Morning all.
According The Athletic, Besiktas have agreed a €20million (£17.1m, $22.9m) deal with Arsenal to sign Leandro Trossard. The deal consists of an €18m fee with a further €2m in add-ons but the transfer is not yet completed, with wages up to around €9m and personal terms in the process of being finalised.
Logic suggests that if this deal goes through, a new face will be bombing up and down our left wing this coming season with a purpose. Not to just outrace his opponent but to get in behind him and deliver crosses into the box which turn into goals. Maybe he’ll even score a few of his own too. More than a few hopefully..
Plenty of names have popped up in recent weeks, from Christos Tzolis to Bradley Barcola with many in between but until anyone is signed, sealed and delivered, they are all just rumours.
What a player! Whether that was for Spain, Arsenal, Villarreal, Malaga or any of the other clubs Santi Cazorla played for during his long and successful career, the one thing he always did was entertain.
We all have our own favourite Arsenal players both past and present. The list in my head is about who was great when. What they brought to the team during their time at Arsenal. There are so many in my mind who brilliant, far too many to list that’s for sure. One player who I used to love watching is Santi Cazorla. A twenty years younger Santi is exactly what today’s Arsenal is crying out for in my opinion. Another is Gilberto but that’s a different story.
Just fourteen years ago, Arsenal signed Santi from Malaga for £10 million. He arrived just after Robin van Persie had decided to leave and during a summer which saw Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud joined Arsenal.
Santi’s debut came against Sunderland and ended the game with a man of the match award. If anyone didn’t know much about him before, they did after that game.
Santi’s first goal came at Anfield, helping Arsenal to a 2-0 victory and his first hat-trick was against Reading. He notched up four assists during our 4-1 victory over Wigan and played in all 38 Premier League games in his first season. 12 goals, 14 assists. Not bad eh. His second season started late as he was on international duty but once he returned, he was there to stay. Who can forget his free kick against Hull City in the FA Cup Final? Or his performance in the same competition the following year when Arsenal thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 in the final?
November 2015 though, things started to go wrong for our Spanish wizard as he picked up a knee injury against Norwich which ended up keeping him out of the game until the last day of the season when Arsenal defeated Aston Villa 4-0. The following season, 2016/17, Santi was going great guns until the 19th October when he sustained another injury. This one came following a tackle from a Ludogorets Razgrad player. Eight operations, an infection, gangrene and the uncertainty of being able to walk again, he went to stay in Salamanca for further treatment/recovery. However, he required more surgery.
Against the odds, Santi did return to play the game he loved but not for Arsenal as he joined Villarreal after his contract expired. Then he joined Qatari club Al Sadd before returning to Oviedo, the club where Santi’s footballing career began.
On announcing his retirement, Santi said:
“It started in Fonciello (a village near Oviedo), on just another pitch with a ball and a kid that wanted to play football. That’s where I came from. I had some great experiences, and I also had some difficult moments, but I never stopped trying.
“In the end, I came back (to Real Oviedo). Not to close anything but rather to feel it again. Now that everything is ending, everything fits together. I ended (my career) at home. In the same place where the magic began.”
A few of our Spanish Magicians best bits..
Have a long and happy retirement from playing Santi. However, I’m sure I’m not the only fan who’d love to see you back at Arsenal with your coaching hat on.
Catch up in the comments.
That’s brilliant. It’s what Mikel does though.
David Raya shares what Mikel Merino told him before his winning goal.
“I was sitting on the bench with Mikel, and he turned to me and said, ‘You know, I feel like going on there and doing one of those late-goal moments we always have at Arsenal.’
After the match I asked him, ‘Did you actually mean it when you said that?’ He just laughed and replied, ‘Come on, David… we do this every day at Arsenal. I could feel the club’s mentality running through me.’.
New post up.
Hi Dennis, are you trying to confuse us all with a new Highbury Heroes name?
Morning Cicero, all, the Trump interference has certainly opened a can of worms.
Good morning all.
The USA set the presidential precedent by appealing to Fifa over the Balogun red card.
The FA, if not the King, should immediately appeal against the suspension of Quansah. Sauce for the goose?
Hi Rico
Imagine having ballers like Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez and not conquering all before us.
What a fabulous footballer Santi was throughout his career, a true artist who sadly had so many setbacks with injuries.
He was an exciting signing who always played with a smile and loved wearing the Arsenal shirt.
He loved us and we loved him, and it would be great to have his infectious positivity around the club.
Absolutely shocking behaviour from Infantino, but people like him just want fame and money, so we shouldn’t be surprised.
The WC has been long and mostly boring, the ‘hydration’ breaks are insufferable.
Is anyone else concerned about the amount of football Declan Rice is playing?
Finishing 17th in the league twice in successive seasons and almost getting relegated can certainly have a motivating effect…
Spurs are putting together a great team..
Raya too should be well rested.
Thought Spain were pretty average until Merino came on.
Tonali joins Tottenham so I guess the Arsenal social media sites will be going mad because we’ve not spent £100m on so big-time Charlie
Pleased for Merino, he should be fighting fit for the start of the season. Zubimendi has had a nice holiday so far which is handy…
As for the Balogun red card, it just doesn’t bother me, as I reckon Belgium will beat USA anyway and it sets a precedent that maybe England can use to our advantage over the next three (hopefully) games…
Well played Merino on for 5 minutes gets the winner as Spain beat Portugal . His introduction to the match was receiving a bodycheck from that lovely little arsehole Bernado Silva.
Yep, he’d be sacked I suspect. I don’t think this story is going away anytime soon..
The Balogun decision smacks of desperation from America and FIFA who stand to lose a fortune if all 3 host countries go out and public interest wanes.
I can’t see Balogun not playing were Pochettino to leave him out with all the political pressure bearing down on him his position would be unbearable.
Evening Devil, I too think it stinks of corruption. I’ve seen replays of the Balogun challenge and think it was worthy of a red card. Like you, I like player and wish he’d stayed but now this incident will follow him everywhere. If the USA team had any sense, they’d leave Balogun out of the Belgium game.
Good afternoon Rico and all
I am utterly disgusted by the overturned red card for Balogun. Nothing against the player because I wish he was kept by Arteta however, a justified red card is and remains a red card and that means automatic suspension.
Out of 188 red cards since 1930, only two have been overturned. Garrinchia in 1962 to play in the final and Balogun. Both didnt have any reason to be overturned except that of political interference.
I have long banged the drum for corruption in football. Now we see it before our eyes in the world’s biggest stage.
Uefa has said that the integrity of the game has not only been challenged but also that the decision was unprecendeted, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.
If Uefa has any balls they should just withdraw all the European teams out of the WC. Do Uefa need Fifa?? No. Do FIFA need UEFA?? Yes of course. And how. UEFA already has the biggest league in the world (EPL) and the most cherished tournament CL. FIFA has only the WC (no refering to the watering cabinet but interpret it as you will). Belgium is on the receiving end since they get to face Balogun. And they will be praying VAR does not intervene. because you can rest assured if VAR intervenes it will be 1,000,000% in the USA’s favour.
BDW…Trump congratulated fifa on taking the correct decision.
What a ridiculous ruling.
Spurs seem to be spending big.
PSR rules have been abolished and replaced by percentage of turnover limits. In true modern Britain two tier style,the 11 Premier league teams not in Europe are allowed to spend a higher percentage than the 9 in Europe.
I suppose the idea is to make a more level playing field ( ho ho ho)
🤣
No suspension for Declan Rice, his first yellow card was in the group stage and does not carry over into the knock out rounds. Another caution in the following matches will result in a one match suspension. Unless Donald Trump asks Infantino to suspend the suspension.😉
Ah yes, I remember that now Limey.
Morning all.
Much much better from England.
Balogun was born in New York but his Nigerian parents were just on holiday(lived in London) The only reason he was born in New York is his mother wasn’t allowed to board the return flight.
I don’t understand but saw a news feature that said he wouldn’t be allowed US citizenship under proposed rules,mother and baby would be deported.
May seem harsh but our rules are ridiculously soft so maybe they have the right idea.
I’ve seen the game now,I’ve never seen England so resilient. At least Gabriel now gets a rest.
I got up at half past five and watched a recording with a mug of tea and a bacon sandwich. If we had lost I would have said the referee was awful, as we won I’ll just say he wasn’t top rate. 😉
Good morning all.
Norway and Haaland next.
Declan Rice played over 100 minutes on a yellow card and was brilliant.
Bellingham was exceptional, Kane played like a Gooner, Gordon was excellent.
I’ll need matchsticks..
Kick off delayed for another hour, 2 am now , don’t think I will make it.
I was just counting six when I read that. lol
Can’t believe I’m staying up for the England game..
If Bruno does move to Arsenal, that’s 3 with their feet up for a bit.Probably 7 by morning.
If Bruno does move to Arsenal, no way is he to take a pen. Lol
Dreadful decision and should be looked into imo.
Infantino makes the rules as he goes along. I simply don’t believe he would do such a thing for his bestie Donald Trump……of course I could be wrong couldn’t I? 😉
Another start stop penalty saved
I think Balogun was born in New York Limey.
Agree re Belgium but I bet there are many. Did you see France v Paraguay last night, the officials had to have been on the take the way they handled the match. Shocking.
Ironic that Balogun wouldn’t be allowed to be a US citizen if Trump had his way.
I also bet Belgium are praying for no VAR calls when they play the US.
Never heard of this before..
Folarin Balogun is available to play for the United States in their World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium after his one-game ban was suspended by Fifa.
The 25-year-old striker was shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic as the co-hosts won their last-32 tie 2-0.
Fifa said that the automatic one-match ban will be suspended for a year.
“In line with article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” it said in a statement.
“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
US President Donald Trump thanked Fifa for “reversing a great injustice” in a post on Truth Social.
Trump, a friend of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, wrote: “Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
https://x.com/TotalFootball/status/2073758653820309765?s=20
Brilliant and so deserved..
When you think we were supposedly chasing Mudryk, thank heavens we signed Trossard.
Doesn´t that work out to be well belowt he actual price?
Wouldn’t it have been better to give him another year on his contract and then sell him?
Santi Cazorla was a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to watch . He will always be in the highest group of players to have played for us in my opinion.
I wonder if Trossard has instigated the move , maybe the marital problems have hurt so much that he just wants to get away. Whatever though , I wish him all the best he has been an important cog in the Arsenal wheel and got his success deservedly . The fee could have been higher but this is one time where I think it’s probably right for both parties .
Trossard, when at his best is hard to replace really but like you Kev, I understand the rationale for selling him now. After all, I’m the first to moan when players leave for free which he could do next summer.
We need an injection of pace as well as player who is at a higher level on a consistent basis rather than someone who can dip in and out. I was hoping Madueke might have caught another clubs eye at this WC, however….
Looking forward to both games tonight, it’s a win win for English Arsenal fans 😂
Morning Limey, Kev.
I felt so sad for Santi. Not just because of his injury which was bad enough, but he never got to say goodbye to the Arsenal fans properly. Fans never got to say goodbye to him either. Such a gifted player though who we were lucky, privileged even, to see play for Arsenal.
When they mentioned that Santi could lose his foot due to infection coursed by his injury my heart sunk as you never heard a bad word said against him, and the memory of his young son running down the field skipping past the other young kids with the ball while their fathers were waving to the fans after a match, maybe we could get a package deal, Santi and his son at the academy.
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, I can’t help thinking that during next season there are going to be many many games where we collectively will be thinking ‘I wish we had Leo coming off of the bench’…
I’ve said all along that I don’t think it’s a wise move to sell him and I hope we don’t regret it, but I do get the financial reasons behind the move. Also it’s possible that after all that nonsense with his divorce that he actually wants a fresh start somewhere else where he isn’t losing half of his stuff to his ex-wife…
I don’t have a clue who Arsenal will be lining up to replace Leo, but technically he’d better be one hell of a player if the club want to claim ‘he’s an upgrade’…
I’d imagine that Santiago will go and do some coaching somewhere in Spain or Portugal before Arsenal approach him, if they ever do, it’s a lovely thought but it rarely happens.
Tonight, Monday morning UK time, I expect to see England’s flaky defence fully exposed at altitude and even if not, I expect a performance of extreme Mexican favouritism from the referee, linesmen, 4th official, VAR, reserve VAR and all the other awful officials I expect to royally stitch up England tomorrow morning. It’ll leave me with mixed emotions, firstly relief at getting our players back home – hopefully in one piece and secondly confirmation that England are the Arsenal of World football, everybody hates us and nobody wants to see us succeed.
Morning Rico/all
Ah Santi,Arteta summed it up when he said you can’t think of him without smiling.
One of the amazing things for me was his two footedness. You hear of players who can play with both but he was actually equally strong with both right and left foot,truly incredible.
I read some quotes from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain about how Santi would switch from Right to Left when taking corners in the same game,what a player.
I’ve had no WiFi,complete nightmare, now sorted but I’ll never recommend Virgin Media to anyone. I managed to read all the posts,commenting myself was a problem using Mobile data,21st century problems but I’m glad it’s over.
It might not be patriotic but I wouldn’t mind if our players World Cup is over soon too. Looking at the potential draw for England it will probably be over soon anyway even if we get past Mexico.
Have Arsenal signed anyone yet?
Morning Cicero, me too.
He’s exactly the style of player we are lacking imo.
Good morning Rico.
Santi was a great player, skilful, energetic and with a great attitude. I’m sure there’s a place waiting for him in the academy.