There’s no north London derby today (not sure if you heard?) but there’s always transfer nonsense. ALWAYS.
Here’s a round-up of some of the rumours that caught our eye this week.
Diego Costa
Goal.com reports that Arsenal have informally approached the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker after his contract with Atletico Mineiro was terminated by mutal consent. The 33-year-old moved to Brazil in the summer after calling time on his third spell at Atletico Madrid. While it’s pretty obvious we’re in the market for a striker, this one feels like it would be a last resort short-term fix if the other irons in fires go cold. It’s probably nonsense. Plus he’s a total prick.
Youri Tielemans
Leicester’s Belgian midfielder is out of contract in 18 months time and Brendan Rodgers is aware they may need to cash in next summer. According to Ben Jacobs of CBS, Arsenal are ‘actively considering’ a move for the 24-year-old although it’s more likely to happen at the end of the season rather than this month. Can’t say we’d complain, we’ve always been fond of midfielders with FA Cup winning goals on their CV.
Matteo Guendouzi / Sead Kolasinac
Marseille have an obligation to buy the midfielder when his current loan deal ends but that could be complicated by a two-window transfer ban that L’Equipe reports has been dished out following an investigation into their recruitment of Senegal star Pape Gueye. It’s likely that the French club will appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport but a decision could take several months. We’re not entirely sure if this will affect Guendouzi but it could. It does sound like they won’t be able to sign Sead Kolasinac on a free, so it’s not all bad news for the Stade Velodrome outfit.
Not sure the poo-o-meter is really relevant here.
Pablo Mari
Udinese have confirmed they are in the market for a centre-back adding fuel to the rumour linking Pablo with a move to the Stadio Friuli. Apparently, Valencia are also monitoring the Spaniard’s situation.
Arthur
We saw a story that said Juventus wanted Thomas Partey in exchange for the Brazilian and we laughed out loud.
Tielemans is a player I really like watching, if we could pick him up he’d seriously improve the midfield. Even with 12 months left I think Leicester would expect about 40/50m?
Apparently Maddison has joined Bissouma’s support group entitled “When you think the Arsenal scouts are here to watch you”.
Yeh so get that, a guy who can run with the ball offensively in mid, scores goals, right age with PL experience what’s not to like? I would swap him with the awful Partey in a heartbeat throw in Pepe aswell in the deal.., 2 duds earning a lot not up to it..
You didn’t see the last couple games did you.
tielemans would be great value at 40 -50 mil in my opinion. he would possibly come in as our best cm based on parteys form over the last couple of months. white seemed expensive at 50 and now appears to be at least good value if not cheap. tielemans at the same price feels like less of a risk to me personally, I’d really like to see it.
It’s probably the least risky transfer we could do to instantly improve the level of our first 11
I’m sure guendouzi won’t be affected. Didn’t Chelsea sign that player they had on loan with an OPTION to buy during their ban?
Kovacic yes
A player on loan is registered with the club so you can sign him permanently prior to the loan expiring. The ban is from registering new outside players.
Interesting if the ban sticks. This means that Guendouzi and Saliba (unless they’ve loaned someone else) are the only players they can sign. Surely that puts us in control of the situation with Saliba. They’ll be desperate to sign him so they’ll have to pay top dollar to get him. If they don’t… well, then we get a top quality centre back added to our ranks. Just a shame there’s already an option for Guendouzi as we can’t hold them to ransom for him as well.
Off topic but it’s baffling to me that no one is going for Frenkie de Jong (it’s also baffling to me that no one has tried exploiting barca in general given their financial situation). Plenty of clubs looking for a midfielder, us included, and there’s never been a time where he’d be available for the price he is now. Hard to see Barca being able to turn away a 50-60m bid for him, and with the emergence of Pedri and Gavi they can actually afford to let him go without capitulating. It’s a pipe dream yeah, but with arsenal clearly… Read more »
It’s crazy they even want rid of him. Top player and still young, sign him up! tbh I don’t think he’d come without CL football
Probably end up at City
Agree but he’s unlikely to want to come to a club not guaranteed CL football. We would need to make the top 4 at a minimum to have any shot.
Yup, i get the CL football thing, but I always wonder if Arsenal’s magic is sometimes enough to convince players regardless. Auba and Partey came without it, and FDJ has previously mentioned his interest in arsenal as a club. I suspect the pitch the board give them is something along the lines of being part of the upward shift, the revolutionary change, the return of capital a Arsenal, knowing that they’d be cemented in history if it does actually turn out that way. I dunno – we have such a positive team right now, signing FDJ and Vlahovic for what… Read more »
Partey came purely bc we paid him. Auba didn’t have a lot of options and we still were mainly a CL club (just removed) so Europa League was viewed as more of a blip. I love Arsenal but generally professional athletes come for money or because a club is a step up. This is a career move for them – very few are fans regardless of what we like to believe as fans.
Two aspects of “Arsenal’s magic” were (1) the fact that we had played in the Champions League for two decades, and (2) Arsene Wenger.
That doesn’t mean we won’t attract good players–especially young or youngish top players (Odegaard–and maybe de Jong) who see the chance to cement their place in a big club that looks like it is serious about getting back to near the top, and that, incidentally, continues to pay very well.
The way this season is going, CL isn’t guaranteed for Barca either…
Sure but he won’t be short of suitors at top clubs who are guaranteed CL. The reality is we can’t attract top level players with lots of options right now. Hopefully that changes but we just can’t compete with the Reals, Inters or Citehs. Hence the need for being smart in who we buy.
Why the down votes
People don’t want to recognize the reality of where we are. It’s an exciting season in that we’ve got a real shot at the top 4 but we aren’t really in the top tier of clubs anymore. Hard to believe but most up and coming players these days weren’t even born the last time Arsenal won a major title.
I really don’t get why we want to sign Arthur, he’s small, injury prone and an absolute prat, surely there’s got to be somebody better? Totally agree about de Jong, worth a try, surely.
He is small and injury prone yeah but he has demonstrated significant ability at carrying the ball and playing that specific xavi-type role. I think for a quick 6 month fix we could do worse. What’s this about him being a prat though? Any specifics you’re referring to?
Late for training, partying with Neymar, returning late, can teach Auba a thing or two.
He is taller and heavier than Kante, Jorgino, etc, etc. He is about 8 or 9 kilos heavier than Torriera according to the stats. He also has a decent turn of pace and is a frikkin magician with the ball. When watching his highlights I am waiting for him to do a 720 around a defender then piss on his leg.
If he’s got a dodgy back we’re definitely signing him on loan on transfer deadline day
Santi cazorla was small/short… what’s your point? Dont get the hate against shorter players. Read up on some footy history.
300k+ a week is why no one is interested. He’ll probably end up at PSG.
Been wondering the same. I’ve been hoping because we haven’t heard anything so that makes it likelier to happen. He would slot in perfectly with our team.
What are they smoking at Juventus?
€500 notes judging by their wage bill. If they don’t want to bite our hand off for taking Arthur off their hands for 6 months then fuck ’em !
Vlahovic? Is it realistic, and what are his agents smoking? Sounds like we’re getting involved with the Serbian mafia.
Auba? Yes, sad to see he’s poorly, but it’s minor and a precaution so it’s ok to speak about trying to sell him to get his £350K a week off our wage bill so we can get a better, younger striker…….🙄
Nothing. They know we aren’t selling Partey. Someone made this story up.
We should sign Arthur on the condition that he wears his full name “Arfur Daley” on his shirt, refers to Arteta as “Him indoors” and to his contract as a “Nice little earner”. And he needs to drive a Jaguar XJ6, of course…
This is not a club for someone like Costa (throw up emoji)
Free transfer though, so he wouldn’t Costa lot.
The cost to our collective soul would be far greater than the cost in £££.
I don’t believe this story has any basis. My theory: the rumour about Arsenal’s interest in Douglas Costa (which might be false, but isn’t ridiculous) got mixed up (by a “source” with little knowledge and even less interest in checking facts that might interfere with clicks) with the fact that Diego Costa was released in Brazil.
He is a massive cunt, and we’ve had our share of ex Chelski players… but there is a guilty part of me that would welcome his shithousery if he scored goals. Laca has a bit of knife but he’s not been scoring.
They can have Xhaka in exchange for Arthur, fait deal right? To make up for any possible differences in value, add Elneny?
We could chuck in Cedric to sweeten the deal?
How would that sweeten the deal?
the same way salty bits in salted caramel actually make the whole taste sweeter.
Chelsea managed to sign Kovacic when they had a transfer ban as they’d already technically signed him on loan, so I reckon the Guendizzle transfer would be the same
Never been sold on the “Guendouzi can never work at Arsenal” stuff. I’ve watched a lot of OM’s matches this season to see Saliba’s progress, and Guendouzi’s been quality for them. If anything, it’s his seeming need to be central to everything that happens on the pitch that could make him a bad fit for Arsenal, more than the issues of temperament.
He is not a disciplined player and won’t fit the Arteta way of playing – definitely has potential to be a v good player but I can’t see him coming back.
Let’s be honest his temperament is Xhaka 2.0 – we don’t need anymore of that right now.
I agree with you in theory, but I think too much has happened between Guendouzi and Arteta for him to return.
I agree with ya on this one. I mean I don’t think many employees that supposedly drunkenly offer their manager outside for a fight would still be employed by that business. Doozy just comes across as a bit of a prat tbh
isn’t it time you got rid of the poo-o-meter? it’s so random
I am (almost) only here for the poo meter.
I think it’s funny… it’s okay if poo-o-meter isn’t for you, but I hope you can find some joy in other forms, as we could all do with a bit of harmless lightheartedness in our lives these days…
Question: Can Arsenal back away from the deals set up for guendouzi and mavropanos? Or does the parent club have no say? I feel like we ban sell both of those players for more money.
Mavropanos is, according to WhoScored, the second highest rated centre half in the Bundesliga so far this season. That statistic-based rating isn’t as accurate for defenders (who, like a keeper, get a low score if they do nothing whatsoever in a match)–but still.
Mavropanos was an obligation to buy if they stay up so I dont think than can be backed away from. Guendouzi’s though I assume could be. It just doesnt seem like Guendouzi would be happy about it which in turn would screw Arsenal.
HOw much water under the bridge has gone?
Crumbs hope we don’t get Arthur Melo lol image him having a poor game there would be Arthur MeloN jokes galore!!
Poo meter for Arthur so runny it’s a shitty suggestion
AMN played at right back for Roma today. He must be congratulating himself on a slick move.
Vlahovic is a complete hunk though
Is Josh Kroenke the Tellytubby baby?
Tielemans would be amazing, can’t imagine United not bidding for him as well. Fantastic player.
Talking about “midfielders with FA Cup-winning goals on their CV”, how’s Kim Kalstrom’s back these days?
Why only 9 poos for the Diego Costa rumor? We’ve seen the last of the Chelsea pensioners club with Willian.
Costa.💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Good. I counted like 70 high-Qwalitee poos.