Arsenal showing transfer policy shift with Taveres and Lokonga pursuit

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In recent years, Arsenal have wasted a lot of money on ageing former stars whose best days are behind them.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, Willian and David Luiz are the names that first spring to mind. Old players reaching the end of their career signed to plug a gap in the squad. But the policy of signing older players did not stop with free transfers.

Arsenal also signed the likes of Sokratis (30 years old when signing), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (29) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (29).

Signing players in their late 20s creates two issues for the future:

1) They are usually close to, our over the hill; meaning you end up with a highly paid player who is on the decline and are unable to sell them as no one else will match the wages

2) And if you can move them on, the transfer fee is usually minuscule meaning that you are basically “writing off” their original transfer fee knowing you will not get much back.

Of the 6 players above, only 2 (Willian and Aubameyang) are still at the club. None of the 4 who left generated a transfer fee.

It is short term fixes and, bar Aubameyang, none of them have really worked out.

So it is fresh to see Arsenal chasing the likes of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.

Lokonga is a 21-year-old Belgium central midfielder currently playing for Anderlecht. He is an all action midfielder that will add more pace and power into the middle of the park.

Also just 21 is Portuguese left back Tavares. If Arsenal get the deal across the line he will provide the cover for Kieran Tierney.

In years gone past, Arsenal would have gone for Ryan Bertrand or Patrick van Aanholt.

Whilst both would have been solid additions as free transfers to back up Tierney, old and cheap would have had a lot of fans think “here we go again”.

The advantage of signings the likes of Taveres and Lokonga is sell on value.

Both players will be tied down to 5-year deals. If they progress and fulfil their talent, Arsenal will look to make a huge profit on the pair financing further signings somewhere down the line.

If they do not quite reach the highest level, Arsenal would still look to make a profit on the pair in 2 or 3 or 4 years time.

Sell on value is so important to keep your squad fresh.

The pursuit of Brighton’s Ben White and Yves Bissouma is also exciting.

Whilst both are a little older – White 23 & Bissouma 24 – the pair still have youth on their side.

I have always thought that the likes of Arsenal, Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, etc operate best when buying players 24 & under. Recruiting the “next big thing” rather than just buying “ready made, off the shelf”.

Our transfer policy got a little lost post 2014 with the recruitment of Petr Cech.

And whilst the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were fantastic signings, both were huge investments which we knew we would not get much return from when sold.

When you look at the current Arsenal squad, the likes of Gabriel, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Saka, Martinelli are all 24 and under. You add White, Bissouma, Taveres, Lokonga and that would be 9 players in that age range.

Hopefully the Taveres and Lokonga pursuit shows the club recognises that we have wasted too much money on senior players. That we need to be building for the future.

From Vieira to van Persie, Henry to Adebayor, Toure to Nasri, I could go on.

The equation is simple. Buy players U24, develop, sell and start again.

Keenos

Every player has his price…what is Emile Smith Rowe’s?

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At some point Aston Villa might make a high enough bid that Arsenal sit their and think “wow, we need to accept that”.

According to David Ornstein, Arsenal have rejected an offering in the region of £30million for Emile Smith Rowe.

That is already huge money for a lad who has started just 19 Premier League games.

What is clear is that Aston Villa are trying to get in replacements for Jack Grealish prior to selling him.

They have already spent big on Emi Buendia from Norwich, and their pursuit of Smith Rowe shows that they are looking to replace Grealish with 2 rather than one.

So how high will Villa be willing to go for Smith Rowe? And will it be high enough?

Smith Rowe was a breath of fresh air last season. His work rate, creativity and attitude, alongside Bukayo Saka, was one of the few positives from a tough season.

But what is also clear is that he is probably not yet ready to play week in week out as Arsenal’s 10.

We bought in Martin Odergaard in January and the pair shared the role. It is likely this summer we will make a permanent signing in that position.

You would expect whoever comes in to be first choice, with Smith Rowe becoming his understudy.

Smith Rowe will still get plenty of play time – and his versatility will be an asset; but at what point do those in charge of Arsenal think to themselves “that is too much money to turn down for a 2nd string player”.

Say Villa bid £40million for Smith Rowe. Arsenal could probably replace him with someone from Europe for half of that. And what if the bid reaches £50million? Or beyond?

That sort of money would finance a move for someone like Houssem Aouar, who is a level above Smith Rowe. We would get change out of the deals leaving us even more money to add further creativity.

To make it clear, I would not want us to sell Smith Rowe. But we would be crazy to turn down that sort of money for a bit-part player with potential.

Every player has his price; I wonder what Smith Rowe’s is…

Keenos

Bukayo Saka is the blueprint Arteta and Edu need to recruit

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A signature of Arsene Wenger’s recruitment was not only buying young, talented players but also focusing what was between the ears.

Wenger wound look to bring in youngsters who were intelligent and keen to learn.

You can have all the talent in the world, but if you are not interested in listening to coaches, following instruction, learning, you will not develop.

Bukayo Saka would have been a perfect recruit for Wenger. And he is the mould of player we need to be recruiting to improve the side.

Saka is an intelligent kid. Straight A student. He is a keen student of the game.

You get the feeling he is one of those that would sit at the front of the class. Always attentive. Always listening. Wanting to learn.

He is also a very humble kid.

You never see him involved in high-jinks or believing himself to be above his station. He does not really have much of a social media presence. None of those silly tweets we see others do.

You get the feeling Emile Smith Rowe is cut from a similar cloth.

Compare the pair to Matteo Guendouzi.

Trouble has followed Guendouzi everywhere he has gone.

He reportedly struggles to follow instruction and has a bit of an ego. An attitude.

If Saka was sat at the front of the class, Guendouzi was at the back. The class joker. Making fart noises when the teacher bent over.

Guendouzi’s school report would be “has the ability but lacks focus.”

Where Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba fit in I do not know.

When it comes to young players, their willingness to learn is just as equal as their natural ability.

For many, it is their natural ability that got them through the academy system. But those players that make it the very top – Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas – have the intelligence and work ethic alongside natural ability.

More players like Saka, less like Guendouzi and we will be in a good place.

Keenos