Arsenal have two medicals taking place today as they look to complete the signings of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.
The Uruguayan international travelled from Russia to London over the week after his nation’s participation in the World Cup finished with defeat to France. The deal with Sampdoria has been struck, the Gunners will pay the Italian side around €30m in three installments to secure the services of the 22 year old.
Two medicals taking place at Arsenal today – 22-year-old Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria and 19-year-old France Under-20 midfielder Matteo Guendouzi from Lorient. Torreira key signing for immediate term, Guendouzi high-potential prospect for future #AFC #URU #FRA
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) July 9, 2018
He’s expected to become a key part of Unai Emery’s plans for the upcoming season, bringing qualities to our midfield that have been missing for some time.
The surprise move for Guendouzi, a 19 year old central midfielder, came after Arsenal were unable to sign Yacin Adli from PSG. The club have clearly identified a need for a young, promising player in that position, and Guendouzi appears to be that man.
It will likely mean a departure on loan for Joe Willock who needs regular football to continue his development.
We’ll have news and analysis of the signings here and on arseblog.com.
Great stuff. Will be really interesting to see how good Xhaka can be when we (presumably) stop asking him to do stuff he simply can’t do.
Really interesting season ahead #COYG
I understand the Xhaka isn’t a dm arguement, but that doesn’t excuse a lacl of defensive awareness. If you’re a modern central midfielder you have to be at least defensively aware, tracking runs and keeping pressure on your opponent when they’re in your defensive 3rd.
He’s good at what he does as a dlp, but he needs to improve his dribbling and defensive awareness, then he will be top class instead of class/good
I really like Xhaka, he’s lacking in concentration but I think he’s the type of player who’ll do really well being micromanaged rather than being left to work things out for himself.
Our midfield has only functioned properly in recent years with Cazorla pulling the strings, can’t wait to see what Emery has planned? As there does seem to be an actual plan
True, hopefully emery can improve him as there is a top player inside there. It’s just even for Switzerland in the wc there were instances in which he switched off. It’s a clear weakness of his he needs to work on and which teams will try to exploit, whether he plays with a natural dm or not. We’ve seen how important it can be in the wc to be well organised and defend as a team as inevitably as the 4th best team in the league there will be times (against city especially) where we will have to defend well.… Read more »
Pogba, Kroos, Cesc, Lampard, Ramsey, Pirlo, Scholes, Alonso and Xavi to name but a few, were are CM’s and weren’t the best at fulfilling defencive requirements.
I hope you’re talking about some Alonso other than the Alonso who played defensive midfield and won the world cup, European Championship, Champions League and every league/cup competition bar the EPL in three different countries?
The Alonso who won the World Cup, as I recall, was playing next to Busquets in a double pivot. Had some decent defensive midfielders alongside him in Munich as well. Great player, but Gunnertron’s point is pretty much correct.
For Gunnertron’s point to be pretty much correct, Xhaka’s defensive flaws have to be outweighed by world-class performances. The players mentioned – Alonso, Fabregas, Scholes, Xavi – these guys are elite in that CM position. World Cup and CL winners. Has Xhaka delivered at those levels over his two years at the club? In isolation, yes. Big games against City and Chelsea in the FA Cup, the performance and golazo against Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid at home come to mind. But over the course of a 38-game season? We just haven’t seen it yet, especially away from home. Torreira might… Read more »
Xhaka isn’t good at anything though.
Overthetop McOverthetopface
Emery has done the most basic of things well. Find the areas with problems fix them. Thats what anyone with an ounce of sense in him would have done. With Mr. Bean still incharge the club would have signed another Man U reject who would have been the only signing and gone into the season saying yeah its all fixed. Great decision to sack him (well I know he technically resigned, but come on we all know thats not true). No more untouchable managers at Arsenal. I like Emery and his signings and new approach, but if he fails to… Read more »
Jesus wept……..
yup, same Alonso- although he played deep he played in more of an Arteta/Santi role than a Kante or Busquets.
How on earth did we manage to keep the price down to €30m with today’s crazy market?
If you believe what you read, I think his release clause is somewhere in the region of £/Eur26m but we are paying £/Eur30m in order to pay it in instalments. Either way, seems to be a great price for what looks like a quality player.
Think his release clause was so low because Sampdoria bought him from Pescara (Verratti’s old club) for less than 2 million euros. He was a proper gamble. Doubt they expected he’d reach this level and play in a World Cup at 22.
Shhhh. Liverpool’s scouts are lurking.
30 over 3 years is peanuts really.
Biased I know but torreria is the standout player of the WC so far. If you exclude players who are known greats.
Lol this has to be the most over -exxagerated comment in here.
Golovin
Lozano
Maguire
Nandez.
Agreed! I think there are lot of overoptimism here connected to Torreira. He seems to me a very good lad – hard-working, humble, quite intelligent but to be an outstanding player at Sampdoria and being able to be among the best DM’s in th EPL are 2 different things.
I hope I will be wrong, but I would have preferred a move for Ndidi instead. He is younger, stronger and already proved his abilities in the PL.
So you’d pick all these over Lucas ? Did you see his games? OMG!! This is so wrong a comment
How about: Pavard, Pickford, the Russian keeper, and Mina. The real point is that Torreira was very good in a few matches that are completely untypical of normal league play. (By the way, I thought Joel Campbell was man of the match in the one game he started, and he certainly was brilliant four years ago.) I have high hopes for Torreira, but loading him with expectations (Mustafi, Kolasinac, and Xhaka after their first matches) can’t be helpful.
How is it that you can name all those players and Akinfeev is reduced to “the Russian keeper”!?
He’s been very good for a very long time now and was heavily linked with us and United about a decade ago!
If any club buys Akinfeev on the basis of that one shootout I have a bridge for them to consider as well.
Unbelievably active transfer window!
Good to get it done early, so the players can bed in, rather than have to wait until the last ay of the transfer window. We should have had the personnel in place to achieve this years ago.
I am really excited about how we’ve gone about our transfer dealings this window. Precise and straight to the point and no dilly dallying like we used to. I’m much more excited about the signing of Torreira. Watched him closely during the world cup and was super impressed with how he played. He will help us in protecting the backline and stop all those silly counter attacks we have been susceptible to over the years #welcometorreira
Sort of feels a bit like the Gilberto signing, under the radar but some serious quality – I hadn’t heard of him before we were linked, and he had a very good WC. Exciting.
What a refreshing transfer window this has been so far! So excited to see us back in action. With plenty of Thursday games for the junior and extra-senior squad members and chances for them to play their way into Emery’s plans, there is lots to play for. Also I like the physicality of Guendouzi. Him and AMN have good height and will fill out their frames over the nect couple of years giving us more power in the centre.
The first time we see Torreira, Guendouzi and Maitland-Niles line up together in a midfield 3 we might be watching the future of Arsenal’s midfield.
Might want to add The Jeff’s name to that list. A technical wizard and looks to have worked on his physicality over the break.
Good call. Le Jeff still has massive potential if he overcomes his injury worries.
A couple of months ago he posted some highlights from his loan spell in France, it’s worth a watch (https://twitter.com/jreineadelaide/status/976918658399301632).
Disappointing. Judging by the pic i thought we were signing my old friend Mr. McGreg.
https://www.express.co.uk/videos/545793/Matteo-Guendouzi-shows-off-his-impressive-skills he looks good, so long as he does this all the 90 minutes.
Very pleased with this one
The defence is now looking very strong on paper. Now it will be upto emery to organize the defence collectively strong and have a good understanding of what measures to take at what situation. Without collective effort it will again fail to manc or liverpool. But we also need some genuine wingers who are gamechangers and likes to score from outside the box.. Then the team will very well be competing for becoming champion.
Strange times at Arsenal
It’s great to get the work done early, but looking at the squad I’m wondering how our homegrown quota will look. Especially with departures expected
Of the 21+ year olds in the squad, Bellerin, Holding, Chambers, Ramsey, Iwobi, Welbeck, Macey, Jenkinson, Bramall will fill the 8 players quota assuming none are sold. (My guess is Jenkins + Bramall will be)
Probably our best signings this window. Guendouzi means Nzonzi isn’t happening. Would be surprised if we still sign Nzonzi.
So its Leno, Sokratis, Lichtsteiner, Torreira and Guendouzi. Not good enough to challenge for the title, good enough to push for the top 4. Still think the europa league is our best way back into the UCL.
Why not both? Top 4 and Europa league
This is how you get your business done: quickly, cleanly and efficiently. This reminds me of the David Dein days when Wenger was told: “Shut up and let me handle this!”
I haven’t been this excited before the start of a new season in ages!
Good points. Interested if the downvoting is habit as I can’t criticise anything you’ve said.
Trolls usually get downvoted Pedant
Habit. When someone as nice as Fats is actually trying to be nice – it all seems hollow and false.
Perhaps encourage him not to talk sh*t by being positive when he talks sense (and isn’t trolling)?
Make him crave upvotes rather than downvotes?
I just tell it as it is. I’m not too bothered by up-votes or down-votes.
I’m always right.
Always right? You prove you aren’t by that one phrase.
And it wouldn’t be hard to find plenty of times you weren’t.
Could be because, even when he says something positive, he needs to get in a dig at Wenger. (I always thought, by the way, that Dein and Wenger were great friends who collaborated closely, including on transfers; but that wouldn’t fit his story.)
Could be because he insists on including an attack on Wenger no matter what he is talking about. (By the way, my understanding is that Dein and Wenger were close friends who worked together closely on everything, including transfer policy.)
How does Fats know what Dein told AW?
As much as I love the work we are putting in I would prefer a young winger to a young cm.
We have amn as our cm youth prospect, Eddie as cf, Chambers n holding at the back.
IMHO Nelson is our best wide prospect… But he is hardly setting the world alight.
If you consider the likes of lozano or mbappe, who are both still teens.
Regardless, we should be hard to break down next season and deadlier up front!
If you start comparing to Mbappe, you will always be disappointed.
Great stuff. IMO, our players are capable of delivering a lot more than they have in the past. Most of the points dropped last season were “school boy” errors and I believe with Emery’s analytical approach of games and players, we have every cause to dream this coming season. COYG
I agree with this. We already have world class players. Just need the rest of the team to perform as a unit and we could be in with a shout. I think excellent transfers to address this possibility without breaking our model in pieces.
Would have loved every signing to be a mega signing but lets get real for a minute and appreciate that whats been done is a cohesive and tidy approach to giving us the best chance next season.
Who are you and what have you done with my Arsenal?
No wishing for a last minute signing to fill a huge hole in our squad?
So excited about the way Arsenal conducted their transfers this season. Looking forward to the new football season.
A mediocre window. 1) Leno – OK signing. Could get better but not the best or worst out there. 2) Lichsteiner – Don’t understand this one. Not an area we have an issue in depth with AMN capable of being deployed to his right (natural side). OK for a free and decent back up but as mentioned not that necessary 3) Papstsellby date – Underwhelming stop gap at best for Koscielny. Not a great defender, looks fat and slow and old. Another ex-Dortmund gem. from Mslintat. Lazy signing. 4) Torreiro – Decent signing. Not the best out there but in… Read more »
I dont think you should be pointing fingers at simple minds.
What’s that old saying about having three fingers pointing back at you for every one pointing at someone else?
With fans like you, eh?
Santori: Completely misses the point of Arsenal’s summer plans: get in some players to reinforce weak areas (Leno, Lich, Papa, Torreira), and get in a few players for the future (Leno, Torreira, Guendouzi), with the chief purpose of giving Emery a season to discover what this squad is capable of before spending money on big prizes. We have recently signed in January a player that will tear the PL apart this year in Aubameyang. Torreira is a gem, and though I don’t know yet how Emery will line this team up, I have a feeling he’s going to be a… Read more »
cant argue with that, think you summed it up just right, and to think some fans are excited by the signings
Perez could play like creative wide player behind striker.
He create more chance than Messi this saison in liga !
http://www.squawka.com/en/news/only-lionel-messi-created-more-chances-in-laliga-than-arsenal-loanee-lucas-perez-this-season/1036373
Santori has spent the last 3 years telling us Arsene was ‘impeccable’in the transfer market. If he’s upset with our transfer business this summer it’s music to my ears !!
You have to laugh at someone who rants about playing players out of position but yet consistently states we didn’t need a right back cos AMN CAN play there. Hearing you talk about simple minded people is like hearing Trump talk about fake news.
Say Hi to M’Vila while you’re at it.
I miss the poometer and especially pooping. See what happened to transfer news on this blog! ? #merci wenger
i think there will be only one medical today, not two
Anyone knows who Ornstein gets his info?
Usual sources you hear other journalists claim to have are not that accurate!
So, is it leaked to him by the club?
same place as sky
sorry but its TRUE
Has to be the club
I see people are saying that is the end of our 1st team signings but I.d say that really depends on what happens with Ramsey, Welbz, Perez and Campbell.
Would love to have seen us go for Felipe Anderson..still can.t believe he is probably going to West Ham..crazy
I.d take Forsberg also
Emery will hopefully promote competition throughout the squad vs what Wenger seemed to do where he would play certain players every match regardless of their performance. It seems to be such a balanced squad that there may be some selection headaches for Emery, but hopefully the players will be rewarded for effort and performance in matches and in training while those that struggle have to earn their way back onto the pitch.
Is this the first time since the Invincibles season we have done all of our transfer ‘ins’ at the beginning of pre-season. Either way that preparation with the mostly the whole team should equate to a few extra points on the board for next season.