Morning all.
Short posts over the next couple of months as it’s that time of year..
Talking of which, we are just three days away from the transfer window opening for the summer. Rumours will be rife, especially in the striker department. Whilst I know no deal is done until Arsenal.com announce it but it would appear Martin Zubimendi is a signature and medical away from becoming Arsenal’s first signing of the summer.
Sky Sports News’ reporter Kaveh Solhekol has reported that Arsenal been offered the chance to sign Leroy Sane is he does not extend his current contract at Bayern. Wherever this supposed offer has come from I have no idea but my guess is it’s his agent trying to find out who will pay his client the most. After all, just before the Arsenal story, it was Totts who had been offered the chance to sign Sane.
Sane is 29 years old, 30 in January and while I know many players can stay at the top level of the game well into their 30’s, signing Sane would in my opinion be an expensive risk. Just a Raheem Sterling proved to be. Mikel Arteta knows him well of course from his time at Man City but the thought of the two linking up again is already giving me a headache.
Hopefully, it won’t happen although I won’t be surprised if it does.
Jeorge Bird, Arsenal’s go to man for all things academy related hasreported that Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand is very likely to depart the club when his contract expires next month. Others expected to depart are Khayon Edwards, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Jack Henry-Francis and Jimi Gower as they too will be out of contract. At one stage or another, all those young players have been part of Mikel Arteta’s match day squad and first team training but as they reach a certain age, a decision needs to be made on whether they are good enough to occupy a first team squad place or not. I guess these are not.
Talking of exits, if Arsenal need to sell in order to buy the number of players Mikel Arteta has hinted he needs for next season, who would be on your list?
Catch up in the comments.
Morning Rico and all,
Althought I dont want Leroy Sane joining us, I believe there is a difference between Sane and Sterling, Arteta would be looking at Sane as a 2 to 3 year player were Sterling was a fill in due to our squad size and injury list while not haveing full trust / confidence in the bench and younger players to fill in for injured players.
Morning Geoff, I’m still not keen but ultimately, if the club think he’s got something good to bring the team then I guess if they’re interested, they’ll try and sign him. Wouldn’t be ideal to have two ageing wingers in the squad though.
Sane was all about speed and no doubt that will have reduced with age . He is where Martinelli will be in 5 or 6 years time . Not for me , certainly not at 29 .
Looks like Partey and Trossard are re – signing new deals which means that either Partey or Zubamendi are replacing Jorginho in the pecking order and if we do sign the elusive striker with Merino and Havertz dropping back we have the midfield sorted.
So for me it’s the striker and keeper that takes precedence . When it comes to who leaves we have to realise that the more that go to increase numbers they have to be replaced with a larger number. Some places will be taken by the likes of Nawheri , Mls and Setford but we already know that Tierney ,Neto and Jorginho will leave so that so far is like for like i.e midfielder , left back and keeper , should others go they will need to be replaced by players that will stay fit so Tomiyasu , Jesus , Zinchenko are under pressure but with their recent records they will not generate much cash.
I can see a few coming in and possibly the departures in January when players have recovered and proved their fitness.
Upgrading is another subject .
Good afternoon Rico and all
The silly season is here and that means Rico will write something good which gets our tongues wagging.
Sane??? No thanks. He works like many government workers…..day, night, rest, off shifts. You wouldn’t know when he will turn up. Then he goes to sleep for around three games. Yes he might have worked with him at City so Arteta should know that already. I feel that if he comes he will upset the apple cart. So no….I wouldn’t like to see him come. But then again he is on a free transfer…..so there is a chance that the club might pump for him. Even without a fee I still wouldn’t like him. I dont know why but he reminds me of Willian.
With regards the midfield we already have Rice, Odegaard and Merino. We might be keeping Partey and with Zubimendi arriving (still unsure about it until I see him wearing the Arsenal gear on the dot com) the midfield is settled. We still have Lokonga and the little matter of MLS (who can play there) plus Nwaneri. I feel that MLS will stay at LB for now and then when PArtey goes he will be a year older, a year wiser and more importantly a year experienced, so he can fit in the CDM position.
And now Woltemade has been mentioned. He can play as a CF or a 2nd striker for Stuttgart and has been selected for Germany. He is 6 ft 6 inches tall…..so you can imagine where he will be played – CF. I had never heard of this 23 year old before (which is strange since usually I know about a large amount of players around the world), and it wouldnt surprise me to see him chosen before Gyokeres or Sesko or Alverez….they cost a lot while Nick wouldnt cost half of any one’s fee. 23 years old….6ft 6….average of 1 goal every 2.8 games. No surprise there isn’t it.
Woltermade :- https://www.tiktok.com/@bundesliga/video/7486150489860525334.
Interesting
Partey I reckon re replacing Jorginho, once Zubimendi adjusts to PL football if he signs. Makes sense at his age imo.
Afternoon Devil, I’ve never heard of him either. We wanted a bit of height 😂
Delap to Chelsea then…
I dont think Woltemade will cost more than 30M. So there you have it. Expect a big signing on the wings then and also Garcia.
Who has linked him to us Devil, the jolly green giant I mean. Lol
https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/05/28/arsenal-initiate-move-to-sign-nick-woltemade/
make of this what you will.
https://www.arsenalstation.com/2025/05/27/arsenal-make-direct-contact-to-sign-nick-woltemade/
Just to move things along a bit………..a chance from the past a where are they now spot!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/05/29/salomon-kalou-interview-chelsea-chocolate-brand-mourinho/
Would he fit now I wonder? He was pretty crap when at the chavs, as I recall..
Thanks Devil, nothing reliable then..
Can’t read that Wavy, it’s a subscription article.. phew. 😜
Sorry. I can assure you you don’t want to pay for the dubious privilege of reading the Tellit badlyagraph. Most of the contents are dire!!! Kalou has honed his choclating skills and applied them to the sweet trade. He’s learned how to dribble, orally that is, chocolate exclusively. no balls involved. ….apparently!
Ha ha, no, I won’t be subscribing. Chocolate eh, well he wasn’t much good at football…
Fabrizio Romano
@FabrizioRomano
🚨 Understand Arsenal have started moving initial concrete talks for Benjamin Šeško deal.
He’s always been high on recruitment team, management, Mikel Arteta list with attempts to get deal done rejected by Leipzig in May 2024 and January…
…now Šeško will leave. Arsenal on it.
I just hope that if the club are all in on Sesko that Leipzig, the agent and Sesko himself don’t fcuk us about this summer and leave us high n dry?
I’d also look at another striker at the same time, like the lad at Villa, they’ll be looking to cut costs after missing out on CL so the price may have reduced? Just as back up.
Apparently Ligue Un might be the place to look for bargains, their TV deal has collapsed leaving many French clubs financially stretched.
While we’re negotiating with Sesko that’ll leave United free to focus on Gyorkeres and Chelsea it seems are all in on Delap so Arsenal’s options are going to shrink so we better get thd Sesko deal done…