Arsenal move for Kondogbia. Ramsey talks about players leaving…

Morning all.

I think it’s fair to say that what’s on most Arsenal fans minds right now is who will Arsene Wenger sign this summer….

Arsenal finished the season in the dizzy heights of third place and we defended our FA Cup so everything is rosy (ish)…

Criky, I’ve not even read ‘Arsene Out’ comments for a long while, well, just a few but reality is, he’s going nowhere just yet and why would he want to having just had one of his best seasons since we moved to The Emirates.

The one thing I really hope for this summer is that the club make money, good money available to Wenger and he spends it. Wisely of course, get the right players in and win the league because then, he may just do something he’s never done, and that’s to win it twice in succession.. Just as he’s done with the FA Cup.

Aaron Ramsey:

The club is now in a good place where they can afford to bring in top, top players to add to the squad. They don’t have to let players go, and we are building on this team rather than having players leaving and needing to rebuild around the ones that are left.

It is a nice feeling and means the group can stick together. The understanding among the players is there already so it can only get stronger. I believe that even with just the group of players we have now if everyone was fit we would have a great opportunity of competing for the Premier League title.

The team has come on a lot over the last few years and if we can get off to a good start next season we will definitely challenge.

There’s mixed views around about this current squad, some think it’s good enough to challenge as long as every player stays fit for the season ahead, some believe we still need four really top players, others like me think it’s somewhere in between the two.

But I guess all that really matters is what the manager and club think and seeing how Arsene Wenger has been in the past, added to his comments about bringing in too many players at once wrecks the balance of a side, four additions this summer might be a bit optimistic.

Unless of course a number of players leave as happened this time last year.

Last summer, we sold/let leave:

Thomas Vermaelen, Lukasz Fabianski, Bacary Sagna and Nicklas Bendtner. All first team players, albeit two rarely played. Carl Jenkinson left on loan.

In came:

Alexis Sánchez, Danny Welbeck, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina.

Which kind of equates to – Welbeck for Bendtner, Debuchy for Sagna, Ospina for Fabianski and Chambers for Vermaelen although the latter is pushing it a bit as Chambers is young and learning, Vermaelen is an experienced international defender who in my opinion was never truly replaced, not until January when Gabriel arrived.

So the only ‘real’ addition to the first team was Alexis Sanchez and that was in a year when Arsene Wenger knew we’d be without players who were involved in the World Cup during the early stages of the season.

This season we’ll probably be without David Ospina and Alexis Sanchez for the first few weeks too as both Chile and Columbia could go far in the Copa America Cup and then both will need a rest. Other clubs will suffer too but our two have been key this current side and they’ll be hugely missed.

Last season, Hector Bellerin was the only one who pushed through from the under 21’s although, Chuba Akpom, Isaac Hayden, Gedion Zelalem and Krystian Bielik were all given first team squad status on the official site and pre-season will be key for all of these players. It will no doubt determine whether they are staying put, or going out on loan. If any stay, and my money is on two of them, that could affect the managers transfer plans.

As for the keeper situation, well I remain hopeful that we’ll sign one as Szczesny seems to be going down a similar path to Bendtner. He thinks he’s great, he just doesn’t back it up with his performances. Even Ospina looked dodgy in his last couple of games. Emiliano Martinez must be rubbing his hands together.

Ramsey said we don’t have to sell players but imo we have too many players on our books to add many signings so something has to give, or rather some have to go. Mind you, I could think of four with ease, perhaps more…..

Gossip:

Apparently we’ve made an £18 million bid for Geoffrey Kondogbia. How I’d love that to be true and it’s enough to convince Monaco to sell. And of course the player wants to join Arsenal.

Enjoy the Champions League Final folks and don’t forget the Womens World Cup kicks off tonight……