Morning all.
André Silva is being linked to Arsenal. He’s 6’ 1” tall, 25 years old and currently playing for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored 29 goals in 34 matches last season. Just the kind of numbers Arsenal need from a striker.
Here’s a glimpse of some of his goals from last season:
I imagine his transfer fee would be massive but if Arsenal want a return to the top four at least, I think the club needs a top class centre forward. To rely on Aubameyang and Lacazette for another season would be foolhardy in my opinion. I know Balogun is set to join the squad but expecting too much of him in his first PL season would also be foolish. Personally, I think he’ll take to the League like a duck to water and I’m looking forward to watching his Arsenal career move forward.
Anyway, would you like to see Andre Silva in Arsenal colours?
At the Euros, Aaron Ramsey and his teammates face a tough task against Italy in Rome whilst Granit Xhaka and Switzerland take on Turkey. Switzerland need a big win to stand a chance of making it out of their group whilst a draw would be enough for Wales and I really hope they get it. Better still, a win.
See you in the comments.
Silva was blessed with about 10 penalties to hit those numbers. Scored all his goals in the 6 yard box and offers very little in build up play.
1st????
Thanks for the post Rico
Good morning to all
Andre Silva to Arsenal?? yes of course. at 25 years old he is at a good age. The only snag I see is his moderate speed. And he has failed in Italy where the speed is much slower. granted he was only 21 but still. He needs to have more speed in the EPL. He is technically of a very good level and it depends where he is going to play. But nonetheless I feel he will be an upgrade on what we have.
I still would like to see Wout Weghorst though even if he is 28 years old.
just a question on Ben White……Do you see him at CB or at RB?? at 5 ft 10 inches I feel he would be more of a RB than in the centre.
Morning Rico and all Their has been a lot of good reports about Andre Silver but would we still buy him while we have Auba and Laca
White is 6’ Devil.
Speed isn’t necessarily an issue if a player reads the game well surely?
Hi Geoff. I can see one or both of Auba and Lacazette leaving.
Take away his penalties Thomas and he still managed more than our strikers put together.
Getting other people’s view is good though, YouTube is deceiving to say the least.
Good day Rico and all.
I don’t know anything about the guy, but if he can score goals from inside the box, he could be just what we need to feed off crosses from Saka, Pepe and ESR.
Heading out for lunch at the Saracens Head shortly, so I’m recording the Grand Prix, where rain is expected, to watch later it could be more interesting than the recent processions we’ve been blessed with.
My wife is recording the Queens Club men’s final so we may have a fight over the remote control later this afternoon.
Wikipedia lists him as 6ft Rico. However some sites list him as 5ft 10/11. That is why I asked if you see him at CB or RB
Whatever or whoever is leaving I feel its time that Arsenal parts ways with both Laca and Auba. Simply because we need a different perspective in attack
Hi Cicero, have a good time and good luck for later. Lol
That’s how I see it re Silva, if we get a goal scoring poacher, no harm done I reckon.
We might be able to sell Laca but Auba is too expensive no one really wanted him last transfer
Either really Devil. Much depends on the club’s intention to sign a right back. If we do sign White and no right back, logic would suggest he’ll play right back in rotation with Chambers.
Depends on how keen Arsenal are to move Auba on perhaps Geoff, a low transfer fee might mean he’d get a move. We’ve seen what Arsenal are prepared to do in order to move players on so I guess anything is possible.
Arsenal may offer Auba cheap just to sell him but will he be willing to take a pay cut no way he still needs more cars in his collection.
Dan Critchlow
@afcDW
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Trae Coyle has left Arsenal on a permanent deal to join FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland.
Like with Zech Medley, I’d say this is a good decision, it’s the right time for him to try and get his senior career going properly.
Morning all.
Seems the rumours about Lokonga could have legs.
I don’t know much about him, but the reports on him are good, and he’s the right age.
McGuinness has joined Cardiff City on a permanent deal. Gutted, but hope he does well.. and hope some sort of clause is included.
The exodus continues….
Afternoon Rico and the House.
3 of last years loans have now left on permanent deals
I don’nt think that is the end of it.
Every chance John Jules and Danny Ballard will make it 5
From what I’m reading there are no transfer fees involved for Arsenal from the transfers of Medley, Coyle and McGuinness but sell on clauses inserted in the deals so that we might benefit later down the line…
There’s plenty of others like Sheaf, Osei Tutu and Iliev could could be leaving this summer, hopefully Ballard and John Jules won’t be among them.
Afternoon Rick, all.
I’m surprised McGuinness has gone already, disappointed really. I hope he does really well at Cardiff.
Good Morning everyone
Three academy products have gone. And honestly, with regards McGuiness and Medley I am a bit disappointed. Kev pointed out that sell on clauses were inserted. I hope we had the first refusal clause inserted as well. Yes its crunch time with regards academy products as maybe they are not ready to displace the first teamers. However I had high hopes with regards McGuiness from what I heard here in the comments and from what I observed in the two games I saw him play for his national team.
We can’t keep them all but I hope that the club has better players instead of him coming up. And I hope Ballard will be kept now.
Scott…..Sambi Lokonga story has not only legs but the majority of a body it seems. Unless it falls through there is a good chance he will join.
I still say that one or two of Locatelli, Barella and Pessina should be bought. And I would still offer Partey in exchange for Barella.
Unless Ben White is going to be bought in to play as a DM.
Right now NN is just pathetic. click bait titles galore. At least those who write them are getting creative with regards the titles. The problem is the content of the article…….Influential Arsenal player opts for a dutch team’…says the article….only to find out that the player in question is from the women’s team.. I just fell for it and clicked.
Rico…make your headline title as sexy as possible. You will get more clicks I am sure.
Morning Devil.
NN has always been a fun read 🙂
We need to be sure that when we lets these young guys go that they’ve been given a fair chance, or we do have first refusal down the track.
It’s always hard to tell how a player will progress with age, so at worst, I hope we ensure we can get them back if they flourish.
Devil, without sounding like I’m criticising the players you’ve mentioned as I’m not, I’d not be upset to see Partey in his second term with us.
I’m confident he will be a better player this coming season.
YEs I know you are not criticizing the players I mentioned Scott. Its a matter of opinion really. Personally I would love to see Jorginho in as well forming part of an all Italian midfield for Arsenal….Jorginho, Barella, Locatelli and Pessina. But I never mentioned him simply because I know many do not like him. Last year, when it was being suggested that he might join us, many were against the idea. So I just kept quiet. But honestly I would love to see those 4 at the club. Put those 4 with Saka, ESR, Pepe and MArtinelli and we would wipe the floor with 99.9% of the teams. Our GK would take his smartphone with him and enjoy playing FIFA Manager while the players in front of him would play it in reality.
I suggested these 4 Italians not only because I like them but also because the present Italian team plays the 4-3-3 formation that Arteta would love to implement at Arsenal. So they will take to it like a duck to water.
Imagine having a midfield three of Jorginho, Locatelli, Barella and in front of them there would be Saka, Martinelli, Pepe. Even Guardiola would tremble at that sight.
At the end of the game Raheem Sterling would go up to Pep….Boss I never ever touched the ball during the whole game. Pep would answer…..dont worry. you were in good company for none of the front three touched the ball. And neither did the Arsenal keeper for that matter. lolllllllllll
Devil,
It’s nice to have some options, and we do.
Not for one second do I buy into this “players won’t want to join us without European football”.
Players will join if the money is right, and if they can see a future, imo.
We have a great future, even if it’s a slow build towards it.
If players join us because the money is right we have to question whether they are the ones we really want.. We have had too many mercenary ones in the past . People that have joined because their families live in London and they don’t want to uproot their kids from school , people that get over extended contracts at silly money , or because London is preferable to Newcastle and closer to their European homes.
Obviously we have to pay the going rate but I can’t help thinking that in the recent past many agents have looked at us as an easy ride to getting rich quick.
I’m not fussed over the clicks Devil, nor football in general really. Not sure I like the way Arsenal are heading giving up on the youth players before they’re even started. As Rick suggested, next might be John-Jules and Ballard. We’ll see I guess.
Exactly Potter, whatever happened to players being signed because they want to play for the club, or any club really. I suspect the first question many agents ask a club is about the salary.
Potter, I also said that if they can see a future-it’s not just the money, but money is always a factor.
Let’s not pretend players these will cop less money for the honour of playing for us.
Not these days, which is a shame.
It’s great when we see young players like ESM and Saka being given the chance but when you look at the number of young players we are selling I sometimes wonder if it’s worth keeping the academy and should we only keep the under 23 team and just buy young players that are ready to just walk into the senior team or spend 12 months in the under 23 team
Hi Geoff,
Selling young players we don’t think will make it at our club still helps generate funds, so it’s definitely worthwhile, imo.
As long as it also producing players who can have an Arsenal career……….
Geoff it does not go like that. An academy is important a lot….especially were UEFA are concerned. Did you know that if you don’t have an academy you cannot compete in European Club competitions? I presume not…. but its there as one of the rules.
In many European countries….UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, the ratio of players who go on to play in the country’s top division is that of 1 player out of over 2500 kids. In smaller countries…like Malta, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Iceland the ratio is that of 1 in 650. Obviously the 1 who makes it does not mean he will make it in top European countries. For example, if a player in Malta plays for the national team and is hailed as a top player it does not mean he is good for a country like England, Spain etc.
So an academy is of essential importance to have.
Rico….do you remember when we got irritated when players used to see us as a stepping stone to RM or Barca?? Well atm, as Potter pointed out well, it seems that players’ agents see us as a club where they can get a good amount of money or as a pension fund. So I feel it would be wise to go after players who see us as a stepping stone simply because they will give us their all. A player who is here just for the money will maybe give us one good game per ten. So in all essence we should go for those players who see us as a stepping stone….that is, players between the age of 21 – 24 age bracket. They give us their all, reach a good peak and we sell them for a good profit.
Out of the lesser of two evils, because as Potter pointed out, players will not join us for the privilege of playing for our club, I prefer those who see us as a stepping stone.
Then maybe we need to be smarter when looking at players when they turn 15 years old still let them enjoy playing the game but at the same time if any hesitation let them go.
Geoff, kids progress at different rates, though.
It’s almost impossible to know at 15 which kids will end up the best of the group.
Geoff, I do agree with about letting them enjoy the game though……..it’s about okayer development at that age, or it should be.
Too many are more concerned with results.
Maybe I am looking at it wrong but when these younger kid’s see us keep 1 or 2 players in their late teens or early 20s and the rest get sold then why should they be loyal to us, why not look for another club that seem to give the younger players a bit more of a chance to succeed.
It’s a hard one, no question, but we can’t keep players out of loyalty, even though we often criticise players for lacking that same trait lol
No easy answer mate.
Geoff….do you know DB10’s story when he was at Ajax?? Well, the club’s coaches were deliberating whether to release him or not. Ajax’s system is the same from the seniors going down to the under 12 where they play 4-3-3. And whenever a player is injured they do not make do with another senior player but promote from the reserves. If the reserve is injured they promote the under 19 lad and so on. Well, the senior player got red carded and thus was suspended for the next game. The problem was that the reserve intended to take his place was injured…..so next in line was DB10 who was only 17 at the time. Cruyff decided to put him in the team……and the rest is history.
So on essence, if the senior player was not red carded and his deputy was not injured…..the story of DB10 might have turned out different.
It is never easy to tell a young player that the club will not be keeping him.
That’s not the problem imo Devil, it’s selling the likes of McGinness before he’s even had a chance. If there’s no fee, why not just loan him out again and see what the season brings before making a decision.
yes you are perfectly right Rico. However, it might be that McGuiness and Medley themselves told the club they do not want to stay. And this takes it out of the club’s hands.
Check your inbox Rico.
Devil I know there is no easy answer but if we keep selling or give away these young kids I can see down the track parents take their kids to other clubs and using us a very last resort
Geoff….keep in mind that Saka, ESR, Willock, Nketiah and AMN got their chances.
Only the best make it. Saka and ESR are there to stay. The other 3 we have to wait and see.
Geoff….I am disappointed that McGuiness and Medley were released. And fingers crossed Ballard does make it with Arsenal in the future (I have high hopes especially as there are about 5 clubs who want him and maybe this means that he is a top top defender). Maybe the club wanted McGuiness to go on loan and he put his foot down and said no.
Is he better than the current CBs at the club?? Maybe yes maybe no. Time will tell.
Jeorge Bird reckons that McGuinness wanted to leave as much as anything because he wants to play and I don’t blame him. He’d had a taste of senior football with Ipswich and he wanted to progress further. I’m sure that if he develops into the next Sol Campbell that Arsenal will have first refusal on him if and when he outgrows Cardiff.
Saliba can’t even get a game at the moment so it’s really difficult if you’re a young centre back trying to make it at Arsenal, we really have so many of them and if we sign Ben White then it’s even gonna be more difficult for the likes of Ballard, Monlouis, Clarke, Kirk, Awe, Foran and Omer Rekik the guy we signed last January.
Geoff, parents bring their kids to Arsenal because of the full package, the education, coaching and development they get, the more of our kids that go onto having successful careers in the game whether that be at Arsenal, Cardiff, Burnley, Valencia or Leeds the better it makes our academy look.
Hi Kev, How’s things?
yes you can’t keep them all. I wish we could, however, some have to give way. Its a pity though
Which is why I am a big fan of the ‘B’ club in the lower division. We start from the bottom up till the championship and stay there. The problem would be that around 6 to 10 EPL clubs, the usual suspects, would all want a ‘B’ club and if we all end up in the championship it would mean that the 10th place club will eventually be promoted to the first as the top 9 or 10 will be ‘B’ clubs.
DG there is something of the Pat Rice about Daniel Ballard.
Both were born in London and both represent Northern Ireland.
Both were almost released twice or more during their times in the youth/academy and both were considered not technically good enough but both have/did worked endlessly to improve and earn a career and it would not surprise me in the slightest if Daniel Ballard didn’t end up a regular in our back four in the near future, just as with Pat Rice.
I wonder if the FA rules allow for a club to sell a youngster to a lower division club, but both clubs agree beforehand on Arsenal’s first refusal and the fee beforehand if they want to buy the player back.
Barcelona and a host of top other clubs do it…..for example they sold Emerson Royal to Betis for 6 million. In the contract they inserted a clause of them having first refusal on the player and if they wanted him back they would buy him for 9 million. Which is what happened as they got him back for that sum.
Let’s say Arsenal sold McGuiness to Cardif. And they agreed beforehand that if Arsenal want him back they would buy him for just 10 million, but if not Cardiff would sell him to anyone they wanted but Arsenal get 25% from the transfer fee.
That would make sense imo.
Not bad DG, it’s still not back to pre March 2020 levels in London but it’s improving all the time, the cycling lanes and LTN’s (low traffic neighbourhood or road closures in plain English) are a real menace as any driver of a fire engine, ambulance or police vehicle will tell you off camera, but that doesn’t suit the leftist woke agenda so it’s not discussed as it should be, but it’s certain to be costing the lives of people during emergencies.
I’d imagine that that’s pretty much how the McGuinness deal works out DG, although I doubt that Arsenal got much of a fee for Mark if any at all.
Here life is slower than up there….but even so many things have really slowed down even more. We are still not, like you said, up to pre March 2020 but I guess we will be in a couple of months unless something drastic turns up.
The only problem here is that we are already frying….temperatures up to 38-40 degrees already.
It’s not a problem if we did not get any fee Kev. The only problem would be if he made very rapid progress and a top club comes for him and pays Cardiff something in the region of 10-15M. If he stays at Cardiff or the lower divisions for the rest of his career then it would not be a problem because Arsenal’s judgement would have been proved well.
Dates for the London summer tournament now confirmed.
It will be called ‘The Mind Series’ with funds raised being split between Mind, the UK’s leading mental health charity, and three club’s respective foundations – excellent!
Arsenal host Chelsea (Aug 1 @3pm) and then play Spurs away (Aug 8 @ 2pm) with Chelsea v Spuds (Aug 4 @ 7.45pm)
COYG
Well, that makes McGuinness and Medley leaving easier to understand I guess and yep, if they’re not wanted right now, why stay. I guess they’ve seen what happened with Emi and weren’t prepared to stick around ‘hoping’.
That’s good news Sue, not much of that around as far as Arsenal are concerned.
Yep, something to look forward to, Rico. Hopefully we’ll have signed someone by then haha!!
I won’t hold my breath Sue. Lol
Saka in the team tonight.
Ponderous England and then Saka gets involved and things open up, Grealish cross and 1-0.
Sterling will get all the hype and Grealish will get credit but it was Saka who opened the Czechs up, but won’t get any credit.
To be fair, the commentary team are saying how much better England are with Grealish and Saka.
I should think Kane’s value is going down as each minute passes by. Lol
Well, Lee Dixon certainly credited Saka for what he did in the build up to the goal but the clueless Sam Matterface just prattled on about Sterling, he really is an appallingly bad commentator.
£100m for Harry Kane? 😆
Daniel Oyegoke Has left Arsenal.
Kane has been dreadful so far this tournament. ‘Worlds best striker’? I don’t think so, not right now that’s for sure.
Kane the world’s best striker??
Kev, the world’s best striker is now retired, and by the time he ws 27 (Kane’s age), the world’s best striker had won the league in France with Monaco, the EPL in 2002 and 2004, the FA Cup in 2002 and 2003, the charity shield in 2003 and 2004, the FIFA WC in 1998, the Euro championship in 2000 and the Confederations cup in 2003.
What has Kane won at the age of 27?? ZILCH
One can never mention them in the same breath.
Wise decision by Daniel Oyegoke, he’s going to be overtaken by Norton Cuffy so he’s better off going elsewhere, in a way it’s not a disaster as we have so many quality youngsters with more on the way and only the best make it, which is what we want I’d imagine!
Watching England is no fun, there is precious little invention by the majority of our players, I mean Rashford might be the poster boy of the chattering classes but for England he’s so bloody average…
One nil to the Ingerland! One nil to the Ingerl…….😉
Tierney can go off on his holidays early and be fully fit for pre-season.
BT Sport award Bukayo Saka man of the match. 🔔🔔🔔
It’s rather ironic isn’t it, as when England were playing Croatia in the World Cup semi final in Russia in 2018 we had loads of Jocks wearing Croatia shirts north of the border and now as they say ‘what goes around, comes around’…
I reckon the question of how relevant our academy is was answered well and truly with Saka getting awarded MOTM.
Imagine he were at Southampton?
We would t stand a chance in hell if getting him.
Kev, leave the lefties alone.
They’re almost like us humans 🙂
We had kids forced to apologise for being white at a school assembly recently.
Honestly, I’d grab the teacher by the throat if they forced my son to do that.
Kev we may offer the kids a full package but when they see how many loyal players and coaching staff that have been let go or sacked, will the kid’s in the future want to come to Arsenal or go to a smaller club were they have a better chance of making the big league
I just feel that a big club like ours should be producing more players for our senior team than we are.
Geoff, look at Chelsea, Utd, City etc etc
They’d be lucky to have 1 or 2 juniors in their best 11.
We aren’t alone mate.
Scott , in Victoria we had a female teacher make all the male students stand up and apologise to all the girls in the classroom for the way men have treated women over the last 100 years.
Geoff, we live in one messed up world.
The day I apologise for what others have done is the day…….well, it won’t ever happen so it doesn’t matter lol
Too many in the world are now educated to play the victim, and they do it well.
Our welfare system awards the scumbags who do this.
Scott, if someone tells my son to apologize for the way men have treated women since dawn of humanity or because he is white, first he will tell you to FO, then he will ask you if you got out of the wrong side of the bed and then you might find yourself enjoying the company of Hollywood actors of the past 200 years.
Good morning everyone
Bukayo Saka has played 5 games for England and got motm in 3 of them
Saka is having a great year and the best part is that he has not let it go to his head
Devil, I’m really tired of all of this political correctness bull shit.
It’s gone way too far.
Half a dozen criminals in Oz can not be deported back to where they were born and raised, because they’ve claimed to be part Aboriginal.
They’re not, everyone knows it but because it’s racist to say they aren’t, it to everyone. Ask them to prove it, they stay here.
What is wrong with the world?
That should read “to even ask them to prove it”…..
Look people was he not “” Star of the match “” Not allowed to bring gender into it. Diversity is king.
Potter, how dare you? Mocking the Woke.
Good morning all.
Getting back to football… lol
New post up now.
https://highbury-house.com/2021/06/23/saka-esr-and-calvert-lewin-make-the-headlines/
Yes Geoff, the kids will still come, the best will certainly come because they’ll see a pathway to top level football at a major club and they’ll be confident enough and talented enough to take on the challenge.
I’m not entirely comfortable with some of the turnover in coaching staff and scouting staff but then I’m not inside so I know as much as the rest of us. Maybe the changes we’ve seen were needed, time will tell I guess? A few years back there was a major clear out of medical staff, some surprising names were relieved of their positions, but our injury record at the time was awful, it’s been quite good since hasn’t it?