Morning all.
I always thought it would Albert Stuivenberg who left Mikel Arteta’s coaching team first. His cool and calm demeanour on the side lines is a fine quality for a head coach/manager to have. Yet here we are and it’s Carlos Cuesta who has left the building. Who can blame him though if management was/is what he craves. Good luck to him at Parma.
Will Arsenal replace him and if so, with who? Santi Cazorla has hinted about returning to Arsenal one day so perhaps it’ll be him. I very much doubt it’ll be Jack Wilshere as he seems to be on the managerial/head coach path. One thing I do know is that it’s pointless checking the official website for any information because as I said yesterday, Jorginho is still listed as an Arsenal player on there, as is Tierney and Sterling!
Duncan Castles, who apparently knows things when it comes to transfers, has been talking on the Transfers Podcast and he’s suggested that Sesko has requested a release clause in his Arsenal deal if he makes the move.
I understand that Sesko is asking for an exit clause on any deal he agrees with Arsenal, and he would like that release clause to be set at just 20 percent premium on whatever price Arsenal end up paying Leipzig for the striker. Which is quite unusual to ask for when you’re moving from, let’s say, a second-tier European club to a club that’s perceived as a first-tier European club and one of the most financially affluent clubs in European football.
Castles is a football journalist for The Times as well as other football outlets so perhaps it’s best to take this story with a pinch of salt. Or rather, a 2kg bag of the stuff!
However, if, and it’s a big if, there’s the slightest of truth to this story, or that of any player/agent making such a “demand” before signing for Arsenal, I think the club should walk away from the deal. A 22 year old, in the case of Sesko, could one day be worth twice as much as he’s worth today so why would any club accept what would be a £12 million profit on a £60 million deal if that’s what he sells for? If he wants a get out clause in his contract, it should be upwards of £150m in today’s world of crazy football transfer fees.
There’s something about the reported actions of Viktor Gokyeres too which might put clubs off of signing him although again, a pinch of salt required when reading about him threatening to go on strike etc in order to get his move to the Premier League.
That’s the problem with the internet though and money to be earned by websites who are only really about getting reader hits. Most stories are read and regurgitated time and time again but just because a story is written many times it doesn’t make it any more true.
Anyway, I’m going to sit back, enjoy the summer of cricket, tennis and Love Island – just for you Kev, and wait to see what Arsenal do. However slow they might do it.
Oh, and Carlos suggested the best is yet to come. Thank goodness for that!
Catch up in the comments.
Morning
Morning.
News just come in. “Zubimendi in London to sign for Arsenal” At long last!
Now lets get on with getting Sesko signed up. Its getting boring all of this toing and froing.
Morning Laura, all.
Who is behind that story? Hopefully, Ornstein..
https://dailycannon.com/2025/06/gyokeres-wants-arsenal/
Yep, it’s The Athletic..
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6353153/2025/06/20/arsenal-transfer-martin-zubimendi/
A lovely day here in sun drenched Norfolk I’d love to watch the cricket but am about to head off for lunch with sister in law, maybe it will be on in the pub. 😎
Enjoy Cicero.
Afternoon Rico…
Lucien Agoume is the latest ‘wonder kid’ to be linked to Arsenal, the young successor to Thomas Partey.
Well let’s hope so, because I remember Albert.S.Lokonga being described as the best young player to come out of Belgium at the time when we signed him.
I thought we were waiting until the end of June to complete the deal for Zubimendi to help Sociedad balance their books?
Anyway, that’ll kill some of the negativity we see on NewsNow regarding Real Madrid and the phantom 11th hour bid blah blah blah. 😕
I’ve gotta say I kind of like the desire we hear from Gyorkeres to play for Arsenal, it could all be agent driven PR but he seems to want Arsenal and nobody else and he’s not insisting on a sell-on clause. The other bloke (if the story is true and that’s probably a bit of a stretch) seems to be using Arsenal as a stepping stone, but then that’s the way of the football world where loyalty, from both sides, is a rarity!
Oh yeah, Love Island, I can barely contain myself Rico 😴
4 more days to go 😀
Good afternoon Rico and all
Love Island??? intestine revolting. and the mention of the name itself induces stomach ulcers with acid reflux. Dont know and will never understand what people see in such a waste of time.
Good post Rico and good comments until the sun faded with the mention of LI.
Summer!!! Last time, about three to four days ago, you told me that I should be used to its heat by now. Nope. Never. Nada, Niet. Nulla. Not even in my dreams should I be used to it. Its getting worse by the day. I long for October till May months. The rest are just………!! nope will not say, as it will end up with me given time out by Rico lol.
Have we signed anyone yet?? Reports are rife on FB that we are after Noni Madueke of the Chavs. Doesnt Arteta ever learn??? Why keep on signing Chav rejects or has beens? And if we get Kepa for just BS 5Million rest assured that they will skin us alive with Noni as they will want to recover funds for Kepa . Expect them to ask more money on Noni than what he is worth. Cant Arteta be bothered to look in the lower divisions or Italy? The last two God blessed signing which delivered us the invincibles came from Italian serie A.
I would love Gyokeres plus Rodrygo and Zubimendi. Push MLS in midfield (he will easily play there even with Zubi and Rice) and get a new LB who can rotate with Calafiori.
Sesko might be young but with him asking for that amount on release clause then I think Arsenal shouldn’t even bother.
Read on FB………………Arsenal are currently the club that is closest to signing Bilal El Khannouss (21) & they have already agreed personal terms with the player’s agent. Arsenal must now reach an agreement with Leicester City on a fee. [@Africafoot_com]
Read this as well…….Arsenal have submitted a 6-year contract offer to Ajax defender Jorrel Hato (19).
Talks are progressing with both the player’s camp and Ajax. The versatile left-footed centre-back is now closer to Arsenal, with Chelsea trailing behind.
Estimated fee: €50m.
Afternoon Kev, I thought you’d like that.
Yep, 4 more sleeps, although in this weather, sleep is rather hard to get…
There is that side of the Gokyeres coin and I suppose at 27, he’s not looking for a quick exit elsewhere.
Afternoon Devil.
Re Lucien Agoume, perhaps, just perhaps, he was always the target and the Partey contract stuff was just a red herring. 😝
Bilal El Khannouss Was one of Leicester City’s stand out players last season I think.