Re: The Official Summer Transfer Rumours Thread

[rwo power]

It's the usual game of papers going with their own fee. All we know is that German papers, and one quite close to Gladbach, said €45mil which is £35mil. So not massively off that £30mil figure.

Well, it's true that the papers usually throw dice to come up with figures, but as Granit Xhaka is critically important for Gladbach and he only has a release clause for Summer 2017, this means that Max Eberl will only sell if he gets a truly immoral offer.

[RealGunner]

Probably 30m + add ons to make it 40m or so

Would pay anything for him tbh.

[Chumlum]

It's the usual game of papers going with their own fee. All we know is that German papers, and one quite close to Gladbach, said €45mil which is £35mil. So not massively off that £30mil figure.

Well, it's true that the papers usually throw dice to come up with figures, but as Granit Xhaka is critically important for Gladbach and he only has a release clause for Summer 2017, this means that Max Eberl will only sell if he gets a truly immoral offer.

Immoral offer, is that like an indecent proposal?

Spoiler:

[rwo power]

Exactly that :lol

(I was too lazy to check if there is a standing expression and literally translated the German "unmoralisches Angebot" XD )

BTW, looks like Granit Xhaka is indeed on his way to Arsenal. Between the lines it appears as if Max Eberl just doesn't want anyone to say anything atm as he first wants to get the replacement transfer(s) fix, so that he isn't fleeced for money there.

[Sina]

Matt Spiro@mattspiro
Multiple sources in France this morning claim N'Golo Kante has decided he wants to join #Arsenal #LCFC

[MJ]

Moving for Xhaka and Kante would mean sales galore for our midfield.

[Jay29]

Either that or we're playing 4-3-1-2 next season

My guess at this point is that it's going to be one of Xhaka or Kante, not both.

Wenger even said yesterday that he wants to keep most of the squad together again, so I don't think he's planning a load of sales.

[Sri]

Old man said something about 3 signings (max).

Doubt we'll see a two midfielders - Elneny was probably already a proactive signing.

There's the Xhaka stuff and the Bolton defender stuff. That's probably where we're looking.

Realistically, we need 3 experienced starters - one in defense, one in mid, and one in attack. That's assuming we're moving past the aging Per/Kos axis, and Gabriel/Chambers don't step it up.

Then again. We'd probably sign a couple of kids, ask some of the youth to step up, and that's about it. Iwobi already seems to be one. Campbell, maybe, is lured to stay with promises of more game time and a bar of Kitkat.

[Jay29]

He didn't say "max":

“I must say, we want to combine technical stability with players that we know want to play and know our game. Maybe bring in three players for example. That’s the right level for me.”

For him, ideally he'd sign three players and keep most the squad (he wants to keep Ox, Walcott and Giroud, for example).

But things will change. If West Ham rock up with a big offer for Walcott, or someone comes in big for Giroud or Ox, or if Alexis/Ozil decide they want to jump ship, etc.

[RealGunner]

Kante makes 0 sense

[Jay29]

Btw we had a bid rejected for Rob Holding:

http://news.arseblog.com/2016/05/report-bolton-reject-arsenal-offer-for-rob-holding/

Bolton want £7mil, we offered £5mil

[Sina]

Kante Makes Sense
433/442 hybrid  

Spoiler:

[RealGunner]

Great. Now every club knows how much we bid for him.

Good thing he is an Arsenal fan.

[StrugaRock]

Kante makes sense IMO, not sure what Wenger wants to play more but a midfield of Ramsay Bolton-Xhaka-Kante, supporting the likes of Ozil, Sanchez and and elite striker (Morata, Lacazette, Griezmann, Embolo, or an Euro standout) and you've got yourselves a good competing squad, keep in mind that Arsenal don't go rage sale on the subs

[Sri]

Old man said something about 3 signings (max).

Doubt we'll see a two midfielders - Elneny was probably already a proactive signing.

There's the Xhaka stuff and the Bolton defender stuff. That's probably where we're looking.

Realistically, we need 3 experienced starters - one in defense, one in mid, and one in attack. That's assuming we're moving past the aging Per/Kos axis, and Gabriel/Chambers don't step it up.

Then again. We'd probably sign a couple of kids, ask some of the youth to step up, and that's about it. Iwobi already seems to be one. Campbell, maybe, is lured to stay with promises of more game time and a bar of Kitkat.

Said 2-3 signings in the post match.

That includes an 'offensive player' because Welbeck is out for pretty much the whole season.


Btw, Arteta post match said this was 99% his last game as a player and pretty much confirmed that he's leaving Arsenal. So that's that.

[Peccadillo]

I agree that we dont "need" Kante.. From a positional sense we only really need a defender and striker who are substantially better than current options.

Midfield certainly needs a shake up though and there are a number of options that will be influenced by what kind of striker we can actually get. With Welbeck out and Giroud goal shy I am certain we will sign a striker.

[Sri]

We'll sign an 'offensive player' - could well be a winger or a SS or something, with AW trying to convince us that he'll spread the goals and everyone in the attack can score etc etc etc

[Jay29]

Arteta officially retires, is considering coaching role at Arsenal, Spurs or Man City:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/16/mikel-arteta-arsenal-retires-coaching-role?CMP=share_btn_tw

[Chumlum]

I can believe that Wenger is indeed trying to be proactive, at least in his own way, and really will sign up three players, or more. The thing I'm uncertain about is what age & quality of player he'll go for.

Personally I would love to see, in addition to say Xhaka, Arsenal sign first team replacements in defense and attack--those being three big signings, plus we could target a couple of promising teenagers or something. But I think that a big, good signing in attack is more pressing than the same in defense. It doesn't necessarily have to be a "marquee" name, but if it's not, it should be a really shrewd signing ... someone who can step up to a higher level to perform. So if someone like Vincent Janssen were signed, just as an example, I would hope that he comes in like a non-crazy version of Suarez, or like he's on track to replicate peak RvP, and consequently starts banging in goals on his first PL season.

By the way did you guys see the Ashley Williams rumor? £20 mil for the 32-year-old CB. LOL.

[Chumlum]

Arteta officially retires, is considering coaching role at Arsenal, Spurs or Man City:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/16/mikel-arteta-arsenal-retires-coaching-role?CMP=share_btn_tw

Arteta

I'll still be sad if he goes to coach at City now, but Arseblog handled that prospect very graciously I thought:

However, after five years working with Arsene Wenger and knowing his methods, it would be a fantastic education to go and work with a coach as accomplished and interesting as Guardiola.

The pair have a relationship from their time at Barcelona also, and as part of developing his skills to become a manager at some point in the future, nobody could begrudge him that chance.

And when he returns to manage the club as a Wenger/Guardiola hybrid, a Wengiola if you will, we might well be glad of that.

http://news.arseblog.com/2016/05/arteta-announces-retirement-from-playing-coaching-decision-imminent/

[Raptorgunner]

Wenger: "After that it's down to compete. Olivier has strong & weak moments so we have to deal with that"

Wenger is comedian.

[RealGunner]

Xhaka is pretty much done btw

[rwo power]

*snif* I would have prefered him to stay at Mönchengladbach!

[Jay29]

Not done until it's on the .com etc.

Still time for City to hijack this or for us to back out when the player is having his pictures taken i.e. Sahin.

[Sri]

*snif* I would have prefered him to stay at Mönchengladbach!

Time to become a goonerette, you'll feel right at home here. Our ladies team happens to be rather successful too, and we have some pretty decent looking gentlemen between the sticks.

Not done until it's on the .com etc.

That's my boy.

[Jay29]

Blid reporting this morning that we're haggling over €2mil.

See? Plenty of time for this to go awry.

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