Another day, another media briefing from the upper echelons at the Emirates.
The Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson reports this afternoon that Arsenal are planning to open contract talks with a host of first team players who are out of contract in July 2019.
The hope is to avoid a repeat of this summer’s clusterf*ck which has seen Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain successfully force a move to Liverpool and Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez enter the final 11 months of their respective deals.
Talks are set to open with Aaron Ramsey, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck, Nacho Monreal and Theo Walcott, although, it remains to be seen whether they are receptive to new deals. Would you commit your future to the club at the moment?
By our reckoning, Chuba Akpom, Mathieu Debuchy, Joel Campbell and David Ospina also have 23 months left on their current. Speaking frankly, if they are offered new deals we’ll eat our laptops.
The squad is certainly going to need a fair bit of surgery before then though. In addition to the likely departures of Ozil and Sanchez and the sale of some of those players recently loaned out, Per Mertesacker will retire at the end of the current season while Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla could be released.
Right now, it’s quite hard imagining what our squad might look like in two years time, especially with that being the date our manager’s contract runs out.
Speaking of the manager, he’s called on the fans to get behind the squad when they return from the Interlull. The Gunners face Bournemouth on Saturday in a must-win game that could go some way to changing the current depressing narrative.
“People always make their mind up very quickly,” said Wenger. “And the players forget always very quickly how good you are. Much quicker than you think. We have to continue to believe in our strength and as well not to forget.
“To have a successful season we need our fans. And our fans can say. ‘OK we’re not good enough our squad is not good enough’, and think, ‘OK, we have no chance this year.’ That will not work.
“We want our fans to be behind us in this moment, as well. Even if we are very sorry for what we delivered. But to have a successful season we need to have that. And let’s not forget not one and a half months ago we won the community shield, we won the cup and in a very convincing way with the same players.”
Theo and Arsene will never leave.
What’s the odds that if offered Ramsey Theo and welbeck sign an extension. Though I like welbeck but all three are technically not good enough to start in a team that wants to win league. Could. Win a cup.
Bill Shankly once said a football team is like a piano. You need 8 men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing.
We have the three.
Is that Premier League winner Danny Welbeck?
Yep same Danny welbeck who started vast majority of games on bench.
Just for fact sake he won league in 2012/3 starting 13 games scoring one goal.
1 goal says it all
But I’m sure his work ethic and defensive attitude were outstanding.
For fact sake!
Kroenke is doing what he does best – https://amp.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/sep/04/arsenal-problems-stan-kroenke-premier-league-los-angeles-rams
Support Arsenal By not supporting it.
Don’t buy merchandise. Don’t go to the stadium.
Once Kroenke smells losses, hopefully he will sell.
The merchandise part definitely. I cancelled my Sky Sport subscription last year and BT sport last week.
Don’t spend at the stadium I say. Not going to the stadium seems too drastic in my opinion; the team needs the fans (an incompetent team even more).
Nothing like an empty stadium to put the fear of god in Stan.
Theo, Aaron & Danny need to be offloaded post haste. Mid table caliber at best. Mediocrity personified.
Can see Danny as a perfect left wingback for Southampton, Theo as a second striker for Swansea and Aaron as a midfielder for maybe Everton.
All this talks, media rethoric, etc are just Ivan’s effort to keep the gate receipt intact. All he cares is just financial bottom line. Glory is nowhere near his agenda
How about starting a contract talks with people who can really run a football club out there? And these people can start contract talks with Lemar, Mbappe, et al.
Come on, the Arsenal. I wish I believed that we had a chance.
I think if everybody believed we could we could (not saying would) but I don’t think that will happen.
Too much negativity really fucks things up.
Yes, if only we all wished really really hard maybe Santa will bring us a title challenge…
You think all the shit that has been flying around actually helps?
Doesn’t take much to set it off again either
No, it doesn’t…but saying things like ‘if everybody believed we could we could’ doesn’t either.
Why can’t people see that this sort of blind, ridiculous optimism is causing the toxic atmosphere between Gooners too ?
Amazes me…..
Because you and I know jack about the real Arsenal facts, training, injuries, performance, transfer negotiations, etc. we should shut up and do what we are supposed to do, as supporters, i.e. SUPPORT.
Trouble is, those who have never achieved jack in their own lives believe spouting loud rubbish about Arsenal makes them an expert, getting really angry when the real experts disagree with them.
It’s the same folk dreaming we can have a trade deal with Australia that replaces the 450m customers we have on our doorstep.
It is ignorance as bliss in its purest form.
Bit of support might help
‘It is ignorance as bliss in its purest form’…….you probably have no idea why I feel that statement sums up your own comment perfectly too..
You are right, most of us here haven’t played Top flight football, so maybe we shouldn’t voice any discontent.
But what do you say to pretty much EVERY professional footballer in the media, from all different teams and even a lot of our own legends who are often bias towards us. When they ALL start moaning so you think it might be time to start listening?
They’re paid by TV companies, part of their job is to follow the narrative and help whip up sensationalist headlines.
Without fury their is no media. Those experts, would be paid a lot more to manage. Even Gary is paid a fraction of a Championship manager. Thank god there is a market based on performance. Without clicks there is no Arseblog. I am just saying we should be humble enough to recognise when we know jack about something and not burst blood vessels, spouting off as though we’re experts. I don’t believe modern media allows rational debate or analysis. This place used to, but the last 24 months have been unpleasant. I only come every two weeks, when I used… Read more »
Absolutely David…
@David..you sum up the high level of impatience, negativity and often pedestrian comments about players from our fans. Going by their comments, they are worse than our performance at Liverpool.They are like the Liverpool game with Monreal in goal.
Many past players know about the training methods, tactics gets at arsenal and almost all that I’ve heard of lately think whats going on atvthe club is madness.
Also fans pay the money and have a right to an opinion. If you buy a crap tv that doesn’t work you take it back for a refund. With football you have to air your views in other ways.
Support Kroenke’$ profits?
THANKS BUT NO THANKS
We won a trophy last season. Can’t be all that shit.
It’s not blind or ridiculous, we have a lot of very good players but as a team we are under-performing.
Whether we can match the likes of Chelsea and United over a whole season is perhaps another matter but if we actually get our shit together we can be there or thereabouts.
I won’t be getting my hopes up …
Champion Team vs Team of Champions. If they dont click on the field, then it doesnt matter how good they are as individuals.
Nonsense so they should just be negative even though last years 5th was the worst finish we’ve had in 20 years! Maybe they’ll boo when we score or whistle our own players at the beginning is that what you’d be happy with? Why don’t you fuck off and moan somewhere else you’re worse than a Spurs fan.
@Anonymarse
Don’t you dare come round here talking sense, haha.
Couldn’t agree more, well said.
*Santi
For start perhaps santi can just bring our santi back
*santa can bring our santi back
Paul, I thought you had gone? I took my name back….bit of a pickle!?
Not this again 😉
I like Gibbs and I am keeping my name. I was the Original Paul after all. 😉
Please dont offer a new contract to Theo…
Agree with this, 140K for Walcott, same as Sanchez and Ozil, it’s ridiculous.
Theo is on £110k/week.
That doesn’t really make it any better.
Still too much.
I heard he makes 220K
Yeah for two week’s.
Or Ramsey, sell him, asap, please…
Looking forward to when Theo signs da ting at around 500k a week with a clause stating he must be able to play CB during the season
Poor old Theo. Hardly ever starts. Gets constant shit for our “fans”. Scores 19goals in 2/3rds of a season, and is still the one who gets all the criticism. Blame the players that play and don’t contribute. Theo bashing is pretty lazy stuff these days
Welbeck has no end product, basically an English Gervinho yet fans prefer him over their longest severing, 100 goal wide forward.
Exactly. It’s not Theo’s fault that he lacks many attributes to be an all round great footballer. It’s just feels like Theo was brought to the zoo to be a big fat elephant, when clearly he is an aging gazelle
Apologies, that might not make a great deal of sense?!?
Don’t apologise, it was beautiful.
A mystery, if you ask me. He does have end product for England, though.
Interesting he still gets picked for England. His speed and intelligent running means he still has something to offer.
He hasn’t been picked for any squads for England for a while now. So no, he doesn’t get picked for England anymore.
Funny that he scored in last England match.
An ‘English Gervinho’…. that’s the very epitome of being damned by faint praise. Or more to the point being called shite.
He scored 19 goals which ensured The Mrs got him a new toaster. And then went missing…. Realised after 10yrs at the club what he’d been doing wrong was not working hard enough. Only to forget that again by January. He lacks consistency in his consistency. He’s a piss poor footballer who should have been replaced years ago. And don’t give me the “he’s been loyal” nonsense. When he thought he had leverage he threatened to walk out on us, only to come to the conclusion we wouldn’t get an easier gig anywhere else. He’s the definition of just cruising,… Read more »
Excuse me, but it was a coffee maker he got from his missus. Toaster is up this season and a juicer the next. Probably once the breakfast is sorted they will move on to lunch and dinner.
I didn’t mean to “Theo bash” although I am fairly critical of him most of the time. Just wouldn’t surprise me if a player who at the moment is a squad player would be offered silly money to stay as most of our starters would most likely also leave if offered a chance.
Very well said sir. I wouldn’t be theo, s biggest fan but when u put it like that I have to agree wit u
He scored 10 in the league in 28 games. He can get in behind at pace and actually is a decent finisher, but he can’t really do much else. Surely Lucas Perez is an upgrade? I still cannot fathom the lack of game time. He is on far less wages and a better all round player. Why have we not gotten rid of Theo? It boggles the mind.
I suspect Lucas upset the manager off field. Maybe moaning all tiem at lack of game time, maybe he wasnt putting in at training, maybe he questioned the bosses tactics and training methods too much. Maybe Lucas is a prick and just rubs the boss the wrong way. We dont know. As far as playing ability goes, there was no reason to not play him based on ability. It has to be something behind the scenes.
I seem to remember the mood around the blog being “we must sign Theo to show we have any intent” with a side of “sign da ting” because of his negotiation style. But why spoil a good kicking, eh?
Don’t know if I can stomach any more Walcott dross
I said to someone just after the window closed that Arsenal were probably too busy working on a new contract for Theo. I was, of course taking the piss. IIRC he has not long signed a juicy new contract after a brief period of good form only to drop of the radar again.
When will this shithousery ever end????????
Bollocks!
My guess is Ramsey will be offered 5-6 year deal with a pay rise, Cech will be put on a 1 year deal with year’s option on the same pay, Welbz a 4 year with rise, Nacho a 2 year with the option of another year but same pay. (These are purely guesses, not what I think we should be offering) Ramsey will reject and attempt to see out his contract, but do see him possibly signing around April/May for something crazy like £250k a week (given Ox was offered 180k and has done far less than Ramsey, you would… Read more »
I forgot about Theo! Once “contacts have been established with the embassy”, we’ll offer him 4 years on a similar pay packet to his current contract, they’ll reject, there’ll be no suitors in the summer, he’ll enter the final year of his deal and play a blinding 3 months and sign on for £180k a week.
I don’t think Walcott is the major problem at this club.
Maybe not, he’s certainly one of them though
He’s a symptom of the malaise at the club. When he was renewed some years back, he brought negotiations down to the wire and forced £100k a week when it wasn’t justified by his performances and fitness. At the time, he still looked promising to fulfill potential. He should have been sold at the height of his value after signing the extension. He should be sold next year instead of extended if he’s not an indisputable first team player after a decade at the club. Henry granted him permission to wear 14 and he doesn’t even have half the goal… Read more »
I don’t disagree with you but can someone explain to me why Theo is a symptom of the malaise at the club while when he left most on here were eulogising Gibbs as a model pro during his time at arsenal ?? Bizarre.
i am tired of all this bullshit now…can we just have bournemouth match now.I want to see my arsenal play instead of being walloped by all this transfer and management issue talks.
Be careful what you wish for…Bournemouth is smarting off of their first three games too. We have better players but their players are better coached.
Afobe will drive the dagger in, Wilshere will pine for yesteryear
Great…so we’ll faff around when it comes to Sanchez & Ozil, but we’ll have our shit together when it comes to Walcott, Welbeck & Ramsey. It so should have been the other way around.
We made offers to both Ozil and Sanchez. Sometimes, two parties just can’t agree. With their ages, you can’t blame them for wanting a huge (last contract) pay day.
Then it was up to Wenger and management to get rid in plenty of time and buy for the future if they wouldn’t sign.
And most people would’ve still pissed and moaned if we had sold them….he can’t win. Sanchez, I would’ve quite happily seen sold at the beginning of the window. But to do what they did on the last day was an absolute joke. All this bullshit in the comments section and all these negative sensationalist headlines in the media is probably why Lamar didn’t want to sign. The club should’ve offered proper money for him at the beginning of the season, before the dodgy start to the season and before all the negativity started up again.
Eris, I agree that we made offers to both Ozil & Sanchez…But that’s completely different from having our shit together, which we haven’t done at any stage.
You also seem to believe that the only reason why they haven’t signed is purely financial. I genuinely believe this is not the case. Look at the Ox who turned down big money to stay, to move to a club where he felt he could grow & have better possibilities.
Sanchez turned down Bayern Munich offer. How do you justify that?
Haven’t we seen this movie before? The Arsenal dies in the end?
The arsenal don’t just die at the end of the film. They get hung,drawn and quartered in the middle of the town square whilst being pelted with rotten tomatoes as rabid dogs chew at the twitching carcass and it’s all filmed for prosperity and uploaded to aftv while Mr dt complains that they’re getting off easy
Players, managers and silverware come and go but the Arsenal never dies!
COYG
Money for nothing
Kicks for free?
PR?
If it was PR, at least remove Walcott from the list. He’s a mid-table team footballer.
That’s an insult to some of the players scrapping for point in the middle of the table.
Funny Walcott no one wants him at any other club would just say thanks mate had a million chances time you left. Won’t happen.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaawnnnnnnnnnn
Theo is not a bad player,his problem is lack of consistency and lack of good managerial,he plays how he wants,in the last season he scored nearly 20 goals in all the competitions and even against big teams like Liverpool,Chelsea and back to back against City,i would prefer him more than Welback
Stop talking and start supporting.
If we drop out of the Europa league?
We already know what the reaction will be.
Less games=less revenue.
No European football=poor commercials which will mean selling assets and trimming the squad, or not replacing talent that needs replacing that’s leaving for free.
Any players who are decent won’t want to be here.
And Walcott will again be a first team starter… even though he should have been shifted yrs ago.
This is Stan Kroenke’s Arsenal….
Welbeck and Theo?? Why?!?!! God this team is going to the dogs. Theo needs to be sold as soon as possible
This was obviously going to happen. We should be upgrading Walcott, Ramsey and Welbeck, but Arsene will fix them all up with five year contracts at 180k a week and we’ll never get rid of them. We lurch from one idiotic thing to another, I just wish Arsene and his useless favourites would all fuck off.
Would have liked them to buy a defensive midfielder and pushed Ramsey further forward
It would help if somebody ever kicked Ramseys arse and told him there’s no I in team, and to try being actually in the midfield now and again.,
@surrey, would have liked to have bought a D.M and pushed Ramsey out.
If Theo is offered a new contract i’ll smash something
Aside from Cech and possibly Ramsey, I don’t think any of the others are priority to extend. Monreal has been excellent for us but is getting on. This should be Welbeck’s last season if he fails to convince in front of goal. Pace can only get you that far. Theo we should have sold two summers ago and upgraded our wide options or at very least promoted Gnabry (we should have forced Ox hand then) All the wrong priorities if we over compensate with some of these players. But this is partially the problem because some of it is to… Read more »
That’s it Arsene, now you look to close the gate! Only problem is you’re not ruthless enough to make the tough decisions for the good of the team.
Good idea to start contract negotiations now. One problem. There is not a single player in that list who clearly derives and extension and plenty who clearly do not.
The best thing to come out of these last few days, is that we’ve now had comments from AW, Gazidis & several players showing they are aware of fans frustration. Have they actually heard or listened to these frustrations is a completely different question. But awareness is a start. Now’s the time for the club to lead the way. Up their game both on & off the pitch, & the fans will follow. Frustration shown by fans shows nothing but love for the club. It’s when we stop being vocal that I will accept the critism that is being directed… Read more »
What “stars” will be left after Ozil and Sanchez? Fucking Kroenke cunt hounds.
Yet again, predictable but lamentable anti-Theo comments. He was our second top goalscorer last season, 19 in 23 starts, including against Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Bayern but the kid can’t seem to catch a break on here after what was maybe his best season overall. The stick he gets from “fans” is truly baffling.
No it’s not.
We should have sold him years ago.
And our failure this season is all walcott faults from the reaction of our fans. This is a player that played only 30 minute so far this season. Imagine if he play against liverpool, nobody will see sanchez and welbec faults. The fault is always Walcott’s. His critics like Richie hate it when you point to his goals last season. No he scored 10 league goals. But Sanchez scored 30 goals. To me that is a lazy way of analysis. We just lifted the F.A, can we also say he contributed to most goals of the F.A.? Yes. The only… Read more »
Wenger should keep him rather than players that sulk and can not score
Fake news. Read the first two words -“Arsenal plan” – and knew it wasn’t true
Ozil, who some people don’t think much of, has scored Germany’s first and made another. Hope they take him off at half time.
Playing against Norway who they are beating 5-0 after 60 minutes, I’m sure he’ll bang them in against championship sides as well.
He got a fine assist in the previous game against the Czechs too. Not world class opposition, but that’s a pretty useful return from 2 games. Considering how the new English messiah Rashford played against minnows Malta, I can’t see anyone saying he is now officially rubbish because of that.
So hard not to make snide comments about every Arsenal news story at the moment. It’s disingenuous of Wenger to start intimating that the fans are in some way to blame for any of this. The negative atmosphere has not been caused by two defeats, but by years of failing to mount a proper title challenge, repeated spankings by our so called rivals and a raft of increasingly bizarre selection decisions (to scratch the surface) and he must be aware of that. Sadly, I don’t see the negativity disappearing until Wenger does. The best that will happen while he’s still… Read more »
Our transfer business, Sanchez reversal aside, does not bother me. The team selection and performance do, but we hear nothing about that, all this transfer talk is a smokescreen.
If this is true then how the fuck has this come out/been leaked? If they “plan” strategically then surely not everyone must know about it. Also, I just can’t read this shit anymore. Every interview, leaked memo etc. it’s all nonsense. It’s not really clickbait I know but it makes me really depressing if this is what Arsenal’s future is supposed to look like. Because these are not the players you build your team around. Cech = too old, Monreal getting on, Wellbeck+Theo = squad players. Make sure you tie Iwobi and Nelson down. Those are guys I can get… Read more »
Seriously, just p*ss right off you hairless twonk. Do you not get it? Coming out with this garbage when it’s too late gives them yet another go at laughing at us.
Dick.
Aaron Ramsey, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck, Nacho Monreal and Theo Walcott, should all just leave. Doubt any big club will want any of them
So you want to leave us with average error prone Ospina as our no 1 keeper. Cech is still a fine goalie but the great mystery is why we sold Szczesny.
The problem is that there is such a disparity in wages between top clubs and others, we probably couldn’t sell Danny or Theo (and maybe Ramsey) as its unlikely a top 4 English club would buy them.
Not sure extending their contracts (probably with a big wage boost) is a good idea. Could come unstuck if we ever want to replace/upgrade them.
Why would a top tier club want Ramsey, Theo or Danny? They’ve done nothing to warrant top tier status.
Mourinho wanted Ramsey at Manure last season. Fergie wanted him too. The fact that big clubs did not bid for players does not mean that they would not want them if they were available. Chamberlain was chased by Chelsea and Livepool because they are aware of his availability. Why was there not a big club that bid for Kolasinac? He became an arsenal player because he was available. Is mahrez and hazard not good enough for such clubs? They are good enough for them. Are they available? Partly yes, they want be transfered but their contracts will make their value… Read more »
If Cech is retiring at the end of this season, why did we sell Szczesny?
So we could buy Lemar, apparently.
What a shit show!
Is Arsene Wenger really espousing the community shield as some great achievement defining the “catalyst for change”?????
Ho-ly Shit*! It’s clear Arsenal FC has become nothing more than a business, Arsenal PLC, and football winning has become secondary.
Do not support the club financially. Do not spend your money on arsenal or watching them.
See a whole year with maybe 25-30,000 fans a game and TV ratings that are minimal….you will see “catalyst for change” in full effect.
Noooo! Theo?! Is he going to be taking a pay cut? Otherwise, we need to trim the fat. He and Welbeck are hardly “first team stars.” I’m not even sure they’re first team, probably definitely not. Welbeck has something to offer as a solid squad guy, but let’s not go overboard with his pay. Based on merit, he doesn’t deserve much of a raise, if any. WTF are these people who know so much more than I thinking?!
Next Summer is going to be just as bad as this one with Sanchez and Ozil leaving, our amazingly not having any money to spend on big transfers, somehow not being able to sell Debuchy yet again and keeping him on our books. loaning out Perez and Campbell rather than selling them and bringing in someone on a free transfer claiming that we did such great business.
I am beyond tired of Arsene calling out the fans. It’s not a quick reaction but a reaction to the long, slow inexorable decline that has been Gunners football over the last (insert number of years). A decline he has overseen. He’s a legend and I respect him so much but that respect is waning the more he carries on like this. He acts like he IS the club and that he’s bigger than the club all at the same time.
Uhhh…how does Debuchy have 23 months left on his deal?
So after a time of huge contract neglect with our biggest stars we “learn” from it when it comes to handling the more mediocre players in the squad (sorry Montreal. You’re actually still good quality)
“Talks are set to open with Aaron Ramsey, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck, Nacho Monreal and Theo Walcott, although, it remains to be seen whether they are receptive to new deals. Would you commit your future to the club at the moment?”
This strikes me somewhat as doomy guff. Even relatively shambolic Arsenal is better than ~99% of clubs in world football
Would love to see Theo start on the right, dude has goals and assists in him. And Iwobi should be able replace Ramsey in the middle.
Ozil, Sanchez, Bellerin, Mustafi, Ox all wanted to leave.
Probably many more also.
Sinking ship.
Arsene,Gazidinc,Kronke all of this people should think about the club & fans not just money or profit alone to enrich their purses. We need men not babies or mediocres in the team. Per retiring, Alexis & ozil going. The club should buy in real defensive midfielder in Williams Calvaho, wide men in Thomas Lemar & push both ozil & Ramzy up front,Van Dirk in Per replacement.Also Draxler to replace Wilshire & give the team balance.If not done let all faithful Arsenal fans boycott all matches nor purchase march tickets.Let the stadium be empty.When they are at lose they will rethink… Read more »
hahahahahahaha…….. :'(
Imagine this time next year or at end 2019 players who have left: Ospina, cech (retire?), jenkinson, debuchy, mustafi (maybe cos he was offered to inter this season?), per, kos (if his injury persists, or he plays a bit part role), gibbs, alexis, ozil, santi (surely by end of next year he’ll leave/ retire?), jack, perez, joel campbell, akpom. People are questioning the wuality of theo and welbz. I realize it would be easier to count who would still be left. 2019 arsene will likely retire (he’ll be 70?). We could really see an all-new arsenal then. I’d be really… Read more »
The players should all submit transfer requests in January en masse. Make a big show of it.
“People make their minds up very quickly” is he having a fucking laugh? No Arsene, it’s been fucking years of the same inept tactics, lack of fight, air of comfort & complacency & the bi-annual clusterfuck of a transfer window!