra.
Cicero told you buy a water pistol and every time the bugger sticks his head up shoot him.
New post up.