Morning all.
EXCL: Arsenal have submitted opening bid for David Raya to Brentford tonight. The proposal is worth £20m fixed fee plus £3m add-ons 🚨🔴⚪️ #AFC
Raya told Brentford that he wants the move as personal terms are already agreed. pic.twitter.com/PyEfro0tIu
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 3, 2023
Half the figure Brentford, or rather Thomas Frank said Raya is valued at but, in my opinion, a more realistic price for a keeper into his final year of contract. Chelsea have just agreed a £25 million deal with Brighton for their keeper Sanchez who is a couple of years younger so unless Brentford want to lose Raya for free in a year’s time, common sense should prevail and Raya will soon become an Arsenal player.
Arsenal could be about to sign another player too as according to Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, a €20m[£17m] bid has been submitted to Dinamo Zagreb for Croatian defender Josip Sutalo. He’s 23 years old, 6’ 3” and I’ve no idea if it’s true but if Rob Holding is on the move, Sutalo could be his replacement.
We seem to be overrun with defensive players right now with 16 in total on the books, including our defence minded midfield players. That number is likely to decrease though as it’s expected Cedric, Lokonga, Holding and Tavares will be gone before the transfer window shuts. Zinchenko seems to be injured more than he is fit and with Tierney’s injury record, it’s a good job Arteta has Kiwior and Tomiyasu to fall back on although the latter has suffered a string of injury problems too since joining Arsenal.
Arsenal suffered on the pitch from the day William Saliba was ruled out through injury. Mikel Arteta had options in defence as far as numbers go but not in ability. Ability to emulate the role of the Frenchman. His calmness, pace, footwork – just everything about the way he plays. A Rolls Royce in an Arsenal kit.
I know YouTube can make any footballer look world class if only his/her best bits are captured on film but Sutalo does seem to have an element of calmness in the way he defends and by the looks of it, he’s good with both feet. Perhaps there is some truth to this rumour. Who knows.
In other news, Aaron Ramsdale has released an article about his life, or certainly part of it. It’s certainly worth reading in my opinion because what he says is poignant. None of us know what the person next to us is going through, especially if that person isn’t in our circle of life which is why it’s important for all human beings to just be decent.
Catch up in the comments…
Being the cynic that I am , I just wondered if Ramsdale’s nice words about Arteta were a subtle way of currying a little favour with the rumours of Raya on the horizon . He knows that Arteta plumped for him over Leno , is he worried that this time things might be different.
I don’t think so as in his article he said he’s been writing it for a while. Arteta comes across as being very family focused too.
Already the critics are out , and these guys state that they are supporters .An example :-
“”So Ramsdales brother is gay……aaannnnnnd this has got what to do stopping the ball going past you into the net??
Honestly if he’s going to turn into another Heccy B with every muppet cause being supported while performances on the pitch are shite….he can sling his hook now.””
As I suspected some things are best kept to yourself.
It’s funny how one article can be seen in different ways. I admire him for being open and honest..
Morning Rico. Hope you’re well. Been enjoying some sunshine in the Algarve. Phew, hot down there!
Waiting patiently for the season to begin, so I can see how this team is going to shape up. I have high hopes.
Good article by Ramsdale. Strange how men’s football still has zero high profile openly gay players. That’s bound to change at some point soon.
Arsenal have a large gay following. I know a number of openly gay season ticket holders. It shouldn’t be an issue in London in 2023.
Morning Pete, I bet it was hot. Worryingly so really.
I think the culture on the terraces will prevent any gay player from being himself in public.
Afternoon Rico and all.
Don’t care what any player or his family does behind closed doors, it’s what happens on the field that matters most to me
Hi Geoff, one can have an impact on the other though. Look at how Xhaka was abused on social media before he finally snapped..
I think it’s improved over the last few years , I can remember Le Saux getting dog’s abuse from crowds especially the North bank . Mind you he wasn’t alone , just that it was a homophobic slur whereas Micky Quinn got pies thrown at him and Sherringham just got anything and of course Carragher got the famous £ 1 coin which he threw back into the crowd and hit a kid .
Things are much more civilised now but certain attitudes won’t change.
Forest have made an offer for Turner according to Fabrizio Romano.
But imagine the abuse a gay footballer would get, Sol Campbell experienced all sorts of vile stuff and he’s heterosexual.
No matter how much work the officials put into it, I recon any male player who comes out as gay will cop abuse from some fans if not during the match I can see people using the internet to write crap
That’s already going on Geoff..
Social Media is a cesspit, it brings out the worst in people because of the anonymity it provides, it’s actually worse than anything a gay footballer would experience from the terraces and women’s football has shown this where homosexual prejudice is, as far as I’m aware, absent from live games…
Thanks Rico for a great ✍️. I hope the club can sign a taller forward, because as it stands, we’re severely disadvantaged, in comparison to the top teams we are trying to emulate or compete with. However if that doesn’t happen in this window, I’d suggest that we stick with Balogun until latest next January.
About gay football, I have never understood why so called LQBTQXYZ and their proponents cum sympathizers keep dragging us to support what should be a regarded as private affair onto football matters. Their weird choices do not concern me or others of similar persuasion. I see a so called huge gay following at Arsenal. In my opinion matters sexual orientation should not be forced on us. And the club should not appear to them with such gusto on social media. Surprisingly, I don’t see other clubs celebrating disorderly, unGodly, unnatural sexual perversion as Arsenal does in the name of inclusivity. Quite detestable to say the last!
That said, I am just a football supporter thousands of miles away and I can do nothing about people’s sexual orientation.
There does seem to be a need for publicity in these groups on something which most of the general public don’t really care what happens in private.
New post up.
Thanks Kyalo.