Edu's Transfer Targets: Summer Holidays 2021

[say yes]

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Gabriel Menino​

Club: Palmeiras
Age: 20

One of the regions in which Arsenal may have a competitive advantage over some of their rivals is South America. Technical director Edu knows the market well, and since 2019, Arsenal have moved to sign Gabriel Martinelli and Pablo Mari from Brazilian clubs.

Gabriel Menino has enjoyed a rapid rise to the top. He made his professional debut in a 4-0 win over Martinelli’s former team, Ituano, in January 2020. Since then he has triumphed in a Copa Libertadores final and received his first call-up to the Brazilian national squad. He doesn’t even turn 21 until September.

Much of Menino’s football has been played in holding midfield, but he is equally adept at full-back. He is an extremely versatile player, and profiles more like a winger when operating at full-back. A lack of defensive intensity suggests he’s not especially quick to work back when he is caught upfield.

He retains possession moderately well and his intelligent movement enables him to receive the ball in threatening areas. A rating of 94/99 for xG from shot creation is the pick of the bunch.
He is a decent tackler (66/99), and the strongest dribbler among this selection (83/99). At 20, he is certainly an attractive prospect — but it remains to be seen how he might adapt to the demands of European football.

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Max Aarons​

Club: Norwich
Age: 21

Norwich full-back Max Aarons jumps out of the data set as a good match for Bellerin’s profile.

Playing in the Championship, he has been liberated from a lot of defensive responsibility. He is comfortable dribbling with the ball and linking play on the right-hand side with Emi Buendia ahead of him. Given Arsenal’s long-standing interest in the Argentinian, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they could seek to reunite Norwich’s right side in north London.

Aarons has just one goal and no assists this season — a slight surprise given his solid ball progression and shot creation figures. He’s a decent tackler (58/99) but struggles in the air (3/99). This was one of the reasons Arsenal previously chose not to target Aarons — they feel he lacks height and an ability to play long crossfield passes./quote]

 

[dashsnow17]

@American_Gooner how very dare you

 

[Rex Stone]

@say yes

Backs up a lot of the eye test with Aarons. Looks great flying forwards with the ball but there’s little end product over his career apart from one season.

He gets bullied in the air a lot if the opposing teams hit long balls to the right flank. Also compared to Bogle and Roberts he’s a really poor tackler.

Gets shrugged off way too easily.

 

[say yes]

@say yes

Backs up a lot of the eye test with Aarons. Looks great flying forwards with the ball but there’s little end product over his career apart from one season.

He gets bullied in the air a lot if the opposing teams hit long balls to the right flank. Also compared to Bogle and Roberts he’s a really poor tackler.

Gets shrugged off way too easily.

Yeah, his profile doesn't jump out.

To be honest, I'm really not sure Bellerin is as much of a problem as is often made out. He's not spectacular, but is a solid, well-rounded player at this level. I can understand us selling him if he wants a new opportunity given the contract situation, but tbh I'm hardly enthused by many of the names mentioned as his replacement.

The only guy in that article who looks like they'd be a clear upgrade on Hector is Mukiele, who is presumably unobtainable. Dumfries looks good too, but you never know with players from the Eredivisie. Lamptey, Merino and Aarons all look like intriguing talents, but none is a sure-fire success.

 

[Rex Stone]

Yeah, his profile doesn't jump out.

To be honest, I'm really not sure Bellerin is as much of a problem as is often made out. He's not spectacular, but is a solid, well-rounded player at this level. I can understand us selling him if he wants a new opportunity given the contract situation, but tbh I'm hardly enthused by many of the names mentioned as his replacement.

The only guy in that article who looks like they'd be a clear upgrade on Hector is Mukiele, who is presumably unobtainable. Dumfries looks good too, but you never know with players from the Eredivisie. Lamptey, Merino and Aarons all look like intriguing talents, but none is a sure-fire success.

Yeah unless we end up going big for Hakimi or something these names aren’t moving the needle I reckon.

I’d take Bogle or Roberts because they’re going to be cheap and even if they’re not first choice there’ll be plenty of games for them.

 

[Dutch D]

Is Dumfries good? @razörist @Camron @Dutch D

Nope. Poor on the ball and a little braindead. Very good physical qualities, though, so defensively quite good. Not at all who we should be looking for. I'd much rather Mazraoui, who can hold his own defensively and is very good on the ball (used to be a C(A)M in the Ajax youth ranks, so he can dribble, pass and shoot).

 

[dashsnow17]

Yeah, his profile doesn't jump out.

To be honest, I'm really not sure Bellerin is as much of a problem as is often made out. He's not spectacular, but is a solid, well-rounded player at this level. I can understand us selling him if he wants a new opportunity given the contract situation, but tbh I'm hardly enthused by many of the names mentioned as his replacement.

The only guy in that article who looks like they'd be a clear upgrade on Hector is Mukiele, who is presumably unobtainable. Dumfries looks good too, but you never know with players from the Eredivisie. Lamptey, Merino and Aarons all look like intriguing talents, but none is a sure-fire success.

Yh Mukiele looks a definite upgrade, mainly cos of the defensive stuff and his better athleticism. I was kinda surprised by how good Bellerin's radar was though. If you saw those stats for a 25 year old fullback at another club you'd be looking at them as a target. Maybe Bellerin's just one of those players that often fails the eye test but isn't as bad as he looks.

 

[dashsnow17]

That Gabriel Menino guy looks pretty interesting though, could maybe do the Cancelo inverted fullback/playmaker thing, or the Kimmich RB/DM thing. Looks very skilful on the ball and he seems to be a possible Dani Alves successor in Tite's team. He might have to improve his defensive intensity though, 0 is taking the p*ss a bit.

 

[Dutch D]

I think the carry & dribble volume & progressive passing stats reflect what we see in the eyetest. He gets in dangerous positions and contributes to our attack, but he doesn't contribute to the build-up because he needs too much time and too many touches to control the ball, which results in lost time/space to get the ball forward. How many times do we see him fumble his first touch only to be forced to pass backwards to Luiz/Holding, instead of having an open posture that allows him to turn forwards and pass in the channel or to a CM.

 

[dashsnow17]

Could pick up Gabriel Menino and Gabriel Veron from Palmeiras while we're at it, set up a Brazilian barbershop quartet along with Martinelli and Magalhaes. Call it 'The Gabriels'.

 

[razörist]

Is Dumfries good? @razörist @Camron @Dutch D

trash. Stay away. Looks imposing, technically horrible.

 

[Gooner416]

Ødegaard/Aouar/Sabitzer
Aarons/Mazraoui/Lamptey
Soumare/Locatelli/Bissouma
Edouard/Daka

Redspray London

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Good RB to be fair won't be surprised if 50% of English PL players are Arsenal fans

 

[Red London]

Redspray London

Dw I'm not saying we will get all just my selections for each position we need

 

[Red London]

Good RB to be fair won't be surprised if 50% of English PL players are Arsenal fans

We never sign Arsenal fans. Ziyech and Neto some recent ones we missed out on.

 

[A_G]

We never sign Arsenal fans. Ziyech and Neto some recent ones we missed out on.

Runarsson literally exists.

 

[TromsoGooner]

We never sign Arsenal fans. Ziyech and Neto some recent ones we missed out on.

We never sign Arsenal fans. Ziyech and Neto some recent ones we missed out on.

We signed Saliba, shame Edu and Arteta made sure he probably hates the club now

 

[DanDare]

Think it'll be an interesting summer. Reckon PL clubs will feel emboldened given how well vaccine rollout is going and potentially will have fans for last game of the season.

 

[Jack_The_Lad]

We never sign Arsenal fans. Ziyech and Neto some recent ones we missed out on.

Carl Jenkinson

 

[Red London]

Carl Jenkinson

True. Would be fun if it was one of our best players were though, hopefully Saliba works out here.