• ! ! ! IMPORTANT MESSAGE ! ! !

    Discussions about police investigations

    In light of recent developments about a player from Premier League being arrested and until there is an official announcement, ALL users should refrain from discussing or speculating about situations around personal off-pitch matters related to any Arsenal player. This is to protect you and the forum.

    Users who disregard this reminder will be issued warnings and their posts will get deleted from public.

Arteta and Edu(ardo Hagn)'s Transfer Targets: January 2021

Will We Sign The Attacking Midfielder We Need?


  • Total voters
    95
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.

MikelHadADream

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
Going to cost more to replace him than what we could possibly lose if he left 12 months later with only 12 months on his contract.

In any case their is no suggestion that Xhaka would demand a transfer if he was demoted to the bench. Bar the issues he has had with the fans and occasional brain explosion, there is nothing to suggest he isn't professional and wouldn't back himself to keep his spot.

By all accounts he is a model professional in fact. I dont think anyone that has worked with him as had a bad thing to say about him.
 

HairSprayGooners

My brother posted it ⏩

Not surprised.

Can play anywhere across the front 3, homegrown, ridiculously talented, scores, creates...

With all things considered it isn't that unrealistic. Auba has 2 years left, Lacazette will be gone this summer or next, Pepe will likely be sold, don't think Arteta rates him at all. Guendouzi will be sold, Torreira will be sold, Chambers will probably be sold. Özil, Sokratis, Luiz, Mustafi and Kolasinac wages all off the wage bill in the summer. Reiss Nelson potentially used as makeweight, Nketiah I also expect to be sold with a year left on his deal.

Grealish would cost £70-90M but for sure we can do it. If it doesn't happen this summer it'll never happen.
 

Dutch D

Well-Known Member & FPL Champion 19/20
Doesn't work was probably the wrong way of describing it but if puts a lot more limitations on both players game.

Think you will find he only has one or two goal contributions when he and Tierney share the same side of the pitch.
Yeah I checked our performances this season and there were few contributions, but like I said I think that's mostly the result of general misery than genuine incompatibility between the two.

I think the limitation mostly comes from the fact that our right side lacks quality, so I agree that when all our quality comes from the left it's easier to shut down. That being said, if Ødegaard plays RW that issue is solved.

I do highly rate Saka from the right, but I think long term it makes more sense to play him LW.
Also should revise that last statement by stating that Saka showed more potential from the right in u18/23. The majority of his games he played on the left due to Amachei but he had some brilliant passages of play when he was on the right.
Based on his play in the senior team I can definitely imagine this.
 

HairSprayGooners

My brother posted it ⏩
  • Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi. All on loan will be sold.
  • Laca, Nketiah, Elneny and Chambers one year left. Likely to be sold.
  • Özil, Sokratis, Mustafi, Luiz. All Gone or going with under a year left on their current deals.
  • Pepe, AMN, Nelson all out of favour. A fair bit of money there in potential sales.

In the summer we really only need Bissouma and Grealish. Its a lot of money on paper, probably £110M. But its completely doable.
 

dashsnow17

Doesn’t Rate Any Of Our Attackers
Trusted ⭐
Why not? Why forego €5-7m in transfer fees, a non-HG spot, and saving 50k in weekly wages when Willock can do everything Elneny can do and has a potential upside.

I'd rather risk going into the season with Willock, still a prospect, as a back-up than have fake 'security' in Elneny.

Given our huge financial losses this season and last, we can probably not afford a big net spend in the summer. Xhaka is a sellable asset. I'd rather use him to fund an actually good midfield partner for Partey and rely on Azeez as a back-up. I mean everyone here is clamoring for an 18 yo Gravenberch to come in for 20-30m, but why not try our own most highly rated 18yo CM as a backup? Gravenberch had little to no experience before this season and he's been bossing it from the start because of his technical ability. Give Azeez a chance. Grass is always greener with talents at different clubs.

Also, don't forget if we buy a creative midfielder, we can always move to a 3 man midfield with an anchor and two more creative options in case of injuries. For instance:

Partey/new signing
Ødegaard - ESR​

In no way do I rate Elneny, he's a nothing footballer and it's a miracle that he's survived at this club for so long. But in no way can Willock do what Elneny does. I'm not even sure I consider Willock a senior footballer, I don't even know what position he plays. I'd be surprised if long-term he makes it as a PL footballer, he could be Championship level tbh, whereas Elneny is firmly Crystal Palace level.

Like you say you'd rather Willock than Elneny but at some point you'd have to play away in Bulgaria or somewhere in October and you'd realise that Willock cannot be the midfielder you start with. And like, the possible transfer fee for Elneny is so small that it's barely worth it. You'd struggle to get 5m for him. Just keep him, use him as a body in cup games when you want to give the good players a rest and then he leaves on a free the next summer.

Remember we need a Lacazette replacement, that's gonna cost money. They might even wanna buy a right-footed CB. We can't spend all summer buying CMs.

Agree on Azeez though. ESR is our breakthrough this season, think it'll be Azeez next season.
 

A_G

Rice Rice Baby 🎼🎵
Moderator
Why are Willian and Luiz against Arteta? He is playing them when I can't see any other manager at top club playing them in the current form. They are also on massive wages with zero pressure.
Luiz was in the same position with Emery but still turned on him. And with Conte who signed him at Chelsea.
 

Goonger

Well-Known Member
Xhaka is fine as a squad player, people's hatred of his personally clouds their view of what actually happens on the pitch.

If we got Bissouma for example, Partey/Bissouma/Xhaka/ElNeny would be an strong set of central midfielders.

We'd have a problem when AFCON comes round in January though, as 3 of them will be away.

Because of that, I'd look to sell Elneny & Willock this summer & try & get someone like Berge. That means when Partey & Bissouma leave for AFCON wed still have Xhaka & Berge as as replacements, with Azeez coming through.
 

MikelHadADream

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
We'd have a problem when AFCON comes round in January though, as 3 of them will be away.

Because of that, I'd look to sell Elneny & Willock this summer & try & get someone like Berge. That means when Partey & Bissouma leave for AFCON wed still have Xhaka & Berge as as replacements, with Azeez coming through.

True, good point. I mean in an ideal world that would be great, just dont think we will be able to overhaul the midfield to that extent in one window.
 

SingmeasongSong

Right Sometimes
Please, we are almost all prone to fall for pipe dreams again and again, but Grealish is just so off the charts. We shot our load on Pepe and missed.

Rather Grealish than Sancho even.
Would have a Sanchez'esque impact.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Arsenal Quotes

Religiously, it is said that God created man. I am only a guide. I allow others to express what they have in them. I have not created anything. I am a facilitator of what is beautiful in man.

Arsène Wenger
Top Bottom