Morning all.
New man Granit Xhaka will wear the No.16 shirt next season, Aaron Ramsey’s old number. The Welshman has switched to No. 8 as said yesterday. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think for his old club he wore the No 34 and for Switzerland the No. 10 but with Coquelin and Wilshere occupying both of those, I guess he had to settle for whatever was on offer. It’s only a number after all.
Alex Iwobi has also changed his number and he now has the privilege of wearing Alexis Sanchez’s old No.17 with the Chilean switching to No. 7.
There really isn’t much news out there other than England beating Australia 2-1. Marcus Rashford stole the headlines after becoming the youngest player to score on his début for England
Why is it other clubs seem to produce a good striker through their academy, yet Arsenal haven’t for years. Most of our young strikers have either been sent out on loan only to never return, or are simply given their marching orders before we even see them play which is quite sad really. It’s pretty much the same in defence too as when did we last see a big strong CB come through the ranks? In midfield we have Wilshere and now Iwobi but that’s pretty much it as all the rest have been bought, even Gibbs was nicked from Milton Keynes, still, at least he was born in London. Our other English players have been signed from Southampton, oh, apart from Carl Jenkinson who is Arsenal through and through.
And let’s be honest, none of the young Arsenal strikers who have been released by the club have really hit dizzy heights have they and perhaps the only one who did quite well was Anthony Stokes who went off to Scotland with Celtic after a few loans spells in England.
Right now I think we only have Chuba Akpom who has been on loan with Hull City and behind him is young Edward Nketiah who Arsenal nicked from Chelsea after being released but hey, he’s an Arsenal fan so that’s something… He turns 17 years old in a couple of days but even so, I doubt we’ll see him in the first team for a couple of years yet.
So until either Akpom or Nketiah are ready for the first team, if they ever are, there’s a striker out there somewhere who needs to be bought and paid for.
There’s a No. 9 shirt ready and waiting Arsene!
Transfer gossip:
The Express have a story about Danny Welbeck returning to Man Utd as he’s on Mourinho’s ‘wanted list’! He can take a run and jump as far as I’m concerned.
Barca are sniffing around Hector Bellerin but they too can dream on as the young Spaniard has said time and time again, he’s happy at Arsenal.
Arsenal have allegedly contacted Chelsea about signing Kurt Zouma and scouts were out last night watching Tom Rogic runs rings around England, or more to the point, Jack Wilshere, according to those media darlings..
And finally, Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez. He has a release clause of €25m and Arsenal are about to activate it! The Kicker states that Rodriguez’s transfer has been initiated by Arsenal’s youth director Andreas Jonker who has previously worked with Rodriguez during his time in Wolfsburg.
Phew, I’m exhausted!
Have a great Saturday….
Morning Rico, shame we not linked with anyone decent then eh…………
Apparently there is a nauseous smell emanating from a certain part of Manchester… it’s called a special smell…! make of that what you will…!
Rogic looked a class act last night. Scotland is always difficult to judge but the 3 guys that Southampton signed from Celtic now looks absolute bargains and if last night is anything to go by Rogic could easily cut it in England.
Rico who is this Kouma bloke your on about…? He’s not related to one of the Kumar’s is he..?
I didn’t watch the game Jay, where does Logic play..? ain’t he yet another number “10”…?
Kevin Camlbell was the last striker I can think of who came up through the ranks at Arsenal and into the 1st team…
Andy Cole was one of ours as well, but had to leave for Newcastle to make the grade…
Nicklaus Bendtner was signed at 15/16 and graduated into the only footballer in the world with a bigger ego than Zlatan, but he wasn’t really home made, I think he came from FC Copenhagen.
Kieran Gibbs was signed from Wimbledon before they moved to Milton Keynes.
Part of the move resulted in the closing of their academy if I recall correctly.
I think we signed three players from them, Gibbs being the only one who made it…
Players numbers seem to a big deal these days, I was reading Arseblog a few days ago and the guy who runs it said that he gets more ‘hits’ when the subject matter is player numbers, than anything else, with the exception of transfers…
17 seems a lucky number, Petit, Edu (I think) had it, so a big season in store for Iwobi…?!
how old is Akpom?
Akpom is 20
Jenkinson was signed from Charlton
Good Afternoon Lovelies and Hunkies.
Rico….what about Adobe of Bournemouth?
The thing is…..usually AW goes for small nifty players. So the chances of them making the grade are less as strength and power in England make the grade quicker.
Look at Rashford yesterday. Brain and power mix.
A slight difference than Theo
Kouma for me.
or is that a Korma Adam..?
Watched the cricket highlights last evening and again was quite impressed with Alex Hales, who is now looking the part as a genuine England opener…
Koeman for me, next summer…
Rodriguez looks interesting, apparently he can fill in at centre-back, 23 years old, €25 million = £19 million…
Hi Wath. I’ll take that with a couple of garlic nan at Dishoom. 🙂
I’ll join ya mate…..
Hmm Chicken Tikka and spicy scrambled egg…
You’d be most welcome mate. 🙂
Cheers mate ?
We must arrange something during the summer…
Afternoon guys..
Cricket’s going well then… Lol
Have we signed anyone?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/barcelona-defender-marc-bartra-available-8070019
One for Arsene?? Lol
Hull City promoted to the PL…
spicy scrambled egg….. there’s always one to lower the tone eh……………
put a bet on the 3 coming up going straight back down…………..!
I thought a pound on Hull to win it Wath…. Lol
Catch up tomorrow..
Nighty..
Been trying to get on all day rico. Had to refresh my browser a million times yet no avail. Glad am back on. Was kinda worried you had binned me. Lol.
Madrid with un decima. Feel for poor old simeone. The better team lost imo but that’s football. Congrats zizou so happy for you.
Spicy scrambled egg is superb.
Wath your such a Luddite.
Morning all.
Not yet Goonie…. 😉
Morning Rico.
Morning Adam, the cricket could be over today… 😉
Certainly could Rico. Sri Lanka are going through a transitional stage. A bit like Arsenal have been. 🙂
I think theirs will take as long as Arsenal too…. lol
We’re nearly there now Rico. 🙂
I sure hope so Adam…..
New post up now..