Christian Norgaard became the third player we have signed this window, so far. After Kepa from Chelsea, and Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, we have got a Jorginho’s replacement from Brentford in a relatively cheap transfer. Lets look into these in details –
Kepa and goal keepers
Kepa became the 7th GoalKeeper Mikel Arteta has signed for Arsenal. Mind you, he inherited two world class goal keepers in Bernd Leno and Emi Martinez and made these signings on top of that. Selling Martinez was poor decision after his great run for the only trophy Mikel won while Leno slowed down and wasn’t suited for playing from the back. Mikel did try some cheap tricks initially to not spend much money so he got Runarsson, which was a complete failure. Ryan was on a 6 months loan in 2021 but failed to make any impact. Matt Turner joined us on a long term contract for 4.5m and was later sold on to Forest for about 7m, he was hardly average and didn’t deserve to be in the team. We got Ramsdale and sold him after 3 years, while Raya took the number 1 spot. Neto joined us for a season-long loan after Ramsdale departure to fill the vacant bench.
Out of all these signings and loan moves, Ramsdale was a good one. He played for 3 seasons, helped us in qualifying for Champions League and had some great energy on the field. Loved that lad, but the errors in him under pressure started costing us lately and Mikel decided to bring in David Raya. Raya has been solid, much calmer and we will probably don’t need to upgrade him any more. Overall, we spent a lot of money to get back to where we were in goalkeeping department, under Mikel.
Frankly, I don’t care about Kepa’s signing. It’s really poor that we are looking for loans each season and it’s good that we have got a permanent back up to Raya. Kepa will sit on bench and will only be used for dead games. I don’t mind that if it costs only 5m.
Martin Zubimendi – the new DM
Well, we were told that Declan Rice is coming in to take the Thomas Partey’s position eventually, but during this ‘eventually’ era, Mikel found out that Havertz is not a CAM and Merino is a better CF that Havertz, so he had to shift Declan Rice in an advance role. I am guessing Rice will keep his spot this season as well, and with Partey left out of a new contract, we needed a DM. Zubimendi is coming for that role, I have not watched him much but hoping that he can handle that pressure and picks up where Partey left. Midfielders aren’t cheap, and he costed us 51m GBP. Thomas Partey, 5 years back, was a 45m transfer so it’s an okay-ish fees we have paid to Sociedad.
With Declan Rice’s move to a CAM role and Jorginho leaving, we needed a DM and his back up. So we have spent another 9m an brought in Norgaard.
Christian Norgaard – a back up to Zubimendi
Again, about 10m for a back up who is a starter in a good Brentford team is a good transfer. He played 34 games last season for Brentford, so certainly he can keep himself fit, scored 5 goals and assisted another 4, which is a good output from a DM. Zubi, or for that matter any other DM, can’t handle more than 60 games in a season so Norgaard will get enough starts. Good for the player, good for the club.
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That’s all for the completed transfers so far. There are 2 more in pipeline and worth discussing.
Noni Madueke from Chelsea
Noni Madueke is almost a done deal with the clubs agreeing for a deal for a whooping 52m GBP. A medical will follow pretty soon, and we would then announce him. Now, I am not behind this deal. Yes, he is on the right side of the age and is only 23 years old. Yes, he was a regular in that Chelsea team but I have a lot of doubt about this transfer. Firstly, he is a RW. I don’t buy the versatility nonsense. He played almost all his games as a RW and we have a world class right winger playing for us in Bukayo Saka. Saka is fit, can handle 60 games in a season without any drop in performance and it would be very poor to make him sit on bench for any other RW in the world.
Madueke will get those 15-20 min towards the end, and the midweek not-so-important games. He will also be useful if Saka picks up an injury. But, you don’t spend 50 odd million GBP for a player who is needed scarcely. Also, Martinelli can play on either wings so it’s not like we didn’t have a back up. Now, if this transfer was for a left winger, it would have made more sense as Martinelli does struggle some times. A LW transfer would have fixed the Marts problem and would have also got us a cover at RW.
Trossard might leave, there’s been some chatter, so we will have to bring a LW eventually.
Victor Gyokeres Saga continues
It’s pretty much confirmed by various outlets that we have dropped the plan to bring in Sesko due to their mad demans. We are targeting Gyokeres now, but there has been some disagreement on the transfer fee with Sporting. Gyokeres wants nothing else than Arsenal, has given up 2m euros per year in salary to facilitate the move and has revolted by boycotting the pre-season. I think Sporting will ultimately fold but come one mate, if you are going to pay 50m for a back up RW who is not needed at this moment, spend 5m more to address the most important place in your playing XI.
We need a CF. If we go into the season without a striker, we are winning fuck all, again. Pay another 5m if the need be, and get done with it.
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Well, these transfers are going to create some problems which no one is bothered to address or talk about. With Zubi and Norgaard, the DM role is covered. What happens to the CAM? Rice will be the first choice, fine but are you going to keep 2 back ups to him in Havertz and Merino? If I put my Arteta’s thinking hat, I am getting the vibe that we will shift Merino back into the midfield as a back up, and Havertz remains up top as a back up to Gyokeres.
65m for a player that will be back up to a 100-goal striker, for whom we are going to pay 60? Doesn’t make sense to me. We should recoup some of that money if anyone is foolish enough to pay for him when he earns 250k/week in wages.
Gabriel Jesus? Another 250k/week for posting pictures of himself on Instagram and remaining injured throughout the season.
At the LB, with the brilliant performances from MLS and him getting a new contract, we don’t need Zinchenko. Calafiori will rotate with him and in a worst case scenario when both of them are injured, Timber can play in that position. We need to get rid of Zinni (sorry) and be done with another player who in mostly injured.
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Right, that’s all for today. Here’s the incoming and outgoing lists so far this window.
Incomings (65m GBP) –
Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea – 5m
Christian Norgaard – Brentford – 9m
Zubimendi – 51m
Outgoings (8m) –
Jorginho – end of contract
Marquinhos – 2m
Partey – end of contract
Tavares – 6m
Tierney – end of contract
Tomiyasu – released
That’s a 57m deficit when we had a team that was 2nd for 3 seasons in a row and is playing in Champions League. We still don’t know how to sell, do we?
See you in the comments.
TRVL
Moresca used the right tactics where as MA just played his usual predictable game without a recognized and performing striker. PSG seem to struggle against PL pace and physicality against Pool, us and most noticeably Villa who tried similar tactics to Moresca.
Going to be a tough season of for us.
“”🚨❤️🤍 The deal between Arsenal and Sporting for Viktor Gyökeres is now being sealed tonight with all parties involved.
After agent’s decision to reduce his 10% compensation, Arsenal will pay initial fee worth €63.5m plus €10m add-ons being completed.
Here we go, soon. ✅🔜””
Fabrizio.
_
It’s happening guys. Mikel and Co finally getting a proper center forward.
Ambarish
He’s a Coventry reject…😄
Why is it Chelsea always seem to look better after we buy their shit for millions .
Really missing Madueke and Keppa, Jorginho and Sterling
We buy Havertz, they buy Palmer
Thats why in the last 20 years , they have won 5 leagues, 2 CL’s,
Europa, Europa Conferance and World Club cups and we have won basically fuck all.
This was unthinkable before we moved into this cunt of a new stadium, they kept theirs and swept the board.
We are run by total cunts , obsessed with making money and selling cunting shirts.
And the fanbase are the biggest problem at the club, they go along with all that shite, excuses we cant compete and losers mentality.
Another week, what pile of cack is the moronic cunt and imbecile Berta going to come up with.
Cunts of the highest order. Taking us for total mugs
I concur with you, Art. I was slowly sinking into the MA cunty abyss needing a time out.
No idea how the fanbase situation works or changes. I know a couple of season ticket holders who swear by MA excuse books at the ready. They listen and I’ve directed them here, but they are hardened AKBs.
You can only lead them to water.
Ambarish
VG indeed when Slot is looking at Isak or another in his class. I think he’s after a couple TRVL named a few posts ago, such as Hugo Ekitike. Sesco doesn’t fancy us/MA, so we have gone for the Merino low hanging fruit type who wont take us to the required level.
TRVL
The Chavs deserved their win with Enrique taking a swipe at a Chav player after the final whistle. Being beaten at his own game was just too much for poor Enrique. Having destroyed Milan and RM you could imagine how invincible he and the PSG players must have felt. They were being suffocated by the Chavs for the entire game, so the way to beat PSG is clear going forward.
The way to beat us is simple because we play one way: MA’s way and he’s never wrong; it’s everyone’s or thing else’s fault.
Both junior and I were not expecting the Chav’s level where they may well take Ethan from us, too. Their rebuild is looking good.
Expect Thomas Frank to be a pain this season, too, especially if they land the players he wants.
So far, as we are expecting nothing more than a PL or CL win this season I would some our TW activity to be farcical!
sum up our TW activity*
“You can only lead them to water.”
And then drown the fuckers!
Time for some positives and negatives:
Positives
-it looks as if we’ve finally signed a fucking Striker
-age profile means we’re thinking of the now not the future
-far less likely that Havertz is being deployed at the top of the pitch
-Zubi’s about the best possible DM replacement considering MA’s preferred tactics
-I like what I’ve read about the young defender, Mosquera, from Valencia
Negatives
-certainly not my first choice Striker option
-shoehorning prospects involving both Havertz and Noni (this is likely why Tross is wanting out)
-Zubi’s arrival means that the Rice deal likely won’t age well
-we’ve only added one player in the final third who was more clinical than our previous options
-not a fan whatsoever with the way in which the whole Ethan saga has been handled
-the amateur hour manner in which we still conduct business-for example, just inagine how things might have gone if VG didn’t go full ape about wanting out of Sporting (empathize with his current club considering how he’s performed for them and all the other teams who will share in the spoils of his sale-Coventry and BHA)
-our incessant need to continually buy periphery pieces from Chelsea-it’s lazy and nonsensical considering what has transpired in the past (that said, I still think Noni could be a solid cover piece for Saka on the right side, but we all know what MA will do with him)
-we’re an optics clown show, tactical simpletons and settling fucks far too often!!
glass is still more half-empty than half-full for me until we acquire another final third piece who substantially raises our clinical finishing profile…Cheers
TRVL
The question now is how will Arteta shoehorn his favourites into the team? The alternatives are either he’s decided to stop being a massive cunt (I don’t think that is actually possible), he’s going to rotate massive to try and keep everyone happy or he’s going to change to some bonkers formation to accommodate them.
He’s going to be under pressure to even get third this season – it only takes one of Chelsea, Villa or Newcastle to have a good season and he’s fucked.
Marc-I might be wrong but I think only Saka and Saliba haven’t been shoehorned into a secondary position, which speaks to our very legitimate concerns about our overthinking and underwhelming fucktard…it’s not as if other managers haven’t shoehorned players into “new” positions, but usually there’s some sort of prevailing evidence that supports such a move and/or the player in question is so electric that he transcends the typical positional requirements…our MIT simply mimics the actions of other far more cerebral managers yet completely ignores all the “know-how” that went into making those decisions…it’s like someone who cheats on an exam by looking at someone else’a paper…even though they got a good grade, they’re still the same dumb fuck
on a side note, if Newcastle signs Hugo Ekitike and this leads to Isak becoming available before the close of this window, I’m going to be fucking pissed!!
someone else’s
Can Gyokeres play as a LB? Asking for a friend.
He was a backup Keeper in junior high, so watch the fuck out Kepa
Guys I see one of Hugo Ekitike or Isak going to join Slot’s revolution….. Could Pool buy both with the sad loss of Jota?
We’ve bought a slightly better Havertz who couldn’t make it in the PL at 2 attempts but claims he’s better than Haaland……..
That’s some footballing paradoxical thinking right there………..
from the DM:
Viktor Gyokeres’ proposed move to Arsenal could still fall through, according to reports from Portuguese media.
“According to Portuguese outlet Record, there is a disagreement regarding bonuses being offered to the player.
Sporting are said to be demanding €10million (£8.7m) in bonuses, which Arsenal are allegedly reluctant to include on top of a £62.4m transfer fee.”
Being bled dry are 3 words that come to mind………
Tony
If Isak to Liverpool happens, they would be much better than us and City. They won the league and still strengthening, Wirtz and now Isak.
City did their business early on. All we have done is overspend on a Chelsea player who is not an improvement to either of Saka or Martinelli – though i understand we needed a back but a 52m?
Tony,
I fear the worst about VG.
We’ll know Arteta’s state of mind some time in August – when the excuses why we can’t expect to compete start.
The only question is will they start before a ball is kicked?
Ambarish
I’m guessing that we want the extra’s to be based on us winning the PL or CL – Sporting on something more likely like us playing in red a couple of times.
a few points of interest:
(1) to put it bluntly, I’m not a fan of the fact that VG’s combined transfer fee and salary will come in well shy of his German counterpart, especially when it comes to the latter, as Kai will make approx 14.5, whereas VG will make around 8…this and the fact that he was never MA’s first choice, really makes me wonder how this will all shake out…it’s not as if I want us to waste funds unnecessarily, but we didn’t even fucking blink when Chelsea overcharged us for Havertz or when he fucking demanded a ludicrous wage package…you don’t have to be a genius to figure out whom the manager will undoubtedly favour, at least for the time being…earlier I discussed the possibility of Havertz being shoehorned out wide left, but maybe it will be VG out there instead, so that our German tweener can remain up top
(2) all this chatter about our strategic “waiting game” ploy, when it comes to the likes of Eze or even Rodrygo ,just doesn’t add up (btw how has our whole leverage two Strikers against one another strategy gone so far—what a optics fustercluck)…if you didn’t prioritize these sort of needle-moving options before the signing of a whole host of backups, especially Noni, why the fuck should I believe that you’ll be even more determined to do so in a month from now…this is just a kick the can down the road clown show move that will likely end in disappointment…it’s not like either player is going to be offered up at cut-rate price, unless they do something so out of character that they simply have to be moved
(3) so far we’ve shelled out another sizeable fortune yet it would be difficult to argue that we’re actually a better side now…keeping in mind that MA will never properly rotates so I’m speaking about HIS preferred 11, which is far more important to him than to just about any other manager on the face of the earth…with Zubi in for Partey, we’ve simply replaced a proven entity with a higher ceiling/lower floor option, whereas with VG penciled in somewhere up top, not only is he unproven, his presence will likely see Havertz shoehorned into the lineup elsewhere
let’s remember our real issue last season was our glaring lack of clinical finishing and not our overall lack of fucking depth…this latter issue gained considerable momentum once Havertz went down, when our excuse-laden manager was laying the groundwork in case things went sideways again, but we needed help long before that and yet we still did jacksquat in January…in fact, the only player we seemed to bid on was Watkins, who was going to cut into Havertz’s time up top even though he was fully healthy then…simply put, we had our chances, but we just didn’t take them…so don’t believe the continued nonsense being spewed by the Kool-Aid brotherhood and their forked tongue managerial overlord…this window, more than any other, needed to be defined by the quality of our purchases, not the quantity
frankly, I would have liked to have seen Havertz participating in the Nations League so we could have had a looksee at the new “supersized” version…him bulking up certainly wouldn’t necessarily make him faster or better with headers or more profficient in front of goal…in fact, the only thing it would likely guarantee is that he would look even more pathetic when he was flopping about