Morning all.
Jurrien Timber, the player I thought wouldn’t be back this season has been stepping up his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered on the opening weekend of the season. He’s even had a ball at his feet. Incredible really yet there’s still a long way to go before he steps foot onto the pitch in a competitive game. I didn’t think we’d see him until next season but perhaps there’s a chance of seeing him play again in April or May. Arsenal.com have a video of him which is worth a watch. The sight of any Arsenal player making his recovery is good to see.
Thomas Partey is close to a return which reports in the media suggesting he could even be available for the game against Nottingham Forest at the end of January. Great news if true but any return he makes is bound to be gradual. I can only think that’s the same now for Emile Smith Rowe because for both one hopes that this is the last injury both will suffer this season.
I’ve no idea about Fabio Vieira’s return though. A few more weeks was all Mikel Arteta said before the Liverpool game.
We’re now twelve days into the transfer window and rumours of an Arsenal signing a striker are hotting up. I’m still far from convinced the club will do any business this month but we’ll see. The latest player to hit the back pages of most newspapers is Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee.
6’ 4” Dutch and has scored 8 goals in 16 matches this season. He’s 22 years old so should in theory, have his best years ahead of him. Bayern Munich sold him to Bologna back in 2022. Arsenal signed Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna so perhaps the club would be happy to deal with the club again….
In other news from the back pages, the Express suggest that Arsenal will reject any off from Crystal Palace for Eddie Nketiah. £30 million is the Palace are reported to have in mind.
Arsenal are willing to trigger the £50m release clause of Martin Zubimendi, according to The Sun. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder has long been linked with a move to the Emirates from Real Sociedad, where he has played almost 170 times and became a Spanish international in 2021.
Zubimendi isn’t going to happen this month in my opinion, if ever. All the time Thomas Partey is at Arsenal, there’s no need for another midfielder. On paper at least because we still have Jorginho and Elneny too. However, come the summer, I think there’s a pretty good chance Arsenal will be looking at a new midfield partner for Declan Rice. All three of Partey, Jorginho and Elneny are either not fit enough or are heading towards there final years in the game and the demands of the Premier League, certainly at a club which is challenging for titles, is too great in my opinion.
As Kev was saying yesterday, we also have a number of younger players who are either out on loan or could really do with a loan now so by the time the summer comes, Mikel Arteta will have more of an ideal of what level they’re at. There’s little logic in signing a young defence minded midfielder if Charlie Patino is ready to step up. Or a striker, other than the one we so desperately need right now, if Mika Biereth is scoring goals for fun either in the SPL or elsewhere. The same can be said about other 20 year olds who prove themselves out on loan.
Why go shopping when you have what you need to bake a cake in the cupboard?
Catch up in the comments…
Bologna is where??
Morning Rico and all.
Looking at the video above he seems ok, and knows how to stays on his feet, he could be worth making a deal, pay half now and the rest at the start of next season and loan him straight back for the rest of this season, keeps them happy and us still under the FFP rules.
Is that all you can say Guy, give me a break eh…
Morning Geoff. I’m not getting too interested in what these rumoured players can or can’t do really because unless Arsenal sign one of them, there’s little point.
Morning Rico/all
the Spanish player looks good. I can’t help being cynical about these stories. Great news about Partey being close to a return,it was only recently Chris Houghton was saying it was a major injury. Anyway a great boost for second half of season,if it works out.
Also I’ve just realised after the Crystal Palace game,we have 10 days to the Nottingham Forest game,another chance for time on the training pitch,or maybe the players would benefit from a few days off.
Morning Limey, I don’t believe any of them. Until they sign, anything can happen. Bayern thought they’d got a player in yesterday but he’s signed for that ghastly lot down the road..
Totally agree Rico until they sign, it’s only talk, looks like the players are enjoying their holiday, and Jesus working on fitness, hopefully he will be fully fit soon.
Need Zinchenko back fit too Geoff..
For Arteta to be able to pull a player like Zubimendi who’s happy where he is, with other Spanish clubs that admire him… Arsenal need to make a very good showing in the CL now. Players in the premier league watch the quality of our play and they are convinced as opponents. As in Declan Rice case.
Players that are wanted by big International clubs will want to see that Arsenal are again a consistent force in Europe. Not so easy, because our last showings in CL were awful before we dropped out completely. There is pressure to perform well in these next couple rounds.
Not sure I totally agree Jnyc, there’ll always be players who want to play in the CL but a lot still move to clubs without it. Look at Totts. 😂
But yes, not just for transfer reasons, Arsenal really need a good second half of the season.
I was more thinking about top, sought after, European players that only want a certain level of team.
No way are players like Rice, Gvardiol, choosing Tottenham whether they’re top 4 or not.
I’ve been to Bologna, to be specific Bologna Regis on the South Coast, had a week at Butlins.
.I think there is currently a big of a state of shock running through all the Premier League clubs. The points deduction dished out to Everton has really freaked them out and made them re-evaluate their financial state
It’s kinda why I disregard pretty much every transfer rumour linked to Arsenal. I did hear on a podcast about a week ago that with everything taken into consideration that Arsenal have about £11.5m to spend and that’s including salary so if we sign anyone it’ll be on loan unless we sell. Losing Cedric takes a few million off of the books but if he thinks we’re paying up his contract then he’s in for a shock as is his agent.
It’s why I think that in the short term that all the current issues we have will be solved with internal solutions, thus Havertz at centre forward, Jorginho partnering Rice, the return of Partey and maybe a Hale Ender or two?
I wouldn’t be surprised if we totally ignore Europe all together and look at countries like Norway, Ukrainian, France or America/ Canada
I was there Kev, were you in the red coat? lol
New post up.