Category Archives: Arsenal

Edu set for busy week resolving 5 transfer deals

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As the Sky Sports News transfer window clock tickets below 7 days to go, Arsenal still have business to do.

The window “slams shut” at 11pm on 11pm BST on next Thursday. So what transfer saga’s will be resolved in the next 7 days?

Pedro Neto

The Wolves midfielder has been the big “new link” to Arsenal this week.

Over the course of the window, plenty of armchair scouts have said Neto is a player we should be targetting and this week David Ornstein dropped this:

Neto would be an interesting acquisition to the side.

His age, versatility, work rate and Premier League experience matches the profile of our recent transfer strategy.

The 22-year-old winger would provide cover and competition on both wings to Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

With us having 50+ games to play this season, he would enable us to rest and rotate those wide men.

Last season we ran Bukayo Saka into the ground and without adequete competition, the same will happen this season. Signing Neto would be a coup and it would give Mikel Arteta 3 fantastic wide options.

The big stumbling block would be Wolves do not really want – or need – to sell. And Arsenal do not really have the funds to make an offer that they just can not refuse.

When you consider Morgan Gibbs-White was recently sold by Wolves to Nottingham Forest for £45million and Chelsea are considering spending £60million on Anthony Gordon, you begin to realise just how much it might take to secure Neto’s services.

Jorge Mendes relationship with Wolves could be key.

His agency (Gestifute) are in bed with the Midlands club who utilse the relationship to sign Portuguese players they have no right in signing.

Part of that agreement has to be that Mendes will push his clients towards Wolves, as long as Wolves sell on his clients when a “bigger” club comes in.

It is a “benefits all” agreement as Mendes gets talented young Portuguese players playing time in the Premier League, Wolves get players that are better than they’d naturally attract, and everyone makes a bit of money when they are sold on.

Wolves currently have 11 players that are signed with Gestifute. Can they afford to upset Mendes by refusing to sell one of his clients. It will be biting their nose of to spite their face.

Neto is a realistic target, but we would need Mendes to put the pressure on (and this will probably cost a few million in agents fees!)

Youri Tielemans

I still maintain we will not be in for Youri Tielemans.

I just can not see the deal happening when we have quite a few “number 8s” now in Martin Odergaard, Granit Xhaka, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal were in for him early in the summer, I think that is clear and obvious, but as it progressed we moved for someone else (Vieira) and decided to stick with a current player (Xhaka).

Now some might begin having the debate between Xhaka and Tielemans, but it is one that is not worthwhile waisting your breath on.

Tielemans only comes in if Xhaka is sold. And as anyone who has watched All or Nothing will know, Xhaka is the leader on and off the pitch. He might not wear the armband but he is the captain.

Add in the Zinchenko can play in midfield and we are overloaded in the centre of the park.

The only place in central midfield we need to strengthen is cover for Partey. but Tielemans is not that!

And I expect us to go big for a defensive midfielder next summer who can go on to be a long term replacement for PArtey rather than short term cover.

Tielemans will not happen (disclaimer: unless Leicester drop the price to something silly!)

Nicolas Pepe

Rumours emerged a couple of weeks ago that Nicolas Pepe might be off to Nice on loan.

The Ivorian winger is clearly not in Mikel Arteta’s plans and was left out of the squad for the Bournemouth game.

Whilst Nice seem to be in pole position to buy, Leicester City have quietly been linked with him.

Leicester City need to sell to buy, and the likes of Wesley Fofana, James Maddison and Youri Tielemans have been linked with moves away.

If they sell one of these for big money, they might end up doing a transfer deadline day Supermarket Sweep and overpay for anyone they can get their hands on.

Another interested suitor could help Arsenal in negotiations with Nice – potentially allowing us to insert (or increase) any obtions or obligations to buy.

I think he will end up being a Nice player (and it might happen before this blog has been published). But keep an eye on Leicester.

Note: he joined Nice late last night…

Ainsley Maitland-Niles

It is surprising that there has been next to zero transfer speculation surrounding the future of Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

In 2020 he was subject of a £15million bid from Wolves, and then in 2021 he was reportedly close to joining Leicester City.

On both occasions, he was denied his wish to leave and played very little in the first halves of the season. This resulted in loan deals (firstly to WBA, then to Roma).

His stock has certainlg dropped since 2020 – when he won 5 England caps and he turns 25 in a few days.

His career has stalled in the last 2 years – and Arsenal are to blame – and he now has just one year left on his contract.

The Ainsley Maitland-Niles saga has now been going on for 2-years and the lack of transfer speculation makes me think it will not be resolved this summer.

I just can not see where a bid will come from – unless a club that has started slowly becomes desperate and is happy splashing the cash.

More than likely is that this season will mirror the last 3 – he will remain at Arsenal doing very little before moving out on loan in January. He will then depart on a free next season.

Hector Bellerin

The fturue of Hector Bellerin is a strange one.

He seems to want to return to Real Betis, but they reportedly do not have the finances to make a deal happen.

Bellerin was rumoured to have offered Arsenal to cancel his contract to get the move to enable Betis to finance a free transfer, but this has not materilised.

In recent days Bellerin has been linked with Barcelona.

Arsenal are reportedly demanding just £5million for Bellerin, but like Betis, Barcelona are holding out for a free transfer.

I can see this one going down to the last day and it will be “who blinks first” between all parties involved.

Plenty still for Arsenal to work in over the next 7 days. And with 2 games during this team, you begin to see why no top club has any manager / head coach involved in transfer dealings anymore.

Edu is set for a busy week.

Keenos

Gabriel Martinelli Apology

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I am happy to hold my hands up and say I was wrong with this one.

When we signed Martinelli, I wrote an honest blog about how I signing and 18-year-old from Brazil sent out a “negative message to the Arsenal Academy”.

Now when we signed him, I had not seen him play. Never heard of him. And anyone that claims to have watched him previously to us signing him is a liar.

The clubs original plan for Martinelli was to stick him in the academy. For him to be part of the development squad.

I questioned what message this would put out to a very talented group of young local lads – Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson, Xavier Amaechi, Bukayo Saka, Tyreece John-Jules and Florian Balogun.

Surely it would be better to give the chance to a guy that had been with the club since he was 6-years-old? By adding an unknown kid from Brazil to this group get a little wrong. A little dirty.

My view point was, and still is, that players from abroad should be bought in at 18 to improve the first team squad, not the U21s.

But I did not know what a talent we had on our hands. And in all honesty I do not think the club fully knew either.

Martinelli ended up not playing in the academy and was instead very quickly promoted to the first team squad. Three years later and he is closing in on 100 appearances for The Arsenal.

Of that group of players I name checked, Bukayo Saka has is the only one to become a first team regular. This reinforces the saying that “if you are good enough you will get your chance”.

Since that blog, I have written a lot on Martinelli. All praise. For me he could emulate what Alexis Sanchez did at the club. And in him and Saka we have two of the brighter young players in Europe (still).

So Gabi, whilst I still do not agree with foreign lads joining the academy at 18-years-old, you proved to everyone that you were better than that.

In blogging, we make snap judgments to stay relevant. And occasionally our initial viewpoint will be wrong.

I probably should have apologised early to Martinelli, but I’d forgotten I wrote the blog until I was searching for another.

I will “hold that L” as the kids say.

Keenos

Tielemans, Saliba Contract, Outgoings and More

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Tielemans

I still maintain we will not be in for Youri Tielemans.

I just can not see the deal happening when we have quite a few “number 8s” now in Martin Odergaard, Granit Xhaka, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal were in for him early in the summer, I think that is clear and obvious, but as it progressed we moved for someone else (Vieira) and decided to stick with a current player (Xhaka).

Now some might begin having the debate between Xhaka and Tielemans, but it is one that is not worthwhile waisting your breath on.

Tielemans only comes in if Xhaka is sold. And as anyone who has watched All or Nothing will know, Xhaka is the leader on and off the pitch. He might not wear the armband but he is the captain.

Add in the Zinchenko can play in midfield and we are overloaded in the centre of the park.

The only place in central midfield we need to strengthen is cover for Partey. but Tielemans is not that!

And I expect us to go big for a defensive midfielder next summer who can go on to be a long term replacement for PArtey rather than short term cover.

Tielemans will not happen (disclaimer: unless Leicester drop the price to something silly!)

Now Pedro Neto is a deal to keep an eye on…

Saliba Contract

There has been talk for some time that William Saliba has agreed a new contract, and the club are just waiting for the right time time too announce it.

The right time will probably be when Hector Bellerin leaves.

We know that Saliba has half an eye on Bellerin’s Number 2 shirt, and Arsenal do not have a habit of giving a shirt number to a “new” player when the incumbent is still at the club.

Saliba has worn a variety of shirt numbers throughout his career – 4 at AS Saint-Étienne and when he joined Arsenal, 4 at Nice, 17 with France and 2 at Marseille.

With many players wanting to associate themselves with a single shirt number – and build a brand around it – Saliba seems to have his eyes on the number 2 at Arsenal.

With 4 gone (Ben White), 2 could be vacated very soon if Bellerin gets his move away.

It is not too late for Saliba to swap shirt numbers this season so it would not be a surprise if his contract renewal is met with a new shirt announcement.

I only hope if this happens, Arsenal do the right thing and refund anyone that has bought Saliba 12.

Outgoings

Arsenal are still a selling (or loaning) club and whilst we have done well clearing the decks, there are still a couple more senior players that we will look to move on over the next week.

The recent departures have been development loans

Highly rates right back Brooke Norton-Cuffy has joined Rotherham in the Championship.

The 18-year-old right back impressed for Lincoln City last season in League One. Joining Rotherham is another step up in his development.

He should play week in, week out for them and will grow dramatically as a player. Next season expect him to return and compete for a starting place at right back – Norton-Cuffy is a big reason we have not signed a right back this summer.

Also loaned out is Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand.

The Dutchman joined in 2020, but spent most of his first season out injured.

Last season he was a regular for the youth team and appeared on the first team bench a handful of times.

Rumours are Hull City have an option to buy in the loan deal. This would surprise me as he is clearly a gifted footballer.

But then he also competes with the likes of Charlie Patino (who has joined Blackpool on loan) and as discussed above, plays in a position where Arsenal have a lot of competition.

Not every player will make it at Arsenal (most won’t) and the majority will not even “get their chance”. If the club has decided that Patino is streets ahead of M’Hand and therefore we should cash in rather than offer a new deal to the elder player, then we should back that.

Expect a few more outs between now and the end of the transfer window.

Omari Hutchinson

When youngster Hutchinson left a few weeks ago to Chelsea, there was some negativity about.

Some were concerned that we were letting go a talented young player on free to a rival.

The reality was Hutchinson’s contract came to an end and he joined the club that offered him the biggest salary – Chelsea.

I found it hilarious that Hutchinson was holding Chelsea’s number 7 shirt during the promotion pictures, only to then be given the 82.

He possibily went to Chelsea thinking he would get a chance to play. Reality is he has been sent to their youth team and will end up being loaned out 5 or 6 times.

At the weekend he played against Arsenal’s U21s. Arsenal won 4-1.

As they say, the grass isn’t always greener…