Morning all.
I didn’t see all of the game but I’m not too disappointed about that. I know it’s only pre-season and yesterday’s final fixture in Asia was little other than a training session but to be honest, the performance was just a rinse and repeat of a number of games we’ve seen before. Lots of possession, more shots than the opposition but just one on target. I know we had a few players missing but so what, it’s the system we play which I find boring, not the players playing it. At least not all of them anyway. If Mikel Arteta and David Raya persist in him roaming up the pitch, I strongly suspect Sarr won’t be the only player to lob a shot over his head this coming season.
It won’t be the only time the referee waves play on after an Arsenal player gets fouled either, and yes, Myles Lewis-Skelly was fouled before Totts but that is not an excuse for how the team played, or indeed how they are asked to play.
The stats tell us that we’re moving the ball up the pitch a bit quicker, or at least we have in our three fixtures in Asia, plus, Raya is is opting for a long ball out from the back more than last season. 50/50 with playing out from the back say the stats, give or take a bit. More shots are being taken too which can only be a good thing if they start hitting the target, the numbers are: 23 shots against AC Milan, 15 against Newcastle and 16 against Totts. Apparently, we lined up differently on corners. Instead of crowding the goal mouth area, five Arsenal players lined up on the edge of the box, waiting to run in and attack the ball.
As for the team selection, only those at the club know who is 100% fit to play and bearing in mind our most recent two signings have had little time with their new teammates and a long haul flight before joining them, I’m not surprised neither started yesterday’s match. This period of time is about getting up to full fitness, not a time batter players physically.
David Raya has often worried me with his dithering around with the ball but in my opinion, his all round performances have been underwhelming in pre-season and Martin Odegaard, well, he still has a tendency to slow our play down. Perhaps that’s why Arsenal are seemingly interested in Eze. It’s certainly why I hope we sign him too. If not him, someone similar. A player Arteta possibly believe Fabio Vieira would be.
Mikel Arteta on whether the pre-season friendlies were productive:
Yes, for the three of them and today in particular it showed different demands, different understanding of things that we have to do. I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen in most of the things that we’ve done but we missed something you know in certain moments, that preciseness, that moment that unlocks the result and the moment to turn the result away and win the match but in terms of attitude, the desire, level of organisation in the team, it was great and we have to continue to elevate a little bit all the individual aspects.
On concerns that Gabriel, Calafiori and Timber won’t be available in time for the Premier League:
I don’t think so, they’ve been involved in the last few days so Gabriel, Calafoiri, Timber, the three of them will be available.
Next up for Mikel Arteta’s team is a home fixture against Villarreal next Wednesday evening at 6pm. I think, or at least I hope, we’ll see a better performance in that game as well as in the final friendly against Athletic Club four days later. Noni Madueke should be involved in those two games, certainly the latter and I’m hoping he’s ready to hit the ground running. Our other five signings too.
Anyway, the fun is over, which let’s face it, is what tours overseas are about in pre-season, that and shirt sales, now it’s time to get serious as the players and manager prepare for the trip to Old Trafford on the opening day of the season.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, all I can do is use the old cliche, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The slow build up style of play is locked firmly in the D N A of our squad, it will take more than a handfull of friendly kick-abouts to change that.
The desultory on/off saga of Gyokeres transfer wasted the opportunities to integrate him into the team and for him to show what he can do if presented with scoring chances. As he said when Martin Odegaard asked him if he needed anything he replied “just assists”.
The far east jollies are over, It’s now the time to get down to some solid work on the training ground.
The 25/26 season will decide Arteta’s future at the Arsenal and rightly so.
Morning Cicero.
I’m hoping you’re right. As said in the previous comments , I’m hopeful that once we get to OT, our style of play will dispel my fears. I guess as it takes time for the players, it takes time for me and others to believe we can change the way we play to.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Fulham has now approached Zinchenko, with talks first beginning with the Ukrainian’s camp in early June. Arsenal are reportedly open to offers of around £15million for the 28-year-old, and Fulham are now weighing up a formal bid.
This follows The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that Reiss Nelson was already in advanced talks to join Fulham, though the final structure of that potential move remains under discussion.
It’s not the first time Fulham have been linked with the duo. Similar reports emerged earlier this summer, with suggestions the Cottagers were exploring a combined swoop for both players back in June.
Should Arsenal succeed in offloading both Zinchenko and Nelson permanently, they could raise around £30million in transfer fees and remove over £200,000 per week from their wage bill — providing significant flexibility as the club shapes its squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Maybe we need this deal before we go for Eze to get over the financial regulations . We can’t keep spending without balancing at least some of the outgoings with a bit of income and I can’t see Vieira , Lokonga and Hein bringing in that much.
We’re not the only ditherers then. lol
Good move for both I think although I still believe Nelson is the best proper winger we have at the club.
From The Athletic
Where does this leave their PSR position? (Arsenal)
Arsenal’s most recent set of published financial accounts, for the year ended May 31, 2024, saw them post a pre-tax loss of £17.7m, meaning it was their sixth loss-making year in a row, having previously made a profit for 16 consecutive years.
Since Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) took full ownership of the club in 2018, they have invested heavily in the squad, which has coincided with losses totalling £328.7m in six years.
Despite the losses, they have enjoyed significant revenue growth, owing to regular Champions League football, and posted record revenues of over £610m in 2023-24.
Although they have posted losses for the last six years, the club is on relatively solid footing for PSR. The Athletic previously estimated that they could lose up to £97m in 2024-25 and remain compliant with the fiscal rules.
Are more signings on the way?
Arsenal remain open to the prospect of further strengthening their squad if a suitable deal presents itself, although any additions are likely to be in the attacking department.
Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, both left-wingers, are admired by the club, and they have also explored a potential deal for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze.
Will they need to sell to fund any further purchases?
Arsenal had been heavy spenders for a few years, but came closer to balancing their books last season.
In the three seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24, Arsenal’s net transfer spend was £563.7m. In contrast, their net transfer spend was just £20.9m in 2024-25, as the sales of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale offset the majority of the money spent on Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and David Raya.
After a relatively fallow year, they had greater scope to buy again this summer.
They almost certainly set a new club record for revenues from 2024-25, surpassing what they generated in 2023-24, after a successful campaign that saw them reach the Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal reached the Champions League semi-final last season (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
They are not pushing themselves up to the PSR limit, but if they keep signing expensive players, they will need to recoup money through sales, as would be the case for any Premier League side.
Arsenal also need to be wary of UEFA’s tight squad-cost rules.
The European governing body sets a limit on the amount of revenue clubs competing in its competitions can spend on transfer fees, player wages, and agent fees. From the 2025-26 season, it will be 70 per cent. In the 2023-24 season, Arsenal’s accounts show their wages-to-revenue ratio was 53 per cent. Wages will have increased since then but so have their revenues. Space has also been freed up on the wage bill from Thomas Partey and Jorginho’s departures this summer.
And could they attract good fees for players?
Arsenal’s record sale remains Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool for £35million in August 2017, so their track record at generating significant fees has not been great recently. Chelsea, for example, are as good at selling players as they are at buying them, having already generated more than £100m this summer in sales.
Although they may not have to sell this window to comply with PSR, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to sell. The club’s owners want Arsenal to be self-sufficient and want to see them make use of player trading to maximise their resources, all with a view to sustainably reinvesting as much as possible back onto the pitch.
That said, Arsenal do have saleable assets. Fabio Vieira, 25, who is yet to return for pre-season after his involvement with Porto in the Club World Cup, is available.
As reported in the Transfer DealSheet on Tuesday, they may be willing to listen to offers for either Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard if a wider player can be brought in.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, meanwhile, is also in the shop window but the 28-year-old has less than 12 months left on his contract, significantly limiting his value. There is a possibility that the Ukrainian will leave for nothing next summer.
Reiss Nelson has been made available for sale, with Fulham in advanced talks with Arsenal to sign the 25-year-old winger. Having joined Arsenal’s academy aged nine, any transfer fee for Nelson would count as pure profit in the club’s PSR calculations.
Ditherers…! A joke surely Rico.
I’d like to see what Madueke brings to the table first, that’s if he’s going to be played down the left flank?
If the ex-Chelsea man can make an impact then that’ll be Martinelli on the subs bench.
It’s notable that whilst both the contracts of Saliba and Saka are routinely discussed that we’ve heard nothing concerning Martinelli despite his contract expiring at the same time as the other two?
Of course Kev, hence the 😜
Didn’t Martinelli sign a new contract last summer?
Did he Rico?
I thought he contract ran out in 2027, maybe someone out there knows?
You’re right Kev, 2027 with an option of another year. His last contract was 2023. Time flies..
United after Donnarumma , now there’s a transfer I would be happy with
Me too, he stopped us winning the CL imo.
Interesting article from the Athletic about PSR and Arsenal,I heard somewhere that the net spend for Chelsea this summer is only(?) £86m because they have raised so much from sales.
Limey . I believe that they sold their ladies team to a company owned by their owner Boehly and that was acceptable to the F A and Eufa
Hmm something stinks in SW6 and not just the fans.
Yep, seems we’re not as hard up as thought. Need to sell though, for the sake of the players careers and to make way for another creative player imo.
Everton have now sold their womens team off to raise funds. Sorry state of affairs for the women’s game.
Yes it’s a shame but commercially it has tried to run before it can walk . At Everton their average attendance is around 2000 and the tickets cost £8.00 adult and £ 4.00 under 16 . Its doubtful that the income covers the costs .
Says a lot about Chelsea though, bearing in mind they’ve been successful in recent years.
I really hope Arsenal never sell their womens team.
Even at The Arsenal a category A game is £ 11.50 but at least at home they are getting good numbers . I think the finishing positions last year were Chelsea , . Man City , Arsenal , Liverpool . Perhaps these 4 should form an European super league with Spanish and other top teams.
Liverpool have had a bid of £110m for Alexander Isak.
Newcastle want £150m but I reckon they’ll take £120m/ £125m with add-ons.
I think Arsenal finished 2nd in the WSL last season.
I can see it going that way…
Well, if they get him, I hope his hamstring goes during his first game… 😜
Rob Holding has been released by Crystal Palace
Seventy million would get us Sesko.
He’s gone to Saudi hadn’t he Kev.
I still don’t think Arsenal are done this transfer window. Maybe a Sesko deal is what he and Arsenal still want.
Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has a £68m release clause which expires on Saturday. (tomorrow)
I’d imagine Palace will want more money for him after.
Has he Rico? I thought he might go to the MLS as his girlfriend is American – or he used to have an American girlfriend?
Real Madrid midfielder Diaz has suddenly become an option and maybe an alternative to Eze if Crystal Palace won’t negotiate over the fee. Seems classic Berta…
Apparently so Kev.
Last deal for big money, smart at his age. 😂
You are right Kev, he’s joining Colorado Rapids.
Ah, makes sense for Holding, but Colorado Rapids eh?
Back into the KSE stable and then I reckon eventually into a coaching role in the MLS, a green card and an American passport, that’s if he hasn’t got them already and good luck to him.
Always thought that we should have an arrangement with them for some of our youngsters , maybe a couple of years developing in first team football with life in the states might stop them getting poached .
Anyway good luck to Holding over there , he was a honest professional that never created waves and despite not being of the highest quality could not be faulted for effort.
Plus, he and Merts were crucial to our last FA Cup under Arsene Wenger..
Afternoon guys.
England’s target 374, an hour or so this evening and three sessions tomorrow?
We are two-one up in the series, do we go all out Bazball for a win, or try to bat out for a draw?
Answers on a post card please. 😉
Storm Floris 😂
Morning guys
New post up.