Edu says the nature of the transfer market dictated the way Arsenal attempted to offload players this summer amidst criticism that the club could have generated more revenue from sales.
Aside from the sale of Joe Willock to Newcastle for £25 million, the Gunners mostly had to settle on loaning players – six in total from the first team – with the expectation of doing permanent deals next summer.
Has the club left money on the table? Is it realistic to assume we’ll make up the shortfall in 12 months time? Time will tell. For now, the technical director is at pains to point out that the club’s hands were somewhat tied by a market coming to terms with the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We found a very, very challenging window – not just for Arsenal, but for everyone,” Edu told Arsenal.com.
“If you see, there are not many teams selling around the world, there are a lot of loans with options to buy, so we did two – Matteo Guendouzi and Dinos Mavropanos – who are in that situation, with an obligation to buy as well but we worked the way the market is presenting to us as well.
“I cannot knock on the door of a club and say, ‘Listen I am selling a player’. You have to do as well what is best for the club.
“Sometimes you have to change a little bit of the direction, when you have some ideas to sell a player but it is not possible and then you have to create an opportunity to sell in the future.
“Then you loan the player and see, the way we did with Joe Willock. That is a good example for us, he went on loan, played and then the market saw a bit more and came to buy. Let’s see, maybe the next window we may be in a better position in terms of selling, but right now that is our reality.”
The Athletic (£) calculated that 10 Premier League clubs raised more from sales this summer. Given Arsenal spent circa £140 million, it’ll be interesting to see whether there’s a concerted effort to balance the books in January and when the season ends.
In a separate interview with Sky Sports – covered here, by us – Edu says he’s excited about the new-look squad and hopeful they can get the season back on track quickly.
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Can’t wait for the good days.
I keep praying for those days
I’m not holding my breath. Even that tactics board in the background is a mess. Nothing will change here until Xhaka leaves the club. It’s as simple as that. How many problems do we have that start and end with him? Slow buildup? Check. Terrible on transition? Check. Poor defensive awareness? Check. Unathletic? Check. Lack of convincing leadership? Check. Not learning from mistakes? Check.. The list goes on. Every single issue we have stems from this sack of sh’t we’ve had in center midfield for 5 years. Yet I still see people online defend him to the hilt. As if… Read more »
Completely agree. I can categorically say we will not see any improvement in league position this year. I don’t know how the club can spin this as a rebuild when the very ‘leaders’ that got us into this state are still hanging around and getting new contracts. I’ll make a business analogy. Its the equivalent of a failing company not firing any executives, but hiring a load of u23 interns and hoping for a change in fortune. Its absolute madness. Even more so that people are buying it. I’d feel so much more confident if central midfield had been addressed,… Read more »
It’s a poor analogy when the executives don’t play football and wouldn’t be better at it than the players.
I’d add lack of press-resistance to that list. Xhaka cannot take a ball under presssure, so we end up punting it long to nobody and it comes straight back. That has happened in all 3 games so far. Not forgetting the 220 appearances before that. It took Lokonga all of 10 minutes to show him up for the liability he is. On another note. Oh dear, the tactics board. Why have they done that? It’s clearly a message. Is this what he wants? Neither a 442, a 433 or a 343. A lopsided mess. That is Arteta-ball right there. That… Read more »
Mikel’s tactics are the fisherman’s basket of fish and chip shop meals.
The biggest problem with xhaka is every time he’s out of the team nobody plays well enough to take his place. Same with luiz last season, we looked worse when he wasn’t playing. Arteta Freddie, unai, Arsene all didn’t put him in the team because of his performance. It was more to do with the performance of the players that replaced him. He’s not playing for the next 3 games, all games that should be eminently winnable. If he’s back starting vs palace its because the players who play in the next 3 games have played poorly.
That’s a fair point. In the league, our record with Xhaka playing is 83W-35D-46L (win% – 51%). With Xhaka not playing it is 11W-5D-12L (win% – 39%): Wins – Southampton, Sunderland, Hull, Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Burnley (2), Man Utd, West Brom, Chelsea Draws – Middlesbrough, Man Utd, Wolves, Southampton (2). Losses – Watford, Chelsea(2), Man City(2), Everton (2), Crystal Palace, Leicester, Brighton, Aston Villa, Liverpool. Meanwhile our record with David Luiz playing is 19W-17D-15L (win% – 37%). Without Luiz playing it is 13W-2D-8L (win% – 57%): Wins – Newcastle, West Ham, Southampton, Fulham, Man Utd, Chelsea (2), Brighton (2), West… Read more »
Interesting stats, hopefully partey and lokonga step up over the next few games. Although I think it’s asking a lot of lokonga to play to a high level every game. Maybe maitland niles could pick up some games.
The 4 people that downvoted, explain why? Are you confident that when we start the palace game he won’t be playing. Who is going to take his place? No excuses for partey and lokonga they got 3 games to keep him out of the team. He keeps getting back in because nobody plays well in enough to take his place. If your job depended on it, what have partey or lokonga doing for you to bet your wages on them.
Nonsense. Xhaka is not needed here. IMO our most complete performance last season was United away. Where Partey and Elneny ran the show. They compliment each other and Mo does the dirty work that lets Thomas run the midfield. Xhaka is a ball-hungry liability who stays in the team because he’s a teacher’s pet, not because he has any positive impact on the team. I don’t think he offers anything special. In possession he has 500 touches and the odd pass to Tierney, then what-do-you-know, come 90 we’ve lost the match. Because without the ball he is complete clown. I… Read more »
Nonsense, the 1st arsenal game I went to was in 1978. The worst arsenal performance I ever witnessed was at home vs liverpool last April. Halftime was 0-0 elneny replaced ceballos at halftime. 0-3 fulltime. Partey and elneny were shit in that game. Partey was even worse in the Europa league semifinal. He’s not the player you all make him out to be. Xhaka had a better season than him last year, what’s that make partey?. Elneny shouldn’t have playing for arsenal. He’s a championship standard player.
Xhaka better than Partey? Oh dear my friend, maybe you need those eyes checked out. Never mind the eye test, where it’s as clear as day how much more talented and suitable for the Premier League Thomas is. He is twice the player, can beet people on the dribble, with a turn, with his physicality. Xhaka is the definition of a one-trick pony. 3 touches to get it onto his left foot, pass out to the wing. Get caught out of position on the transition. Rinse and repeat. For 5 years. I’ve seen it all buddy. And I’m sick to… Read more »
I never said he was better than partey. I said he had a better season than him. That is an fact, not my opinion. No excuses for partey next 3 games, for 45 million and 250k a week nobody should be making excuses for him anyhow. Joe willock could go to Newcastle in a relegation fight with Steve Bruce as manager and make the name for himself. There’s no excuse for partey, he’s been shit when he’s played and he can’t stay fit.
First off it’s because of bile like this he told y’all to fuck off. I agreed 100% with him giving it back. Criticise all you want but don’t make it personal – or be prepared to get some in return.
Xhaka is a poor choice for the starting line up – the contract should have not been renewed. But you assigning all the blame on him is the kind of stupidity that’s associated with Arsenal fans.
Sack of shit? What kind of fan calls his club’s player that? What has he done to you? Pissed on your doorstep?
Erm…in case you hadn’t noticed…..he ripped off his Arsenal shirt, his Captain’s armband and told the Arsenal supporters (by extension that includes you mate) to fuck off.
To date, we STILL haven’t had an apology from him – not that it’s worth the bother for any of us to wait for one.
To heap all the blame on Xhaka is plain ridiculous and simplistic.I wouldn’t be surprised if you said this about Ozil and or Wenger couple of years ago,and look where we find ourselves.
Arsene, Ramsey, luiz, mustafi, unai, xhaka, Cedric seems to have taken luiz spot. There’s always a scapegoat for all the teams problems. The more things change the more they stay the same. Certain players seem to escape criticism. The narrative from the start is they’re great. Xhaka seems to be the cause of all their faults. People on here get take cornered and will follow their favourites of a cliff. None of the above will be involved in the next 3 games, but I guarentee you at least 3 of them will get some blame if things don’t go well.
That tactics board matches his mentally challenged expression
It’s definitely not pepe on the right. He hasn’t been that close to another arsenal player for 18 months
Top post, well said.
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Depends what you call good days. Our standards have dropped so much. We are trying to compete with the big boys with unqualified people who are just learning the ropes.
Arteta and Edu – what did we do to deserve them?
Buy them as players?
Not that I feel strongly about them as players but I do wonder if they’d even be here if they never played for Arsenal?
If they were great players, I can guarantee they wouldn’t be around the club.
Being ex players is their only qualification. They didn’t get their jobs of the back of success in the same role at a different club.
You sacked Wenger , that’s what you did
Either you think Jai is a kroenke or you aren’t an Arsenal fan. Which is it?
WE fans didn’t sack Wenger, many wanted him out, but on the same vein we wanted xhaka gone and that didn’t happen…
Edu has stated that Xhaka is a starter. Lokonga is bought to back up. Let that sink in. This 28 year old who no club in world football was willing to pay more than 12 million is a starter.
Edu doesn’t pick the team though.
Lokonga will almost certainly be getting minutes in the next three games anyway (Norwich, Burnley, Wimbledon) and if he impresses in those, Arteta will have a selection dilemma ahead of the NLD when Xhaka is available again.
Arteta’s selection dilemma: drop lokonga or leave partey on the sidelines.
This. This is the way😁
So they wanted to sell Willock and keep El Neny in the first place. If clubs are only able to send players on loan before selling them, how did we manage to buy so many players? We’re just turning around not doing much. Guendouzi is with the french national team right now. He got called because Kante and Tolisso got injured. Is Deschamps, a higher caliber midfield player than Arteta during career, crazy ?
Willock and Elneny don’t play in the same position so it wasn’t really one or the other.
Willock was sold and that funded the purchase of Odegaard – for barely an extra £10m – which represents a very good piece of business.
Willock should never have been sold.
No, but he only has to put up with Guendouzi’s crap for three of four two week spells a year, even less with the aforementioned players probably taking their places back when fit. Club manager has to do it daily, for a full season. Totally different
I comment my reserve until the end of the season
Wait till we’re relegated eh?
So kicking your toys out of the pram will somehow prevent us from getting relegated? What do you propose to do?
What have we learnt? That despite trying to sell Xhaka for the whole summer, he is the starting partner to Partey. Great…
I just wanna Xhaka Partey all night long.
Anyone know exactly how much we have taken off our wage bill?
If Ozil was earning £350K a week, then a lot
Thought we still payed all that tho. As a pay off?
I doubt we’ve taken anything off the wage bill. Estimate departures of Willian 200k, Luiz 100k, Ceballos 50k, Willock 50k, Ryan 35k. Most of which will be offset by the 6 new signings. White and Odegaard alone probably on 100k a week at least. Then add in new contracts for Xhaka, Tierney, Smith-Rowe, Okwonko. I’d say it’s about even. I doubt the exiting loan signings are having their wages paid in full by the other clubs either. Bellerin apparently on 110k a week, Torreira 75k, Runarsson, Nelson, Saliba 40k a week each. I’m sure we’re still paying a large percentage… Read more »
“For example, in the midfield, you have Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey. So, for me and for Mikel it doesn’t make sense to sign another player to be on top of them if they are the ones that are going to be playing.”
that is the problem edu, xhaka isn’t good enough and is a liability.
it took him what? A week after his extension to prove that with his red card.
he isn’t good enough for a serious top four side but he’s good enough for us for one more season. by all accounts he is well liked and respected behind the scenes and we have very few senior players. i’m fine with us extending his contract and we can sell him next summer for likely more than the pathetic money roma offered us this summer.
Pathetic money? We should’ve ripped their arm off for anything even close to ten million. You think another season of Xhaka being Xhaka will inflate his value? And he’ll be a year closer to 30? We’ll be lucky if a Saudi club or MLS take him for a pittance next year. Well liked in the dressing room is useless when he offers no leadership. Selfishly refusing a vaccine, getting sent off with all his “experience”, and being a mind numbingly mediocre player are not what makes a leader.
Don’t mix rejecting vaccine with leadership. Plenty of Brazilian players rooted for Bolsonero, that Brady is Trump’s best buddy. Xhaka may be daft as fuck, but honestly no one in the current Arsenal squad has bigger balls. I feel Lokonga will take his place over this season in the starting line up. But Gabriel, Tierney, Partey and Auba have to start bearing the responsibility to pull everyone together. There’s maybe 7 readymade upgrades in the world in Xhaka’s profile – Koke, Kroos, Veratti are the first that come to mind with the mix of passing range, presence and leadership –… Read more »
Nah, it’s just fake tough guy with Xhaka – his red card last season?! Absolute joke, nothing “ballsy” about it, he picked one of the skinniest smallest players on the opposition who didn’t even commit the negligible act against him and went at him for nothing and cost his team. His red card this year was more of the same, 2-foot lunge that was a way out, once again letting his team down instead of attempting to be an ACTUAL leader and inspire a comeback. We see the same thing with him every season. He’s pathetic. Remember this is the… Read more »
Good god…
😂 it’s frightening
So far in his 3 games I would say he has gone down in valuation. Shocker against Brentford, caught asleep on the ball and nearly cost us second goal earlier. Awful against Chelsea where he left so much room in the middle with mindless runs (exaggerating I know) forward and city writes itself. An absolute liability
In these 3 games which Arsenal player’s valuation has gone up? Curious.
You’re not following the narrative Sachin. Go straight to bed without any supper. Xhaka very bad, partey lokonga world beaters. Get with the program lad, get those thumbs up. You want the konga partey, all problems solved. Gabriel and martinelli can’t do no wrong. Odegaard another world beater. Don’t worry about watching the games, forget about the fact they played last season when we finished 8th. There’s no xhaka for next 3 weeks, he won’t be holding them back. We will be unstoppable, will be like watching 1970 Brazil.
Smith Rowe lokonga saka tierney
Personally I like the project. I just question if MA is the guy to execute it.
Thanks for saying this, as I’m feeling the same way. The recruitment looks good and I think it looks better and better over the next few seasons as these players mature. The squad looks much more balanced and solid.
As for Arteta, my sense is that he’s now living on borrowed time. The fans are turning and the press are sniffing blood. Something needs to click and fast, or it will soon become someone else’s project.
Yes, but whose project? I’m wondering what names might be in that hat if Arteta were to go. Poyet? Lennon? Zidane? I have no idea (and can’t think of anyone terribly exciting)
Lennon?!! As in Neil Lennon? Ex-Celtic?! OMFG have we fallen that far?!!
Yes, fat Sam might think it’s not worth the hassle.
Zidane would be amazing and un’real’istic but other options (like Conte) are terrifying. I think the board is considering adopting a new strategy in case Mikel falls on his sword – we can’t be like Chelsea because paying people’s contracts off is not sustainable for a club like ours. And chopping changing might make us in to Everton rather than Chelsea. Maybe a younger Tuchel/Poch or a more convincing Nuno is the right candidate. Best bet is still to hope Arteta can turn this around and start the end of this transition period for the club with a trophy and… Read more »
Our best bet is to stick with one of our worst performing and most toxic managers in history? Now that is terrifying. You wouldn’t advise a friend to continue with a very bad relationship or job situation for example.
Besides, Conte and ZZ they’re other “unemployed” options like Eddie Howe and Paulo Fonseca.
I agree, paying off contracts isn’t sustainable. Which makes the signings of Cedric, Mari and Willian under this regime very perplexing.
I think Edu chose to speak before any of the other players who are upset like Hector, Niles and Willian speak out. And then others from recent seasons chime in, such as Kos, Saliba, Ozil, Mustafi, Sokraris. All under his watch. Don’t be fooled by the youth approach. It was a huge spend, any technical director can pay market price for players… And that money was NOT generated by him. And it is even debatable whether that money is just to be paid back with interest. Begs the question, why didn’t they back Wenger with 150million or Emery? Instead they… Read more »
Buying young potentially great (but not yet) players is fine, but only if you have a well-established structure that can help develop their potential. This means, in addition to the right manager and staff, senior players who are respected leaders not idiots who throw their shirt off and make insulting gestures to the fans. Lacking this, the youth project could result in frustration and a number of players who are clambering to leave. We had a bit of that with Wenger during his final couple of years. The most successful rebuilds took a mixed approach of youth and experience. I’m… Read more »
The fans have been insulted — oooooh noooo!
*Meltdown*
I am not interested in these comments, Arsenal need new owners to make us compete with the likes of City and Chelsea. Liverpool and Utd don’t have owners with just deep pockets. Look at PSG, they are already at the elite level of Europe on the same par with Bayern and Real Madrid. I do not want Arsenal to become an old club of a bygone era like AC Milan.
Trading one billionaire for another won’t solve anything in football- the problem is systemic.
Yeah life is not fair but I’d prefer it was unfair in our favour!!
I’d be happy just to see a team fight and believe in something.
It’s very challenging when you’re on vacation through half of it. Imagine any of us asking to take a holiday during the busiest portion of the working year and being allowed… just insane optics from the club and edu.
I do have some sympathy with Edu here, we’re not the only club that has struggled to sell unwanted players, Chelsea and Man Utd come to mind. But none of that excuses turning down the Roma money for Xhaka, and then offering him a new contract!
And also tell us they let Willian go as he didn’t fancy it. Xhaka was out the fecking door but Roma thought he ain’t worth more than 12 million so to tell us we only want players who totally on board is shite.
If Roma don’t want to pay what Xhaka is worth to us… how do you expect the club will upgrade in his position while buying a big name CB and a CAM?
Getting rid of Xhaka only makes sense if we had a better player identified and willing. Locatelli said no and I never saw anyone else’s name appear. Bissouma could be good but Lokonga is cheaper (if 2 years behind in development).
Did they rip up Xhaka’s old contract and sign him to a new one? I thought it was a contract extension, something which indicates more a club-smart desire to protect potential value rather than rewarding a player for outstanding play (like we’ve done recently with ESR and Saka before him). If we find a way to build some form and gather results this year, Xhaka will be worth more on the market next summer. If we don’t, of course, then he won’t — that’s the gamble. Did you really think the money that Roma offered for Xhaka was fair value,… Read more »
A players value is what others will pay. No club in world football was willing to pay more than 12 million. To then say he is really important to how we play and make him a starter so we can get dominated in midfield by any team that press’s and doesn’t give him time so we can get an extra couple of million next year is an insult to those of us that have lobbed up well over a grand year in year out.
There must be a club that has over paid for a player, no? There must be a player purchased on the cheap, no?
Of course but the fact no club was in world football was willing to pay more than 12 million for a 28 year old in prime of his career says he is not valued very highly at all. Please explain this, no, 😂
Hertha Berlin offered a loan/buy for 30 million euros when Xhaka first wanted out. The market hasn’t improved overall since then thanks to the pandemic. I’m sure if we play well this season, and if Xhaka is a part of that, his value will rise again. We’ve struggled to sell any player aside from Martinez and Willock since Iwobi left because we’ve been so poor on the pitch. If we can play into form, player values will increase, including Xhaka’s. It’s a shame that as a fan you feel insulted by Xhaka’s presence in the team; but yeah, if what… Read more »
I think that’s effectively the same thing, the result is he’s here for longer and on more money. People are talking about protecting his value but his age and performances mean he’s a deprecating asset. I’m pretty sure Hertha Berlin offered more for him than Roma did, it’ll be the same for the next club. All the while he’s taken the place of someone potentially younger, hungrier, more disciplined and talented. As for whether Roma’s offer was good value, I’d swap the perspectives. Imagine Xhaka was a Roma player; at his age, with his record and reputation, how much would… Read more »
But as is the case with Jorghino, 29-year-olds can have remarkably good seasons — even those who don’t previously seem capable of it. We’ve made an awful lot of fun of Jorghino on and off the pitch here at Arsenal, but he proved pretty important to Italy and Chelsea as they won Europe. If we can play good football this year, we may well sell Xhaka for close to twice what Roma offered for him. And for me, I still place high importance on the club refusing to settle for a cruddy bid directed by an old rival — no… Read more »
I think most of these noisy Arsenal fans are (a) full of hate and (b) very angry with everyone who disagrees with them just like in Wenger’s last few seasons.
They won’t let Xhaka, Arteta or Edu gather momentum or build in peace after this terrible start.
No support to be found here.
I just hope this ruckus doesn’t end up driving out Saka, Tierney and Co.
Didn’t this trio have ~25% of 2019-20 and all of 2020-21 to gather momentum/build in peace without “noisy” fans?
I do admire your optimism, even if I fundamentally disagree with what you’re saying! We could hope that Xhaka kicks on the way Jorginho has, but more likely he’s a busted flush and we should have cut our losses. Can only hope that the red card against City was the final straw and Arteta finally sees the light.
There is very clearly no value to protect. You think that new deal means someone b is magically going to come in with a 20+M quid bid for him next year?
If he and we can play into form this year, yes, I do think that could happen.
We cannot play into form with a team built so much around granit xhaka. That has been proven for 5 straight seasons.
But don’t you think a healthy and mobile Partey, for example, makes us far less reliant on Xhaka? I think that was part of the plan last year in bringing him in, but we never really got a chance to see what he can do until that run at the end of the season. And Sambi, as you definitely know and champion, is also someone who is going to take the game away from Xhaka as he progresses — that could even happen this season. I think the strengthening of our right side with White, Tommy and Odegaard is also… Read more »
The problem is edu just basically said he’s indispensable, which contradicts your points about moving away from xhaka. This is the issue, they just can’t get away from making him a key player. While ever he’s a key player, we’re set up wonky and whoever the midfield partner is must play a Conservative role to cover for him. Its going to cost Arteta and edu their jobs and I just don’t care anymore. Of they are dumb enough to keep going down this tried tested and failed path, then they deserve to be sacked. Hope out happens sooner rather than… Read more »
Do you think Edu would say anything else about Xhaka? He’d not be a very good spokesperson for the club if he said anything disparaging or diminishing about the player. Edu maintained that everyone in the squad is indispensable to our success this season.
I made the point about correcting our imbalanced approach on the pitch with the new signings above, but I gather it isn’t convincing. Perhaps we just need to see it in action.
Doesn’t even have to mention him. He didn’t mention lacazette for instance did he? Bringing him up shows nothing but him remaining indespensible which follows everything to this point as well.
He did mention Laca though not by name when he talked about our goal scorers (Auba the 25, Laca the 15-20).
He’s The Anti-Brady.
If he can play into form, he’s made a good start 😂😂😂😂😂😂
If you look at the two matches lost by him plus one red card, we a looking at losing a European place and with that comes some earnings. £12M for this numpty was a good deal and he should’ve been sent on his way at the first opportunity.
Twelve pence would have been a good deal.
I said we should have got shot of him, no matter what.
Still, ho hum. The table doesn’t lie……..
No offense to edu, but, for doing deals it seems that an ex player might not be the best fit.
I would prefer to see a someone like a character out of lock stock and two smoking barrels in that position.
Off topic – Are Chambers and Elneny that last remaining players in the squad to have played with Arteta at Arsenal now that Bellerin is off (on loan)?
One thing I believe is, Guendouzi is a very serious player when ever his been selected, he just need a manager who can push and not criticise, because he’s an Asernal fan and trying to learn.
Honestly, all of us would have loved to see more of unwanted players out the door. But it’s a fact that most clubs don’t have silly money after the last 1.5 years, and even if they did, I don’t see too many of them putting strong bids on the guys we want out. We’ll take a big hit on xhaka whenever we do manage to sell him. Either of Auba/Laca would bring us the biggest bucks if we considered selling them but Laca has hardly any time left on his contract and Auba is on huge wages. Bellerin deal hopefully… Read more »
Now that the window is closed, few observations/speculations for what its worth… Please note, the below are just my thoughts and speculations. On Edu.. 1. Agree with Edu, spine is broken and it takes time and money. At the same time, have a nagging feeling that they (Edu/Arteta et al) are trying to hide the misdeeds of their predecessors. 2. Xhaka renewal was unwarranted and he is partly to blame for the club getting into a situaton where club needed to sign him. 3. Nketiah, Leno, Xhaka should have been sold at all costs, especially if they were already aware… Read more »
What a sensible post. Hope to see you around more.
Agree 100% with your thoughts on Bellerin. I hope he would one day be a captain here.
*hoped
It’s just complete naivety isn’t it?
That is the single biggest change you can do to your squad: make the average age younger AND competitive.
It means buy young and sell old. In this window. When covid lockdowns started 18months ago.
Yet again …. Big big risks.
Yet another Hail Mary strategy.
Sorry but this is complete naivety for a billion dollar entity
What should he have done this window? I thought, aside, from poor selling (which is not exclusive to us), that we actually faired pretty well.
He could start by not telling us once again how these washed up fools are still indispensable… And of course he could have sold xhaka. The fact he didn’t shows that both he and mikel are v out of their depth and completely out of touch with fans.
I think you are giving Xhaka far too much credit as the defining factor in everything we do.
So he now decides to go with sell old and buy young strategy.
But if he didn’t sign old players as recently as a year ago, Willian, Luiz, Soares (All his mates) Then we wouldn’t have been FORCED to do this ‘strategy’
I’m beginning to wonder what the Lewis director is doing only sacking Raul…
Is there zero spotlight or oversight on Edu at the club?
Edu is pretty useless. His signings are “meh”. 150 mil gone for what exactly? I keep hearing “but they’re young”…so fkn what if you’re still bottom of the league…
How is he crying about it being a tough window. It was the same for every club.
Just he was the only technical director to decide to do an expensive revolution instead of evolution.
No other club did that.
He seemed rather composed in the interview.
Don’t let him focus on project youth. He is trying to quickly cover up his mistakes past couple of months which is NOTHING TO DO WITH Buying young players 1. Play full first team in Pre season against local rivals and team we face in first few games of season. Risk of injury, Partey key player is out 2. Midfield is light, we sell YOUNG player with 50 games experience (25m) and instead re-sign our most unreliable OLD midfielder (offered 10m). 3. Right back: we have too many. How come we didn’t loan out Soares before season started and loan… Read more »
Perhaps you can bring this incredible experience to Arsenal. Apply for Edu’s job!!
Has not made ANY income really. Sells Willock for 20m, brings in Sambi for 18m, practically the same. Massive outlays will come back to bite. Ridiculous valuations with White for 50m having a laugh. Completely out of his depth and nicking a living frankly. As mentioned before, we won’t be going anywhere into europe soon. These wankers are just buying time and pulling the hood over gullible fans (and there are plenty)….building for the future….will be doing that in 2 or 3 more seasons still. All nonsense. If we wanted to get anywhere, we would have shown ambition and brought… Read more »
I’m not convinced by this guy, think we need to look at revamping this part of the club.