Author Archives: keenosafc

William Saliba picked Marseille and still has “many aspects to fix” of his game before he is ready for Arsenal

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A lot has been said over the last 24 months about what is happening with William Saliba at Arsenal. So far once it is actually interesting to hear from the young Frenchman himself.

“I’m the one who chose to go to Marseille, they [Arsenal] preferred that I go to England, but I knew that coming here was the right choice, so I really pushed for this.”

This is actually quite disappointing and in its isolation would perhaps lead you to be quite critical of Saliba.

Arsenal wanted Saliba to play Premier League football. The thinking would be that 38 games in England’s top flight would show to everyone what standard he is.

Instead Saliba chose to return to France for a 3rd loan spell. It would be easy to label him a “coward” and deciding “the easy life in France” rather than playing at a higher level in Premier League.

“I spoke with the coach [Jorge Sampaoli] and Pablo [Longoria, OM president], and I was quickly convinced.”

I guess the question comes down to “what club did Arsenal want Saliba to join”.

Early reports were that Arsenal were lining him up for a move to Newcastle.

That would have seen Saliba playing under Steve Bruce. Not exactly an inspiring coach to work under.

Meanwhile Jorge Sampaoli is the man who took Chile to Copa America glory back in 2015 and had a spell managing Argentina.

Given the choice between playing under Sampaoli or Bruce, there is only really one logical answer. Sampaoli.

“I’m young, I’m 20 and I haven’t proven anything yet. I still have many aspects to fix and areas in which I can progress.”

This final quote is what has made me warm further towards Saliba.

He recognises that he is not ready yet. That he has yet to prove anything. That he is still young and has plenty to improve on.

Mikel Arteta has been heavily criticised for not giving Saliba a chance, but in the Frenchman’s own word he is not ready yet.

It is easy to forget that Saliba is just 20.

This is 3 years into a 5 year deal with Arsenal.

If Arsenal have an option to extend a year, it would make a lot of sense for him to play the season in France under Sampaoli, and then get his English loan deal. At that point he might be looking at a better club than Newcastle. Better coach than Bruce.

At which point he returns to Arsenal. Just 22. 2 years left on his deal and ready to fit for first team football.

Taking in isolation with just the first quote, Saliba will be criticised. But with the full picture in his own words it is hard not to agree with his viewpoint.

Keenos

Grealish transfer good for English football and could reignite market

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This transfer window has been slow. It has stagnated in the last couple of weeks.

Money at most clubs is tight with the majority needing to sell to buy.

The issue is everyone is pretty much in that same position. And with Europe being broke clubs are limited on where they can sell to.

It was always going to take one big transfer to hopefully reignite the window.

Grealish to Manchester City for £100million gives Aston Villa a huge lump of cash in their pocked that they now need to spend.

They have already spent some of it on Danny Ings for a reported £30million from Southampton.

So as the money now filters down, Southampton now have the Ings transfer money that they can spend. And whoever they spend that money on will in turn have more money to spend.

The hope is Southampton might look towards Arsenal to replace Ings, with a £20million deal for Eddie Nketiah a realistic possibility.

Arsenal, having been the 2nd biggest spenders so far behind Manchester United (unless the Grealish deal has gone through at the time of writing) and now need to sell to further invest.

One huge target is James Maddison.

If Arsenal could secure the sale of Nketiah to Southampton, and with a deal for Joe Willock to Newcastle for £25million reportedly close; Arsenal would have a huge chunk of the Maddison fee paid for.

Leicester City are asking for £70million, but a deal closer to £50million including either Ainsley Maitland-Niles or Reiss Nelson could be agreed upon.

Selling Maddison would then revitilise Leicester City – giving them the funds to make further transfers. And it continues…

So whilst Grealish to Manchester City might be seen by some as “an oil club killing football”, the funds coming from it could revitalise the transfer market.

On a side note, I always find it uncomfortable when Manchester City (or Chelsea) are criticised for signing other clubs players and labelled as ruining the game.

Has anyone criticised Aston Villa for poaching Emi Buendia from Norwich City or Ings from Southampton?

There is a transfer food chain. City will sign players from clubs below them. Those clubs will sign players from below them. And so on.

The Grealish deal is good for English football as it will get the money flowing.

Keenos

Maddison IN; Willock OUT – the transfer window slowly rumbles on

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This transfer window seems to be taking an age, really dragging on.

Arsenal’s first game of the season is in less than 10 days time. But the transfer window still has another 27 days to go.

A couple of years ago the Premier League trialled changing the rules on the window – having it close on the eve of the beginning of the season.

This was done to try and create a “fairer” playing field ensuring teams started the season with their squad and would be unable to make changes until January.

The problem is the rest of Europe did not follow England’s leave and it all ended up a bit of a mess.

So we return to the more traditional window with all nations aligned and it shutting on 31st August.

It might be because the season is starting later than normal but it just feels like there is still a long way to go both until the start of the season and the end of the window.

With Ben white, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Taveras, I am please with the business we have done so far. But there is still plenty of rebuilding to go; and much of it dependent on players departing.

As it stands, the we have 2 holes in the squad a 2nd choice keeper and a creative midfielder.

We have been linked with the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone; but in recent weeks speculation about both seems to have quietened down. That 2nd choice keeper is a must though.

Yesterday speculation of a big bid for James Maddison intensified – with Arsenal happy to seemingly offer Ainsley Maitland-Niles and / or Reiss Nelson as part of the deal.

A move for Maddison would be exciting (it is easy to forget he is just 24-years-old) and would make Arsenal’s squad “complete”.

I think the deal will happen, and it is just a case of Arsenal waiting for the Joe Willock to Newcastle deal to go through and Leicester and (probably) Maitland-Niles to come to an agreement.

Signing Maddison for £40million and Maitland-Niles whilst selling Willock for £20million would be very good business. We would basically be swapping two fringe players for a starter with a net cost of around £20million.

If Arsenal get Maddison over the line alongside a new keeper, I would expect only two more possible signings.

A right back will come in if Hector Bellerin finds a new home, and a new striker if Alexandre Lacazette is sold.

It feels a natural time for Bellerin to leave, but like Granit Xhaka only if the deal suits Arsenal.

Arsenal would need to reinvest any funds from Bellerin in a replacement – so a loan deal would make no sense.

Likewise if the incoming transfer would not go a long way to paying for Bellerin’s replacement, a deal should not happen.

Like with the Xhaka deal, it would be silly to undersell the player, which could leave us short in signing a replacement. The result of this is why change targets to someone cheaper and end up signing someone who is not as good as the player that left.

This is the situation the Xhaka to Roma transfer left us in.

Roma reportedly bid £10million for Xhaka. Who realistically would we have signed as a replacement for that sort of price with money being so tight?

Bellerin is similar.

It would just be a dumb move to sell him for £15million and then have to spend £30million on someone who is marginally better; or £20million on someone he is no better.

Lacazette is a headache.

The French striker is a popular member of the squad and emerged as a leader and role model last season. But he has just 1 year left on his contract.

It would be irresponsible for Arsenal to offer him a new deal – Lacazette will be 31 at the end of the season.

We are in a similar situation with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And if we ended up with two ageing strikers on long term contracts it would tie up too much money for too long.

That is why I think there is legs in the talk surrounding Lautaro Martínez.

Martinez reminds me of a Carlos Tevez / Sergio Aguero.

A hard working forward with a big bum and will cause teams trouble in the Premier League.

I can certainly see a front 4 of Pepe / Saka, Maddison, Aubameyang and Martinez working.

Arsenal will not raise much selling Lacazette, so a move for Martinez will only occur if we shift on a couple more players.

If Arsenal can raise some money selling Eddie Nketiah & Reiss Nelson (if he is not used as part of the Maddison deal), chuck in Willian’s wages and shift Lacazette, a deal for Martinez could be financed.

A move for Martinez will probably happen late in the window, and only after we have cleared out those attacking players now surplus to requirements.

Putting the squad down on paper, it is easy to get excited.

If (and it is a big if) Arsenal get Martinez and Maddison over the line, that will be: Pepe, Saka, Maddison, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang, Martinez, Martinelli, Balogun as the 8 options for the 4 players behind the striker.

That should be enough fire power to drive us to top 4.

There is plenty of time to go in this window and hopefully we can make the sales required to bring in our targets.

Keenos