It looks as though there may be a positive outcome to the William Saliba transfer saga with Sport Witness reporting that Arsenal will beat Sp*rs to the signing of the 18-year-old defender.
Quoting But! Football Club, it’s looking like the Gunners could confirm their second signing of the summer in the coming days.
We appear to have settled on a €30 million package and are prepared to let Saliba stay on loan at Saint-Etienne for the whole of next season.
Five days ago, it looked as though Daniel Levy was going to steal the France under-20 international from under our noses with a bid timed to coincide with our management boarding a plane for the States. You almost have to admire that level of shithousery.
Arsenal set to win race to sign William Saliba. Close to completion after Saint Etienne centre-back opted for #AFC. Loan back to #ASSE next season. Also working on loan for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos & continue pursuit of Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney #RMFC #CelticFC
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) July 17, 2019
In further positive news, it sounds as though we’re making progress in our talks with Real Madrid about a loan move for Dani Ceballos.
Marca report that Unai Emery has been pushing hard for the midfielder, a star of Spain’s victorious under-21 side at the recent European Championships, and that Ceballos is very open to testing himself in England.
As was the case with Denis Suarez in January, we won’t have a compulsory purchase option at the end of the loan.
Hope the Saliba story is true. My friends in France have seen him play. He’s the real deal. This is one to be excited about.
The TV figures for Londoners watching St. Etienne games this season is going to sky rocket haha
But definitely the real deal, so strong and good on the ball, he barely ever goes to ground. Outmuscles, drifts past two or three attackers then threads the sweetest of passes, he’s the type of CB we’ve really been lacking this generation of football.
Plus, bragging rights over two quality players Spurs tried to sign. Niiiiiice!
So the clickbait media had a field day telling everyone that Sp*rs were the ones gazumping us for Saliba out of nowhere, when it was probably the Sp*ds response to finding out we were going for Ceballos, who they desperately wanted to replace Eriksen.
And Poor Daniel Levy is shedding real tears right now because Real Betis won’t let his other option, Lo Celso, leave for less than 80m
Haha it really does seem that was how it happened! We join the Ceballos race, appeal to the player more than Spurs, Levy gets miffed as he thinks him and Real are besties, so tries to ruin our Saliba deal… and loses both. It’s beautifully poetic!
Let’s come to that conclusion once they’ve actually signed!! There’s still plenty of time for this to go wrong
Now we need someone to step in this season. I would like to see more of Chambers at CB. It’s been a while since he played there for us.
Yep. Seems like Chambers have to step up, along with Holding. Mavropanos will probably have to be in rotation as well. I dont mind, as long as he gets his head straight, he has enormous potential.
Regular starters, Im hoping for Holding and Sokratis. Maybe Holding and Saliba in a year or two.
Does this mean we got 50+ goals conceded again this season to look forward to
If we get Holding back to form, Bellerin back, Tierney at left back, it’s a whole different defense than what we played most of last season.
If Emery plans on playing out from the back like at start of last year then he would fit the bill. He has a “back 3” cb written all over him, but who knows he could be good.
Good. And may as well make one of them captain whilst we are at it. Saves us arguing over which shit current player deserves it!
Both great moves. Saliba is a future one and its good the club has a mind on both the present and the future. Ceballos is great as it costs us a couple of million to plug the hole left by Ramsay for a year so we can focus the £ on others and perhaps do a permanent deal for him/someone in that position next year.
Saliballos, followed by Soarney and Malcumtiti.
‘Malcumtiti’, Gana, you’ve just created the greatest name of all time ??
As they boarded a plane? I’m prtty sure the top brass have in flight wifi…
Actually Arsenal still do things the old fashioned way, having our flock of carrier pigeons fly alongside the plane.
While it might not be a forced purchase decision I’d like to think we’re negotiating an optional one…
Putting a Real Madrid youngster in the shop window for them, seems absolutely mental. If he has a blinder? We’re just putting him out of our price range, and into view for one of the clubs we’re supposed to be rivalling. Players usually take 6-9 months to settle, think Keita, Fabinho, Kovacic, Lacazette, and these were players with more experience than this lad. Not having the option to pick him up for a fixed price can’t end well. If he has a shocker? It’s bad for our ambitions If he has a blinder? He goes back to Madrid, or moves… Read more »
“If he has a blinder? He goes back to Madrid”
And improves our performances this season. Not everything has to be about the long term.
While obviously I want that it would only be in Arsenal’s interests, not those of Real (who like the player and could get more for him if he plays well) or Ceballos (who wants to make it at Real). They are essentially doing a favour giving us to him, we’ve got no bargaining power in that sense.
The best we can hope is that at the end of the season Real decide they want to sell and we’ll be at the front of the queue, assuming he’s good for us of course.
After Suarez another Spanish damsel in distress saved by UE and Raul for a position that is not required… where are our defenders ? Next year when Saliba will be freed?
Having a functioning midfield and wingers who push the opposition full backs back will help our defence hugely. We will also be getting back probably our two best defenders last from injury in September, so I am confident we will improve
That’s a great comment. Thumbs up for you.
But hang on a second, what’s all that reasonableness and optimism? Don’t you know that this place is the realm of unsupported negativity, speculation and gossip?
This forum’s now basically a big group-therapy session for manically depressed Gooners
Well i hope you don’t mean Bellerin,, because the way I see it he’s alright getting forward and putting in half decent crosses, but getting back quick enough he doesn’t and leaves us open at the back or somone has to cover him which still leaves us open,
Bellerin’s upfield pressure relieves some of the pressure on us. Last season when he was out we were under pressure on that side a ton of the time. AMN did admirably. But the threat of Bellerin streaking up the right keeps the opposition more honest.
Two of the reasons Bellerin doesn’t seem as defensively solid: 1. Mustafi. (I could stop here) 2. Bellerin is expected to run that whole side solo. We’ve not had a right winger for the last two seasons at least, other than when Danny filled in there.
Literally replaces the huge Ramsey void like for like (possibly even higher potential), without busting our budget.
Of course, it’s only a loan, that potential might not be realised here. Will be interesting to see if we have an option or obligation to buy.
“You almost have to admire that level of shithousery.”
Almost…
And then it’s some antiseptic wash, or good old soap and water……
Zzzzzzzzzzz…huh? A signing??? Where, who? Oh the French kid who won’t be playing for us for a year. Wake me up next year when he joins us then. Zzzzzzzzzz….
“As was the case with Denis Suarez in January, we won’t have a compulsory purchase option at the end of the loan”
I’m hoping that’s the only thing both these deals end up having in common
Think you may end up wishing there was a compulsory purchase clause in a years time (if this happens)
Sssoooo EXITEDDD. #EmeryOut.
Let’s see. What better manager is there considering our financial constraints and frankly who could have done any better?
Emery didn’t do all that well in his first season, as he failed to qualify for the CL spots and failed to win any silverware (we ran a lot more, but not many of our season stats showed much improvement) – we’ve been through this before, there are plenty of managers out there that could do better. But let’s not worry about that as we’ve got Emery and we’ll support him – season two is on the way, he appears to have a lot of fresh blood in the team, and if he can find the right formula for coherence… Read more »
Steve Bruce, Allardichi, Pardew
#monkeyjoeout
I don’t see a manger who could’ve done what emery did last season. One man said alot of managers could’ve done better, but who are these “alot” of managers ? My guess is he has no clue.
Really, you think Emery is one of the best managers in the world of football?
Why are you avoiding the question?
Seeing as you know for certain Arsenal could’ve hired “plenty of managers” who would’ve done a better job, let’s hear your suggestions.
Klopp, Pochettino, Simeone, Allegri, ten Hag, van Bronckhorst, Bosz, Tuchel, Arteta. Not avoiding the question, but people are missing my point here — my point is that we shouldn’t be making excuses for Emery, or accepting his “fine” first year as more than that. He needs to do better, and to pretend that he did the best possible job for Arsenal last season is simply not true. Emery lost some very winnable games at the most important point of the season last year and lost out on CL qualification as a result. That has massive, massive consequences for the club.… Read more »
Pep finished 4th in his first season with CITY, won the leg with 100 points the next, Klopp finished 8th in his first season at Liverpool. So Emery has done a good job for the imbalance squad he had, no wingers, poor CB etc
And my point is, Pep’s first season and Klopp’s first season were not good ones — why can’t we say the same thing about Emery, and expect him to improve accordingly?
Your argument was that we could’ve hired other coaches who would’ve done better, and when asked to name some, you list Klopp who had a much worse first season than Emery.
And Bosz, a spectacular failure at Dortmund, van Bronckhorst who’s never managed outside of Holland, Arteta who’s never managed a league game at all, and ten Hag (as if you had a clue who he was before Ajax’s CL run this year). The rest like Allegri & Simeone were unobtainable when Wenger stepped down.
Stop reaching so hard.
No, my argument is not that we could’ve hired other coaches who would’ve done better (never said that); rather, the coach we did hire could’ve done better, and that there are better managers in the world of football who couldn’t done better last season (some of whom might have been hirable, but I don’t even remember who we interviewed). I find it absurd to say that no one could improve upon what Emery did last season with Arsenal — I think Emery himself would say that he could improve upon what he did last season if he could do it… Read more »
I’ve calmed down a bit and am willing to give Emery one more season, even though he hasn’t convinced me in the slightest over the last year.
However, it just goes to show the state of the club when expecting us to hire a top tier manager is ‘reaching’.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Utd, City all have no trouble attracted the top tier management talent when it becomes available. Why should we be told we’re ‘reaching’ when we expect the same?
Chelsea – Billions. Liverpool – Legendary in Europe, United – Legendary in Europe, City – Billions.
Arsenal are “only” in the Europa League and do not have the billions or the BIG HISTORY in Europe. We were BIG in the 1930s and big in England in the early 2000s. Neither of those things is all that attractive this summer.
Do you remember the last few games?
Good news but still feel we need a CB now, particularly if Koscielny is leaving. Unless Chambers comes back ready to step up.
Absolutely agree! Holding may work with Papa, but some established first-team experience would be nice.
Ceballos is exciting, but I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t more excited of internal solutions and our own midfield prospects.
I’d probably be more excited if he were the finished article, but as a 21 year old talent on loan, I’d kinda prefer we put more effort and time into our midfield prospects, like ESR, Willock and even converting Iwobi to a CM.
Just being completely honest, guys. Please don’t hate me.
I wouldn’t trust Emery vision if he is “pushing” for a signing of Ceballos. Didn’t end up well last time
So we’re going play & coach Ceballos for a season then he goes back to Madrid more experienced, good strategy from Madrid’s point of view
If he does well for us and helps us do better than last season then I don’t give a rat’s sting ring if he goes back to Madrid a better player
Also maybe a good strategy for us. If he is good enough then he will improve our team. We are short of cash and we need a midfielder. Maybe by next year one of Willock, AMN, ESR will be ready to take his spot. Or we sign him next year because Real don’t need him.
Unless an option to sign Ceballos for a non-ridiculous fee is part of the loan deal, it makes little sense as we’ll be in the same situation next season when we need to sign another midfielder. Willock and ESR are solid prospects, but neither of them play the same position we need to fill in our midfield.
Absolutely agree…where’s the downside. Who knows what next year brings…different budget…he’ll hopefully be a big hit and will hopefully want stay. If not we look for someone else when we have more cash.
And looking for replacement !
Or likely he is mugged by premier league thugs and breaks an ankle, femur, C1 vertebrae, or the furious grind of the PL causes tissue injuries.
Really kind of hope we put in an option to buy with Ceballos. Kid looked sharp in the Euros and we do need a long term Ramsey replacement.
I’m beginning to think that Mustaf and Oz, are gonna stay
As long as Mustafi stays on the bengh
Just think not long ago, Mustafi fooled everybody to thinking that he was the reason for the long unbeaten run, when he arrived.
And now we know different
Although if you were objective, you wold have noticed during the last game against Colorado that Mustafi was night and day more effective than Chambers offensively.
Put out 3 excellent balls from the back to find Auba and Kolasinac.
Defensive lapse is another issue over the season but Chambers has not been exactly water tight with Fulham either.
Good news on the defender I suppose. A loan move for some real kid seems very everton and delafeu to me cant we try one of our own instead
Why good news?
We won’t have use of him.
Koscielny was right to up his asking salary to stay so he could get the club to actually replace him.
There;s nothing clever about the Saliba move. Seems daft in fact.
No one here can explain why this player is so highly priced.
There are better young players (Upamecano, Kayote)who have played way more games last season at Liepzig, a team who has been extremely frugal at the back last season.
Your kids are not good enough to carry such risk next season.
On what evidence do you think they are ready? Based on a game against an MLS reserve/youth side?
Wake up.
I’d love Upamecano – he has such a high potential. But sadly I od not think he will be affordable.
Maybe we should be sending in a letter every week from now on 😀
Ceballos has said he won’t get in the spurs team, so he is choosing Arsenal. And don’t forget he wants to play 30 games this season has dick emery promised to give him these games ?.
Clever. I can see the logic to both of these.
Explain.
Well, Saliba is clearly a talent and highly rated by everyone. It’s a shame we don’t get him this season but clearly wouldn’t have got him if we hadn’t agreed the season loan. I’d rather have him than watch him develop somewhere else. Cellabos costs us no transfer fee, fills a Ramsey hole and was a star for a winning Spain under 21 side. We don’t have any money, these signings are forward thinking clever, young signings. No guarantee they will work but a gamble worth taking in our situation. Happy to take a season of ups and downs bedding… Read more »
And Jeremy DG serves crushing blow after crushing blow, it looks like santori is wobbling, he’s on the ropes, Jeremy DG uppercuts and knocks santori over the ropes!
What a one-sided finale, and if the spectators look down at ringside it appears santori is still receiving medical attention. It looks like the huge fall santori took really messed with him, as he picks himself up its clear to see the shock of that final blow had santori soil himself. He’s grabbed a mic “Mu… Mu… Mustafi is bestest… Shoulda woulda… coulda got… Mahrez… low… hanging… fruit ? “
Who needs champions league 🙂
It is overrated. Top 10 and League cup semifinals is way forward. #EmeryOut.
Ceballos just for one season, would be Ace !
Love of these 3 sign.
So we won’t actually sign a Fucking CB to play this season that we so desperately need? Or a winger that fits straight into this team straightaway ?
Some people voting you down for what reason?
Oh they like shiny new toys.
Doesn’t matter who we bring in until of course they prove fake and then we have a problem selling them (plus take a huge loss)
bellerin holding saliba tierney
Amazing set of defenders that can attack and defend..and they are so young…..the future is truly bright for arsenal in defense
Bellerin may yet decide he misses Spain. Holding may not quite reach the heights hoped for. Saliba may fall away over the next season as he is still very young (assuming the signing even happens), Tierney isn’t exactly a done deal now is it?
But if we get Saliba and Tierney…. Everything changes (provided they settle into the Prem well). To be top tier, we would only need a World Class midfielder next season, a Sokratis replacement and a Monreal replacement.
I’d to leave an option to buy as well if we qualify for champions league
We’ve been told there won’t be one.
I have a way way waaaaay better feeling about Ceballos than with Suarez. And I hope we, at least, have the option to buy him when the loan ends!
We don’t. RM don’t intend to lose him to a small club like ours.
Am I the only one who thinks Ceballos just isn’t very good? His game lacks a great deal, especially when it comes to thinking about a replacement for Ramsey, whose runs from midfield made him so important for us. Like Denis Suarez, there’s no question that his close control is there, but not much in the way of end product as yet in his development, not a physical player by any stretch of the imagination (a much bigger problem in England than in Spain), and none of those runs from midfield or cutting passes that are required of a top… Read more »
I share your concerns about him physically. He’s definitely not a like-for-like replacement for Ramsay at this stage of his career.
That said, your comments about end product aren’t quite on point. 2 goals and 2 assists in 5 games at the u21s is quite excellent. And 90+% passing accuracy.
Of course, that’s at a lower level and with a top team. But he was one of the main men in said top team.
Fingers crossed. Looks as though we’ve tweaked the Saliba terms to better suit Saint Etienne – and fend of interest from Spu*rs – presumably by reducing the instalments. We still don’t get him straight away though. On Ceballos, reports from Spain earlier today confirmed that we won’t have a purchase option at the end of a loan period. This is because Real Madrid don’t have any intention at all of selling him, and he wants to return to Spain anyway! What we also need to do now is re-double efforts (which have been a failure so far) to try and… Read more »
Whats the point?
It does not solve our immediate needs.
Even in installments, it will weigh against our limited transfer money and have potential impact on quality we need to bring in in critical areas.
If he does not materialise (and it can happen) we are stuck with an enormous loss and we will have difficulty moving him on.
Too many people frankly have their head stuck up their arse.
Yes, but what are we to do other than pursue these kind of deals? With very limited funds (and little chance of expanding the kitty through sales) we simply can’t afford to buy two or three or four players on more “conventional” terms. I wish we could, and would, but it won’t happen.
What about selling mustafi to spurs and loaning him back this an option to buy? Am i the only one who thought of this??
I’m in favour of selling Mustafi to Spu*rs outright and he could destroy them from within. I don’t think Mr. Levy will go for it somehow.
He would certainly would be an upgrade on Lichtensteiner. It would be great for him and Bellerin to compete for the spot once Hector is fully fit.
Ahh central defender….oh well…
So you realise.
I’ll believe it when I see it
1)Saliba looks like a ridiculous deal. Even if we pay in installments, that’s a lot of money for a player who really hasn’t played that much and will be rented back out. More critically, if he does not deliver (and that has known to happen with young hopefuls), we will be saddled with a massive loss plus he will be extremely difficult to offload. Seems daft to me when we have a finite budget and any wanton expenditure will impact what we can commit otherwise to bringing in better quality both for immediate needs at Cback (particularly with Koscielny rightly… Read more »
Based solely on history we do pay better wages than those twats
Dybala or Rodriguez would be expensive but worth a punt
We have to take things as they come now. It’s all got to be about building for the future with the odd bargain here and there to consolidate. We have to be realistic with our budgets and play free from the pressure that has built up surrounding our frailties. We have a good manager in Emery and hopefully this season he can have more of an impact on the team. But please fellow Goobers, lets be realistic. No more 350k contracts.
Gooners even…bloody autocorrect
Any update on Everton?
They’re still based in Liverpool. Glad I could be of help.
I see some people here that really have a lot to say (okay Im only talking about one person actually.. whose name rhymes with sanitary).. even when their comments are always downvoted and unpopular. Keep doing you my friend. the red thumbs down button needs a purpose, and you my friend is one.
Would hope for £30 million that Saliba lives up to that valuation. A lot of pressure for an 18 year old. Although the loan back to Saint Etienne is a bit annoying it’s probably good for him as it keeps him out of the limelight and retains a bit of the status quo while he develops for another year. Less pressure on the price tag as a lot of people will probably have forgotten how much he cost when he does arrive.
Fingers crossed this goes through now. Also, if it does, haha Spurs.
Now Ceballos would be a great signing.
I just hope that Sanllehi could manage to put an option to buy him at the end of season. If we can sneak for 25-30 mil on this guy now that would be a steal!!!
I really don’t want to see Ceballos shines in our shirt and then returns to Madrid…
Great to get a good young player like him, but don’t like having to wait a year at that fee for him to join us.