It really could not happen to a more odious set of fans.

When Newcastle became a sports washing project for a murderous regime, their fans celebrated like they had just found their Grandfather’s Nazi gold he buried in the back garden.

It is 5-years since the Newcastle takeover was complete and all they have to show for it is a singular League Cup. By now they would have hoped to have taken over the world – but the issue is when you are reliant on a sugar daddy rather than organic growth, the project can grind to a halt if the owner turns off the tap. And that is what has happened with PIF and Newcastle.

PIF’s most recent investment strategy showed a pivot away from sports washing. LIV golf was the first victim of their change and as predicted Newcastle was not far behind.

Whilst their fans cry online about “PSR” making it unfair that they can not spend the trillions their owners in the bank have, the truth is that PIF have no interest in spending, and at no point since they took over have Newcastle put themselves in a position of self-sufficiency.

This summer they have already lost Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali. Eddie Howe is also out the door and club captain Bruno Guimaraes is now on the verge of signing for Arsenal. Joelinton will probably be off too.

Over the past 4-5 weeks, since Arsenal were linked with Bruno, all we have heard from crying Newcastle fans is how he is “not for sale” and it is just journalists “causing trouble”. Arsenal fans were used to it having lived through West Ham doing the same.

Newcastle journalists lost their minds on social media as they claimed Arsenal were not in for Bruno. One Telegraph journalist will probably need sectioning if the deal goes through. These same “well placed” journalists showed they do not have the “well placed sources” they claim when Howe’s departure blindside them. Ironically, it was Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein who broke this news first!

So Arsenal will get Bruno for a deal in the region of £75m, and Newcastle fans will immediately change their tune from calling Bruno “best in the league” to “Arsenal overpaid”. Again, the exact same tactic West Ham used for Rice.

In West Ham fans eyes, Declan Rice was the best central midfielder in the world. Until he joined Arsenal. Then he was an overrated midfielder who could not pass and whose only skill was running about.

In the last 12-months, Newcastle fans have told anyone that would listen that Bruno was better than Rice. Better than Rodri. Best midfielder in the league. Overnight they will claim that they have had Arsenal’s pants down, £75m for a 28-year-old (who they will claim is nearly 30).

But age is nothing but a number.

Bruno only started playing regular first team senior football at 21. He has 429 games on his clock. That is just 57 more than Jude Bellingham who is more than 5-years younger. It is also 60 less than Declan Rice who is 2-years younger.

Countless midfielders in history have had begun their peaks at 28.

You have Xabi Alonso who joined Real Madrid at 28. He played 236 games for Madrid before joining Bayern Munich and playing another 117 games before retiring. Luka Modric has played nearly 600 games for club and country since turning 28 and won the Ballon d’OR.

On the other side of Spain, Xabi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were all playing regularly for Barcelona past 34-years-old.

Man City signed Fernandinho at 28-years-old. He stayed with them for 9 seasons and played nearly 400 games. Then you have Andrea Pirlo who AC Milan dumped at 31. Too old. Legs gone. He spent the next 4-seasons at Juventus making AC Milan regret their decision.

Arsenal are in a position where we do not need to worry about sell on value. We are in the business of winning trophies. Not buying players to sell for profit. And the more trophies we win, the more our revenue will increase.

If Bruno stays at his current level for 4-5 years, then more legal titles will come. And maybe even the Champions League. And the increased commercial revenue from winning those will far dwarf any profit we would have made from buying someone younger, not as good, and selling them on.

And when you are seeing the likes of Elliott Anderson and Sandro Tonali go for £100m+, there would not be much room for profit were we to buy someone younger, who was as good as Bruno.

Arsenal fans should also not be scared of squad depth.

Declan Rice needs 2 months of not playing, whilst Martin Zubimendi was running on fumes last season. Bringing Bruno in makes a fantastic trio of top central midfielders for 2 positions. Throw in Myles Lewis Skelly and that is 4 players for 4 positions, with Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze as the more attacking options.

What happens with Mikel Merino and Ethan Nwaneri is up for debate. But Bruno is better than both so signing him above them is no debate.

Arsenal will get the deal done. Newcastle fans will cry. That will turn into anger and delusion. And I am off to stick a fiver on the getting relegated.

UTA

Keenos

This morning when scrolling through Twitter, I spat out my tea at something I read:

Arsene Wenger built a dynasty on signing players and converting them into something else – Emmanuel Petit from central defender to defensive midfielder, Lauren from defensive midfielder to right back, Thierry Henry to winger back to a striker and Robert Pires from attacking midfielder to winter. I would not say Mikel Arteta has a similar reputation, and to claim it is his biggest flaw is simply disengenous.

Now before people claim “pile on” and “ignore social media”, it was tweeted out by an account with nearly 27,000 followers. These sort of “micro influencers” have a duty of care to get things right. But we all know they simply spend their days telling mistruths to earn their advertising revenue.

So lets look a little deeper into what was said. The accusation that Arteta’s biggest flaw is that Arteta signs centre backs and plays them at right back or left back, signs wingers and turns them into central midfielders and vice versa.

Now I presume in defence, “Ifeoluwani” is talking about Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Ricardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie

Jurrien Timber

Signed from Ajax with the intention of him becoming our first choice right back, Timber had played nearly two thirds of his pre-Arsenal career at full back. He has since gone on to become one of the best right backs in world football. He is also fantastic cover at centre back and left back. Could probably also play defensive midfielder. Did someone say Dutch total footballer?

Ben White

In Ben White’s first season at Arsenal (21/22), he struggled at centre back. In 22/23 he was moved by Arteta to right back and became one of the best in the league, forming a brilliant partnership with Bukayo Saka as Arsenal launched an unpredictable title challenge. He would have got a lot more caps for England at right back were it not for England being stacked with options at that time and a fall out with Steve Holland.

Had he been fit this summer, Ben White would have been England’s first choice right back and we might have won the World Cup.

Ricardo Calafiori

Before joining, Calafiori had played 41 senior games at centre back, 44 games at left back. Signed as our first choice left back, and also someone that could cover centre back if needed. Most recognise Calafiori as a unicorn player who can dominate wherever he is on the pitch. A success (when fit).

Piero Hincapie

Over two thirds of his appearances for Bayer Leverkusen came at either left back or left midfield. One of the best left backs in the Premier League.

What is clear is that Mikel Arteta has a preference – he likes his left backs to also be comfortable playing inside. In Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Ricardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie he has 4 full back options who play the game exactly he wants it. This is not a flaw. This is a clarity in thinking and successful recruitment,.. You would struggle to find anyone who would criticise any of the 4’s signings. Excluding the odd online attention seeker.

Moving into the midfield, we have Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze. These are the only two that you could make a case for that Arteta has tried to “change their position”

Leandro Trossard

What a signing Trossard has been. There is no debate. And he has contributed at Arsenal on both flanks, more centrally and further upfront. Trossard’s versatility is an asset, not a flaw. And he has changed so many games for us playing left wing.

Eberechi Eze

Removing the debate as to whether Eze has been a flop or not, Arteta has not changed his position.

Like Trossard, Eze is a versatile attacked. Whilst his preference to play centrally, he has spent much of his career on the wings. And he has continued that at Arsenal.

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In summary, the only flaw I see is from an individual deciding to moan that Arteta attempts to change players positions. He does not. Hr just likes versatile players who are comfortable no matter where they are on the pitch.

Football has moved passed rigid 442. Almost every team now looks to recruit “total footballers” where centre backs can play out wide, full backs can cover centrally, defenders can push into midfield, midfielders can play out wide to help overload, and so on.

It really is just a load of attention seeking old waffle. But hey, she got her $3 from Elon and a bit of attention from London’s biggest Arsenal blog. So she will see that as a success (I am assuming gender here).

And ultimately, all players mentioned above, Eze aside, excelled last season and have been fantastic signings.

Keenos

You can almost set you watch by it.

Every year, on around the 2nd or 3rd of July, fans flock to social media to cry that their club has not signed anyone yet. It honestly mystifies me, especially when many of those have lived through man, many transfer windows, and should know how things work.

I understand fans look at Tottenham with a jealous eye – once Sandro Tonali is confirmed, that will be over £200m spent on new players. But their desperate transfer spending should be expected – they can not afford another season finishing in a relegation battle.

There is a World Cup going on. And that always impacts when you buy players.

Yes, some will move during the World Cup, such as Elliott Anderson. But others will be saying to their agent “I do not want to hear from you. Speak to me after”. And if you are targetting those players, your transfer spending is on hold.

So lets look at Tottenham, whose fans are already claiming yet another transfer window win.

Their two big signings – Tonali and Mateus Fernandes – were not at the World Cup. That makes the deals much easier to do. I also think they have paid a premium for the pair. Met the asking price. Not negoatiated. Again, making them an easier deal to do.

I like both players, but we are in the market for players to act as cover for Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice. The transfer fees and wages being spoken about are the levels of starters, not squad players.

Then you have Jan Paul van Hecke. A good signing for them. Paying £52m got the deal done quickly. The deal will make it £230m on van Hecke, Fernandes and Tonali. Huge money on players that would not even start for Aston Villa.

Tottenham basically had a free run at all of these players because everyone else had walked away. No one wanted to pay those asking prices. Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool decided there was better value eslewhere.

Tottenham have also completed free deals for 32-year-old Andy Robertson, 37-year-old Martin Dubravka and 29-year-old Marcos Senesi. Easy deals to make when the players are out of contract.

The reality is had Arsenal wanted to sign these players, at the fees and wages they are costing, we would have. But we decided not to.

When you are looking at the market and seeing £116m for Elliott Anderson, £100m for Tonali, £85m for Fernandes, you just have to laugh. And this shows whay Arsenal need to be patient.

I feel this summer, you move early tou over pay. That is what we risk doing with someone like Morgan Rogers.

Rogers is a good player, but a £130m player he is not. Considering Anthony Gordon went for £80m to Barcelona, Arsenal would expect to do a deal for in and around this figure. If we can not, we move on to another winger who represents better value. And Aston Villa are stuck with an unhappy player who has been valued out of a move to a top club.

One of those other midfielders is Christos Tzolis. The Greek winger is not at the World Cup, but the man he is replacing is.

I think Leandro Trossard will depart this summer. He potentially has a bit of a Ray Parlour situation coming up. A costle divorce at 31. Our diminutive winger might see this summer as an opportunity to go to Turkey or Saudi, get himself a huge signing on fee and silly wages, thus funding his divorce.

Tzolis is clearly lined up to replace Trossard, but we are being respectful of our current player and do not want to sign someone until Trossard confirms he wants to leave. And he will not do that until Belgium are out of the World Cup. Once Trossard gives us the nod, Tzolis will come in.

We can expect to get £20m for Trossard, and Tzolis will cost us around £30m. So a £10m net swing on a player with a similar profile and is 7-years younger. It is a good deal and we just need to remain patient whilst the dominos fall.

Like many, I was disapointed about the news of Jeremy Monga last night – Arsenal have walked away from the deal and Man City are swooping in.

Monga is clearly a talent. The reports are we were looking to pay around £6.5m, similar to what a recent tribunal ordered Liverpool to pay for Rio Ngumoha. I would say that is reasonable. But Leicester City demanded a fee north of £10m.

That led Arsenal, looking at the Ngumoha tribunal fee, and agree to “take him on a free and let the courts decide”. The result was the door was left open and City are seemingly swooping in.

Over the years, Man City have spent a lot of money recruiting the best young players from across Europe. But there is a huge swath of “where are they now” blogs with those that they signed and just seemed to disappear into the City Group’s loan system.

Many of them do get their careers back on track – think Morgan Rogers, Jeremie Frimpong, Romeo Lavia, Jadon Sancho and Felix Nmecha. But it is often a rocky path,

City are chucking millions at these young kids and families, setting them up for life. Every year more players seem to move between academies aged 16-18. Getting a £30k a week contract where their existing club only wanted to pay £10k. And then they go back to playing the same PL2 level and struggle to ever break thourhg (Chido Obi Martin anyone?).

We need to stop getting annoyed when youth players leave. Remember, our coachs know more about these kids than anyone and will know their value based on the chances of making it. Likewise, lets stop getting upset when we lose out on a Mongao or Sverre Nypan (what happened to him?).

Ultimately, spending £10m+ on a 16-year-old is a huge investment. And there is more chance he will be playing for a small club like West Ham in 5-years than being a regular at Arsenal.

And by being patient and not overpaying for Monga, we have pivoted to Georgian U21 starlet Andria Bartishvili. At just £4.5m (reportedly),  Bartishvili, like Monga, is a talented young left winger. May we have just turned down the next Jeremy Doku to sign the next Khvicha 20Kvaratskhelia?

Our deals will get done this year. Be patient. Enjoy the World Cup. Go on holiday. Stop living on social media and feeling the need to get upset about everything.

We are Champions.

Keenos