Like many others, I often muse about who I want to see us sign in a transfer window. We all do it. Regardless of whether you are 13, 30 or 65, we all speak about who we want to sign, or discuss players we have been linked with.
Whether those discussions are on Twitter or Facebook, in WhatsApp groups or down the pub after games. I would call you a liar if you said you never discuss potential transfers. It is part of football.
Turning that on its head, very rarely do I see people list players they do not really want. And this is probably because it is easier to mention the 4 or 5 players you want to see us sign and by assumption, every player you do not mention you are non-fussed about.
But just because you do not mention you want to sign a player does not mean you would not want us to sign him (no one was talking about Jurrien Timber last summer, but once the links arose we all got excited).
Ollie Watkins
Only Erling Haaland has scored more than Ollie Watkins in the Premier League this season (at the time of writing). But I do not really want us to sign him.
Watkins showed against Brazil my concerns about him – he is a player that needs space in behind and thrives off through balls and balls over the top.
The reality is, Arsenal play a possession-based game and look to dominate opponents in the final third. That is very different to Aston Villa who tend to sit back and look for quick breaks.
Whilst Watkins is fantastic in a counter-attacking set-up, I do not think he has the link-up play, ability to play with his back to the goal, nor the ability to find space in a crowded box, to be as influential for someone like Arsenal.
Put Gabriel Jesus in the Villa team (with his pace and running off the shoulder), I think he will score as many as Watkins – if he stays fit. But where Jesus is a level above the Englishman is his elusiveness and close control in a crowded box.
If we are looking at a new striker, we need to be focusing on someone who can be a physical presence in the box. Someone who can play with their back to goal whilst also being a threat facing it. Watkins would not improve us.
Viktor Gyokeres
The links to Viktor Gyokeres have intensified in the last few weeks. It feels more like an agent trying to use us to get his clients name in the press to generate interest, rather than the interest actually being from our side.
Saying that, Arsenal will be keeping a close eye on the Swedish striker, as will scouts from every top club in Europe.
Gyokeres has what Watkins does not. He is that mix of a big lad who can hold the ball up, providing a physical presence within the box, whilst still having enough pace to run in behind. But it is the price that is putting me off.
Sporting have made it clear that they will only sell if his release clause is met – reported to be £103m. That is a huge price for a man playing for Coventry City in the Championship 12 months ago.
Gyokeres turns 26 soon and has only had a decent 18 months in the Championship and 1 good season in Portugal under his belt.
I have no issue paying top dollar for top players (as the Declan Rice deal proves). But this would be a huge chunk of our summer spending on someone who would not be guaranteed a start.
I expect us to spend around £160m this summer, depending on sales.
£27m is already committed to David Raya, and another £10-ish million will need to be spent on an Aaron Ramsdale replacement. That will leave us with around £130m left to make additional improvements.
We need a central midfielder and a striker. That is not up for debate. We also potentially need another winger.
Our first option is to buy a truly top striker that will be guaranteed to start ahead of Gabriel Jesus, and then Jesus is the back up striker and the cover to Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. I do not feel Gyokeres is that man.
The alternative is to buy someone who can compete with Jesus, and potentially grow into a superstar in the future. To further add to the squad, we then go out and buy another winger so that Jesus can continue to be utilised primarily up top.
Whilst Gyokeres could be this “alternative option to Jesus”, his proposed transfer fee would mean we would not have enough in the pot to buy another winger.
I like Gyokeres, but I do not think he is at the level where we should be sacrificing signing other players elsewhere to secure his signature.
Pedro Neto
It is no secret that Mikel Arteta and Edu like Pedro Neto. He has been linked with Arsenal ever since his breakout season with Wolves in 2019/20.
His underlying stats show that he is a player on the cusp of being very special. But the issue is that has been the narrative around him for 4-years. Injury has meant that he has never really kicked on.
Neto is now 24-years-old and is injured once again. Out for the season. He has started just 76 Premier League games since making his debut 5 years ago. And 30 of those starts came in the 2020/21 season.
Over 100 games missed through injury since joining Wolves. My feeling is it will be a bit like Kieran Tierney, who also had his injury issues before joining us. He will bounce around from behind injured to fit, back to being injured again, and eventually we will need to recruit a replacement.
Someone will take the risk on Pedro Neto. And it could end up being a masterstroke (Marc Overmars in 1997?). I am just not sure Arsenal are in the position where they need to be the club taking a risk on someone so injury prone.
Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney is a fantastic player ready for a big move. Do not believe me? Just put a microphone in front of Toney and ask him!
I have never been concerned as to what Toney can bring to the Arsenal team. He reminds me a little of Ian Wright with his background and story of how he has got to the top.
At 28-years-old, he would be the same age as Wrighty when he joined us.
Like Toney, Wright has had to fight his way up through the leagues, and was been no stranger to controversy during his rise. He was a rough diamond and Arsenal were able to harness those god given talents.
If you compare Toney with Watkins, the Brentford striker has a bit more to his game. He has that ability to hold the ball up, play in tighter spots and bring others into play. And then he speaks…
Arteta has got rid of the egos at the club – Mesut Ozil, Peirre Emerick-Aubameyang, Matteo Guendouzi. I am not sure we should be going for someone who comes across so self-centered. Someone who every interview he does talks about moving away. Someone who has taken every opportunity to slag off the club he plays for. The club who stuck with him during the betting controversy.
Toney the player is very good. Toney the man not so.
Anyone from Brazil
Lastly, I do not want to see us taking a punt on anyone from Brazil, unless they are a teenager that we are prepared to develop for a couple of years ala Gabriel Martinelli.
18 months ago, Danilo was the name on everyone’s lips. Many expected him to join Arsenal and become our long term defensive midfielder. Instead in January 2023 he signed for Nottingham Forest.
His performances for Forest since that time have been underwhelming, and he has started just 8 of their last 17 games.
Danilo is not the only reason I would stay away from Brazilian based footballers right now.
Chelsea have looked to exploit the Brazilian market since Todd Boey and Clearlake came in.
Andrey Santos was their first signing. Like Danilo there was a lot of hype around the midfielder. On his second loan deal since joining 18 months ago, he has started just one Ligue 1 game for Strasbourg. That following failing to make a league start for Nottingham Forest when on loan last season.
Next up you have Angelo Gabriel. Another to arrive to Chelsea on loan. He is also not doing very much at Strasbourg. And finally Deivid Washington. He is playing for Chelsea’s youth team.
The 3 Chelsea players are all teenagers, so it is too early to write them off. But it highlights the gap between England and Brazil.
Danilo, Andrey Santos and Angelo Gabriel were all regular starters before moving to England.
My concern is if we were to sign someone like Andre Trindade (23-years-old). We are better off spending more going for a Douglas Luiz or Martin Zubimendi rather than looking for someone a bit cheaper from Brazil.
Endrick aside, their current crop of youngsters feels very underwhelming.
And who do I want? David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, Nico Williams, Benjamin Sesko. That will be £165m well spent.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 