Morning all.
Sky Sports Dharmesh Sheth has a few updates on Arsenal this morning:
1) Riccardo Calafiori becoming Arsenal’s new £42m signing is in its final stage of development. Sky Sports News has been told an announcement is not far off as all that remains are the assessments from his medical and typical logistical planning around his transfer. Calafiori will fly into London today to do his medical. Personal terms have also already been concluded and Arsenal’s ambition is to get Calafiori to join their USA tour as soon as is possible. Arsenal and Bologna already reached a full agreement for the Italy international, whose ability to play centre-back and especially on the left of defence – where Arsenal did not have consistency last season – marked him out as a priority target for Mikel Arteta.
2) Arsenal and Fulham are powering ahead to get a deal done so Emile Smith Rowe can get his wish of regular minutes. Sky Sports News is told negotiations are progressing well and it is just a matter of getting the type of deal and structure right to suit all parties. The deal under discussion is worth £35m; £27m initial payment plus £8m in add-ons – it would be a club record for Fulham and would equal Arsenal’s record sale.
3) Marseille and Arsenal apart over Nketiah valuation – Talks between Marseille and Arsenal have highlighted a big gap in valuation for striker Eddie Nketiah. Marseille are now deciding whether to go back in with an improved offer or focus on alternative targets.
Yet another example of other clubs not willing to stump up the money Arsenal ask for their players. I’m really surprised there’s not been more interest in Nketiah, certainly more than the media would suggest, because he’s a good player just waiting to find the right club. A club which needs a poacher striker. For his sake, I hope Arsenal and Marseille can reach an agreement because if he stays at Arsenal, it’ll be another year of his career wasted in my opinion.
I suppose that’s why Emile Smith Rowe is happy to leave too. I say happy but I suspect that’s the wrong word because he loves Arsenal but he needs to be at a club with a manager who will play him. When he signed his last contract extension and donned the number 10 shirt, I thought that was it for him but I was wrong. Similarly with Reiss Nelson when he signed a new contract but looking back, I guess both deals were more about Arsenal protecting their “assets”.
The Calafiori story has been running for so long now it’s almost become boring. The internet has in a way ruined the surprise of transfers. We read and hear so much, most of which is poppycock, by the time a player does sign on the dotted line, the ‘excitement’ has gone. The days of Tomas Rosicky, Sol Campbell, Dennis Bergkamp etc kind of transfer excitement are gone for good.
There has been a lot of ‘talk’ about Mikel Merino being on Mikel Arteta’s wish list but yesterday, a new name popped up. Another Spaniard, surprise surprise, Fabian Ruiz. The deal is rumoured to be a loan according to The Metro and other outlets, with an obligation to buy included in the agreement. Both Ruiz and Merino are the same age, same height, 6’ 2”, both central midfielders and both are Euros 2024 winners.
Imagine if we sign both….
Catch up in the comments…
Good morning Rico, so it looks as though it’s all coming together. Too good to be true? We can only wait and hope. 😉
Surely one or the other so Nwaneri gets some first team minutes before he gets disillusioned at AFC & goes elsewhere.
Mornong Rico and all,
There is still Ramsdale to sort out, it appears that no one wants to pay his valuation and match fees.
Rico I agree about the stories of Calafiori, it’s starting to sound a bit like a broken record, everyone says he has signed or it’s a done deal yet he has not even had a medical.
Looking at who Arteta wants to bring in, (which is great) I don’t hold much hope of anyone from our under 21 team getting a show in this season unless we get any injuries.
As always.com is your only true guide. Despite any number of sites photo shopping players into our shirts until they appear on the official site , they haven’t happened.
Same goes for sales or in Arsenal’s case loan departures.
Lots of balls in the air at the moment , we just have to wait and see where they land.
I never ewe there was a sheep called a Merino?
As for having your balls in the air, I think I best move on…
At least nowadays we are less likely to get fleeced in the market place.
Morning Cicero, Geoff, all.
Could be both with Partey and ESR going.
Who knows..
Morning, I am sure there is a lot going on behind the scenes and I believe the transfer window doesn’t close until the end of August (which I personally think is wrong) but who are we linked with in attack? Jesus has a poor goals per games record and Saka looked knackered having played so much last season for club and country and we have no like for like replacement,thoughts. (I posted this earlier but this new Post came out )
It’s a Spanish sheep that has horns , I don’t think that it is bred over here but apparently has very soft wool.
Certainly don’t see any in Norfolk but then most of the farmland is being converted to solar panel farms and having windmills and pylons growing willy nilly .
Still there won’t be a food shortage because we can import it from Europe now that our new government wants a shiny new deal . Already it seems that we are to lose a lot of our fishing grounds again but that don’t matter . There’s no sea in London.
Marseille with the normal French “empty pockets” routine doesn’t surprise me. I am surprised that there aren’t more English clubs considering Eddie. I’ve always thought he’d be great in teams like West Ham and other mid table clubs that have never had finishers lately. I am sure Eddie would score goals in a team that doesn’t call on him to drop deep all the time. He’s not a lazy box poacher, he works hard, but he’d get lots more chances away from our system.
Shot to conversion rate, I bet Eddie is more clinical than Jesus…
“There’s no sea in London”
So true, what’s on the doorstep seems to matter most as always…
Good afternoon.
Merino sheep originated in Spain however today the chief exporter of Merino sheep and wool is Italy. There are about three different breeds of Merino sheep in Italy. Even their milk is quite good….I taste it every time I go to Italy. Very sweet and healthier than cow milk.
Merino and Ruiz would be a significant boost to our midfield however I wouldn’t want that to be to the detriment of Nwaneri.
With regards Lewis-Skelly I was impressed with his strength and physique plus his awareness at playing LB since he is a midfielder.
Zinchenko to Bayern is the latest rumour…
Hopefully not a loan deal.
Shouldn’t be, he’s to replace a player they’re selling. Apparently 😂
I’ll be sorry to see Zinchenko go if he does leave, he kinda introduced us to a new way of playing.
Nigel, Marseilles have been spending on new signings like it’s going out of fashion, if they want Eddie they can bloody well pay for him, properly…
I see Bordeaux have filed for bankruptcy following Fenway Sports pulling out of their agreement to take them over.
Anyone know if they have anyone decent .
Bordeaux eh?
Now there’s a nice opportunity for KSE, beautiful part of the world, excellent wine, great weather, do it Stan…
PSG were quoted at wanting £50m, probably €50m, for Ruiz, which must be bollocks because nobody is going to pay that for a 28 year old in a climate of PSR oversight.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal aren’t already looking elsewhere?
Like internally!
Good morning all.
How do you feel about the mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s idea of every Premiership club playing “one or two” games per season in the USA? Imagine this, the North London Derby being played in New York or Los Angeles. Never mind the fans, the people who buy season tickets, the people who subscribe to multiple pay per view platforms so that they can watch their favourite teams, no Khan is happy to inflict more inconvenience on supporters with matches kicking off in the middle of the night due to the time difference between U S times and GMT.
My thoughts on what Khan can do with his idea are along the lines of inserting them in to his posteria orifice and getting on with his day job fixing the horrendously traffic problems in the capital.
Morning Cicero, all.
A suggestion typical of someone who has no idea about football and what a match in the USA would mean for the players. I’m not one for name calling but the guy is a p***k!
Morning all
3 weeks today until our first game of the season. It would be best to sign players early,I’m seen that Arteta wants Calafiori to join up with the tour if possible. Arsenal ( and most clubs probably) have liked a last minute transfer over the years. Mikel himself was a deadline day deal as I remember. We had just lost 8-2 and were about 8th,I think we ended up 3rd or 4th. Mikel was a steady player,a bit better than Elneny but I think he is looking at a different level now.
Sadiq Khan – what a muppet,nobody I speak to likes him,it’s a mystery to me how he gets elected.
Me too, never heard a single good word about him…
That was one heck of a panic button hit transfer window…
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1817130040917627003
Calafiori on his way to London…
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13185650/arsenal-continue-to-build-something-special-on-pre-season-tour-of-united-states-as-mikel-artetas-side-prepare-to-challenge-manchester-city
Sadiq Khan – what a muppet,nobody I speak to likes him,it’s a mystery to me how he gets elected.
He got in for the same reason we are stuck with Starmer , people were so fed up with the Tories that they didn’t bother to vote and despite the warnings could not bring themselves to do it .
I can’t wait for the buyers remorse when he sticks his fingers in our pockets just as his mate has been doing in London.
Can’t see the under 21’s bringing through anyone that’s not in the U.S.A . they lost again today 4 nil away in Vienna
Shame about Jamie Smith, 5 runs short of his maiden test century but I suspect he’ll get a few tons in the future. Potentially the best we’ve had since Alan Knott?
Bob Taylor wasn’t bad…
That’s the problem with taking youngsters away, it depletes the under 21 squad but I guess they’re all doing what they need at this stage of the summer.
It’s hard to judge really, maybe Vienna have a really good U21 team, but the likes of Nwaneri, Lewis Skelly and Heaven are stand outs because the general level of our academy isn’t that great.
Rico,
When I saw the shot conversion stats, late last season… Jesus had the WORST shot conversion % in the league. I’ve been saying since the end of last season, I would sell him for any decent offer.
Personally I’m tired of his constantly going offsides, or dribbling until he’s fouled. It ruins our flow and continuity. His falling down with the grimace, going down in the box, where refs rarely take him seriously for penalty shouts… then there’s the wild shots at goal, too often, not even close.
Our best spell of overwhelming positive results was when he was out of the starting lineup. Our scoring and attack became more ponderous as soon as he started playing more towards the end.
. Our scoring and attack became more ponderous as soon as he started playing more towards the end.
That’s because he plays like Kane did for England but quicker . He spends too much time coming from deep positions and runs at defences gets fouled and goes down.
Nigel, I know and you’re not alone in your thoughts. He was great at the time of arrival but his antics are so frustrating.
Agreed Potter..
Ayden Heaven has had a pretty solid 45, looks like we’ve got a baller in this lad
Your Mayor Sadiq Khan, sounds like our Aussie rules bosses, they all think it’s great to take the game over seas instead of leaving it alone, The premier league is English the Aussie Rules is Australian, he normal season must stay in the country it’s from. Clubs play practice matches over seas so fans can get to see them.
Morning so it looks like we played Ok and won but why penalty shoot outs ,don’t get it ?
Good practice.
New post up.