It’s a mix bag. Lets check out the details of the transfers that are already done, and some of the ongoing ones that may or may not materialise in coming days.
Noni Madueke is ‘almost’ a done deal!
Noni Madueke has agreed personal terms with Arsenal for a transfer to the red side of London. He has been at Chelsea for a year and half, and scored 7 times in his 32 appearances for Chelsea in Premier League last season. He is mostly a right winger and is coming here as a Bukayo Saka’s back up.
It doesn’t make any sense though. We have Saka and we have Nwaneri. I am pretty sure that if you play Nwaneri for 32 games in a season, our own lad would be a better player with better outputs than a Chelsea reject. It makes fuck-all sense to me but whatever, if Arteta covers the most important things – a CF, a Midfielder, I don’t care if he burns Kroenke’s house in the process.
It comes with a different problem though. It’s not about money and its not about bringing another Chelsea player. We have been trying to agree on a contract renewal with Ethan Nwaneri and he is adamant for more game time. The negotiations has stalled and bringing in a right winger would mean no game time at all for the hale end graduate. Fabrizio has already been reporting on it, and Chelsea are interested. So they would dump a player they don’t thing would start for them anymore, and they are going to get a player who can start for us. Make it make sense for me.
Cristhian Mosquera – a CB youngster for the future
We are also in the market for a CB, and the club is working on signing Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia. He is only 20 year old, and we have got solid 4-5 years from Gabriel and Saliba. It’s a good signing and one for the future, he can develop here and can surely rotate for one of the CBs in this process.
Zubimendi is a done deal, only the announcement is pending.
It’s only a matter of time before club announces Zubimendi. Our midfielders have left, Thomas Partey’s contract expired and we didn’t renew him. Jorginho has left. Declan Rice has mostly played in the advance role and Arteta would keep it that way. I have not seen Zubimendi play much but going by the interest he has generated in last couple of season around the world, I am assuming it would turn out to be good. Thomas was brilliant in the DM role and we need an improvement to that. Hope Zubi brings in that here.
And since Jorginho has left too, we have been trying to bring in Norgaard from Brentford. A 31-year old who would be happy to sit on bench, but can be brought on to cover and rest Zubimendi for games, is not a bad deal. It’s good that we are not leaving any place in conundrum, the choice of players can be controversial to fans, but at least we are trying and not leaving it for another season and another transfer window.
Striker?
I don’t know who we are going to bring now. It has become a pendulum with Gyokeres on the one side and Sesko on the other. Lets see what happens but lets also pray that we don’t run out of money buying 3rd choice DMs, 2nd choice RW and a CB for 5 years in future. If we don’t get a striker, we are not winning the league. Havertz and Merino are not the answers because we won fuck all so far, and we need someone who can score 20+ goals a season and win those boring games that ends up 0-0 and we end up regretting those 2 points.
Right, that’s all the things that are ongoing. The transfers that are already done / completed are listed below. Nothing too exciting.
Done deals!
Thomas Partey
The contract ended on 30 June and I am sorry I was asking the club to renew him. There will be a fair trial and the charges could either stand or not, but that’s something for the judicial system. The club knew about it, and should have taken the hit frankly if this is so serious.
Tomiyasu
Tomiyasu and the club has agreed to part ways after his injury issues in last couple of seasons. He is a great defender and all, but what’s the point if you are available for 3 games per season. Good that we have moved on.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
We have paid 5m to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea. He has been an outcast recently and we needed a back GK after we sold Ramsdale. Kepa can do the job for the odd games and against the weaker opponents to give our main GK some rest when needed. 5m is not a big amount, but considering that we have let go of Emi Martinez, have signed 6 other GK and is now finalising a first teamer and a back up is beyond my understanding. But hey, better late than never and that too for 5m.
MLS – contract renewal
Myles Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year old left back sensation has renewed his contract at Arsenal. He was very happy to give some more years to a club that has seen his developments since he was 8 years old and has gone on to feature in Champions League game. This is what he had to say –
I want a legacy. I want to win everything there is to win in the game. I want to win trophies on the biggest stages whilst being a person that’s always learning and stays grounded, which is so important.
Jorginho leaves club
We reached a mutual agreement with Jorgi and let him go to play in the FIFA Club World Cup for Flamengo. Truth be bold, the physicality in Premier League is unsustainable for him and we need a better bench player.
Gabriel signs new deal
Our best defender, Gabriel Megalhaes signed a long term contract a month back. 27 years old, he still has his best days ahead and with Saliba and him in the defence, we won’t have any problems for next few years.
Tavares joins Lazio
Tavares has been the only sell that has generated some money. That too because he was on a loan with obligation to buy, and we have received about 4.5m GBP. We thought we have an attacking LB and gambled on him for a very less 15m fee. It didn’t work out but at the end, it’s not a huge loss. You would have to take some of these chances in the search of next big thing.
Tierney leaves
Hated to see him go frankly, kept his head down through out his time at Arsenal, gave his everything in red and white t-shirt and we respect that. We have become too better for him but he has been very well a part of the journey so far. We need better players but it doesn’t take away his contribution in last few years. A true gooner, thank you for your service.
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Right, that’s all. I will be updating this list through the transfer window. Did I miss anyone? Do let me know in the comments.
”’ I am sorry I was asking the club to renew him. ””
So was I. I hold my hands up, thought he was a proper player.
But how are we supposed to know what goes on behind the scenes, and what players have been up to? I am reading today he was arrested up to 7 times !
Even with our chancers, frauds and cunts in charge , that should have set off some alarm bells.
This moronic cunt in charge gets paid up to £10 million per year to manage these tricky situations and yet the clubs reputation is in the gutter.
We had a wonderful manager once, hugely underated, a fine man and disciplinarian and Scot. Straight from the Brain Clough schoolbook Bruce Rioch.
This shit does not happen under men like him.
And nor would players be driving in vehicles that can kill.
And if soppy cunts , don’t like reality, thats fucking tough
Yep, we should have taken the hit when we knew. We would have to pay him but we had options, Rice was a proper DM we could have utilised and any one of the Havertz or Merino could have covered the other midfield.
Yes, we don’t know what goes in the background, and everyone probably were expecting Partey to get a cleansheet and expected that the club knew he was innocent. It might be true but is enough to dent the reputation of the club.
You’re right Ambarish the whole Ethan thing is madness same as it was when he wanted to ship Saliba out before Willie made a footballing statement for all to see.
We don’t need Zubi as we have Rice.
As for VG I ask myself how many clubs want him?
Manure with his old manager and the Saudi league but no other big club for a player in his prime. Even then we can’t get the deal wrapped up.
Remind me again why we hired Bertha?
Ambarish
I like your blog.
And as I have said before, don’t ever let my bad habits or cynicism ever stop your enthusiasm for supporting Arsenal. I would never want this.
But these cunts need a good coating from time to time.
And they get paid far too much money and it does them no favours, as we have seen tragically this week
2 fine young men dead and a devastated family.
1 facing trial for alleged rape.
A toxic combination of money, ego and excess.
AF,
What’s wrong is wrong. Unless we were pretty sure Partey was innocent, we should have taken a stand. If I am going to judge Spurs or Chelsea for it, I should do the same for my own club.
Tony,
Ethan starts every day at Arsenal. He is not getting his game time because we have one of the best RB on the planet. If we have Ethan, Saka and Madueke, I would consider Madueke as the 3rd option. Doesn’t make sense to spend 50 odd millions when all we need to do is, promise some games for Ethan and be done with it.
Unless, we are bringing Madueke as RW option and giving the game time Ethan is asking from Odegaard’s quota. I will be happy with that.
Ethan is wanted by more teams than any player we’re currently pursuing, which includes Zubi, so there’s that…Arteta has spoken about Ethan playing more centrally, as an attacking midfielder, so I don’t think he ever saw him as a like-for-like Saka cover piece…all of that would be fine if he ever showed the desire to play him as such, minus a couple times when Ode was hurt, and he didn’t keep signing more midfielders (especially with Rice playing in more advanced spaces and Havertz maybe looking to get minutes elsewhere)…at the end of the season MA even put Rice in as a replacement for Ode when Ethan was available…personally I would like to see Ode and Ethan deployed along side one another, just to see what that looks/feels like…time for our little project manager to lean into his most simpleton self, which shouldn’t be difficult, and work from the most obvious to the most complex when it comes to his starting 11
as for the supposedly much-desired Zubi, Isn’t it weird that not a single club wanted to pay his fairly modest release clause, considering what the likes of Rice and Rodri would command…he was given an opportunity on the international stage when Rodri wasn’t at full health and it’s difficult to look like shit when you’re on one of the best sides in the footballing world…I will give him the benefit of the doubt, but the leash will be exceedingly short, considering how long this particular acquisition has been in the works…enough said on that for now
one little note on the Noni push, if he’s coming here simply to provide cover for Saka and we’re still getting two more forwards, I’m all for it(so long as Ethan gets some time in the middle)…if, on the other hand, he’s here to be shoehorned in on the left and we’re only getting one other player up top (VG), I will consider it a rather underwhelming window, in light of all the other “big boy” options
We sign another Chelsea 2nd rate reject and sell them Nwaneri then the fans have either got to stand against the club or understand they’re going to get everything they deserve.
There’s a lot of indignation amongst the rank and file Artetites about the very notion of Ethan requiring assurnaces before signing on the dotted line…so much so that they appear ready and willing to swap Chelsea’s depth forward for our premier blue chip prospect…have they not been watching what’s been going on here for the vast majority of MA’s reign…ever since Emi was ousted, on similar grounds, MA’s been handing out assurances like candy on fucking Halloween
let’s remember this isn’t a Balogun 2.0, as he had never even played a meaningful minute with the first teamers, so one could easily argue that he was in no position to make any such demands, whereas with Ethan we all saw what was on offer, even when he wasn’t being deployed properly and was largely ignored from a tactical standpoint…even so, it wouldn’t surprise me whatsoever if MA cocked things up once again…after all the kife they’ve sent our way, we simply can’t hand them over someone of such quality in the final third…that’s some Curse of the Bambino shit!!
Bayern’s going to be on a transfer rampage soon enough now that they’ve lost Musiala for a significant period…he was going right while his ankle was making a sharp left turn…for those of you who are squeamish, you might not want to goggle that one…Cheers
At the end of the season, we needed a CF, we needed a DM and a LW competition for Martinelli. I was also inclined to get a Odegaard competition, solely relying on one player for creativity in a 60 match season doesn’t make sense.
What have we got so far?
DM is sorted but a CB back up, a RW back up is un-necessary if you haven’t fixed the main problem first. Anyone saying we only have Gabriel and Saliba as CB tends to forget that we spent 50m on White and 35m for Calafiori because of their versatility to play in any position in defence. Tomi is out anyway.
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Where the fuck is the striker?
TRVL
Letting Nwaneri leave would be bonkers. We should promise him the game time as a #10, give Odegaard some rest and competition and it will make sense.
Think about this, we don’t have a Odegaards competition. If he is injured, or is out of form, we are going to struggle. And expecting 60+ games from him is not a very smart thing.
So we’re 6 weeks away from the start of the season and we’ve done fuck all.
We’ve known we’ve needed a striker for over 2 years – why wasn’t a player who’s interested and within our budget identified and the groundwork already laid?
Marc
We’ve needed an 8 for over 6 years more if you discount Xhaka.
When was the last time we had a Wrighty, Campbell, Smudger, Bergkamp and Henry level striker?
I liked Giroud but never elite.
So what? Over 20 years waiting for an elite striker?
Ambarish
Hi mate, could you please either send me your email address (assuming you still have mine) or, if you’re ok with it, publish it here so I can send you those pics of my Arsenal artwork? Thanks
Tony
You can only judge Arteta on the time he’s been in charge and with so many positions he has an obsession with shoehorning players into different positions. Jesus was never a striker, Havertz isn’t a striker and now we still don’t seem to have a number one target in mind.
I can’t see anything to make me think my initial position that Arteta doesn’t want a top striker because that would mean dropping Havertz was or is wrong. He’ll faff around claim we can’t get the player he wants and buy another wide player.
KP
Sorry I missed it, bloggingwithmb@gmail.com, you can send me here..
Guys, I have got a news.. Gyokeres is coming, we are just agreeing on the price with Sporting at the moment.
Cheers Ambarish
My Avant Garde T Partey Tea Tray is winging its way to you. I hope you enjoy it. The aim is humour rather than trying to cause any scandal. Maybe something we’ll be able to enjoy a chai 🫖🥃 and Arsenal chat using the tray!
Question is Ambarish is VG a Haaland type or Hojlund? My guess is a £70+m Hojlund with Havertz still our number one striker sadly.
The Portugusese football league is seriously pony but Portugusese footballers are generally good.
With the exception of the pathetic Pablo Vieira. Only our cunt could choose a bad Portuguese footballer as useless as this one amongst all of them
Gykores is the wrong Swede.
He is Hoylands level. Probably just a little bit higher.
If the moronic cunt stopped stockpiling goalkeepers or fullbacks, the Isak deal was possible.
He will most likely end up at Liverpool now after the sad passing of Jota.