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Edu's Transfer Targets: Summer Holidays 2021

Which position would be your #1 priority to strengthen?


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Dutch D

Well-Known Member & FPL Champion 19/20
For what it's worth Bentancur has been awful for Juve this season.
Someone recently posted a venn diagram of the best u23 midfielders in the big five competitions. Bentancur was in the top 75 percentile in ball winning, progression (passes and carries, think he passes more than he carries) and retention. Doesn't sound too bad. Juve having a dreadful season anyway, so I guess that drags down the level of performance (and market value, hopefully) of individual players as well.
 

dashsnow17

Doesn’t Rate Any Of Our Attackers
Trusted ⭐
Yeah, but I have some reservations to all of the others, mainly around pace.

Locatelli is the best of the lot when it comes to vision and passing from what I've seen , but he lacks both pace and physicality and I think he'd struggle a lot with PL intensity.

Fabian Ruiz is very similar to Locatelli in what he offers, but also in what he lacks. For these two the story and shortcomings of Xhaka and Ceballos is just to present/recent and I definitely don't want to go down that route again.

Bentancur and Jordan are also quite similar in their profile, but I just feel that Bentancur is the better player today, has better potential and is younger. Don't know if Joan Jordan has enough pace and power to thrive in the PL - could well be so though and wouldn't be against him.

Bentancur > Bissouma > Jordan imo

I suppose it's the eternal argument between athleticism and technique. Personally Xhaka's lack of pace isn't my biggest gripe with him, it was his stiffness and lack of agility. You can be slow and not especially powerful, but if you have good technique and agility you can play in the PL, Cesc proved that 15 years ago.

You can have the player with enough recovery pace to make tackles, but that player is rarely also the one who can get his foot on the ball and open up a team with a through ball. They do exist, but they're few and far between.

Of the 4 mentioned I'd guess Jordan is the most likely, simply because we've been linked to him since his Eibar days, then Locatelli because he needs to step up from Sassuolo, Bentancur and Fabian Ruiz feel less likely cos Arsenal is hardly a step up for them right now. We'll see, anyways, but personally I think a double pivot of Partey with a deep-lying playmaker would work really well, it just needs to be someone more agile and press-resistant than Xhaka.
 

ChefMan21

Well-Known Member
Bentancur is on my wishlist. Think he'd make a wonderful partner to Partey, and if you could add someone like Grealish, that's near the best midfield in the league imo.
 

SingmeasongSong

Right Sometimes
He has the whole world at his feet why would he come he to struggle with a amateur manager?

I'd say the only reason why I deem it remotely realistic is that City wont sign him, because they dont need him, that ManU goes for Sancho, that Sp**s - come on ! - and that Chelsea looks at a CF.

He ain't leaving England and we are a big step up, no matter what lazy argumentation on here might try to convey the idea that Villa is of equal status :lol:

Besides, Emirates is his favorite stadium, he really likes Saka and some others with whom he spends time with.. there ARE reasons to consider it remotely possible, it is not that far-fetched.

Besides, we have spent a lot more money recently as we used to have, even though the quality of decisions have gone to **** for it.

I think it is VERY realistic that the Kroenke's will spend money this season, it makes a lot of sense, if they dont sell. Whether that is really 200-250m remains to be seen though.
 

dashsnow17

Doesn’t Rate Any Of Our Attackers
Trusted ⭐
I predict the club will buy Sander Berge, but hopefully not as the main CM signing. I think Elneny will stay and leave for free in summer '22, Arteta trusts him and I reckon they'll decide he gives more value on the pitch for a year than he would fetch in the market, cos he'd fetch very little in the market. Partey and Elneny will go to AFCON, I predict Willock will be sold and replaced in the squad by Azeez. So during AFCON you'd be very short in midfield. Then there's the possibility of Xhaka being sold.

Not saying Berge is the best option out there, I just think it makes sense and is realistic. He was coached by Stuivenberg at Genk, who i'm sure has recommended him to Arteta. Sheffield Utd need to sell, Heckingbottom admitted as much when he said he's not playing him till the end of the season to make sure he doesn't get injured before a sale. I also don't believe the 30-35m figures at all, I think he'd be much cheaper tbh. He hasn't exactly pulled up trees in Sheffield, they're relegated, they're probably hurting financially. I'd imagine 15-20m gets him. Just on paper it's a deal which makes a lot of sense.

But he's definitely not a Xhaka replacement/upgrade. If Xhaka stays, I see Berge as a Ceballos replacement, a good squad option, but Partey/Xhaka still the first choice pairing. If Xhaka is sold then I think a higher class replacement is needed. But I think Berge still comes simply cos we need the numbers, he offers great physicality, a great attitude, room to develop, a good lad etc.

So I predict next season's double pivot options in midfield will be Partey, Xhaka/or Xhaka replacement, Berge, Elneny, Azeez
 

dashsnow17

Doesn’t Rate Any Of Our Attackers
Trusted ⭐
Of course you wouldn't need to buy Berge if Arteta could just reconcile with Guendouzi and give him a chance, but that's not gonna happen, so it is what it is.
 

El Duderino

That's, like, your opinion, man.
Moderator
I predict the club will buy Sander Berge, but hopefully not as the main CM signing. I think Elneny will stay and leave for free in summer '22, Arteta trusts him and I reckon they'll decide he gives more value on the pitch for a year than he would fetch in the market, cos he'd fetch very little in the market. Partey and Elneny will go to AFCON, I predict Willock will be sold and replaced in the squad by Azeez. So during AFCON you'd be very short in midfield. Then there's the possibility of Xhaka being sold.

Not saying Berge is the best option out there, I just think it makes sense and is realistic. He was coached by Stuivenberg at Genk, who i'm sure has recommended him to Arteta. Sheffield Utd need to sell, Heckingbottom admitted as much when he said he's not playing him till the end of the season to make sure he doesn't get injured before a sale. I also don't believe the 30-35m figures at all, I think he'd be much cheaper tbh. He hasn't exactly pulled up trees in Sheffield, they're relegated, they're probably hurting financially. I'd imagine 15-20m gets him. Just on paper it's a deal which makes a lot of sense.

But he's definitely not a Xhaka replacement/upgrade. If Xhaka stays, I see Berge as a Ceballos replacement, a good squad option, but Partey/Xhaka still the first choice pairing. If Xhaka is sold then I think a higher class replacement is needed. But I think Berge still comes simply cos we need the numbers, he offers great physicality, a great attitude, room to develop, a good lad etc.

So I predict next season's double pivot options in midfield will be Partey, Xhaka/or Xhaka replacement, Berge, Elneny, Azeez

OK, Hairspray ;)
 

HaffBR

Designer of fancy pyramids
None of you really think Grealish is a realistic option right?

He is realistic, but for 60+ million or even 80+ and he is obv a great player (different to someone like Pepe for example), but bro you have two of the most promising young guys in your squad in Martinelli (as better position - Inside Forward on the LW) and ESR (can play in the LW like Grealish and can operate as the same type of wide playmaker too) and they just need minutes. (both of them had the better on-off numbers of Arsenal too)

Now, of course Grealish nowadays is playing at his very best is very probably a better player than both ESR and Martinelli, but he is a player like Hazard, but not quite at that level, I would say he is half of the player Hazard was and Hazard being a elite ball progressor, never was a good goal threat. I particularly fancy a Inside Forward in this position, someone who can be a good goal contributor since the CF can't be the only goal reference in the team.

Names involved:
Gabriel Martinelli | Macro-Football (Martinelli's deep number in attack and defense are good specially for his age, just his finishing isn't this season)

and you have the ones of Pepe, Nelson and Saka who can play there too.

Now take a looks in the RW position with Pepe and Saka acc Macro Football:


Their on-off stats too aren't any good acc Fbref, specially of Pepe. Chances are that they can be better considered for Arsenal fans just because they play more minutes.

To me and for the lack of good inside forwards in the RW position is that makes more sense Buendia than Grealish.

Buendia is a bit younger (24), is a reference for the Norwich (like Grealish is for Villa) and he is just entering his prime. He is good in defense and even more adapted in other position such RCM and CAM than Grealish, know the EPL level and is just as creative as Grealish, and a good ball carrier too.

Buendia just topped Sofascore ratings this season with 7.68 rating in the Championship that is probably a better rating than the ones of Grealish, Maddison, Matheus Pereira and other playmakers in this competition.... and this type of player seems to transfer 60-85% of their level into the EPL.

I mean looking at Buendia, you can get at the best a player in the same level of Grealish, who is younger, who can play in more positions, who is better defensively and is natural in the positions where I see Arsenal needs more (RW, RCM, CAM) and for around half of the price of Jack or even 35-45% of the price.
 
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