Morning all.
William Saliba:
It is clear that so much has changed in the last year. When I saw that the coach changed, a lot changed for me too. In this year there has been a lot of change. He judged me on two-and-a-half matches. I would have liked for him to play me more. But he told me I wasn’t ready. I was waiting for him to give me a chance, but football is like that. When I initially came to Arsenal the league looked very good so I showed up to training and wanted to train on my own to show the coach I was ready.
I am happy now, I want to play for Nice. The idea when you’re part of a team is a better feeling for me
Joe Willock talking about going on loan to Newcastle:
I have been blessed to play so many games for a great club like Arsenal but I am striving to get to the next level. To do that I need to play more in the Premier League. I was disappointed with the number of games I have played for Arsenal in the Premier League. [I needed] to come here and get more games and help the team and put Newcastle where they should be in the table.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles about joint West Brom:
It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to play regularly in the Premier League. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, to show the world how good I am,’ Maitland-Niles told West Brom’s official website. ‘I want to say a huge thank you to all the West Bromwich Albion fans. They’ve sent me lots of messages on social media. I’m proud to be a member of the club and I want to kick on from here.
It’s no-nonsense in training. Get in and get down and dirty straight away. I can’t wait to get going.
Saliba has just been voted player of the month for Nice which is a great start for him. Whilst it might be tempting to wonder why he’s not in Arsenal’s first team alongside one of Holding, Mari or Gabriel, there must be a reason Mikel Arteta didn’t give him the Premier League starts he’d hoped for. Whilst he might shine against French teams, it’s fair to say that the Premier League serves up something totally different. If I were him, regardless of what my thoughts were about his parent club are, I think I’d keep them to myself, especially if he’s hoping to one day return and play for Arsenal.
Joe Willock and AMN, both clearly disappointed too but not realise that where they are now is where they need to be in order to play regular football. Willock had an excellent debut as far as scoring Newcastle’s opener and helping them to beat Southampton but according to reports online, AMN debut didn’t go as well. But it’s first game for both and as an arsenal fan, I hope they play each week, improve and come back to Arsenal in the summer ready to ‘really’ push their way into the first team.
Whatever Mikel Arteta’s plans for the future are is only something he and the club know. They might think it’s a good time to sell Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torriera and Elneny. Ceballos and Ødegaard loans will be up so gaps open for others to fill but if they’re not up to the required level, they too will possibly end on the ‘for sale’ list. Luiz should be gone in the summer too, or at least I hope he is so unless Chambers is in Arteta’s long term plans, there’s hope for Saliba. Chambers contract expires in the summer of 2022 so there’s a decision to be made by him and the club. Elneny, Lacazette, Nketiah and Lliev are in the same position contractually too.
Another busy transfer window looms I think.
See you in the comments.
With all the comments that Saliba has made criticising Arteta it is hard to see how he can return to the club, it is almost as though Saliba wants Arsenal to let him go.
I personally like AMN but from the remarks that Arteta has said about bringing a ‘proper’ left back in to understudy Bellerin , I doubt he will be back. He wants to play as a midfielder, but I watched the game & all he did was defend, & that is all he may be able to do as WBA as a team only really defend as they are under attack all game , so AMN will not be bale to show if that position is a good one for him
A post well worth waiting for, thanks Rico.
I’m in favour of sending young players out on loan. Not only do they (hopefully) get to play but they experience different coaches and different coaching methods, as well has a different style of play, particularly for AMN under Fat Sam.
I think it significant that there was no mention of either a sale or loan in the case of Chambers, no doubt Arteta has him in mind as a replacement for Luiz who should go in the summer. I also think he could be tried out as a defensive midfielder in the likely event of Partey getting more injuries.
Sheila, I read that Arteta is looking for a left back to understudy Tierney, Cedric is a more than useful back up for Bellerin on the right and he doesn’t cost that much.
I do wonder, as I often do these days, what the reaction of the club would be if say PSG came in with a decent offer for Saliba, say £35m?
We’d get our money back and make a small profit and of course he stays in France so the club can say ‘it’s only Ligue Un’ if he plays well…
I hope that Ainsley Maitland Niles has a great last few months at the Hawthorns and plays really well, standing out and catching everybody’s eye also that he gets picked to play for England and further enhances his reputation.
Then his value increases if we decide to sell…
There are many positions we need to strengthen in and we’ll only do that by selling some players, if that means selling selling Saliba so we can get a proper centre forward, then so be it.
If that means selling AMN so we can get an understudy to Tierney then bring it on.
There aren’t many players in our squad who I’d be averse to selling if it meant generating funds to strengthen where we need to…
Tierney is untouchable, as is Saka, as is Smith Rowe, as is Martinelli, everyone else is up for sale as far as I’m concerned…
Cedric’s contract at Southampton expires at the end of the season , so if we keep him he will be a free transfer and a good back up . Mt question though is to who , Bellerin is not impressing and yet seems to still have a following abroad and might just produce a good fee.
Auba or Lacazette both might raise a bit but are Nketiah or Balogun going to replace them ?
We are back to where we were with Wenger where a few tweaks is not going to be enough. Hobart posted a list and I am not sure that I am attached to any of those players enough to be bothered if they left.
We signed Cedric on a permanent deal back in the summer Potter. Same time as we made the Mari deal permanent.
Afternoon all.
I’d add Partey to the list Kev, but yes, I know what you guys mean about not being overly concerned who leaves anymore. I think most footballers run with the fox and hounds and only appreciate the club when they’re playing.
12:20 Cicero, thanks.
I expected Chambers to go out on loan for playing time but I guess it was a toss up between him and AMN as both can cover right back if Cedric is now our backup plan at left back.
Yes I saw that earlier but was going to confess but snow etc . Still it alters little we still need a left back as Tierney is an injury waiting to happen.
We do indeed, along with additions in other positions unless more youth are going to push through..
I don’t see the point in loaning out players that are 23 years old or over that have come from our under 23 team ( except goal keepers ) I would sell them after all if our academy is that good we don’t need to hold on to older loan out players
Some footballers are late developers though Geoff.