Morning all.
I can’t believe that the sun still shines here in the UK. It’s usually one day sun, the next, rain during a typical British summer but it seems ages since anything wet has fallen from the sky. That’s unless your unlucky enough to have walked in the same direction as one of the birds who whilst overhead, thought it was a good time to have a tiddle. Or worse, but I won’t go there other than to say it’s good luck. Lol
There’s little real Arsenal news out there so let’s look at the transfer rumours
Sevilla are interested in signing Nicolas Pepe according to The Mail but if he wants to go there, he’ll need to accept a wage lower than he’s on at Arsenal. Marseille and Lyon are both keen to bring him back to France. However, Leeds are also eyeing a move as they seek a replacement for Raphinha. Whoever signs him, the transfer fee is not going to be anywhere near the amount Arsenal paid for him a few years ago. That’s the way transfer deals go sometimes and not just at Arsenal.
Also on the way out is seems is Omari Hutchinson who according to ‘The Secret Scout’ on Twitter, is heading to Chelsea after talks with Arsenal over a new deal, broke down. A shame if it’s true because he’s always looked an exciting young player but as Arsenal snap up youngsters from other clubs, other clubs are bound to snap up one or two of our own. Good luck getting game time at a club who throw good money after bad I say.
Arsenal have announced that Auston Trusty has joined Championship side Birmingham City on a season-long loan deal. Trusty signed for us in January 2022 from MLS side Colorado Rapids, where the 23-year-old has remained on loan and been a key part of the Rapids team since they started their season in February. (AFC.Com)
David Ornstein of The Athletic on Twitter – Arsenal working on deal to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City. Clubs in talks and Man City open to sale if valuation met. Arsenal would also need to agree personal terms. Versatile 25 year old is a now priority for Mikel Arteta after missing out on Martinez.
Good old stats eh but for Man City, I’m sure Zinchenko plays in defence rather than in midfield so the comparison between the two is possibly not accurate. City’s Kyle Walker was asked who his top three team-mates are and his answer will surprise you.
My top three are Zinchenko, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva. Two touches, head tennis – so good. (Sky Sports)
I’ve not heard or read anything about this potential deal which is negative. He’d join up with Gabriel Jesus so a friendly face to greet him and the big bonus is he already knows the Premier League inside an out. Financially it’d be a better deal than Martinez but that’s of no interest to me, but the fact he’s won things in England can only be of huge benefit to Arsenal as well as like Gabriel Jesus, he’s worked under Mikel Arteta before so both parties know exactly what they’re getting. I hope Edu and Co can get this one agreed and over the line.
See you in the comments.
Good day all.
The Auston Trusty thing seems odd to me, we buy him from Kroenke owned Colorado Rapids, leave him there on loan and then loan him out to Birmingham City of The Championship where they finished 20th out of 24 last season. Is he not as trusty as his name implies? If we don’t want him in our squad why did we buy him in the first place? I hope he enjoys his move from Denver in the Rocky Mountains to the West Midlands, I know where I would prefer to live.
Losing Huntchinson is a real blow.
We have lost a few academy starlets that hurt (Musah, Virginia, McGuane), but Hutchinson is the first one who have already proven himself on the U23 level, and decided to leave despite the club’s efforts and promises.
I thought he’d go out on loan to a PL club. I think he’s just 23 though so a way for him to go yet. I hope Turner is better than his debut against Ipswich would suggest he might be.
I agree losing Hutchinson is a big blow , you can’t keep them all but you don’t want to lose the good ones and the fact that Chelsea have done bit of poaching suggests that they see something that must be there.
What I have seen of him I have to agree with them , he looked a bit special and I thought that when I saw them together he was in front of Patino.
Sometimes you go looking for the next big thing only to find that you already had it.
Joni Mitchell did a song about it.
I would take anything Kyle Walker says with a pinch of salt. He’s as thick as a sack of bricks. His excuses when he got caught out during the lockdowns were schoolboy stuff.
I’ve only seen Hutchinson a few times. The thing that stood out was how small he was. Could have said the same about Maradona though.
The one the Arsenal youth followers have been raving about is Patino. Again he looked pretty slow when I watched him, but he had an eye for a pass.
It’s hard to progress from youth to the first team. I remember watching Callum Hudson Odoi in the FA Youth Cup final v Arsenal and thinking he was on a different level. He hasn’t progressed at all though. Struggles to make Tuchel’s starting line up.
morning Rico and all
I always wondered, The way the 2 American players deal was done. Did Arteta really want them or did Kroenke buy them because he wanted to see some Americans in the team,
Cazorla and Alan Ball too Pete , He is taller than both of them
Hi Geoff , The timing did seem a bit coincidental
Potter, I feel the same way re Hutchinson but if it’s all about money, then what can Arsenal do? Darned shame though.
Hi Geoff, shirt sellers in the USA perhaps…
@Potter
Cazorla was a fantastic player. Hugely underrated imo
Alan Ball – A bit before my time, but have heard from those that watched him he was a great player. Unfortunately those around him weren’t to his standard.
A song I heard some crazy scousers singing years ago ‘Who’s the greatest of them all…Little curly Alan Ball’
Little man with a squeaky voice and ginger hair. 😀
This makes the Hutchinson to Chelsea more understandable. From wiki.
Hutchinson began his career with Chelsea, before being scouted and signed by Charlton Athletic while playing football in the Addicks car park as his brother, Oshaye, was training with the youth team.[4][5] While at Charlton, he caught the eye of North-London rivals Arsenal, having impressed in a game against them.[6]
After two years with Charlton, Hutchinson left the club. Trials with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford followed, but ultimately led to nothing. Hutchinson took a year-long break from academy football to play futsal with his friends, before joining Arsenal at under-12 level.[5]
That is a more convincing explanation, indeed.
Money should make a distinctive difference at 18, as these lads make around 1-2-3-5k a week on their first professional contract, which shouldn’t break the budget of any team or academy. Even if Chelsea would have offered a 100k signup bonus, it’s something Arsenal could have easily matched (unless refused by policy).
So it’s either the loyalty to Chelsea, or the lack of path to the first team…
I suspect money is at the heart of it. Usually is…
Pete , Alan Ball was my inspiration , when I played I was always trying to position myself where he did ,lots of running covering spaces , setting up moves , short passes always within passing range of the man with the ball creating an outball for anyone stuck. Look receive pass was his motto . I used to go to Wembley and sit on the steps of the upper tier and watch his movement. Have to say i watched Bobby Moore’s as well but i didn’t admit it at the time, One thing that I learned early in the late sixties that if you wore your Bally white boots , you were going to get kicked for being a flash b*stard . Still it taught me how ride tackles.
Happy days. .
I’m not sure of the accuracy of this but somebody mentioned that the agent of Omari Hutchinson is Kia Joorabchin and there’s been a bit of a coolness between him and Edu in recent times, you know, agent scorned and all that.
As far as not taking Hutchinson on tour I’m not sure that has anything to do with his and his advisers decision to jump ship, to me it’s purely financial but such is life, it’s a shame but we’ll get over it and Marcelo Flores is the better prospect anyway.
BTW Man City do seem to be being very accommodating to Arsenal of late are they I wonder trying to curry favour for when the big bid comes in for Bakayo Saka…?
Arsenal have made drastic changes to their recruitment policy over the last 18-plus months. Technical director Edu has shifted tactics and decided to pursue younger players to blend with world-class talent already at the club and in future acquisitions.
The impact has been drastic and the departures of players such as Willian and David Luiz has seen Arsenal improve overall and join a race for the top-four this season, despite expectations of just a top-six battle.
Both Luiz and Willian were clients of agent Kia Joorabchian when joining Arsenal, as is currently out of favour right-back Cedric Soares. Willian in particular failed to make an impact at the club despite earning a significant high wage compared to better performing teammates.
The three signings were criticised by many Arsenal supporters and external pundits such as Jamie Carragher. In fact, the pair were caught in a public feud over Arsenal’s dealings regarding Joorabchian’s clients.
Willian and Luiz have now both gone and Edu has succeeded in bringing in younger options not represented by Joorabchian.
Cedric too is surplus to requirements and few would be averse to seeing the club move the full-back on in the coming window, therefore, removing all involvement of Joorabchain from the senior squad.
However, the problem regarding this proposal to remove the agent’s association is made difficult when the fact that one of the Gunners’ most exciting youngsters Omari Hutchinson is represented by Joorabchian through Sports Invest UK Ltd.
(From Nov 2021)
Please tell me when Kroenke signed Auston Trusty he didn’t get the paper work mixed up and signed Krusty the clown.
New post up now
Good points Kev.