Re: The Official Summer Transfer Rumours Thread

[Eman]

I personally wouldn't try to sign any player from a PL team with our budget. Zaha or Traore would cost us our entire transfer budget, if not more than that...and frankly, I think and have always felt like Zaha is a shit player who can barely control a ball but bundles in goals once in a while due to his athleticism.

We'll need to work with signing players from top teams who are towards the end of their contracts and want to leave, or finding youngsters nobody has really heard of. Nothing else is really going to work. We're an opportunistic club in the transfer window at this point - we can't get who we want, we can only get who's available and hope that opportunities present themselves

[RealGunner]

Adama is going for 50m+ so no chance there

[Sina]

^If we sold Bellerin which we wont^

[Jay29]

Plenty of reports about Guendouzi leaving. Possible 40m euro deal on the table because it seems a few top clubs are interested.

Arsenal and Arteta reportedly unhappy with his attitude and Guendouzi feels he's "regressed" under Arteta. Seems there's been a breakdown in relations.

Take that money and invest in Partey or something tbh.

[El Gunner]

yea if his attitude is potty might as well cash in, he isn't irreplaceable at all.

[El Gunner]

if the Laca - Partey swap is still on, we can actually use the Guendouzi money to try and get a AM/10

which one is reasonably available out there, i do not know, any thoughts?

[El Gunner]

order of priority imo:

- a ball-busting/dominant CM (Partey hopefully)
- an AM/10
- a CB

i'm more reasonable than Sina who wants a whole lot more lol. I just feel like our midfield is our biggest problem, i've been saying it the whole season. We need a foundation to build off and a good solid midfield is the foundation of every team.

Xhaka can stay, but he needs someone alongside him who makes his work easier.
If Mustafi can keep his current form going we won't be as desperate for another CB knowing Saliba is coming in. And even if Mustafi goes back to his old way, i still have a bit of faith in Holding, i mean he has the tools, he just needs to get a run of games in a well working system.

the striker department becomes a problem if either Auba leaves, or both of Laca and Auba leave. If we just lose Laca, we have Martinelli and Nketiah who can make up his goals. If Auba leaves, well, i'm not sure those two youngsters are ready yet to make up for his goals return.

[Jay29]

Unless we're buying a midfielder who can press a lot, or one who can play as a second striker, there's no real point to buying an AM. If you look around Europe and see who's playing that role now, it's not creative playmakers in the Ozil mould. Players like that are fielded out wide or deeper these days.

If Torreira and Guendouzi leave, then for sure we're going to need industrious players to fill the gaps.

After that, I'd be looking for an attacking 8. I just did a quick search on WhoScored for players with the highest key passes per 90 and found some interesting names:

Jack Grealish (Villa) - Pricey but the prospect of relegation might help drop the price.
Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma) - Having a breakthrough year, price might be inflated.
Erick Pulgar (Fiorentina) - Bit of a shot in the dark but could be cheapish?
Chris Nkunku (RB Leipzig) - Remember how we all despaired when we were linked with him? He's had a fantastic season by all accounts.
Emi Buendia (Norwich) - Another one whose price may drop if/when Norwich go down.

I don't know what Madrid plans are for him, but maybe Martin Odegaard's situation is worth tracking. Even a loan would be helpful.

If the club ends up with more cash than expected than Fabian Ruiz from Napoli would be my pick. Assuming he'd want to join, of course.

CB is really contingent on getting players out. Luiz is here for another year, Sokratis will stay, Saliba will come in, and Mari just signed. That's four already so we have to decide what's happening with Holding and Mustafi. Mustafi's deal expires in 2021 so although he's improved, we should still look to sell. Chambers is injured so nothing is happening with him.

I get the feeling Saliba will go straight into the first time and will be partnered by Mari, Sokratis or Luiz. I think players will have to leave for another CB to arrive.

[El Gunner]

when i said AM/10 i meant someone who can play in Ozil's position/replace Ozil so we dont have to waste our time with playing him.

if you're saying that position has become obsolete, then i guess we're just gunna play like we've been playing in the last few games.
3-4-3/3-5-2 and play pragmatic football??

going forward then i dont see us scoring many goals if that's the case, unless we work on our wing play, but Bellerin is a pretty average player when it comes to that. I think the left side has promise with Tierney and Saka. Pepe is not really a true wing player either, he has more the qualities of a second striker. So it would have been ideal if we had an elite wingback on the right, so that Pepe can just play off him and the midfield in order to make those diagonal runs in between defenders.

otherwise, like you said, we will need an attacking 8 who can make key passes and important runs to provide an attacking threat from midfield. In that case i'd be happy if we can get Grealish, i like him.

it's a matter of personnel though that's for sure, but it looks like at least you agree with me that our midfield should be the priority.

[Jay29]

Yeah, for sure. Both defence and attack suffer if the midfield is garbage. It's a bigger priority for me than a centre back.

The attack will all depend on Auba's future and who we replace him with if/when he leaves. Looking at the full-backs options, it makes sense to buy an inside forward so Saka, Tierney or Kolasinac can continue to go forward. Unfortunately, Pepe suffers because he has to play wider thanks to Bellerin's lack of attacking quality.

So I guess the best thing would be to sign a better RB so Pepe can play narrower too. In which case, we'd basically be Liverpool 2.0.

Alternatively, Auba is replaced by a winger and both full-backs play inverted. So we'd become City 2.0 instead.

It's important for Arteta to work out which approach he wants to take because the make-up of the midfield will change. For inside forwards and attacking full-backs, the midfield needs discipline and work rate. For wingers and inverted full-backs, the midfield needs creativity, movement and technique.

He can mix-and-match but the right side of the attack would have significant problems.

[El Gunner]

exactly no matter which way we put it the right side will still have balance issues because of the type of players Pepe and Bellerin are. But at least it's a start if we can settle on a formation and fix the midfield. Then we can build up attacks on the left side and through the midfield mainly, and then one of the midfielders will have to join the attack in the final third so that we can play triangles with Auba-Pepe-and said midfielder if the ball comes to the right side. It would require a lot of running and movement, which is still something we lack.

Lots of work for Arteta to do.

[El Gunner]

this is what i could come up with

https://i.servimg.com/u/f69/18/75/76/10/img_q910.jpg


https://i.servimg.com/u/f69/18/75/76/10/img_5d10.jpg

[Sina]

Dream:Aouar
Realistic:Golovin
If not Then i guess Buendia

Bellerin out Adama In makes so much sense from our Pov

Will Real let vinicius leave on Loan?
He can get 3000+ minutes at Arsenal

[RealGunner]

Maybe we should just start buying from championship

[El Gunner]

are there actually any good players from there?

[Sina]

Said Benrahma
But i rather our wide attackers have good athlethcism

[Jay29]

Jude Bellingham, Bryan Mbuemo, Kalvin Phillips and Ben White are decent.

[RealGunner]

Is that Kevin Phillips' son ffs?

[Eman]

So I guess the best thing would be to sign a better RB so Pepe can play narrower too. In which case, we'd basically be Liverpool 2.0.

Alternatively, Auba is replaced by a winger and both full-backs play inverted. So we'd become City 2.0 instead.

It's important for Arteta to work out which approach he wants to take because the make-up of the midfield will change. For inside forwards and attacking full-backs, the midfield needs discipline and work rate. For wingers and inverted full-backs, the midfield needs creativity, movement and technique.

He can mix-and-match but the right side of the attack would have significant problems.

It would appear that Cedric is the other RB we'll have, so Bellerin will remain our first choice RB; therefore, I don't think we'll be seeing a Trent Alexander-Arnold equivalent bombing down that right flank. I do think the Liverpool model makes more sense than the City model though given the players otherwise at our disposal - i.e. wingers who are all better when cutting inside, CMs who aren't very creative, and attacking left-backs who regularly influence our offensive play.

There may be a third option here too if we aren't going to sign many players, which we have seen Arteta try recently as CMs have been in short supply...given the lack of CMs we already have (set to be reduced further if we do sell Guendouzi/Torreira/Ozil), and our surplus of CBs, we could elect for the Conte-Chelsea formation of 3 at the back, two attacking wing-backs, 2 CMs, 2 inside forwards and a striker. I don't love this option because Arsenal's values are to control the ball and actively dictate play creatively, but it is a plan B.

Regardless of approach, we will need our RBs to step up, along with our midfield. Partey appears to be the one signing we are really heavily linked with so that should help with 1 of those if we manage to get it over the line.

Currently, this is my proposed plan (which of course means nothing at all):
BUY:
CB - Upamecano (40M)
CM - Partey (45M)
CM - Cazorla (free - player/coach role)
CM - Ceballos (25M)
AM - ??? (50M)
LM - Kluivert (free via swap with Mkhitaryan)

SELL:
Ozil (8M - or whatever we can get...just get him off the wage bill)
Elneny (9M)
Mkhitaryan (swap with Kluivert)
Sokratis (8.5M)
Holding (14M)
Mavropanos (4.8M)
Mustafi (23M)
Macey/Iliev (1M for one of them; keep the other)
Nelson/Smith Rowe (18.5M for one of them; keep the other)
Torreira (40M)
Guendouzi (40M)

NET PROFIT = 6.8M

[El Gunner]

There may be a third option here too if we aren't going to sign many players, which we have seen Arteta try recently as CMs have been in short supply...given the lack of CMs we already have (set to be reduced further if we do sell Guendouzi/Torreira/Ozil), and our surplus of CBs, we could elect for the Conte-Chelsea formation of 3 at the back, two attacking wing-backs, 2 CMs, 2 inside forwards and a striker. I don't love this option because Arsenal's values are to control the ball and actively dictate play creatively, but it is a plan B.

Eman, you demon!
basically the the first lineup i posted above just scroll higher.

I actually don't think it's a negative lineup, but it would depend on our CBs gelling with that 3 at the back structure, and most importantly our wingbacks will have to step up big time as they will play an important role in buildup play and dropping back quickly when we get attacked.

it's an option for sure.

[Hapless_Hans]

So in that model, you get basically the same fee for selling Guendouzi as you have to pay for Partey?

That's... optimistic

[Eman]

So in that model, you get basically the same fee for selling Guendouzi as you have to pay for Partey?

That's... optimistic

Partey is absolutely a more valuable player but my understanding (from questionable news sources) is that he has a release clause of 45M and some clubs are in for Guendouzi for ~40M. Obviously this is all on paper and subject to significant differences from reality but a man can hope.

[Jay29]

Guendouzi's situation is up in the air.

Once he was left out of recent squads, the rumour mill started turning. Arsenal were done with him, looking to sell, etc.

Since then, there have been reports that Guendouzi himself is pushing to leave, but has been told by Arsenal he won't be sold.

PSG, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Barcelona have all been linked. The reported 40m price tag doesn't seem too unreasonable with those clubs involved, though I imagine any actual sale would probably be lower than that.

My own reading of the situation is Arsenal have a lot of work to do in the midfield and would rather not lose anyone if they can help it. Torreira possibly returning to Italy would be a big enough blow as is without losing another young midfielder on top of that and the jury is out on Willock.

[RealGunner]

Not a big fan of Guendouzi but if those clubs are circling around him then maybe we should try keep him for another year or two.

He'd probably be better in Serie A tbh

[Jay29]

Mkhitaryan joining Roma permanently.

No fee by the looks of things. Seems he managed to get the last year of his contract terminated.

[RealGunner]

Have you stopped using twitter jay?

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