Arsene Wenger says that he and the club will be on alert 24 hours a day to strengthen the squad this summer, and that he’ll sleep with his phone because things can happen at any time of the day or night.
The Gunners have already made their first signing of the summer in the shape of Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac, and they’re very much on the case of Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe who was the subject of a €100m bid last week.
There’s a lot of work to do this summer, in terms of players coming in and those going out, and the Arsenal manager is expecting some sleepless nights it seems.
Speaking to the official site of Arsenal’s summer tour to Australia, he said, “Between now and the tour we will work every day to get the best possible environment around the team and to strengthen the team.
“That’s basically a lot of dark, invisible work. But that is demanded and that means never leave your seat without your phone, never go to bed without your phone, because anything can happen.
“We will basically be on alert 24 hours a day.”
The Gunners play Sydney FC on Thursday July 13th and then Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday the 15th.
Quite what the squad is going to look like at that point remains to be seen, but hopefully the big Bosnian is not the only addition. Wenger has already outlined how many players he wants to add to the squad this summer, so this should be the first of a couple more at least.
Well, the work will definitely be visible at the end of the window.
If we don’t sign anybody else, it might be invisible 🙂
and will it be invincible?
So basically we’ve got a month Wenger until he goes away with the squad to Australia. If he is serious about next season, it should be a very busy 4 weeks. But I have serious reservations as to whether anything will be different this window. I highly expect this Sanchez deal will roll on all summer, and we will be maybe two or three days away from the opening game and it will not be clear whether he is staying or going. I add Ozil to that as well. Really hoping to be proved wrong. But I am not counting… Read more »
Looking forward to see the daily news coming in.
Oh wait…
Sounds good, we haven’t really heard this sort of intent before as far as I can remember. Obviously last year we signed Xhaka early but never pushed on, so hopefully the same doesn’t happen with Kolasinac.. If we really think about what we need – another centre midfielder would be good, someone very Cazorla esque as we miss his dynamism / dribbling. Him and Wilshere would be fine but we can’t rely on their fitness. And basically just sign another Danny Welbeck, mobile striker, but one with a proven goal record. Mbappe would obviously be the dream but £120m is… Read more »
Perhaps Arda Turan fits that mould? It is a name that has been floated, and could be a Santi stop gap.
Seems like he just choked out a journalist, though..
Marco Varretti will do for me
Psg won’t sell.
If they did, he’d have bigger and better clubs after him.
Arsenal wouldn’t pay what he’s worth in this current market.
Keep dreaming.
In my head Arsenal are the best club in the world.
In my head Arsenal can win the World Cup.
We did in ’98
we also won it in 2014 tbh
Obviously
What about the Ox to replace Santi’s role in the middle?
He has the dribbling and the bustle. I know a lot of people would prefer a big name signing instead, but I’d love him to come good and become a nailed on starter this season.
Imo Ox doesnt control the tempo like Santi. His dribble and pace and power are better suited at RWB imo. He has a really good cross too
I agree. He’s one of few wide players in our squad that can dribble or just force himself to the touch line and make a cross
Xhaka can control the tempo.
Cesc would be a great replacement for Cazorla. I’d welcome him back in a heartbeat.
Wouldn’t mind resigning Cesc, I’d have to forget that he wore the blue of Chelsea and has hugged John Terry on occasion, but no, actually I can’t forget that. Why Cesc, Why?
If you were involved at any level in running any team/club/business and a player/worker went ‘On Strike’ to move away (break their contract) you wouldn’t re-sign/employ him ever again. It would sent the message to all your other players/workers that they can go elsewhere by going ‘on strike’ but they could come back if it went tits-up.
Cesc created the situation…
Barca played with the heart of a young boy, sold him off when he didn’t compare to Iniesta and Co., then lied to him incessantly for years to get him back. The man had an unfulfilled ambition, which is all very understandable. The El Deportivo style of going about it was still unforgivable. If we resigned Cesc, I’d be happy in a tactical sense, but I don’t think I could really get fully behind him. He was my hero and loudly touted my favorite footballer of all time (I was young, hush) and I felt like my gut was wrenched… Read more »
I was hoping some of the deals would be a bit more done by now tbh
I like the sound of that Wengalf the grey. Please use that dark magic phone conversation of yours to make The Unexpected Journey of Mbappe true
Seeing as Mbappe is touted as the ‘next Henry’, if he were to sign we would welcome, The return of the king.. i’ll get my coat
Phone by the bed you say?
Fellowship of the ring.
Looks more like E.T. with that arm. What happened, Wenger???
We still have to contend with the Two Towers (Bayern/Real).
And there was I, hoping for light at the end of the tunnel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uVDIe9lGKg
80 million for Bellerin,WIlshere and Chesny and 140 million M’bappe and Sidibe.
Also, extend Ozil and Alexis.
Prudent business?
We’d be nuts to sell Bellerin. 5+ years on contract. I’d take all the rest, though I very much doubt Sanchez will sign and we’d get mbappe. Delighted if we did though…
Sagna is available for free. I believe he’s got 2 more years in him as a back up RB/RCB. I love Hector and if he wants to stay then we should make an effort to keep him. But, Barca are going overboard with their DNA shit. Fair enough, we bought him for next to nothing and if they want him they should pay up.
We have Chambers coming back, Gabriel can play RB, Mustafi can play there and Ox can play RWB.
Yes the problem with selling Bellerin is that with Debuchy on his way and Jenks future also in doubt, Bellers is our only genuine Rb/RWB (not including OX) so we would actually be needing cover for Hector NOT getting rid of him. But the Barca thing is inevitable. Barca are furious we took these players from their academy and see it as their right to get them back.
I would be very surprised if M’bappe stays at Monaco. But, If the whole thing comes down to price then we have to stay in the fight to convince the player to choose us over Madrid. One scenario is we account for funds from potential sale of Bellerin to offset payments over and above of we set aside for M’bappe. We will have to either look for Holding like talent to fill the RB spot or get creative. Considering we switched to 5 at the back we have room to get creative at RB/RWB and find cheap alternatives. Ideally i… Read more »
Think we could try Chambers RWB if Ox were to get injured.
Not sold on that idea tbh. Doesn’t really have the pace required does he? Would prefer him as one of the 3 CB’s than RWB.
Well I doubt anyone good would come to compete with Ox and Ox will want guaranteed time. Chambers was looking good at RB at SFC despite lacking pace… could just be ordered to be more defensive for the time being.
Gabriel, holding, or Maitland niles would be better in the position than chambers- and all have more experience at rb than callum. Hopefully he can work with young rob at the u21 level to develop a partnership for years to come in our setup. If we’re serious about a back 3- I could see holding, chambers, and mustafi together for quite awhile.
Only Holding will be. AMN will be good in Rwb
AMN, maybe. The other two as wingbacks?!?? No way.
Nope
if M’Bappe stays in Monaco he’ll end up like Vardy n Mahrez, not that he will become a lousier player or anything, but key players in his team are all leaving. Bernardo left, Lema, Bakayoko will definitely leave. who’s he going to be playing with?
Barca can fuck off and die
Barca can go suck a nut.
I believe the very generous bid for Mbappe – which seems to actually having happened – is connected to a corresponding income when selling Sanchez (I really hate to see him go).
Am afraid the very generous bid for Mbappe – which seems to be true –
entails using money from a soon to be announced Sanchez sale.
And resign Ox, otherwise we could be short at right back
Re-sign or resign?
They have opposite meanings!
Why should we sell Bellerin???
Bellerin for Neymar straight swap… that would cushion the blow for me
Why stop when the tour starts?
Don’t you mean a couple more at *most*, blogs? He said he wants to ass a maximum of three players.
add* Ugh.
Of course I want more, would rather just expect less than be disappointed and hooked on the rumour mill though.
No getting away Kylian!
And what will Dick Law be doing?
Silly name that man has
And Anonymarse isn’t a silly name!
Saying he wants it sorted BEFORE the Austrian tour is a good thing, get the two players required to further strengthen and convince ox, ozil and Sanchez to stay!!
“..that means never leave your seat without your phone, never go to bed without your phone, because anything can happen.”
Which also entails not having time/energy to prepare the team for the season, so the first match is always lost.
That means it will be invisible because no one wants to come and join us now then, same story no new players or grab whoever is left at the end of the market.
If you were a Liverpool supporter, you’d be screaming, justifiably, about the genuine mess they have made with Van Dijk. Chelsea supporters will not be pleased by the fact that Diego Costa has effectively destroyed his market value to the club by publicising that Conte wants him out. Man United supporters, accustomed to buying anyone they want, will be angry that the club has wasted its time trying to land Griezmann. So far, and it’s very early, we have landed Kolasinac on a free and have not fucked anything up. (Also, in the immortal words of Blogs, WE WON THE… Read more »
Regarding a CM addition to this summer, should we be looking at a traditional defensive midfielder as an upgrade on Coquelin or a midfield playmaker (8)? With Ramsey and Xhaka beginning to forge a partnership and the constant statements regarding midfield being the position Ox will play… Yeah, Wenger has his work cut out.
Seeing how we supposedly bid for James R. I think maybe having a #8 next to Xhaka could work in our 3 4 2 1. Apparently Ancelotti used James as an 8 and thats when he was at his best? Kola James Xhaka Ox in the midfield 4 could be great
James?!? That guy is not an “8” (whatever that even means). And don’t believe everything you read in the papers. I’d be pretty surprised if we had bid for him.
Heard it all before
??? The transfer window has become a game and a tournament of it’s own. Perfectly refed/officiated by the media.
If you don’t catch the BIG FAT JUICY rat then you miss lunch..
Ivan… Don’t let kylan out of site”
Can’t wait to go for the games in Sydney!
Have got my tickets for both the games.. I am hoping Arsenal will sign some big name player before that..so that I could get to watch him first..playing for Arsenal..
I sincerely hope you have a wonderful time at the games. But be ready to watch a lot of playing time from the broader squad and players on their way out.
It will be the same old shit in the transfer market as usual Wenger won’t change and can’t wait for the two years to be over.
How many times can you post the same message we get it you think Wenger is useless at transfers.
I suspect he posts it because, like me, he reads a hundred dreamland messages about all the hype around transfer prospects. And he has see it all before, for the last 10 seasons. I HOPE all those messages are true and come to reality (Mbappe, Turan etc etc.) but i EXPECT the same old crap as the last 10 years. COYG.
May the force be with you
Italy and Uruguay are playing a friendly in Nice tonight, so Wenger might as well be there for talks with Belotti?
He’s home now
Blah blah yada yada yada heard at least 10 times before
I suspect a lot will also hinge on other clubs. They will also need to sell to add even if they are big spenders. On our part I think the warning has been shot across the bow that we intend to be competitive if rumoured Mbappe interest is to be believed. The same dark arts landed us Ozil but we missed out on Highs in bc Wenger had to wait till end of window fish the Ozil opportunity to come clear largely due to BALE and Spurs selling on to RM Even RM had to balance their books We didn’t… Read more »
What a load of bollocks. I called Arsene, but he didn’t answer so fuck it?
Could we at least have someone start a rumour that we are in the hunt for Van Dijk??? Would make me feel much better. Defense wins championships.
Thinking aloud, the implausible high price on Mbappe could also be reflective of a club that would prefer not to sell him at the moment and teams interested who want to keep him out of reach of each other by bidding the price upwards into the stratosphere.
If we can’t have him this summer than you can’t either. Its a game of bluff against a seller who also prices high to hold.