Tag Archives: She Wore

Nacho Monreal and the FAKE NEWS of his terminated contract

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Long term followers of this blog will know how much we hate Fake News, Twitter ITK’s and media outlets (both blogs and MSM) that generate transfer news for hits, clicks and ad revenue.

The recent news about Nacho Monreal having his “contract terminated” shows how easy it is to get Fake News into the mainstream.

At 16:50 yesterday, The Sun published an article about how Nacho Monreal’s contract had been “terminated” as Arsenal were looking to shave money off their wage bill to make space for Kieran Tierney.

Straight away alarm bells were ringing.

Monreal’s contract was due to expire at the end of last month. There had ben reported that he had signed a 1 year extension but nothing was officially announced.

What we do know is on the last day of the season, we said goodbye to Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey, but not Monreal. Indicating he had a new contract. The Spaniard also did not appear on the list of released players.

This all pointed to Monreal signing his new one year deal. It was then baffling that Arsenal would terminate his contract.

Had Arsenal terminated the contract, they would have had to have paid its value up in full – around £3.3million. This makes no sense. They would be better off letting him know that he could join another club on a free transfer.

Terminating Monreal’s contract would not see Arsenal lower their costs as they would have to pay that contract off.

The more realistic story is that it will be Saed Kolasinac sold with Tierney replacing the Bosnian. This will generate a bigger fee and further reduce the wage bill.

At this point both The Sun and The Daily Record (in Scotland) were running this story of Monreal having had his contract terminated. They both quoted the same source – NBC journalist Gerry Stuart.

Why would an American journalist have the inside scope on things happening at Arsenal?

A Google of his name along with NBC fails to bring up a single article written by Gerry Stuart. Not for NBC or any other media outlet. Does he even exist?

Back to The Sun’s story and they have a link to their source. It forwards you to Gerry Stuart’s Twitter account where he broke the news; and where he has also broken the news that Alexandre Lacazette has signed a new contract.

But then it does not take you to Gerry Stuart’s Twitter Account. Instead we see this:

So this NBC journalist who is breaking news about Arsenal on his Twitter account has his Twitter account suspended.

This brings you to the only possible conclusion. That it was someone pretending to be a journalist for attention.

The Monreal situation highlights how easy it is to spread Fake News.

The Sun, The Daily Record and others failed to verify the source of the news, they failed to check with any of their own sources. Instead they wend ahead and published the news.

Fake News is not just a football problem – although football has suffered from it for decades. It is now more important for media outlets to be fast rather than truthful when publishing news. Get the article up, fact check it later.

Off the back off The Sun’s story, blogs and Twitter accounts ran with it. Fuelling the fire further. Yet there was no factual basis for the story.

One of the AFTV “vloggers” filmed himself for 31 minutes for a video titled “Has Monreal Agreed To Terminate His Contract?”

It was literally someone making it up.

So let this be a lesson to everyone. Do not believe everything you read. Do Your Own Research. And just because loads of people are saying it on Twitter, it does not make it true.

Keenos

Laurent Koscielny to see out last year of Arsenal contract

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This summer there has been talk of Laurent Koscielny leaving Arsenal. It will not happen.

The Frenchman turns 34 in September and his best days are behind him, but he will see out the last year of his contract at Arsenal.

Next season will be Koscielny’s 10th and last at the club he has served with so much class. The captain will spend his last year with Arsenal as a senior back-up option, more influential on the training ground than on the pitch.

Koscielny put in some brave performances towards the end of last season, making up for his diminishing physical attributes by becoming a dogger, old fashioned defender. He put his body on the line to win every ball.

Had Arsenal wanted to get rid of him this summer, they would have at least giving him a goodbye on the last day of the season alongside Aaron Ramsey. There were no words said, no tears, no longing wave. That will come in 2020.

When you look at the make-up of the squad in 2019/20, you can see why Koscielny still has a part to play.

Sokratis is the senior defender. Every other player will be competing to partner the Greek international.

Currently we have Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Kostadinos Mavropanos as the defensive options alongside Sokratis.

Holding was fabulous last season, but there is no guarantee he will be ready for the start of the forthcoming season, whilst Mavropanos could really do with getting himself out on loan for a year.

That leave Koscielny, Mustafi and Chambers.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with William Saliba. A deal for the French teenager is reportedly close. Part of the deal means that he will remain on loan at St Etienne next season. Not a bad thing as it will see him play a full campaign before joining the Arsenal squad in 2020.

To finance the deal, Calum Chambers will be moved on. Arsenal would command similar in transfer fee as for Chambers as they would splash out on Saliba.

Taking into account Chambers spent last year on loan to Fulham, sending Saliba out on loan would maintain the numbers in defence from last season.

So then we have Mustafi and Koscielny.

Mustafi would still command a fee in excess of £20million were he to be sold. He has shown during his time at Arsenal that he is not good enough to be 1st choice alongside Sokratis in the short term, and be the leader of the defence in the long term.

Arsenal should cash in on Mustafi. They should then target a defender who is under 25 and who they believe could be 1st choice tomorrow, and for years to come.

With Sokratis also the wrong side of 30, Arsenal need to blood in the next senior, 1st choice defender next season.

So selling Mustafi and Chambers, signing Saliba and a 1st choice defender means that Koscielny stays for a season.

Then in 2020, Saliba (assuming we clinch the deal) returns and becomes Koscielny’s replacement.

2019/20:
Sokratis, New CB, Holding, Koscielny
Saliba: Loaned
Mavropanos: Loaned
Chambers: Sold
Mustafi: Sold

2020/21:
New CB, Holding, Saliba, Sokratis, Mavropanos
Koscielny: Released

You then add the likes of Zach Medley and Dan Ballard as replacements for Sokratis in 2021 (and for Mavropanos if he does not kick on).

By keeping Koscielny for 1 more season allows for Arsenal to replace both Chambers and Mustafi this summer. With the succession planning above, it would mean that if we make the right to signings, we would not have to sign another central defender until 2022 at the earliest.

Koscielny deserves his goodbye.

Keenos

Yacini Brahimi would see Arsenal cash in on veteran midfielder

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Whilst the bid for Wilfried Zaha was breaking on Sky Sports News a few days ago, there was another deal on the ticker going fairly unnoticed that had broke earlier in the day.

According to Sky sources, Arsenal are in talks with attacking midfielder Yacine Brahimi.

The 29-year-old is currently a free agent after running down his contract at Portuguese side Porto.

Many people turned their noise up at the deal when it broke earlier in the day, prior to the Zaha announcement. Questions were asked as to why Arsenal were looking to be a 29-year-old.

The free transfer aspect led to comments that “Arsenal are trying to do things on the cheap again”. But there is plenty of logic behind Arsenal targeting the experienced Algerian.

Having lost Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer to Juventus, Arsenal have been in the market for a cheap attacking option to provide some strength in depth behind Mesut Ozil.

Signing Brahimi would also likely see Henrikh Mkhitaryan sold.

Raul Sanllehi’s remit this summer is to get in control of Arsenal’s wage bill whilst improving the quality of the squad.

Signing Kieran Tierney and selling Saed Kolasinac is an example of how we can sign bett4er, younger players whilst lowering that was bill.

Mkhitaryan is 30-years-old and on £180,000 a week. He is one of the clubs 3 highest earners alongside Mesut Ozil and Peirre-Emerick Aubameyang. Last season he started just half of the Premier League games. He is on 1st XI wages but is not a 1st team regular.

Sanllehi has spoken not allowing players to enter the last year of their contract.

“one of our priorities is not to get to the last year of contracts.

“The only way to get to the end of a contract is when you are ready to release that player at the end of that contract.

“We cannot get to the last year of the contract. If we cannot get a renewal before that, then we may have to sell.”

Mkhitaryan is entering the last year in his contract. This gives the club 3 choices:

  • Offer him a new contract – unlikely due to age unless he wants a big pay cut
  • Sell him – He would still command £10-15million on the transfer market
  • Keep for a year and release – This would cost the club £10million in wages

The preferred option for Arsenal would be to sell Mkhitaryan for £10-£15million and sign a replacement on half the wages. This would knock £5million off the wage bill.

Brahimi was on £40,000 a week at Porto. Arsenal could double his wages to £80,000 a week, offering him a 3-year-deal in the process – a figure that would see him pocket £12.5million which is probably not too far what he has earned in his entire career so far.

£80,000 would also be more than he would likely get elsewhere, unless a Chinese club came in for him (which is probable).

Arsenal were linked with Brahami back in 2015 for £30million. Last season he scored 13 goals in 49 appearances as Porto finished second behind champions Benfica.

He is a solid player who is not too far away from Mkhitaryan ability wise. The key is he saves us money.

Over 3 years, Brahimi on £80,000 will cost the club £12.5m. Selling Mkhitaryan would save the club in the region of £10million in wages and see the club rake in a further £10million (minimum) in transfer fee.

The salary saving alone makes the deal worthwhile as it would free up as further £5million from Arsenal’s wage bill. This is already on top of what we have culled with Ramsey, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck and Stephan Lichsteiner leaving

Those 5 leaving, and swapping Tiernay for Kolasinac and Brahimi for mkhitaryan would see Arsenal free up nearly £30million in wages.

Brahimi might not be the most exciting signing, but selling Mkhitaryan and bringing him in is a sensible decision.

Keenos