Morning all.
Last night, Man City finally entered the race for Declan Rice with an offer reported to be £90 million in total which has since been rejected. This is exactly what West Ham wanted I’m sure, a bidding war between two clubs with a few quid in their back pocket. Whether Arsenal go back to West Ham with a higher offer I don’t know. Who does bar those in the know. I’d imagine this saga is coming to an end real soon and if Rice ends up choosing City, so be it. If he insists on only an Arsenal move, then West Ham will have to make a decision, sell him to us or be left with a player who the West Ham owner told the world ages ago, was definitely leaving.
A transfer window doesn’t revolve around any one player, not when/if there are 4/5 others who need to be signed so what’s important, probably more important is the other targets the club has. I’m quietly confident that’s exactly what’s happening at Arsenal too. Havertz is expected to be confirmed within the next day or two and if Ornstein and Romano are to be believed, Timber could soon follow him through the door. There’s a report in The Mail which suggests Arsenal have now made an improved offer which could be enough for Ajax to agree to. £41 million I read.
Southampton midfielder Lavia is another name frequently linked with a move to Arsenal although it’s being reported in several newspapers that Liverpool, Man United and Chelsea are interested in him too.
Vieira aside, the last two years of transfers has been very good for Arsenal in my opinion so whoever the club brings in over the next couple of months, I’m quietly confident that by the time the transfer window closes, Mikel Arteta’s squad will be stronger. There’s even a part of me which believes Vieira could yet prove his doubters wrong.
Social media is awash with comments similar to ‘if Arsenal want Rice, just get the deal done’ but I’m sure transfers aren’t quite as easy as that. Imagine if the club offered West Ham £130 million, the player and his club said yes and a deal was done. Then half way through the season, when a player picks up an injury and there’s no one to step in for him because Arsenal didn’t make the extra signing they would have had more money been available. I can imagine the ‘should have signed player x, y or z’ comments, or even ‘shouldn’t have spent so much on Rice’. Arsenal are no different to every ordinary household, they have a budget. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t buy a top of the range television for £700 when I only have £400 in my pocket. I might stretch to an extra £5 but that’s it. I’m sure we’d all like to see Rice at Arsenal but at some stage, if West Ham keeping saying no to the offers, Arsenal has to say, enough is enough and walk away from the deal.
In the meantime, focus of other targets, which again, I’m sure they are.
I think I much preferred the days pre social media and the internet. The days when it was only when a player arrived at the club did we hear about it. The Sol Campbell signing, Dennis Bergkamp, Tomas Rosicky etc. Nearly everything anyone does these days is on social media somewhere. Certainly those under a certain age group.
Kai Havertz is an Arsenal player. 😍
[@MoArsenal86] #afc pic.twitter.com/G9Gct2FuW3— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 26, 2023
No, it’s not official but it’s on social media. Kai Havertz in an Arsenal kit…. Lol
Catch up later…
Morning rico, all. We certainly saved a lot of our time, pre social media and internet days. Bring back 302 on the teletext, that was so up-to-date!
Good morning Rico and Andrew.
It is Inevitable that unless we meet the £100 million fee demanded by West Ham we will be gazumped by City. It is up to Arteta, Edu and Josh to decide if Rice is worth that much. Personally I doubt it.
Morning Andrew, Cicero.
Teletext, now those were the good old days…
Rice will have a say too.
Isn’t Caicedo going for £80m?
Morning Rico and the gang, it’s fascinating to see journos, pundits and fans who all seem desperate to see Declan Rice join Man City, but I don’t think that it’s due to some kind of anti-Arsenal bias, I think it more borne out of a frustration they have over their own clubs’ ineffectiveness and the success of Arsenal makes that feel more acute.
Just three years ago most of these same fans, pundits and journos were laughing at Arsenal – we were the ‘banter club’ – not so now and it brings sharply into focus how inept their own club is and how it’s been run.
If Rice goes to City they’ll collectively shrug and comfort themselves by grumbling about Pep and the finance he has utilised, but if Rice goes to Arsenal what does that say about Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd etc?
Morning Kev, who’d have thought we as a club would be going toe to toe with City both in the transfer department or indeed, the League.
We’ve come a long way I reckon.
It’s official Swedish central defender has joined the club. That’s Amanda Ilestedt .
Rob Holding linked with a move to Besiktas…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12238695/Eni-Aluko-suggests-Arsenal-asked-Man-City-bid-Declan-Rice.html
That sounds like a load of old pony to me Rico.
Me too Cicero… Why would Arteta want the Rice fee to go up.. Down yes, but not up. 😂
Arsenal have submitted a £105m bid for Rice. Kind of get the feeling that this one is a take it or we’re out offer..
Brighton have not received a single bid for Caicedo, our plan b? Cheaper than Rice too.
Chelsea have snapped him up haven’t they? After our bid in January, I’m surprised we didn’t go for him this summer.
Morning Cicero
New post up now