TromsoGooner
Obsessed With Looking for Eric
They are so out of their depth it`s almost funnyEdu and Arteta haven’t got a clue, do they?
They are so out of their depth it`s almost funnyEdu and Arteta haven’t got a clue, do they?
I don't have any confidence in this window at all, rapidly losing any faith that I had left with Arteta as well... But...
With ESR fit, they can afford for now to start the season without a new number 10. I've felt all along that Ødegaard was the top target and it might be that they feel there is a good chance of bringing him in still. No idea how likely that is, but I do think he's a good fit for Arsenal and the way we try to play football at the moment as well. Think he's got another level in him and is a leader as well. Really enjoyed seeing his passion in some of the matches, back end of last season.
Hope there's a Plan B though (and it's not Countinho or something like that).
I think Man City will start a lot of domino effects.
Pretty much in the same boat tbh. Bar Ben White, who I think is very talented (bit overpriced) the names don’t fill me with optimism.Ffs those names man.
Nope! Middle of July, no new first team players look close to joining and no current players look close to leaving..... So of course Edu's on another holiday .Edu and Arteta haven’t got a clue, do they?
Didn’t Madrid have their salary cap reduced? If they want new players Ødegaard could find himself cast out.
7 signings in 7 weeks
Yeah so that's 4 signings. And with Cedric, AMN and Chambers already on the books, RB will most likely be omitted.Two are already done to be fair with one other quite far along. I worry about the no.10 signing more than anything. It seems like they don’t have a clue who to target outside of Ødegaard.
Alexis Bernard is saying Arsenal are still interested in Camavinga.
Is it an EXCLU tho?
Those names look like an @OnlyOne wishlist
Arsenal transfers: Arteta needs another playmaker alongside Smith Rowe. White and Ramsdale could lead seven signings
Arsenal are targeting younger players as they overhaul their squad - and finding another No 10 is crucial to the team developing this seasontheathletic.com
By Amy Lawrence and James McNicholas 6h ago
For all the pursuit of targets and juggling of possibilities, it is clear that one piece of business closer to home is vital to Arsenal.
All the signs point to Emile Smith Rowe staying, signing a fresh contract, and relishing the chance to push on. After a wave-making Premier League debut season which made the club fall back in love with the joys of an inventive creator, Smith Rowe needs to be well paid and made to feel important. Arsenal know that and will act accordingly.
However, that doesn’t mean they can consider the case for that prime position closed.
The list of tasks for the rebuild Mikel Arteta wants is long, but it should be a priority to ensure the playmaker role is so well covered that Smith Rowe is not the only one able to carry that particular load. The absence of any such instincts in the first half of last season, during the dreary limbo period while Mesut Özil trained without an official squad number and before Smith Rowe or January loan signing Martin Ødegaard had emerged, was bleak. That can’t happen again.
The ability to ignite a creative spark is a fundamental area for improvement for a team that has to play catch-up in terms of chance creation and conversion. Statistically, Arsenal were underpowered in both categories last season.
Smith Rowe is likely to sign a new, improved contract (Photo: Getty Images)
Bringing in an alternative who is able to both play instead of Smith Rowe or dovetail with him in the spaces behind and wide of the centre-forward — the Ødegaard Role, if you will — is imperative. Right now it is a back-burner situation, as Edu has his hands full with a cluster of other positions, but Arsenal have to be very wary of that particular fire burning out. It is too crucial a role in the team.
So, working on the theory that they need to recruit someone in addition to retaining Smith Rowe, who might that be? Arteta holds Ødegaard, borrowed halfway through last season from Real Madrid, in high regard. Although the ball is not in their court, Arsenal want to be ready to pounce if Ødegaard finds himself on the market again. The Emirates’ door remains open for the Norwegian. Arsenal might wait until August to see if he gets game time at Madrid under their new/old manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Houssem Aouar was a serious prospect during the last summer window. Interest has subsequently cooled after some on and off-the-pitch reports in the first half of last season. There are those within the club who believe Aouar represents an affordable option because Ligue 1 teams are under increased financial pressure, but there is no longer a consensus on him. So far, Arsenal have not gone back to Lyon with a bid. It doesn’t look as if this position will be sorted imminently.
Elsewhere across the squad, considerable negotiation is ongoing.
The daunting list of positions Arsenal are actively chasing this summer includes the following: goalkeeper, a possible right-back (dependent on a respectable bid being received for Hector Bellerin), centre-back (the Ben White discussions roll on), left-back (Nuno Tavares has already signed), two central midfielders (Albert Sambi Lokonga’s unveiling is imminent and a more experienced partner for Thomas Partey is on the wish list), as well as that second playmaker.
That’s seven potential incomings, if Edu manages to make all the necessary arrangements.
Arsenal still hope to sign two of England’s Euro 2020 squad: White and Aaron Ramsdale. In the early stages of the tournament, none of the relevant parties considered the interest a distraction. However, as England advanced into the latter rounds, the desire from all parties to focus on the Euros put negotiations on ice. Brighton have fielded enquiries from other big clubs for White, but Arsenal’s interest remains the most aggressive and advanced.
Ramsdale is seen as a prospect to fill the gap between two goalkeepers at opposite ends of the experience scale, Bernd Leno and Arthur Okonkwo. Arsenal want someone able to provide immediate cover but also potentially be their No 1 in the future. They had positive reports on Ramsdale’s character and ability from the England camp. Relegated Sheffield United’s asking price is a stumbling block as the Blades seek a fee comfortable in excess of the £18 million they paid Bournemouth for him last summer. Arsenal’s latest offer has been rejected but they maintain an interest and will pursue this again.
Two goalkeepers could leave: Alex Runarsson is available for transfer, and young Estonia international Karl Hein is the subject of interest from Brighton, who need a replacement for the departed Mat Ryan.
In the cases of White and Ramsdale, and indeed all their transfers, Arsenal hope to make use of add-ons to mitigate immediate cost. Some of these are contingent on achievements such as Champions League qualification. Essentially, if Arsenal recover their former financial situation, they are more comfortable paying premium prices.
In central midfield, Lokonga’s arrival, rather like Tavares at left-back, is indicative of a push to sign a different profile of player — ones with age and potential on their side. The days of signing from the apparent bargain bucket of veterans look to be numbered. Don’t expect too many more transfers of the Willian/Cedric Soares variety, unless the circumstances are either particularly desperate or an opportunity arises that is almost too good to be true.
Look at the ages of the players on Arsenal’s summer hit-list: Tavares (21), Lokonga (21), White (23), Ramsdale (23) and Ødegaard (22). Among the two central midfielders Arsenal have an eye on, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves is 24 and Manuel Locatelli 23. All of them have some know-how, but also in their profile is a hunger to improve and many seasons in front of them to work towards a peak.
Locatelli is the one Arsenal would be prepared to push the boat out for, even though they know the Sassuolo and Italy midfielder feels like a long shot. He is available but Juventus, his preferred choice, hold the trump card. That central midfield berth next to Partey is dependent on the expected departure of Granit Xhaka. So far, none of the suitors for him or Bellerin have come close to Arsenal’s asking prices.
At the same time as working on their incomings, Arsenal have many knots to untangle when it comes to outgoings. Even before any new arrivals, a bloated squad needs reducing.
While a number of players are obviously for sale, there are still decisions to be made on numerous others, in particular the young Hale End graduates. Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are all currently unsure who they will play for in the coming season and whether any move might be a loan or sale. Even though it is clear Arsenal need to raise some funds for purchases, loan fees in some cases might be regarded as better value than selling in a depressed market.
Balancing their books and their squad is not an enviable task in the weeks ahead.