In the last couple of weeks, I have seen plenty of chatter about Declan Rice to Arsenal. The majority seems to be fan driven who are calling for Edu to make the Englishman our number one transfer target.
Declan Rice should not be a player Arsenal are targeting. and there is a big reason. Thomas Teye Partey.
The Partey is not over
Fans seem to be very quick to write off Thomas Partey’s Arsenal career, following a period where the Ghanaian has struggled with injury.
Since joining the club in 2020, hje has missed 39 games through injury. A huge chunk in a season and a half.
Injuries have also hit during the crucial run-in of the last 2 seasons, with many pointing to his absences as the reason why we failed to get European football in 2021/22 and missed out on Champions League football at the end of 22/23.
This was not blaming Partey, but more pointing out that we needed quality cover, and potentially a replacement. Many fans sit on that second fence and view Declan Rice as a man to replace Partey.
This season, Partey has largely mainted his fitness – helped in part by his mid-week game time being managed. And he is a key reason why we are top of the league.
We win 62% of our Premier League games when Partey starts. That drops down to 42% of games when he does not.
It is clear and obvious that Partey is our most important player. And in my opinion he is the best in the world at what he does – the single pivot defensive midfielder.
No one comes close in terms of positioning, awareness, strength, power and ability on the ball when playing as the lone defensive midfielder. Rice is good, but not yet that good.
Partey is also just 29-years-old, so lets not start writing off his Arsenal career yet!
Can not accomodate both
It would make little to know sense to sign Rice whilst Partey is still at the club.
You would expect West Ham to command a fee close to £100million for their captain. It makes no sense for Arsenal to spend that, only to then put him into a job share arrangement.
We also do not play with 2 defensive midfielders. Partey plays deep, with Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard ahead.
This midfield make-up is a key reason we are top of the league.
I can not see Arteta returning to 2 defensive midfielders, sacrificng Xhaka for Rice.
Rice is also not an “8”, so he would not be a replacement for Xhaka in that more advanced position – and if we have £100m to spend we would be better looking at Jude Bellingham to replace Xhaka (or just snap up Youri Tielemans on a free!).
Reality is, Rice and Partey in the same squad makes no sense.
Partey is the better player, but Rice suffers less injuries. I would prefer we play the better player.
Better to buy younger
What we should be doing is looking to buy a younger, cheaper pretender that can be cover for Partey, and be a long term replacement. This solution solves all of the above.
We have been linked with the likes of Moises Caicedo and Danilo of Palmeiras over the last few months. They would make better options than Rice.
You could easily accomodate Partey and one of the above, with both men good enough to come in for the 33% of games Partey is out.
Both men would be a fraction of what Rice costs, and have a huge ceiling.
That would allow us to continue managing Partey’s game time – ensuring he is fit and available for the toughest, biggest, most important games.
As discussed, you can not really have a squad containing Rice and Partey. So even if you signed Rice, you would still need to look at getting in a 2nd player in that position.
Given the choice between Partey and Rice, I would go for Partey every day of the week.
Do not expect Declan Rice to be joining Arsenal any time soon.
The big football news concerns what happened in Italy last night.
The entire Juventus board resigned last night following a charge of false accounting. Last season saw a year of record-breaking losses published by the Turin club – £220million.
Reports in Italy are that the accounting scandal could be as big as the 2006 match fixing scandal, which saw Juventus relegated.
A Turin prosecutor had alleged that the club misrepresented financial losses in the period 2018-20, with prosecutors investigating the amount ascribed to player sales.
Up to 15 individuals, including club president Andrea Agnelli, are reported listed as suspects following an investigation and could face a legal trial.
Football is a vulture sport. Clubs are quick to take advantage of another’s demise and lick the bones clean.
In 2006, a lot of Juve players stayed despite their relegation – Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Perio, David Trezeguet, Pavel Nedved and more. But these were club legends who clearly get they owed the side something. I do not think that can be said about many of the current squad.
Two names stand out as potential Arsenal targets – former targets Manuel Locatelli and Dusan Vlahovic.
Could Arsenal return for the pair? Or having been turned down by them, should we move on to other targets?
Manuel Locatelli
I have been a huge fan of Locatelli for years.
A couple of years ago I did a bit of scouting work to try and establish a Granit Xhaka replacement (this was for myself, not paid work for Arsenal!). Locatelli came out as the number one target.
He had the passing, defensive work rate and youth to be a long term Xhaka replacement. He ended up joining Juventus on a 2-year loan deal, with the Italian side obliged to pay €25million at the end of this season.
With what is going on, they may not have the funds to make the deal permanent. That would put him back into the open market.
Two years ago, when I was doing my research, it was Xhaka I was looking to replace. A lot has changed since then.
Xhaka has been pushed further forward, and Thomas Partey plays as the single pivot defensive midfielder. I am not sure Locatelli is suited to either of these position.
For Juventus, he tends to play as part of a solid midfield 3 alongside Adrien Rabiot and Weston McKennie.
It is a solid, hard working midfield 3 reminiscent of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gini Winjaldum. Juventus also play with a back 3.
A question needs to be asked whether Locatelli can transition from being part of a 3 man defensive wall in front of the defence, to a one person army.
He is more of a Xabi Alonso, an Andrea Pirlo, than a Sergio Busquets or Gennaro Gattuso. I am not sure he is the man to compete with Partey.
And if we are considering playing him further forward, I think there are more suitable options.
Locatelli does not really get involved in the final 3rd for Juventus, although this could be by design and through instruction at Juventus. He was more creative for Sassuolo.
I just think if we are looking for a Xhaka back-up/replacement, there are more natural 8s coming on the market – I’m thinking of Youri Tielemans.
If we need a new 8, the case for Tielemans is stronger than Locatelli.
The Belgium is around the same age, but is Premier League proven in that position.
My bet is Locatelli will end up at either Manchester United or Liverpool.
I can see him doing a job in a midfield two alongside Casemiro. Likewise Jurgen Klopp loves a midfield 3 like Juventus.
We will probably miss out on Locatelli again, but this time it will be our choice.
Dusan Vlahovic
We were in for Vlahovic last January, and he ended up joining Juventus.
Reports came out of Turin early on that he was unhappy, that Juve’s style of play did not suit him.
Plenty has been written about his “struggles” and Aleksandar Mitrović has been selected ahead of him in both of Serbia’s games so far at the World Cup
The selection is not a huge surprise – Mitrovic has been first choice for 9 years and their top goal scorer with 51 in 78 games. Vlahovic only made his debut in 2020.
To Serbia, Mitrovic is their Harry Kane. A consistent performer for country even when not so consistent for club. He is undroppable for them.
But Vlahovic he still has 16 goals in 36 games for Juventus and 9 in 18 for Serbia.
After the Vlahovic deal fell through last winter, Arsenal kept the powder dry and recruited Gabriel Jesus in the summer. Despite his goal drought, he has been a huge success.
His movement, creativity, pressing and defending from the front has created as many as he has scored. Only Manchester City have scored more goals than us this season, and the way our front 3 are spreading the load gives us a triple threat up top.
Vlahovic is more of a central striker. What we would lose in the combination play between Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Jesus we would gain in Vlahovic’s clinical finishing.
I also have a theory that Jesus would still have been a target even if signed Vlahovic last winter.
Over the summer, after the Brazilians recruitment, we continued to chase Raphinha. This showed that Mikel Arteta wanted a trio of wide forwards.
Had Vlahovic have joined, would Jesus have been this wide forward option? He would have competed alongside Martinelli and Saka to play either side of the big man, whilst also been the first choice to come in for Vlahovic to rest and rotate.
Arsenal are heavily linked with Mykhailo Mudryk, showing Arteta still wants a wideman.
Could a solution be buying Vlahovic, and then utilising Jesus outwide?
This would solve 2 issues at the club – no top class back up for Jesus, no top class back up for Martinelli / Saka. Jesus would become that.
But that is the role that made Jesus so unhappy at Manchester City.
He was fed up of playing 2nd fiddle to Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez. And in his final season – with no Aguero – he still played more outwide than up top.
Whilst he has flourished up front, Jesus has previosuly spoken about playingoutwide:
Speaking to City magazine, Jesus said: “I feel comfortable out wide and can help my teammates and my team. I can make runs in behind, control the ball, make passes, make crosses, help in defending. As I say, I feel comfortable there.
“I didn’t start to play as a winger just this season. I have played with the national team there for two years. I started to play in the first team of Palmeiras as a winger as well and I played sometimes when I arrived here as a winger as well. So I think I’m okay there.
“I can make runs in behind, control the ball, make passes, make crosses, help defend so it’s all good and suits my game.”
So maybe, even though we want Jesus to play upfront, he feels more comfortable outwide.
There is still the “job sharing” aspect we need to consider. But it is a bit different at Arsenal.
For City, he was rotated with Sterling, Mahrez, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva on the wingers. 6 players for two positions.
At Arsenal it would be himself, Saka, Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe. And Smith Rowe is a long way behind the others. He would basically only be competing with Saka and Martinelli. 3 into 2 at Arsenal against 6 into 2 at City. And he would still be that 2nd choice option up top.
Whereas I do not think Locatelli is required right now, a move for Vlahovic could be on the table.
Signing Vlahovic, and utilising Jesus outwide, would put an end to our pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk.
Keenos
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Arsenal were unbeaten in the league after 22 games played.
Despite the 23 game unbeaten run (including the final 2 games of the 2002/03 season), Arsenal were not running away with the league.
We were just 2 points ahead of Manchester United, having only regained top position the week before.
It would have been very easy for the club to “stick” with the current squad rather than “twist” and bring someone in.
The club decided to spend £10.5million (rising to £17m) on 20-year-old Spanish starlet Jose Antonio Reyes.
As we all know, Arsenal would go on to famously win the Premier League unbeaten, and finished 15 points ahead of Manchester United.
Whilst Reyes scored just 2 Premier League goals (and an own goal!) in the second half of the season, he had a huge influence on the title charge.
He was an exciting, fresh, young talent. In a time before social media scouts, YouTube compliations and ITK’s.
In just has 5th game, he scored twice as Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup.
Everytime he began warming up, a buzz would go around the Highbury faithful.
Full of pace, direct running, energy and with a huge smile, it was not hard to fall in love with him.
He provided a freshness to the team, he re-energised the crowd. And we carried that through to the end of the season.
And Arsenal need to make a similar signing this January.
We are top of the league. 5 points clear after 14 games. But we are not favourites.
Post World Cup, we will need something, need someone, to get the crowd bouncing. A jolt to the system, a jump start Arsenal’s title challenge.
And there is no better way of doing that then signing a Reyes-esque player.
We need to be looking to sign someone who is young, exciting, fresh and plays with a smile on their face.
Someone who will put pressure on those players currently in the 1st team. Someone who will re-energise the crowd. Get us on our feet as he warms up in-front of the West stand. Comes on to big cheers in anticipation of what he might do.
This sort of player will quickly stop us becoming stale as we roll in through 2023. Will keep the boo boys away that will jump on us not signing someone (or signing someone withe xperience), and spreading their negativty into our title chase.
We have all seen the links with a certain Ukrainian winger in recent weeks. The hype is real.
Whilst Mykhailo Mudryk, Rafael Leão, Cody Gakpo, or whoever we might sign will mainly be bought in for the next 4 or 5 years, their immediate impact on the terraces and training ground can not be underestimated.
Reyes really did not do much in those 13 league games (6 from the bench). But he gave the team an extra energy when we needed it.
Edu needs to get his man in early, prior to the Spurs game. And the new face, the extra energy, could be the marginal gain we need to beat Tottenham and Manchester United in January.
Keenos
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