According to The Athletic, Arsenal are set to reject a €2.5 million offer for Rob Holding from Besiktas.
The Daily Express reported two weeks ago that the defender was on the Turkish side’s radar and that he was mulling over a season-long loan move.
In that scenario, it was predicted Arsenal would offer Holding a new contract to protect his value as his current deal ends next summer.
Judging by David Ornstein’s report, Besiktas have upped the ante with an attempt to recruit the player on a full-time basis although their opening bid is clearly very low.
🚨 EXCL: Besiktas have submitted an offer to sign Rob Holding from Arsenal. Proposal for centre-back worth €2.5m. Far below what #AFC might consider to sell & will be rejected. 27yo has 1yr left on contract + club option to extend by 12mnth @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/eUaFfnE2cd
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 13, 2023
Clearly, the only thing for Arsenal to do was to leak news of the rejected approach in the hope of sparking a bidding war that ends with Manchester City walking away disappointed and Besiktas getting their man for £100 million plus add-ons.
In all seriousness, it does look as though Holding is going to be surplus to requirements this season and a move remains likely. The imminent arrival of Jurrien Timber will push him further down the defensive pecking order with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior also competing for places.
Holding was signed by Arsene Wenger from Bolton for £2 million in 2016 and has twice won the FA Cup with Arsenal. In total, he’s made 162 appearances for the Gunners and captained the side on several occasions.
I’m sorry he doesn’t cost €2.5m
In his first two years, Holding gave the impression he was going to be a top top top CB. He can still become a late bloomer in a middle-table club. Hope he rejects Besiktas outright. Players don’t get opportunities after Besiktas.
That frizzy-hair bloke who scored two own goals in one game and helped get Leicester relegated cost 15million. Surely Edu can demand 5million……..in installments.
I like Rob. €2.5m is far too low for a good, solid professional who has never complained about being a squad rotation player and was very handy in seasons past when we were backs-to-the-wall too often. It is definitely time for him to move on now, hopefully he gets the good move that he deserves.
A solid professional who still has Diego Costa in his back pocket. I’d pay 100m+ just for the Diego Costa part..
Reminds me of a certain Udonis Haslem of Miami Heat a true gentleman of the game and beautiful club ambassador.
You just reminded me of that old scumbag, I looked up him sure to see he went to SA, still no club since Wolves. I’m holding out hope he and Rob both end up in SA. Rabbar Al Holding will dominate that ogre in perpetuity.
Haha if that could be a reality I’d be happy to see Rob go for free.
Italian and Turkish clubs are always difficult to negotiate with. Hopefully AFC gets a decent offer.
His hair probably cost more than what Besiktas have offered.
Ironically, he probably went to Turkey to get it done
Hopefully he can afford to have it done at an expensive UK clinic..
He’s not dumb, he has a good head on him
He’d be a good signing for a mid-table time, suspect if he played every week he would improve a bit too,
although not one playing something like our current system.
With united supposedly asking 50m for maguire, Rob has to be worth at least 25m in that insane market. Realistically though, he’s worth 12.
If they up it a bit They could Cedric. I guess Holding is somewhat between 5 and 10mil
All the while every other club sells their unwanted players for 20-40 mil to saudi arabia, we have to let our players go for either almost nothing or just free… the pl just doesnt care about fairness.
I was thinking the same. My guess is that as we are more outspoken about the negatives of oil money in football, we have been somewhat sidelined by the Arab league.
Lol what? You forget about the decades of Emirati sponsorship?
If I were managing one of the bottom 8 of the PL clubs, I would be definitely be looking at Holding. If you were a Burnley, Luton, Forest, Bournemouth etc then he would definitely improve the side. His best asset is back against the wall defending, which would be most games for those clubs. He’s also clearly a good character in the dressing room. Maybe I’m biased, or maybe it’s high wages, but I’m surprised there isn’t more interest.
Don’t think wages will be an issue, he’s on about 50k which is fine for any PL club
True for most the Greater London clubs
Even Everton with Dyche in charge
“The imminent arrival of Jurrien Timber…”
🥱
That aged well
Am I the only who thinks keep and extend him? He’s a solid squad player you use for cups & lower league sides.
Yes, yes you are.
I really think that Rob, like Mo, would like to stay for ever and then get into coaching at the Academy. Lovely people that are good to have around the place. If he wants to play though he’ll have to leave, and I’m sure that there are better clubs than Besiktas, who didn’t even pay Mo his wages when he was on loan there.
I’m surprised teams from the PL aren’t looking at Holding to be honest. Everton just signed Young.
Holding isn’t Rolls Royce, but he gets the job done for the most part. His passing has greatly improved (I didn’t see him misplacing passes when he came in for Saliba), and he’s still great at tackling and clearances, which he was always known for. There is no way Nothingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Spurs thinks he’s not better than what they have as options currently.
Why would we sell him for that? Fucking piss take. Take a hike Besiktas
Is Holding Willy a thing? It should be.
Jesus honey, we’ve just received an invitation to a Holding a White Willy Partey…
I’m going to miss the looks of abject dejection on the faces of the opposing players when Rob “The Bus” Holding comes on to see out a game.
Holding on.
Please we can sell him for at least £12m to an English club
Winding up Costa was great but don’t forget when he sent that UTTER cunt Arnautovic flying and broke his arm. At least I think and I hope he broke his arm. Arnautovic, cunt that he is, didn’t like it up him.
This is what makes Holding worth a lot more than 2.5 million euros.
Oh oh Rob Holding, you know,
He’s better than Carvalho.
The hell with that. I say Rob’s worth the 2.5mil in wages just to have him in and around the team.
That hair alone must have cost 2.5m euros.