Morning all.
It’s turning out to be quite a week for Arsenal. Kai Havetz move has been confirmed, Man City walked away from the Declan Rice deal after Arsenal’s record £105 million offer, an offer which has been accepted by West Ham and yesterday, David Ornstein broke the news about Arsenal and Ajax agreeing a fee for Jurrien Timber. Obviously, until the i’s have been dotted and the t’s crossed on a contract by both, things could go wrong but I can’t see that happening now.
The European transfer window opens tomorrow so English clubs can sign overseas players from there on.
More big news landed yesterday, news which in my opinion is right up there with all the other good things Arsenal have done over the last few months.
🚨 Ethan Nwaneri has committed future to Arsenal by signing scholarship terms + agreeing pro deal when turns 17. Major interest from other clubs but 16yo never wanted to leave – lifelong #AFC fan & Islington born/bred. Huge boost for Gunners @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/RJuw0qrJRK
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 29, 2023
I’m pretty sure one or both of Man City and Chelsea were quietly confident of securing a move for him on a free transfer but that’s not going to happen. It never was it seems as Nwaneri only wanted to stay at the club he’s supported all his life. The Arsenal present is important but so is the Arsenal future and keeping hold of players like Nwaneri is crucial for the latter. Having made his first team debut already, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him add to those minutes this coming season.
According to Jeorge Bird, midfielder, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Bless Akolbire and Ayden Heaven are expected to join Arsenal’s scholarship intake this summer with Daniel Oyetunde, Jakai Bascoe-Fisher, Dan Casey, Reece Clairmont, Louie Copley, Camron Ismail Maxi Kuczynski, Zach Schuaib and Will Sweet also offered deals.
I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before but I’d love to see a day when 50% or more of Arsenal’s first team consisted of players who’ve come through the academy. Right now we have just Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson (if he stays) and Emile Smith Rowe.The latter by the way is doing well with the England under 21 side who’ve secured their place in the Euros quarterfinals. They face Portugal at 5pm on Sunday so Emile Smith Rowe will be up against Nuno Tavares.
Talking of Tavares, he’s being linked with an £8 million move to West Ham. If I were Arsenal, I’d get the deal for Rice signed and sealed first and then tell West Ham Tavares is for sale for a lot more than £8 million. He’s had a pretty decent year out on loan, he’s an international player albeit at under 21 level so push them for the maximum as they did us for Declan Rice. Same goes for any player who might be sold before the end of the transfer window.
Flo Balogun has dropped a comment on Twitter saying ‘It is time’ – which has fuelled rumours he’s on his way to a new club. Well, he might be but his comment might mean it’s time to return to north London for pre-season, it’s time to go shopping, or time to wake up and realise he’s young and if he’s good enough, he’ll get his chance at Arsenal. If Arsenal do sell, I hope a buy back clause is included in the deal as I’ve a feeling he’s going to be very good.
It’s hard to believe that pre-season is not far away, in fact it’s only next week when first team players will start to return. Our first pre-season friendly takes place on the 13th July. I wonder what our squad will look like then….
Catch up later.
Morning Rico and all.
It’s shaping up to be one of the best transfer seasons in while,
I know we have to have an academy, but with low numbers making it to our senior team I wish we didn’t have to waist money and have one.
Morning Geoff, all.
It is. Let’s hope there are no snags and Rice, Timber join and Nelson signs a contract extension too.
If we complete complete the deals for Rice and Timber, and leave the core of last season’s squad intact, I’d be very happy and optimistic for the coming season. But losing any of Partey, Xhaka or Tierney would compromise the fabric of the team, IMO
cm, if reports are anything to go by, all 3 will be gone before the season starts, the only surprise to me out of the 3 was to hear Party could leave.
CM, have to agree. Signing Rice but selling Partey doesn’t make us stronger imo.
Seems like Arteta had a deal with Xhaka to get one last year out of him and that he could leave at the end of it. This gave Xhaka one year to play for his next contract and he did . It was his best year with us but he will be gone as soon as the paperwork is done .
Partey still has the court cases pending and getting out of Dodge might be a prudent action on his behalf.There are still also in the wind rumours of Lavia coming from Southampton maybe if he has chatted with Theo he would have only heard good things about the club.
We are losing two senior midfielders but are building a squad if Lavia does come and Smith Rowe gets game time we wont be short of bodies in midfield especially playing with the inverted full backs. I can see a change in our pattern of play , whether it’s a success , only time will tell.
Pablo Mari is to join A C Monza on permanent deal, no fee has been disclosed.
Has Thomas Partey actually been confirmed as being ‘that guy’?
As of ‘close of play’ yesterday the Premier League’s biggest spenders were, I hope you’re all sitting down, Tottenham Hotspur’s with £116.5m.
Yeah that went under the radar!
West Ham are reported to be interested in Nuno Tavares, they’re also in for Niles along with Everton who are skint…
We need a few Americans on here to keep things ticking-over during the night, not just Geoff…
Need a few more during the day too Kev. 😆
It’s ok, the other’s will come back when the pre season start, then we will have some idea our the new players look and fit into our current squad
I could have sworn Geoff was an Aussie Kev. 😉
Good morning all.
Morning all.
By the time the season starts Geoff, I’ll be fed up with talking about our new players. 😂
What do we do with Pepe as it appears no one wants him, and unless I am mistaken, he still has one year left on his contract, and I can’t see him fitting into this team, I wonder if the Saudis would be interested.
Rico it could be worse, we could be talking about VAR or the cricket scores.
Another loan I guess Geoff or a Saudi move if a club there fancies him. Who knows really. It’s a shame so much talent, which I think he possesses, is going to waste.
Now now… lol
Hello HHERS, its interesting to see how we are going about the transfer business this time round. Something tells me Gazidis and Mslintat were the problem not the Kroenkes. Reminds me how we moaned about having Usmanov take over 100% of the club. Surely the grass is not always greener on the other side
Morning Fatgun. I think the issues were two fold. The joint ownership of shares and the board members back then. Thankfully, both have changed and for the better.
Imo, we’re going for it this summer knowing that in future, we’ll just need tweaks rather than big money spent because our squad is young.
Cicero, I thought that Geoff was from Papua New Guinea…
I actually live on mars, that’s why I hate it when people keep sending rockets 🚀 up, it plays havoc with my satellite tv
Stoke’s tactic of short pitched bowling is not contributing to entertaining cricket. It’s pretty bloody obvious that the Aussie batsmen are not compulsive hookers , they are quite happy to duck everything that comes their way and wait for the loose ball which they can hit through the close fielders on it’s way to the boundary.
Yawn!!!
Typical sportsmanship by the ‘bagg greens’ in dismissing Bairstow
The stump mic has picked up some of what Stuart Broad was saying once he got out to the middle.
To Alex Carey: “That’s all you’ll ever be remembered for that.”
To Pat Cummins: “That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket.”
Kev, now you know why I have no interest in cricket. The Aussie cricketers will do anything to win. I remember 1981 when they bowled an underarm to stop the New Zealand hitting 6 of the last ball.
Fair enough Geoff.
Miguel Azeez joining Barcelona B, now that would be out of the blue if it comes off, not that Barca B want to pay a fee it seems even though Azeez is still under contract for another year (so I’ve read).
Afternoon Rico and all, So according to the latest news our next 2 signings will be at the end of the week. Let’s hope the week goes quick.
Afternoon Geoff, Kev, all.
New post up.
I’m keeping out of the cricket debate so I don’t offend Geoff. 😂