Morning all.
Took the four legged one for a snuffle walk late yesterday evening. Just around the local roads for a sniff and a mooch and I came across the above cul-de-sac. I couldn’t resist taking a picture so I could share it. As long as I don’t find a Vitality Avenue, I’ll be fine. I jest of course.
The big news yesterday was Martin Zubimendi becoming an Arsenal player. This deal was probably one of the worst kept secrets in the game this summer. So much so that when Arsenal finally announced his arrival yesterday, I felt little other than “about time too”.
The internet has done that to us all. It’s taken away that moment of excitement, the element of surprise, the big smile knowing we’ve just bagged a great player. Now it’s just, ok, he’s done, who is next…..
Photo from Arsenal.com
Once I made the decision to leave, I set my sights on Arsenal because I think their style of play is a good fit for me. It’s a young, highly motivated and ambitious team. They have shown their potential recently, and I believe the best is yet to come. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are. Andrea [Berta] and Mikel [Arteta] took excellent care of me, leaving me with no doubts whatsoever. This is a huge moment in my career. It’s the move I was looking for; one I wanted to make. Of course, it’s a big change, but I’m ready to get started. – Martin Zubimendi.
Zubimendi knows Martin Odegaard, David Raya and Mikel Merino well of course from their time playing together for Real Sociedad and/or Spain so they should help him settle into his new club.
The Spanish international was brilliant in the Euros last year, especially the final against England after replacing Rodri and I’m pretty sure he’ll be equally as brilliant in an Arsenal shirt.
Still only 26 years old, Arsenal are getting a player who is heading into his prime years.
A factoid from Arsenal.com
Breaking down low blocks can make the difference between winning and losing and in order to do that, a line-breaking pass is a must. During 2024/25, only three players produced more line-breaking passes in La Liga than Martin Zubimendi. His 238 line-breakers were only beaten by a trio of Real Madrid players in Luka Modric, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Line-breaking passes, what’s not to love about that….
Other news came out yesterday and not just from one source. The BBC, Fabrizo Romano and David Ornstein reported that Arsenal had advanced their interest in Viktor Gyokeres. A deal is not done as a transfer fee still has to be agreed but it’s suggested Gyokeres has agreed personal terms and a five year deal. Personally, I don’t care what he might cost because a top notch striker was never going to come cheap and right now, we possibly going to pay the price for not addressing our strikers needs before now because now, every other club knows we’re desperate.
Gyokeres stats from his time in Portugal are bonkers, he’s been so good. 97 goals in just over 8,400 minutes — the equivalent of 93 full games. If he signs for Arsenal and emulates those kind of numbers, even I might think Arsenal could win the league.
Catch up in the comments.
At long last. Movement/progress. Great news about Zubimendi now lets get on and wrap up Gyokeres, Eze and Madueke. I would prefer Eze before Madueke. If possible Rodrygo to, but I think this may be a tough one. get these on board and Arsenal should walk away with the Prem this season. Good to hear that Arteta is not prepared to let Dowman or Nwaneri go.
Yep, good to finally see this deal confirmed.
Striker and winger next hopefully, whoever they might be.
Looks like we’ve given up on a striker.
Let’s face it, Gyokores is not going to hit the same level.
54 goals in 2024/25
19 were penalties
5 against Boavista (18th)
3 against Farense (17th – only played in one of their games)
3 against AVS (16th)
6 against Estrela Amadora (15th)
And those teams wouldn’t put up a fight in the Championship.
Against the top teams in Portugal:
0 goals against Benfica (2nd)
1 goal against Porto (3rd)
1 goal against Braga (4th)
0 goals against Santa Clara (5th)
So tell me, where is the £60m striker? It’s not Gyokores.
The rumour mill is going full tilt now and the Nwaneri story is going full speed . Latest that I have heard is that we are demanding Madueke and £10 million for him . I am sure these guys think up a story and double it . I got this from a friend in Norway who got it from social media .
NB :- I have been through those figures before and one thing that struck me was that the teams at the bottom of the Portuguese Liga play with a high line and he can run in behind.
Not sure he will get that space in the Premier.
Nb, you must be the only one I’ve seen who is negative about Gyokeres..
I bet Nwaneri is laughing about the Chelsea rumours… At least I hope he is.
Clubs in the CL play a higher line done they?
If we get Gyokeres, the speed we attack at will be crucial imo. If we continue you dawdle at the back, we’ll have the same problems regardless of who we sign I think.
That’s why I favoured the Sesko alternative , firstly he is younger , at 6 foot 6 he would have given an alternative attacking style should we need it . Defensively he would have been an asset at set pieces a decoy for Gabriel , give defences a question of who to mark. How many times did Bouldy get the flick ons at the near post .
I believe that he is quicker but doesn’t have the same scoring record but is playing in the Bundesliga with a goal every 2-37 matches and 2.56 for Slovenia.
Having said all that if Gyokeres gets the gig , I hope he turns out to prove me wrong.
The ‘team’ that deals with transfers and contracts have been focusing on transfers, which is what we want isn’t it?
I’m sure that renewing contracts will be done in plenty of time before the season kicks off.
What we lacked many times last season was a presence in the box, somebody who made those runs and who could get in front of defenders because we do create the opportunities. I’m not looking for someone who scores 25/30 goals, just a player who gets say 15 EPL goals and who can make a difference against the low block teams.
Everybody will have a view of Gyökeres, if we didn’t sign him then Arsenal are hopeless, when we do sign him Gyökeres will be deemed hopeless, that’s how it goes, the hopelessness is all around us, I really don’t know how we’re going to cope?
Moving on, we’re going to get, I’m sure, plenty of NewsNow hit jobs on Dowman, yawn! I’m prepared for it.
Morning Rico btw, I love Highbury Close, is there a Plumstead Common nearby or an Invicta Close?
@rico Everyone looks at Gyokores’ goals but not the context behind them.
A little worried I’m agreeing with Rio:
“I don’t think he’s the guy,” Rio Ferdinand says of Viktor Gyokeres.
“I’ve watched him probably three times really, really closely. And three times I’ve gone: ‘He ain’t getting that opportunity in the Prem.'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cr7zyr5j329o
@potter Glad someone else is scrutinising his play.
I too favoured Sesko Potter and after all the reported rumours about us wanting him, I’m surprised it’s not him we’re signing. Saying that, who knows, the Gyokeres spin could be just that, spin.
Nb, I wasn’t criticising your opinion, rather more just wondering why so many rate Gyokeres. But then I didn’t do the homework you and Potter have clearly done..
Morning Kev, it made me chuckle when I saw it. No parks I’m afraid, just a big forest full of roaming horses and ponies. 😜
Arsenal have announced another signing, Taylor Hinds, a Jamaican international full back who left Arsenal for Everton then moved to Liverpool and has now returned to her roots. Sorry if you thought it was Gyokeres. 😉
I know I did Nb and yes, agreeing with Rio is a worry. 😜
I think one thing we all agree on is that whoever we sign, they do well and this coming season, we see more speed and directness in our play.
If you are looking for a good pub Rico, The Worlds End at Almer. When on holiday in Boscombe we used to take an evening mystery tour with Shamrock and Rambler Coaches into the New Forest with a stop at, what was then (1950s),a very old, very rural boozer
I believe it’s now a “gastro pub”. So maybe best avoided in the summer. Too many grockles. 😉
Thanks Cicero, I used to be one of them but now I’m a local 😂
Blimey, you’ll all start singing ‘I am a cider drinker’ soon. 🍺
Nice one Rico, I always saw you as an equine type of gal… 😀
Afternoon Rico all.
The only reason why I think the Nwaneri story may have legs is that he has not signed a new contract. and if we get the players that Arteta wants he could find it hard to get game time.
Wrong county Kev. 😜
Horses scare me though… lol
Afternoon Geoff.
I think fans would be pretty cheesed off Nwaneri was sold. I think we’ll see him more central next season, perhaps in Odegaard’s position when required or even a second striker option. The latter is something Arteta has hinted at.
I used to be one of them but now I’m a local
I moved to Norfolk in 1987 and some of the old family locals have just began to say good morning.
Blimey, how rude of them…. lol
Good evening Rico and all
a bit of fresh air your post Lady. fingers crossed we read more of them in days to come.
Geoff….the reason that Nwaneri hasn’t signed a new contract yet is sooooo simple. He is on holidays after the Under 21 Euros. He does not have the bilocation super power. Otherwise, if he has that superpower he can win the ball, pass it to himself in a safe area, make the run and even assist himself. So he can’t be on holiday and at the administrative offices to sign his contract.
So no, he is not going to be sold. he will be subbing Saka and Odegaard and also give them rests.
I expect Trossard to go if we get Nono and maybe another winger. With Martinelli, Saka, Nwaneri and two other wingers, Trossard will be surplus.
Off to read the post again.
Afternoon Devil, thanks.
That’s might take on the Nwaneri situation too.
Highbury close I see is a cul-sac, I hope it isn’t an indication that we are heading up a dead end. 😉
I’ve lived in our village for fifty-one year’s and I call newcomers “furriners” 😑
Possibly Cicero, much depends on Arteta. 😜
Devil if it is sooo easy then why didn’t sign it before he went on holidays. I still say he is holding out for offers with more pay and game time.
The answer is simple Geoff….the contract wasn’t there before he went to the holidays. He had finished the season with Arsenal, he went to the Euro Championship. so no time to sit down and discuss. Berta and the club had other players as well.
Everything in its own time.
So he did not sign it because Arsenal and Nwaneri may have been only in preliminary things. When he comes back he would sit down with the club and trash out the fine details. Only then can we say he is holding out for offers with more pay and game time.
Nothing to do with Arsenal, however, I feel that reading this gives us an insight upon how clubs may operate when a player passes away (like Jota)…..
According to official FIFA regulations, when a player passes away:
The player’s contract is automatically terminated as if it had naturally expired.
Neither the club nor the player’s representatives are entitled to claim any further financial compensation.
The club is required to pay all of the player’s financial entitlements up to the date of death, and these are paid to the rightful heir (child, spouse, etc.).
What if the player still had an active contract?
The contract is terminated immediately from the date of death, with all dues paid up to that day.
But why did Liverpool claim that they were the ones who terminated the contract?
So they could continue paying the player’s wages until the original contract end date, with the payments going to his family.
The club also committed to covering the full educational expenses of his children for life.
This is from Reddit..l
A Swedish perspective on how Viktor Gyökeres grinded to footballs biggest stage
Hej Gunners – I’m Swedish, been following Arsenal since I was a kid, and now that it seems official with Gyökeres, I thought I’d share some stuff you probably won’t find in the usual transfer rundowns.
Most people are watching clips from Sporting now. Me too, he’s been a beast. But then I realized we’ve probably have some interviews with him on Swedish sites. so to understand who we’re signing, you kind of have to go back a little in time
Viktor Einar Gyökeres was born in 1998 in Hägersten, a southern district of Stockholm. Grew up in Gröndal. A nice bloomy area with a lot of football pitches. Gröndal even means ”Green Valley”. His dad’s side is Hungarian. Viktor’s granddad fled Hungary and settled in Sweden, where he met Viktor’s grandmother. That’s where the surname comes from. [’djökeresch]. is how you would say it with the pronunciation (thank you for the correction u/Wyskalker). Like you say “Bird”.
The football journey started at five. His first club was IFK Aspudden-Tellus. Not a big academy. Just a local club with grusplaner – gravel pitches – and no fancy resources. His dad, Stefan, had played in lower divisions and became his coach. His mum, Sofia, kept the family steady. His little brother still plays.
From age 5 to around 14, Viktor stayed loyal to Aspudden-Tellus. That’s nearly a decade. Most talented kids switch clubs early in Sweden, but not him. He trained, scored goals, played on crappy winter pitches and learned the hard way. He was spotted by Brommapojkarna (BP) around 2012. BP is like Sweden’s version of Ajax / Arsenal Academy – they produce national team players like clockwork.
So Viktor was invited to train with BP, and he wanted to go. His dad said no. Said he needed one more year in Aspudden. That says something about his path – slow and stubborn. Eventually, he joined BP in 2013, and that’s when it started to click. He featured in a national documentary called Fotbollsfabriken (Football Factory in Swedish ), about BP’s 98-generation. You can spot him there – quiet, tall, working hard.
He wasn’t the star. Kulusevski was. But Viktor scored goals. That’s what he did. At 16, he made his pro debut for BP. One year later, he had 13 goals and 8 assists in Sweden’s second tier. That caught Brighton’s eye.
In 2017, he signed with Brighton. But instead of a debut, he got a ticket to the U23s. For over a year. No Premier League minutes. Just U23 games. His one appearance came in the League Cup against Southampton – then back to the shadows.
He was loaned out to St. Pauli in Germany. Did well, scored goals. But Brighton didn’t seem interested. He came back, scored in another League Cup match… then immediately loaned out again. This time to Swansea. There, he caught Covid. Struggled with long-term symptoms. Barely played. Another false start.
In January ’21, Brighton sent him to Coventry. Another loan. He was 22 by then. Time was running out. But Coventry saw something. Coach Mark Robins understood him. Used him as a real striker. No more left wing experiments. He scored 3 goals in half a season, clearly not amazing, but enough for them to sign him permanently for just over £1m.
That’s when things changed. But you already know the rest.
Why am I sharing all this? Because most people will see a guy with 54 goals and some Bane-style celebration and think it’s just another late bloomer. But to me – and a lot of Swedes – Viktor’s story is about grinding in silence. Staying loyal. Getting overlooked. Losing time in U23s. Being misused. Being ill. And still coming out the other side.
He’s not a product of hype. He’s a product of gravel, patience and sheer jävlar anamma (look that word up). If we get him, we’re not just getting a finisher. We’re getting a story.
If we get him, we’re not just getting a finisher. We’re getting a story.
I simply love that. I hope he manages to score loads.
Someone at Arsenal needs to get a grip on the club website. Scroll down the academy page and you will find we have a pair of identical twins, strangely they have the same name and, even stranger, they share the same squad number 94. 😉
W F H, I suppose.
Ha ha Cicero.
I liked that too Devil.
New post up by the way.