Afternoon guys.
Chukwunonso Azuka Tristan”Noni” Madueke – born 10 March 2002, ex Crystal Palace, Totts, PSV and Chelsea winger is now an Arsenal player. To suggest his move to Arsenal has divided fans opinion is a bit of an understatement. Rumours of graffiti at The Emirates along with a petition opposed to this signing doesn’t represent every Arsenal fan, if indeed is our own fans were behind both to start with.
I read around a few blogs to see how this signing would be thought of and there is a serious lack of positivity. The writers of back page headlines have clearly enjoyed ridiculing Arsenal for giving Chelsea money in exchange for an unwanted player. I hope the player ends up having the last laugh, Arsenal football club too. Still just 23 years old, I’m sure there’s room for improvement which is the challenge for Mikel Arteta and his coaching team. I read he was/is a bad trainer, well, there could be a number of reasons for that if true. I’m sure Mikel Arteta and/or Gabriel Heinze will have something to say about that if the player even thinks about repeating such antics in north London.
Every ball he plays, every touch he takes and every shot he takes, every one will be scrutinised by fans and media alike, no doubt waiting to add more negativity to this already negative transfer business. What I hope though is that when this young man dons an Arsenal kit for the first time in the league, the cups or in Europe, the Arsenal fans in whatever stadium his debut arrives, are right behind him and I’m pretty sure they will be. Surely no one wants a player to fail just that person can say “I told you he was rubbish and a waste of money”..
I’ve no idea if Arsenal will add Eze to the signings of Zubimendi, Kepa, Norgaard and the expected soon to be confirmed Madueke, Gyokeres and Mosquera, or anyone else for that matter but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they did. Equally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two depart before the end of the transfer window. Hein, Nelson and Vieira being tipped to depart by the media while both Zinchenko and Trossard’s Arsenal future is being questioned too. Young centre-back Kacurri is expected to move on too, either on loan or a permanent deal. (The Athletic)
We all love new players joining the club, especially when they are top notch but keeping our best is equally if not more important. Saliba, Saka and Nwaneri need to put pen to paper real soon. Perhaps a stronger, deeper and more competitive squad will help convince them, others too, that Arsenal are going to be better equipped to challenge for something this coming season and beyond. If Arsenal want to keep their best, they need to be playing alongside some of the best too. The best though doesn’t always mean the biggest names or the biggest fees either.
Arsenal aren’t just strengthening the men’s first team squad but the women’s too. Anneke Borbe has joined the club today, a 24 year old keeper who stands at 5’ 11. Our other two keepers are 5’ 9” and 5’ 8”. Borbe walked away from Wolfsburg for free earlier in the summer. They’ve already snapped up Chloe Kelly, Taylor Hinds and Olivia Smith.
Like the mens side of the club, a league title has evaded them for a number of years, however, Renee Slegers players are currently the Champions of Europe.
Had Mikel Arteta’s squad been deeper and stronger, the club might have two European Champions but it wasn’t so it’s pointless thinking about it. Yet I can’t help thinking about it because that and the two seasons gone by, I think we missed a golden opportunity to lift some serious silverware.
Maybe next time..
Am wondering why Arteta spent the money on Madueke and not saved it for Rodrygo. Was it panic on possibly not getting Rodrygo leaving the left side not up to scratch? Getting Eze in first would have solved this problem by half. Time will tell but I have this feeling Madueke may start off well then drain off. Chelsea never get rid of their top players without a fight and this one hasn’t been much of a fight.
I see we are all still waiting for that big announcement – “Gyokeres has arrived – signed, sealed and delivered”. We won’t forget this bid/transfer quickly and I am sure Arteta and Berta won’t either.
Chelsea didn’t really keep him that long to find out did they?
Agreed re the trophies, we have to start winning them, otherwise, and as you’ve suggested before, players won’t trust the process and will look to leave.
Mind you, whatever the process is, I don’t trust it either..
Siempre Manana the Spanish say.
That’s what keeps us going , the crap that we are receiving from Chav fans needs to be stopped at source because no matter what the reason and as much as we don’t like it their international record is much better than ours.
Unless we start adding cups and titles to our record it is hard to defend ourselves as they are better at winning things than we are . We have to stop falling at the last fence.
Siempre Manana – a bit like the “free beer tomorrow” mat on the pub bar….
So the wait goes on for a club announcement . I was reading an article earlier where Varandas did the same to Spurs over Pedro Porro . It was only when time ran out on the last day of the window that he backed down and took the money.
Seems that it’s his tactic.
48 days to go then, or thereabouts…
Fabrizio Romano
@FabrizioRomano
🚨📑 Ethan Nwaneri’s new deal at Arsenal can be sealed in principle this week.
Arsenal believe progress made over weekend was significant with all indications positive at this stage.
David Ornstein
@David_Ornstein
·
14m
🚨 Arsenal in final stages of talks over new contract for Ethan Nwaneri. Major interest from PL/abroad but 18yo always prioritised staying at boyhood club. No game time demands during discussions. Set for more central role. Big boost to #AFC
@TheAthleticFC
Hello to the Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico,
I’m willing to give Madueke a chance before slagging him off. Mikel Arteta obviously sees something in him he likes. Maybe something he can coach into or out of him to make him a better player.
By the way your line “Every ball he plays, every touch he takes and every shot he takes, every one will be scrutinised…” reminded me of The Police song ‘Every Breath You Take’;
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be watching you
I;m sure we will be all be watching him, but let’s support him and give him a chance.
Morning Cg, how are you?
I’m of the same mindset. Give the guy a chance because he might just surprise us.
Ha ha, the Police song went through my mind too.
Liverpool have made a £120 million bid for Newcastle’s strike Alexander Isak. The Magpies don’t want to sell him and are looking to buy French Under-21 forward Hugo Ekitike. Liverpool are threatening to muscle in on that deal if Newcastle won’t sell them Isak.
Here’s a chance for Arsenal to gazump both teams by bidding around £75 million for Ekitike and avoiding the ever growing frustration with Sporting Lisbon and Gyokeres.
Morning Cicero, I thought the same re Ekitike, we were linked with him at the beginning of the summer..
Rico,
I’m well, although uncomfortably warm with the current local hot spell. Thankfully I haven’t had to contend with smoke from forest fires like other parts of the country.
As for Madueke and our other signings, let’s hope that they all turn out to be classics like the song from the Police.
I think some ‘Arsenal fans’ (?) need to be reminded of the Arsenal motto – ‘Victoria Concordia Crescit’ (Victory Through Harmony). Most, if not all, of the players who have left the club recently have mentioned and praised the Arsenal family (players, coaches and staff).
Morning Rico and all,
Happy to give Madueke a chance, but the one thing that I have concerns about is that he is 23 years old and we are going to be his 5 club, not much of a resume to be proud of,
I think we’re all struggling a bit with the heat Cg although in the Uk, it’s cooled a little.
Absolutely agree, if they all hit the ground running, we could have a good season.
Morning Geoff, 3 of those clubs were as an academy player so I’d ignore them. He’s still young in footballing years. Look at how many come through our academy and be let go…
Eze was in the Arsenal academy and we let him go, only to want to buy him back.
Exactly. Can’t blame Arteta for that one though. 😜
Good afternoon Rico and all
Good roundup Rico. Fingers crossed we buy all of them and get good money for the departures.
This is Berta’s time. Hopefully we will have a long fruitful era with him moving the club forward.
Geoff………Cantona had multiple clubs on his resume before he joined Utd. Yet he left his mark over there. I still have reservations about Madueke but fingers crossed he has that same effect. Oh and bdw….some of the clubs were as a youth so that does not count much.
Laura, fingers crossed that Rodrygo does not come. imo of course. He may be a maverick with the ball, but we would end up carrying him in the long run. He might turn out to be a good signing yes but I have my doubts about him with our club. And we have had a fair enough share of prima donnas.
Afternoon Devil, I just hope Berta and Arteta agree re signings because we know what happened last time the board over ruled the manager….
It’s a no re Rodrygo from me too…
Rumour has it that Fulham are after Reiss Nelson but only on loan , just running down his contract to get him for nothing ?
No loan for Reiss, we need to sell him or to get a loan with an obligation, Fulham can do one, there’s other teams out there that’ll be interested in him.
Berta has to show that he can be as effective selling players as he’s been signing them!
Loan is pointless other than to remove his salary
Arsenal look to have won the race for Salford City’s 17-year-old sensation Will Wright after hijacking Liverpool’s £100,000 transfer.
Arsenal offered £250,000 plus major add-ons where as Liverpool stood firm at £100,000 plus add-ons.
The striker stands at 6ft 3 and netted over 40 goals for Salford’s youth team last season.
https://www.nowarsenal.com/transfer-news/arsenal-launch-late-bid-to-snatch-summer-target-from-liverpool/#google_vignette
Good addition for the academy should he join.
So Dev, I guess we’ve basically swapped, or will swap, Obi Martin for Will Wright?
Just thinking outside the box, is will wright a possible replacement for Nwaneri if he want to leave due to lack of game time.
No Geoff…
Bongiorno Rico and all
Just read that Nwaneri has signed da ting. Long term contract. He never wanted to leave.
So no Geoff….Wright Mk2 is not a replacement for Nwaneri. He will replace two players long departed…..IW08 and TH14. About fucking time we replaced those two with one of our own.
Kev I was thinking on the same lines as you suggested. We might be replacing Obi with Willy. Same goes with Callan Hammil replacing HEavenb at CB.
Whether or not they are equally good, better or worse than Obi and Heaven is another story we have yet to discover.
What football life has taught me though is that a player never replaces another. The body yes but what one player brings to the table is totally different than someone else. That’s why it grates when someone says ‘the new DB10’ or the ‘new TH14’. I really hate that
Morning Devil, Kev, all.
New post up