Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

The world has a left wing epidemic

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The biggest talking point in the summer was Arsenal’s failure to land a top left winger.

Eventually, we opted to stick with just the one new signing in Christos Tzolis, who would be supported by a combination of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Now I have always maintained that the left wing is the toughest position in the world to find talent right now. There is simply not an abundance of top draw players out there, which in turn inflates the prices of those that are simply average.

Liverpool broke the bank in the summer to sign Bradley Barcola.

At the time, I labelled him as a French Gabriel Martinelli – someone who has blistering pace, poor one on one from a standing start, and not great end product. He has looked distinctly average for Liverpool this season and has certainly not shown anywhere near enough to justify the huge price tag.

Long term target Vinicius Jr looks a shadow of his former self.

We were willing to brank the bank to sign the Brazilian in the summer, and maybe the sage has taken its toll mentally. Or maybe, at 26, with over 500 senior games under his belt, the spark has gone and the demise is beginning.

One of my favourite things right now is reading the conspiracy theories about Vinicius Jr and about how he is on a yacht somewhere in the Caribbean sea enjoying life and what we see playing week in week out for Real Madrid is a body double.

Then we have Iliman Ndiaye. He was some fans favourite for us to go for – a lower level player who many thought had the game to step up if he joined a top club. A bit like Antoine Semenyo. He is yet to get off the mark for Man City and it is beginning to feel he was overhyped – remember, Ndiaye scored just 6 league goals last season.

Ndiaye’s Man City team mate Jeremy Doku is probably the most overhyped player in world football.

Doku does some brilliant things with the ball at his feet, and is a scorer of great goals. But he will always lack the consistency to ever be considered a top player.

The Belgium left wingers goal against Liverpool was his 1st of the season. That takes his tally to 12 Premier League goals in over 3 seasons. One of the best in the world apparently.

Meanwhile, another fan favourite Rafael Leao ended up in the Turkey retirement home. Get your teeth and hair done whilst earning millions playing football at a lower level. He has yet to score this season.

Anthony Gordon scored his first Champions League goal for Barcelona earlier this week. He celebrated like he had done it all himself, completely ignoring Yamine Lamal’s world class build up play to put it on a plate.

Two goals this season, Gordon is what he is. Hard working, direct, quick. An English Martinelli.

Kenan Yildiz, another long term arsenal target, fractured his metatarsal back in September and will do well to be back before Christmas. Likewise, Junior Kroupi is recovering from an injury picked up in July. Both have required surgery, with the Frenchman potentially back in 4-6 weeks.

Finally, we come onto Luis Diaz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Dias is decent, but not really World Class. He is now just getting huge numbers in a very poor league. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, meanwhile, has looked off the pace for PSG.

Ultimate, it feels like Arsenal did well to spend big in a market where talent is thing. Only really Morgan Rodgers has shown any sort of form to have justified us spending big – and he is playing in a much narrower position than we would have played him.

Come January, the calls will come again for us to sign a left winger. Yildiz and Kroupi will come into the equation. Although I see Yildiz as more of a Martin Odegaard replacement.

Kroupi would be a very good option – I think his future would be down the middle, but he has shown he can play as an inside left forward in the Premier League. He could be a sensible recruit for the 2nd half of the season before transitioning next season into a centre forward option (replacing Viktor Gyokeres).

The only other one I would bother keeping an eye on is Desire Doue. I think this kid has it.

At the moment he is playing right wing for PSG with Kvaratskhelia one of the first names on the teamsheet on the left – but his best position is on that left wing.

Maybe a PR campaign, highlighting that he can become a superstar at Arsenal rather than a player playing out of position for PSG could see a summer move. Who knows?

What we do know is the market is still very thin, and, Rogers aside, none of those who moved have exactly shown Arsenal wrong for opting not to sign them

Keenos

Why don’t Man U, Liverpool and Tottenham “just pay the asking price”

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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.

Enjoy your Friday.

Keenos

Could Arsenal be back in for Chelsea reject?

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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