Morning all.
The Man City saga rolls on and it will do until the outcome of next weeks legal case is over. If City win, football as we know it, is in my opinion, finished but if City lose, the case against them in November will have got a lot stronger.
According to Mail Sport, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Newcastle all believe the champions have valid concerns ahead of a hearing on Monday at which City will attempt to get rules that limit how much companies linked to club owners can spend on sponsorship deals thrown out. I’m not surprised by Chelsea and Newcastle but Villa? Well, I wasn’t expecting their name to pop up.
On the flip side, the same newspaper reports that between 10 and 12 clubs have provided information in support of the Premier League and its rules in what is being viewed as a civil war. Sources say that group includes the likes of Manchester United Arsenal, Fulham, Wolves, Brighton and Totts. Some have provided witness statements while others have provided letters.
If City win this case, we might as well wave goodbye to fairness and equality because football will be neither anymore. It’s not now, not really but at least there are rules in place which in a roundabout way, caps expenditure/loss. For Premier League clubs, a loss no greater than £105m across the previous three seasons is the limit. In addition, they can lose more than £15m of their own money across those three years. For Championship clubs though, it’s just £39 million.
The all important date is June 30th because that’s when then the footballing year ends. It’s the date player/manager contracts end on too with new ones beginning on the 1st July. It’s the date the finances have to add up.
Anyway, for the sake of the game, I really hope City fail in this battle against the rules. Not just because it’s them, or because they keep winning the league etc, it’s simply about fairness and I’d feel the same if it was Arsenal sitting where City are now. It’s like two of the best tennis players in the world going head to head, one with the latest model of racquet, the other with the oldest wooden one still in circulation. Or a golfer with a top of the range set of clubs, against another with just a putter and an old 3 wood in his bag.
In just over a week’s time, this summer transfer window will be officially open. Not that clubs take much notice of dates when it comes to enquires and negotiations because I’m sure they will have been going on long before now. As far back as January or even last summer in certainly cases I suspect. With Big Brother watching clubs finances, it’s hard to see how this transfer window will unfold. Newly promoted clubs will be cash rich but the back of their minds, they know if this time next year, they might have to cash in on their better players to comply with the financial rules and regulations. Newcastle, Chelsea and I think, Aston Villa are being closely monitored over their finances and as much as we’d all like to see Arsenal sign 2, 3 or 4 top notch players, logic says the club has to sell a number of players too. Rumours about clubs wanting our players and signing them are two very different things. After all, Crystal Palace have been linked to Eddie Nketiah before now but when it comes to actually paying for him, they’ve turned elsewhere. ESR and Reiss Nelson are very good players but will a club pay the right price for them? What even is the right price for each of them? James Maddison is according to TransferMarket, valued at €70 million. He’s 27 years old and has just been dumped by Gareth Southgate. Emile Smith Rowe is 22, he’s a great player now ad could go on to better Maddison so shouldn’t Arsenal be thinking about a similar transfer fee for him?
Eddie Nketiah, a talented forward, England’s record goal scorer at under 21 level and yet I bet other clubs would laugh at Arsenal if they put a £40 million price on his back. Yet I’m quietly convinced that in the right team, he’d be a 15-20 goal a season player. Reiss Nelson isn’t a bad footballer either but like Nketiah, he just needs to find the right fit. Sometimes a move is all it takes to kickstart or restart a players career. Kai Havertz is a perfect example as he’s gone from looking like a £60 odd million dud to a player well worth his money. Gabriel had an up and down start to his Arsenal career too but now he’s pretty much irreplaceable. Just two examples of many in the game. Two more for you, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.
If our three younger English attacking players move on then just like 99% of those who leave the club, I really hope they find a club which fits for them. Just as whoever Arsenal bring into the club, I hope they fit too. At least these days, more often than not, they do…
Little transfer rumour, Fabrizio Romano has allegedly told GiveMeSport that Arsenal have had some contact with Amadou Onana’s camp, keeping informed on the player’s situation, though he added that they haven’t entered into negotiations with Everton.
Catch up in the comments.
Grealish has been dumped from the England camp too, and Maguire. Southgate has finally woken up…
Man City, would be lucky to get back half of what they paid for Grealish.
I reckon they might soon let him go Kev. Has he sobered up since the end of the season I wonder..
If he had sobered up he’d be back on the p**s now as he has nothing to do until pre-season training starts.
😂
Good post.
No thanks to Onana… all players, their agents, and their families want to get buzz going about contacts and interest from other clubs and especially Arsenal. Just the way Chelsea allegedly paid loads of money over time to Fabrizio to get buzz going for them….. ALLEGEDLY
I also could see Eddie scoring 15+ goals starting 30 or more games in a team that doesn’t require him to drop as deep as Arteta does.
I’m almost hoping for Reiss Nelson to move on and show that he can be a great player if given chances. I believe he can. He should take a pay cut to go to a smaller club and bet on himself to explode. He was a top prospect and still looks dangerous to me. Smith Rowe should probably be priced in the Cole Palmer range, though I think Emile will be better.
Morning Rico and all.
If Grealish does go on the piss, then every time he falls over nothing, he can blaim the being pissed
Nigel, I absolutely agree re both players and other clubs should see that. I don’t know why other clubs, like West Ham for example, paid a lot of money Scamacca, £35m I read and yet wouldn’t perhaps look at a proven goal scorer like Nketiah.
Same with Nelson. I rate him probably higher than most an in mid table PL side, he’d shine. I’m convinced of that.
Morning Geoff, all.
Rico 35 mill for a avarage player, sound a good buy when we paid how much for Pepe, I don’t want to say the amout paid as just the memories are bad enought
Geoff, Eddie and Reiss aren’t average players in my opinion, far from it. They’re just not players Mikel Arteta has faith in.
How many times do we see players switch clubs are do really well? Both Salah and de Bruyne were considered flops before leaving Chelsea…
And Pepe was a super player when we signed him but he’s a winger, not a winger, pressing player or defender. Arteta likes players who will work from start to finish.
In a way, the agent who represents Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and also I believe Emile Smith Rowe, hasn’t done any of that trio any real favours by pushing for such large contract renewals as lucrative as he got.
Arsenal aren’t going to let any of this trio leave under market value – why should we? But the salaries negotiated by the agent has put his clients out of the reach of most of the clubs who would have been interested in signing them and then reboosting their careers.
It’s a conundrum for the players and agent, because to get a good move they’d need to reduce their financial demands, which they won’t want to do – also they can’t expect Arsenal to pick up the shortfall.
It’s a stark choice for them, theg either sit on their lucrative contracts and watch their careers stagnate even more or if they’re really interested in moving on in their careers they reduce their wage demands – as does the agent….
Of course Arsenal need to step carefully through this minefield as the agent also represents Bakayo Saka!
Smith Rowe’s contract is until 2026.
Nelson & Nketiah until 2027.
Following on from Nigel, I’m largely in agreement regarding Onana, I think we’ve moved on from the mainly physical midfield presence he provides. You need more to your game to get into this Arsenal squad.
USA beating Pakistan at cricket, who would have believed it?
It’s like a Mexican team winning the Stanley Cup!
…or a senior England team winning anything!!
It’s going to be hard to get top money for some of our players, when Arteta wouldn’t even give them too much game time let alone start them.
I’m looking forward to the transfer window to see who we sell and buy, hopefully Arteta and Edu can pick up some decent quality players
Agreed Kev so the only real option if neither party will budge is a loan. But that doesn’t help Arsenal as any sale of them is pure profit.
I’m not fussed either way re Onana because as harsh as this might sound, if Arteta sees something in him then who are we to object? He is still young, coachable and PL ready.
Not particularly inspired by the Onana connection , then again I wasn’t too enthusiastic about Havertz either.
I remember England winning Le Tournoi in 1997.
Great days under Glenn
That’s right Rico, I guess at a push a loan gives them a chance to play, impress interested parties and hopefully enhance their value and we should get a decent loan fee.
Blimey that was in the last century Kev. 😉
Rico,
It sounds like you have a very similar view of Nelson … I see him with a high ceiling, and I think a good run of games is all he needs to show it. When I use my scouting eyes, I see a quick player with great natural footwork and skills he’s always had, but under Arteta he bulked up, starting using some power, and more aggressiveness. I think he could be one of the better forwards in the league and I’d like to see him get a chance.
One problem for us… Unless we bring in a pacey winger, I don’t know if we can spare him. I guess if a more central player like Sesko really arrives, Jesus would become wing depth.. so maybe that way ?
My preference is to sell Jesus though. I think he’s a rapidly deteriorating asset value. Every time I watch him play I’m more surprised how much pace he doesn’t have.
I watched a random highlight of when he got behind United and cut back to score on Onana with Dalot sliding past him.. what stood out was how slow he looked.
Even with his knee cleaned out again… that pace is not returning to him. I’m sure of it. I’m biased but I prefer Nelson. Even though Jesus still has amazing ball skills, Nelson would have a better shot conversion %, I’d put money on it.
I know people will say I’m crazy, but remember, we’d be saving a lot of salary from Jesus, and probably a decent fee could come in. As long as he could pass a physical… that could be a real problem.
Same here Potter.
Kev, and hope they don’t run their contracts down.
Nigel, you’re right, I really rate Nelson and can’t work out why Arteta doesn’t. Yet Martinelli seems to be well thought of. Nelson or Jesus, again we agree, he’s served his purpose but like Zinchenko, I thin’ he needs a new challenge.
Yes Cicero, the good old days. 😁
Nigel, you’re crazy 😄
Surely Southgate is a gonner if England don’t make the final at least. He has so much talent in the squad, but I’m far from convinced he’s getting the best out of them.
England 0-1 Iceland with approx 10 minutes left.
It’s Coming Home, It’s Coming Home, It’s Coming, oops…
One shot on target!! Says it all!!
Never mind getting to the final Rico, the way Southgate is asking his team to play we won’t make it through the first round.
Tbh I really don’t want England to have any success with Southgate in charge, having to listen to his sycophants blowing smoke up his arse if by some miracle we won the Euros is a nightmare I can do without. England need rid of him and his useless coaching staff.
True Cicero although if they can’t beat Serbia, Slovenia and Denmark, then at least Southgate should be gone and our boys will get an extended holiday.
Ditto Kev.
New post up.