The longest running transfer saga of this summer is Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. Why are Man U negotiating? if they wanted him that much they would pay the asking price.
Meanwhile, Liverpool bid £120m for Aleksander Isak. This was swiftly rejected. Why don’t they go in with a serious offer like £200m and just pay Newcastle’s asking price.
At the same time, they have also had a bid for Hugo Ekitike rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt. Two strikers and twice they failed to pay the asking price. What are they playing at?
Finally, Tottenham triggered Morgan Gibbs-White release clause, but he remains a Nottingham Forest player. What are they playing at over in Middlesex? If they want the player, they should make a serious offer vastly above the minimum release clause. It’s Arsenal’s Luis Suarez £40m+£1 all over again.
Now imagine Arsenal were doing this business. Offers rejected for Mbeumo, Isak and Ekitike. Failing to secure Gibbs-White despite that release clause. We would be getting mercifully mocked by Sky Sports, TalkSport and fans of Man U, Liverpool and Spurs.
In this world, it is only The Arsenal that are not allowed to negotiate. Not allowed to go in at lower than the asking price. Not allowed to try and get a deal that might be beneficial.
So why are others not held to the same standard? Why are they allowed to negotiate like it is normal in football? Is it just that negativity around The Arsenal sells, and that is then the narrative pushed.
If you are a fan of an opposing club and got this far. Please realise this is satirical. Do not jump up and down in our comments about how negotiating is part of football. I get that.
Man U, Liverpool and Tottenham have a right to negotiate. and Forest are in the wrong around Gibbs-White, just like Liverpool were over Suarez.
Arsenal also have a right to negotiate. And we have done very well with it this summer.
Chido Obi-Martin is on the verge of joining Manchester United.
The 16-year-old, who was nowhere near ready for the Arsenal first team opted to take a step down to Manchester United in the quest of fast tracking his journey to first team football, even if it means playing at a lower level.
The deal is subject to the Premier League 5 step investigation – or five-step review process as it is also known).
This process is nothing unique. It is an investigatory review that every transfer involving an academy player between two Category One academies goes through.
Before any academy player can be registered, the transfer must go through the review, which takes around 25 days to be completed. But what is the five-step review process?
Following Southampton receiving a suspended sentence back in 2022 for contacting academy players without permission, The Athletic outlined what is involved in the process:
Step 1: The new club submits a signed registration form to the Premier League.
Step 2: The Premier League appoints an independent third party (usually a law firm) to conduct “exit interviews” with the player, parents and both clubs. However, further interviews or requests for information are also permitted.
Step 3: The two clubs involved in the agreement, including the player’s parents, are required to sign a declaration that no financial or value-in-kind inducements have been utilised as a part of the move (including contra deals).
Step 4: Through the independent third party, a report is then produced for the Premier League’s board, coming up with a recommendation regarding the club’s application to register the player.
Step 5: The Premier League’s board can either approve or reject the registration application. They also have the autonomy to take disciplinary against the club if they were found to breach their youth development rules.
So what does this all mean?
Well firstly, absolutely nothing if the review finds Manchester United did nothing wrong in their recruitment of Chido Obi Martin.
If it is found that they have breached the rules, the player will still sign for Man U but they could face sanctions.
The Athletic article continues: Everton for example, were handed a two-year academy ban in November 2018 and a fine of £500,000 ($608,000) for offering incentives to a player and his family.
In 2017, Manchester City were fined £300,000 ($365,000) and also banned from signing academy players for two years after the Premier League found evidence of contact between City staff and family members. Incidentally, in that same month, Liverpool were deemed to have breached similar rules when offering inducements to a Stoke City player and subsequently banned from recruiting in the academy for 12 months. They were also fined £100,000 ($122,000).
Should Arsenal re-ignite their interest in Joao Felix?
I originally wrote much of this blog in the January transfer window.
Arsenal were linked heavily with a 6 month loan move for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix. He ended up at Chelsea.
Felix’s Chelsea career go off to the worst start possible – sent off after just 58 minutes on debut. Up to that point he was easily the best player on the pitch v Fulham.
He would be suspensed for the next 3 Premier League games, before returning against West Ham and grabbing his first goal.
The Portuguese midfielder would end up with 4 league goals and 0 assists from 16 games.
He would start just once in the final 8 league games of his loan spell Frank Lampard. And only complete 90 minutes on 3 occassions.
Felix performed poorly in a Chelsea team that was performing poorly, managed by one of the worst managers the Premier League has ever seen. Chelsea decided not to make the loan deal permanent.
Having missed out on Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk in January, Arsenl recruited Leandro Trossard.
Trossard has turned out to be a solid acqusition. But the door is still open for us to make a “mega” attacking signing this summer. Could Felix still be on the target list?
Joao Felix is still just 23-years-old, and he should not be judged on his team at Chelsea. Lampard would have made Thierry Henry look like Yaya Sanogo.
His loan deal at Chelsea still would have given Arsenal some fantastic scouting data when considering whether to move for him this summer.
He showed glimpses of his natural talent whilst playing for Chelsea, and he would certainly tick that box of being able to play out wide and up top. Both Edu and Mikel Arteta are known to highly rate the Portuguese attacker.
Felix’s career has not quite ignited since his €126million move to Atletico Madrid.
This shouldn’t be a surprise considering the free flowing attacker joined the most defensive team the world has ever seen.
Persistent injuries and the return of Antoine Griezmann – who he was signed to replace.
The Portuguese attacked has the technical ability and work rate to play in Arteta’s Arsenal. And you would like to think that Arteta and his coaching team’s renowned one-to-one training will help him reach his potential.
Felix has been around a long time, and some fans are already writing him off. This is crazy when you compare it to the hype Rafael Leao gets as one of Europe’s best young attacking talents. Felix is younger than his Portuguese team mate.
There will be some questioning how Felix would fit in at Arsenal. That should not be a question.
It would give us the option of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Trossard, Eddie Nketiah and Felix as the primary options in the front 3 positions. 2 players for every position.
I have excluded Emile Smith Rowe as I imagine if we bring someone like Felix in, he will be sold.
His recruitment would allow Arteta to rest and rotate his front 3, and give us more options on the bench.
The issue with Felix has always been Atletico’s huge asking price.
In January, Atletico were been demanding a €15million loan fee for the 4-5 month period, and for loaning club to pay his full wages for the period. This would have taken the deal to over €21million. A huge outlay for a few months work.
Arsenal decided not to go for the deal whilst Chelsea jumped at the chance. Felix’s red against Fulham increased the “cost per game” for Chelsea.
Before loaning Felix to Chelsea, Atletico extended his deal to 2027, inserting a €350million. Of course, we will not be spending anywhere near this amount on him.
Transfermarkt currently value Felix at €50.00m (£43m), and you feel this would be the figure that would interest Arsenal.
But that would see Atletico make a €76m loss on him.
My gut is Atletico would want to get a lot closer to €100m. A fee that no one would agree to considering his stagnation over the last 24 months.
With 4-years left on his deal, Felix could become one of these “fore hire” players, spending 2-3 years out on loan. Each loan coming with a €15m loan fee. Atletico then recoup must of their expenditure through those fees (note: €15m a year is the amortised yearly equivalent of signing a €75m player).
In the not to distant future, when Felix either has 1 or 2 years left on his deal, Atletico then cash in. Sell him for the €50m he is currently value at – with those loan fees being added to their final income for him.
Would I take Felix on loan for a year for €15m? Probably not. But if we could get him at €50m transfer fee, then we should have a conversation.
If the maths work out, we could end up recruiting Trossard and Felix for the total potential price Chelsea are paying for Mudryk.
Do not write this one off.
Keenos
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She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 