Tag Archives: She Wore

Arsenal Set For French Shopping Spree

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When Arsene Wenger left Arsenal in 2018, you would think the days of the club shopping in France, or buying French players had come to an end.

In the two transfer windows under Sven Mislintat’s eye, Arsenal looked at Germany, at players that Mislintat knew. The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Sokratis, Kostadinos Mavropanos and Bernd Leno.

With Unai Emery, Raul Sanllehi and Francis Cagigao running things now, you would have thought Arsenal would be focusing on the Spanish market. But this summer it seems Arsenal are back shopping on the other side of the English Channel.

The team already has a Gaelic feel, with Laurent Koscielny, Matteo Guendouzi, Alexandre Lacazette and French-born Aubameyang and having managed in France for 2 years, Emery would have extensive scouting reports of Ligue 1

With France having won the last World Cup and having some of the most exciting playhers in the world coming through, it is perhaps sensible that Arsenal are returning to a market they know well.

So who are the French or Ligue 1 based players Arsenal are looking at?

Alexis Claude Maurice

Arsenal could well return to Lorient this summer following the acquisition of Matteo Guendouzi last to sign French forward Alexis Claude Maurice.

Our friends over at GunnersTown wrote about the youngster back in January and he comes highly recommended.

It seems like Arsenal are looking beyon the more established wingers in France – the likes of Nicolas Pepe and  Ismael Sarr – and are looking at the next generation.

Christopher Nkunku

Part of that next generation is Charles Nkunku was Unai Emery would have worked with whilst at PSG.

Arsenal were linked with him in January. A late deal fell through at the last.

Versatility is the key with Nkunku, with him having played in Ligue 1 in midfield, attack and defence. A French Ainsley Maitland Niles. Could be a good asset to add in the middle of the park alongside Niles, Geundouzi, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira

William Saliba

Arsenal are also looking to France for a long term replacement for Laurent Koscielny.

18-year-old St Etienne defender is reportedly top of the list, although the £26million I have seen quoted does seem a lot for a player with only a handful of appearances.

St Etienne reportedly want to sell but be loaned the player back for next season.

Samuel Umtiti

25-year-old Samuel Umtiti is reportedly on the way out of Barcelona, with Arsenal and Manchester United leading the way.

The French central defender has been plagued by injured and lost his starting place for Barcelona earlier this last season.

He is a proven international class defender, but there have to be question marks over those knees.

Ibrahima Konaté & Dayot Upamecano

Arsenal have been linked with RB Leipzig pair Ibrahima Konaté & Dayot Upamecano already this summer.

The pair sit between Saliba and Umtiti in terms of experience.

Upamecano is a little more experienced, with Konaté perhaps being a little more talented. There is not much to split them.

Adrien Rabiot

The last man on this list is someone we have been linked with for what feels like a decade.

Despite having been around forever, Rabiot is still only 24.

Emery is reportedly targeting a box to box midfielder to compete alongside Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira.

Having worked with Emery before, and available on a free transfer, Rabiot could be a good replacement for Aaron Ramsey (the defensive side of his game at least).

He has had a troublesome couple of years and his attitude left him to miss out on a potential World Cup medal. But he is a talent.

It would not surprise me to see Arsenal sign at least two from this list over the summer.

Keenos

In memory of Jose Reyes; let’s stop abusing footballers

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The death of Jose Antonio Reyes has hit everyone in football. Shocking news to try and digest on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

It is a reminder to everyone how fragile life is.

Bill Shankly was wrong. Football is not more important than life or death.

Reyes death should be a reminder to everyone to be kinder. He had a tough time at Arsenal. After a solid start he was booted out of a game against Manchester United and never really recovered. After this game he became one of those players the crowd loved to get on the back of.

Were he to be at Arsenal in the current era, he would have received a lot of abuse on social media from fan.

Criticising players is fine. Nothing wrong with it. But abuse is wrong and often crosses the line.

It was not too long ago that fans were standing outside the Emirates singing about wishing death on Arsene Wenger. Following the loss to Chelsea, I saw one fan post up a picture of the Munich disaster with the comment “we need Arsenal’s version of this, with Emery and Cech in the front seat”.

Granit Xhaka recently came off social media due to the volume of death threats he receive. Shkodran Mustafi has also received death threats in recent weeks.

Whilst I am sure these death threats may not have been made with the intention of carrying through, it is still clearly wrong. I remember a few years ago someone said they would “find me and slit my throat”. I did not take it seriously but it still was not very nice.

We have also seen a lot of online abuse aimed at Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Iwobi and more. No one seems to be immune.

If you do anything in memory of Reyes, be kinder.

Criticism is fine; abuse is not

RIP Jose Antonio Reyes

Keenos

Liverpool and Tottenham show why Arsenal need to stick with Unai Emery

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Tonight it is Tottenham v Liverpool in the Champions League final. I will not be watching.

There are lessons to be learn, however, from Liverpool and Tottenham for Arsenal fans in the way things need to be one in the future.

Both teams have stuck with their managers despite a lack of success, believing that they were the right men to take them forward. Tonight one of them will break their trophy duck in charge of their relative club.

Following Arsenal’s defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday, Arsenal fans overacted with many calling for Unai Emery’s head. Demanding to be sacked. Many of those doing it did so because they missed Emery off their short lists to be Arsene Wenger’s replacement. They backed Allegri or Arteta and have not been willing to give the Emery the chance.

Emery is the right manager.

Emery is already ahead of Pochettino and Klopp when it comes to win ratio in English football.

Jurgen Klopp’s first 3 seasons with Liverpool saw them finish 8th, 4th and 4th. They lost the League Cup Final, Europa League Final and Champions League Final.

Prior to tonight’s game, Pochettino had just a League Cup Final defeat on his record. Three times Tottenham were in the Europa League under him. The furthest they got was the round of 16 (once). They were knocked out in the Round of 32 twice.

Their fans stuck with the managers, giving them a chance. Realising they were taking them forward and all they were lacking was success.

Unai Emery’s Arsenal are already vastly superior to where Tottenham and Liverpool were after Klopp and Pochettino’s 1st seasons.

Emery is not going to be sacked this summer. He should not be sacked this summer.

Instead of using your time and energy trying to start a campaign against him because you did not want him in the 1st place, spend it on supporting him, supporting The Arsenal.

Keenos