Thursday, March 28, 2024

Arsenal transfer round-up: Tierney, Carrasco, Praet, Andersen

Hello folks, here’s the latest transfer news round-up on our supposed, alleged, reported targets.

Kieran Tierney

Arsenal’s need for a left-back is obvious, and the Celtic man has been on the club’s radar for a good two seasons now.

We are ‘odds-on’ favourites to sign him, according to The Scotsman. However, this is not because of inside information or the fact we’ve made an irresistible bid, but entirely based on betting markets so, you know, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

The 22 year old has a reported price-tag of £26m, which would certainly put him out of our range, but it’s not a price that’s set in stone.

Perhaps we could afford him if Barcelona were more interested in Sead Kolasinac. According to El Mundo Deportivo, they’ve received ‘good reports’ about the Bosnian as they seek a left-back, but not sufficiently good to make an offer.

Joachim Andersen and Dennis Praet

We had a €42m bid for the Sampdoria pair reportedly rejected, and via SampNews24 – your source for Sampdoria stories 24 hours a day – comes the news that we’re going back with a €50m bid. This will, apparently, be sufficient for the President of the club, Doriano Massimo Ferrero to accept, thus paving the way for the defender and midfielder to follow Lucas Torreira to North London.

However, there’s still interest in Andersen from Sp*rs, while Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are after Praet, so this is very far from a done deal or anything like it.

Yannick Carrasco

The Belgian was a target in January as we looked to reinforce the squad. We ended up with Denis Suarez who was about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike, while Carrasco stayed in China with Dalian Yifang.

According to the player, “There is now an offer on the table and the negotiations with my agent are progressing well. I hope my Chinese chairman lets me go.”

Who that offer is from remains to be seen. A report in the Belgian media says it’s from a team who regularly plays in the Champions League, which could include us at a stretch, but as we enter our third season in the Europa League it might well rule us out.

Carrasco was also a preferred target of the former Head of Recruitment, Sven Mislintat, but both Raul Sanllehi and Unai Emery were more in favour of the Suarez loan, so we’ll have to see if they’ll go back for the Belgian with their tails between their legs after the Barcelona man did little but put a £3.5m dent in our finances.

Lots more transfer talk in the brand new Arsecast ?

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K9ine

Ok

Jonas

Did you not promise som poop emojis??

Hank

Yes yes but where are the poop emojis?

Chippy87

All those emojis just remind me of Tottenham.

Badaab

Nearly enough to fill that giant toilet they call home.

TheG

Don’t be shitty. Get it?

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

Blogs, young North African winger, Khan Tblivuluktimup, scores plenty goals, can you find any info on him?

Dastardlydick

????

Paul Roberts

Bloggs, your audience (including me) want’s the Pooh meter thing…

Paul Roberts

…at every opportunity.

Billybatts

All pretty depressing reading, isn’t it?

Parlour's Paypacket

Not like the good old days of Benzema and Kalou at all

Wilsheres Middle Finger

It sure is – what ever happend to our annual ‘he’s the next Viera’ transfer link.

Yann M’Vila and the like..

I miss those days.

Heavenly Chapecoense

I am not encouraged by these underwhelming prospects. Wenger said recently this :
“Big players win games for you. Managers do not win games. If managers do something not intelligent, they may lose the game but it is big players who win games.”
I couldn’t believe that came from Wenger but it is very true. We better use the required money to buy top top players not Praet.

Vance

We simply don’t have the money.

Homer

What do you expect AW to say? Ask Liverklopp how that works. With “world beaters” like Milner, Shaquiri, Henderson, and several other bang-average players. The only exceptions are probably Mane. Firminho and Salah were flops with other clubs, but Klopp made them all better – or, at least play better for him. By ya know, having strategy; having a system. Playing players in spots they know. Studying the opposition. Tactical flexibility. A lot can be accomplished on the training ground. Klopp said something akin to that and, as much as I loath liverpool and klopps histrionics, he is right about… Read more »

Heavenly Chapecoense

Milner and Shakiri are only options from the bench, Ox will be just that as well. Salah and De Bruyne were big talents Mourinho did not think could deliver that specific season. Henry failed at Juve but the year before he was France’s special talent at the WC like Mbappe did. You have to consider talent especially when players were younger.

Wilsheres Middle Finger

You could hardly say Mane was a flop at Southampton.
He was lightening ever since he signed for them.
He clearly just didn’t have the quality of team mates he now has to bring the best out of him.

SharpasFc

Well said, this is what I think too. Chelsea played against us like a well-oiled machine once they got a goal ahead and that’s because generally they are a team that is a well-oiled machine that can turn it on or off depending what mood they are in. Personally I don’t know if we witnessed Sarri-ball last Wednesday or just a team (largely assembled by PL winning managers) going through the motions of winning, something that is now fundamentally instilled in Chelsea’s DNA.

Julian Pan

I can definitely believe that from Wenger. He’s a guy who mostly allowed players to solve problems on the pitch.

Cagooner

Not for me. This is about what I expect and tbh these could all be outstanding prospects. We’re not at the level to attract the likes of Hazard and Koulibaly.

Jack

What’s depressing about this? As a Scottish fan who’s watched them both play the same position for the same team, Tierney is arguably better than Robertson. He’d be an excellent, relatively cheap signing in perhaps our biggest position of need. If you think signing him is a depressing prospect you should try watching him play.

Toure Motors

That €40m is going to have to stretch to biblical loaves and fishes proportions. Either that or some miraculous sales. I’ve never been a praying man but if you’re up there, save us Superman!

kentmonkey

Unfortunately that’s not a grass pitch. It’s Kryptonite.

Alex

The 40 M is a myth to make us accept the upcoming mediocre Arsenal… where is the substential adidas money?

SB Still

That’s the £40M?

Mpls

We’ll have sales to add to the 40m.

Huss

I like Praet a lot. I know some Arsenal fans have scoffed at his G+A numbers, but a goal-scoring B2B mid like Ramsey is a luxury very few teams enjoy – and it’s not something necessary in the modern game. Liverpool won the Champions League with a first-choice midfield of Henderson, Georginio, and Fabinho. They combined for 5 goals this season. Another elite central mid, Thiago from Bayern, has exceeded 2 goals in a season exactly once in Germany. The modern central mid is expected to be hyper-active, do all the dirty work, and be able to dribble out of… Read more »

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

Glad someone else feels that way! Must admit my head has been turned by Palacios, think he has the potential to be better in the Prem than Praet but that’s not to say Praet wouldn’t be a very worthy addition! We’ve got enough strength up front for goals, we need players who act as the supply lines, and Praet is ideal for that – though Palacios is the same but adds better numbers. I like how we’re linked with tall, athletic, ball playing CBs. Either Saliba or Andersen would be great, and possibly an indication that Unai feels Xhaka’s job… Read more »

Flash

I wonder how can you be so self-confident with a potential addition from Sampdoria… Torreira was a good buy, and hopefully will only be better in the future, but let’s be honest: it wasn’t him who carried our team this year… On the other hand: The Uruguayian was better at passing, better at defending and better overall than Praet last year, and he is 2 years younger. And I think it is worth mentioning that Sampdoria finished 9th in a league where the no.2 team is inferior to us at the moment. …and we should not only buy a good… Read more »

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

It’s crazy really but I use a method called ‘watching them play’. Basically all you do is watch a Sampdoria (or any other team, it’s not exclusive) game and look for what a player contributes. All the too scouts use this method. Either way you’re getting ‘self-confident’ and optimistic confused. And using ‘Sampdoria finished 9th’ as a counter point is rather lazy. Remember Chelsea buying Anelka? Sp*rs getting Tripper? Vardy playing non-league till late 20s? The list is enormous, and I’ve not even picked the better examples. Just because a decent player can’t single-handedly win his team the league doesn’t… Read more »

Flash

I agree, that their league position doesn’t tell everything, but i also think it does count. And it is not only their 9th position… My main point is: If we defeat Napoli two times in two matches than our level of quality/speed etc. is clearly above of theirs. And then: what about the team that defenitely lags behind Napoli – I think it means the avarage quality of their squad is even lower (and I think it is not conceit – it is just logic). And yes: a player doesn’t have to single-handedly win his team the league – but… Read more »

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

But Praet does stand out, he’s one of their best players. Both Praet’s and Torreira’s quality took a dent last season without each other, by no means were they bad, but notably lacked each others’ strengths. A signing is often bought for their impressive quality, but also how much they are likely to improve the players around them, I’m pretty certain we’re looking at Andersen and Praet because they’d do just that. Although it’s not been said, it’s becoming clear Unai is wanting to make his team work around the likes of Torreira and Guendouzi. He’s looking at CBs that… Read more »

Santori

Torreira was OK last season.

BUT full of mistakes.

4 goals from poor concessions in midfield either side of Xmas.

In the finals, he was responsible for the 4th Chelsea goal.

He has his own shortcomings some prefer not to highlight.

Teams bully him too easily and he isn’t Santi. We lack control in midfield still even with Torreira on..just as we leaked goals even without Mustafi.

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

Oh good, Trollbot3000 has learned how to bring itself out of Sleep Mode… a) If he was “full” of mistakes then he wouldn’t’ even be regarded as “OK”, surely? b) Given his midfield partner was largely Xhaka last season, and he was in front of a weak defence he ran himself ragged, so yeah he made a few mistakes (nowhere near as many as your idol Mustafi – who was in his third season, not first…!), and as has been proven countless times on here (to you no less), none of his mistakes cost us games. c) Those 4 goals…… Read more »

Flash

Well, it seems to me we differ on the meaning of “stand out”.
Payet is a good example: he played 2 seasons in London and in both years he was clearly their best player (just check out his stats).
I think Praet is a good player too, but nowhere near to be constatny the best in a mid-table team in SerieA. (It would also be OK if he would be young and full of potential (like Torreira – but I am afraid it is not the case either)

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

But the season before Payet joined West Ham nobody else was interested in him. West Ham looked in a lesser league and found a scuffed diamond. Sometimes it’s about finding a better place for some players. I meant that Praet is stand out for Sampdoria, and he is, he’s crucial in their midfield. People saying his numbers aren’t great probably said the same thing about Kante before Leicester won the league. Praet is fundamentally a CM, but people are expecting him to have AM stats just because he carries the ball into those positions. He usually finds the pass that… Read more »

Flash

Well, it seems to me we differ on the meaning of “stand out”. Payet is a good example: he played 2 seasons in London and in both years he was clearly their best player (just check out his stats). I think Praet is a good player too, but nowhere near to be constatny the best in a mid-table team in SerieA. (It would also be OK if he would be young and full of potential (like Torreira or maybe Andersen)- but I am afraid it is not the case either) Plus your parallel with ‘project youth ‘ is inadequate: What… Read more »

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

I think given the actual quote you made of; “If we defeat Napoli two times in two matches than our level of quality/speed etc. is clearly above of theirs” …made my point very adequate. Given those were your original words with the emphasis on quality/speed my reply was very much apt. And whilst we have great individuals we aren’t even in the top 20 currently, as a team. Although we beat Napoli I wouldn’t be so quick to write off Serie A opposition, everyone was well aware that Napoli basically didn’t turn up in those games. And if you think… Read more »

Flash

My emphasis was on the general quality of the team, but
OK then…
Let’s compare the market values but – as I compared the two teams – Let’s compare the two team’s value (based on transfermarkt.com):

Napoli: 509 million
Arsenal: 578 million (12th in Europe)

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

I really don’t mean to sound rude but market value isn’t an indication of the top quality in Europe. Heck, that’d mean United are Real Madrid’s biggest rivals at the top. If we go by cohesion as a team, we’re not top 20. If we go on market value we are. If we’re going on ability in individuals we’re probably near enough in the top 20. If we go on momentum (in regards to whether it’s projected that we’ll likely improve or worsen in our next step) I’d say we’re outside the top 20. We’ve definitely got strengths, Lacazette and… Read more »

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

I do agree that the PL is really tough though, but don’t forget Serie A is famed for defensive excellence, a slower but more tactical framework in matches and it’s a league that allows for less ‘drifting’. Maybe in a league with more attacking freedom Praet will be able to reach far higher numbers, and perhaps being surrounded by a few better players will give him the confidence to be more pivotal in the outcome of matches. Or, he could be a total flop! I honestly don’t know what will happen, but if he does come to the club I’m… Read more »

Flash

I think if we’d sell Mustafi, Elneny, Chambers, Nacho – We would have about 90 million.
If we’d buy for example Diallo (40m), Rabiot(free), Nkunku (20m) + plus a talented yougster to the left wing (25m) – I would be happy.

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

I hate to be ‘that guy’ but £90m, are you sure? I reckon Mustafi £15-17m, Elneny £10-15m if we’re very lucky though most likely £8m, Chambers COULD reach £25-30m but given our negotiation history that’s extremely optimistic, and Monreal is probably only going to fetch about £5m now unfortunately. So if we had a great negotiator we could be really lucky and get £60m but realistically it’d be nearer £45m. I like the players you mentioned but we’d not be able to afford those players’ wages unless we got rid of some more big earners. Once we’ve tied our strikers… Read more »

Santori

Highly unrealistic given we are

a) Rubbish at sales. See Ramsey, Welbeck recently the Ox, Gnabry.

b) you are trying to flog off players you don’t think are good enough. Why should another team pay such high prices for crap?

c) These players salary also an issue. Lower level teams will probably prefer to buy players like Praet instead.

d) We could not even give away Elneny or Jenkinson.

Live in reality much?

Flash

I agree that we are rubbish at sales.
But we bought Mustafi, Elneny, Chambers for a combined fee of 66 million.
Let’s sell them for only 60% of that amount and I think we are OK

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

C’mon man, rather hypocritical of you to ask someone else if they live in reality when you yourself travelled to your job of President of the World on your mystical High Horse this morning?

Flash

So we agree, right?

Mustafi: 16
Elneny: 11
Chambers: 20
Nacho: 3
Sum = 50

50 + (our initial budget) 45 = 95

As far as wages concern: Sold players also free up wages (plus Ramsey too)
I guess if we are letting 4-5 players go, but bringing in only 2 “stars” plus 2 youngsters – that should be managable.

Leno me, I’ll be your friend

I reckon £50million seems more realistic, and your individual numbers look good ??. Sadly though santoriboy has joined in and his offensive, braindead spamtexts are something I prefer to avoid so I’m throwing in the towel. I do hope you enjoy your weekend though, Flash ??

Flash

Thanks mate! 🙂
COYG!

Moxrex

Mustafi 30 mil
Elneny 10 mil
Chambers 14 mil
Monreal 10 mil

This would be 64 million euros.

Homer

Good comment!

Moxrex

It would be interesting to have 5’6″ and 5’9″ play together against Sp*rs

Getina

Wake me up when the summer ends….

Steven

Just go outside lol

Francesc

Considering our budget it would be best that we sign some Burnley defender for 20 odd Mn and spend another 20-25m on an attacking midfielder which we need to scout somehow.

That should be it..

Orse

I really hope we are trying very hard to sign Ozan Kabak. Went to Stuttgart last year who have been relegated which means he is available for 15m €. He is strong, energetic, very good in the air. Of course he is still a bit raw at 19, but what a bargain. I think the Premier League would suit him very well. And he might be the kind of player we can still attract – hugely talented and very good, but it may be a little too early for a CL club.

Rich

Emery was publicly asking for wingers in January. I think Emery see’s a team very differently to AW, where Arsene was quite happy to pick all his favoured players, even if it unbalanced us, I think Emery see’s the team as machinery, where each component needs to be in the right place for the engine to purr. I think, and have thought for a long time that our squad was seriously unbalanced, it’s why I’m holding judgement on Emery, and also think it’s reasonable to give him another seasons grace whilst he get his house in order. Last season I… Read more »

Jack

> I think Emery see’s a team very differently to AW, where Arsene was quite happy to pick all his favoured players, even if it unbalanced us, I think Emery see’s the team as machinery, where each component needs to be in the right place for the engine to purr. Based on what? Emery has much more frequently adapted the shape in order to get certain players in e.g. changing the whole formation to get Auba and Laca playing, playing Ozil wide to get him in the team, changing formation based on who is fit, etc. This seems a bizarre… Read more »

jon

Arsenal’s squad is not that bad in general, but it needs two-three powerful additions, preferably with established players who can start in the first team. I have a feeling none of these deals will come to fruition.

Tribe

Are you fooling yourself Jon? Two or three? We need CB, we need side back, central midfielder and wing player. And that’s the minimum. Ar we constantly reducing our needs and ambition?

Steven

So you’re saying we need 4 then?… Wtf is a side back though lmao… If you’re referring to a left back then I don’t think we really need to replace monreal. He was only bad this season when asked to play out of position at left-centreback

Santori

Can’t count?

Jon said 2 or 3.

Cback.

CM.

Winger.

And Quality over Quantity. I’d refrain from trying to add anymore beyond that (unless opportunity/free at one of the fullback positions)

Prob we will try and squeeze in a future striker as a cheap price too if we find one.

But 3 is what we need. 2 minimum.

North London is Redder

Sideback?

OnlyBeingHonest

Love to sign Kieran Tierney! 21, Leader, Winner, fills a massive whole in our squad, to be, a no brainer

Cacho

I signed him for Arsenal on FM and he’s an absolute beast. All the proof I need!

Santori

26m is too expensive.

Nah.

Jack

I’m a Celtic fan and I love KT, think 26m is probably a bargain. Would be gutted to lose him unless it’s to Arsenal. But I’m not sure ‘winner’ is much of a point, given that Celtic would have won everything the past few years with or without him (not to say he isn’t one of our most important players).

Jeremy

Is this the bit where we create lots of rumours to con people into buying season tickets and then sit on our hands all summer, do nothing/very little and start the new season with the same failing squad as before (minus a few key players and Mustafi as captain)? Excuses include: no CL, financial doping, no technical director, Raul has gout, etc. Hard not to be cynical with this lot of total useless thundercunts running the club.

Jeremy

Forgot to include rinse & repeat until humankind has had inevitably wiped itself out.

Santori

Arsenal fans never learn.

Most of them live in their own world.

We are in danger of becoming mid table.

I’m not saying buy premium priced players (bc obviously we are not in a position to) but we need to be very careful what kind of players we add and where.

At the moment, these seem like usual agents playing the game…except we are not linked to “lower end” players more than before.

These aren’t the top performers in Europe by any stretch.

Signs of times.

Jack

Tierney is undoubtedly one of the top performing full backs in Europe. even if you think the level of competition is a major factor (and I’d point out he has been fantastic in the CL against the likes of City and Bayern and frequently better than Robertson for Scotland).

Faisal Narrage

Blogs, I know it’s not directly related to Arsenal, but could you post that story from The Jeff on his experience with Emery and his final time with Arsenal, and also how he’s doing now? I Know you spoke about it in your blogs. Interesting he’s now getting bids for $20M+. I was keen to keep him and try him in CM, and it seems that’s exactly what they’ve done at Angers, meaning his lack of end product isn’t so much of a concern anymore, but his frame and dribbling allows him to act like a Diaby for them. It’s… Read more »

Caligunner

I can’t believe we let the Jeff go, knowing how versatile he is and his age.

Jack4343

Nothing new about the young full back from France Micele Deez?

Tasmanian Jesus

They really preferred Suarez over Carrasco?
Now Im getting real doubts about our leaders…I watched Carrasco in the CL for Atletico many times. Good speed, good technique, always dangerous going towards the box.
Of all available wingers that dont cost crazy money, I think he’s the best we can get tbh.
Once more, Sven was right.

JamesGodwinson

Ikr.
I still can’t believe they prefered Suarez.
I am really really worried about our future.
No sporting director, no head of recruitment.
I don’t know what the heck Raul and Emery are doing. Certainly, our recruiment is currently bad. They only seek for the players who they already knew.
First, Suarez and now Maunier.

Sigh.

Santori

Carrasco remains a dark horse.

There are plenty of decent wingers out there particularly in Holland – Lozano, Neres, Ziyech but even Thauvin in France still doing the business, Bamba.

Some of these will be priced out of our reach. BUT prices may fall if interest from other clubs ahead of us (10 clubs – Bayern, PSG, Real, Barca, Juve, City, CHelsea, United, Liverpool, Spurs) subside.

Could be another late trolley dash…bc it often is regardless.

Panic buy much?

Santori

One thing you could say about Wenger was he was normally spot on with his buys. There were some misses Andre Santos for one…but by and large he paid low which meant at less risk to our bottom line. BUT that was also his own weak spot. He made it difficult for himself by being too frugal and cut corners in defense. That’s where Gazidis and the ownership could have prodded him more and encouraged him to have more of a gamble (earlier) Mslintat was generally poor for us. There was a lack of concerted effort to provide for what… Read more »

Santori

If anyone caught what happened to england yesterday, they would come to recognise similarities playing out of the back with us. You need certain players to fully take advantage of this in midfield. We lack that player to control. Granit has a good long range quick release and has improved his general awareness before receiving the ball plus positioning. But he is no player to work his way out of pressure. Torreira isn’t either. He has misplaced or been robbed off the ball in critical area in midfield 7 or 8 times this season, 5 of which have led directly… Read more »

Badaab

The reported interest in both Praet and Andersen I find encouraging- both are exciting players (Praet more the finished article than Andersen).
Carrasco leaves me feeling a bit nonplussed, though, as he’s not exactly a consistent performer. The reported ‘interest’ seems to come from an agent looking to get his player out of China.

Nameless_Gooner

Honestly I would take averagely consistent players with good attitude than some of the so called talented lot in our squad

Wilsheres Middle Finger

Where is the poo? won’t somebody please think of the poo ????

Elijah Doe

Regarding left backs. Kind of think we missed out on Nico Schultz who has just moved to Dortmund for £22m.

Ilija Stojanovski

suarez loan was a favor of some sort and if we get umtiti then it will confirm barca owed us one

JamesGodwinson

Seriously, i am sick of hearing rumours about the “Samporia duo”.
Can someone please tell me how good they really are? Why Raul Sanllehi is after him that badly?

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