HOUSEBOAT - Warning: tenuous links ahead!: Page 439 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

HOUSEBOAT - Warning: tenuous links ahead!

BWooley

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:
Mirror reporting that we’ll offer Torreira plus £17m for Correa

Get that done.

Makes too much sense to happen.

Clrnc

Gazetta reports that Arsenal seriously chasing for Sabitzer and player wants to come. RB Leipzig is asking for 17m euros even though he has one year left on his deal

QuincyAbeyie

Now that's a great deal. Doesn't really matter to us how long he has left.

Claudius

Quincy Abeyie wrote:
Now that's a great deal. Doesn't really matter to us how long he has left.

Coupled with Lokonga and Azeez coming through, it makes sense. You have 2 stars with a 4 year window and 2 kids who can take over anytime before then. Feels like good balance. And Elneny to mop up

QuincyAbeyie

I feel that if we'd buy Sabitzer that cheap it'd be even more unforgiveable to sell Willock. If we needed that 30m to attract someone like Locatelli - sure. It also seems that we're after a CAM so that leaves ESR + new guy as CAM options. Willock can then take a CM backup place since Lokonga seems more like a defensively minded player.

Claudius

Our fortunes aren’t going to rise and fall on Willock. It would be nice to keep him, but we won’t look back in anger in 5 years. He’s not Gnabry

lorddulaarsenal

Dunno Claude - takes some doing to frequently find net like he did at Newcastle. He’ll reach another level physically too

Claudius

Let’s see. He’s a mystery to me. That goal scoring ability is extremely valuable on a shot shy team like ours. But he needs to round out his game

Klaus

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:
Dunno Claude - takes some doing to frequently find net like he did at Newcastle. He’ll reach another level physically too

He has always scored goals throughout his Arsenal career too. Even if he doesn't go on one of the best scoring streaks in the history of Premier League again he should be able to score plenty in the future.

Having that drive from midfield is invaluable. There's a lack of players capable of making runs ahead of the striker in modern football because the game has been so segmented into specific positions. You want these rulebreakers if you want to play attacking football, and you want a manager who can make the most of them.

HomeSteak

Qwiss

Claudius wrote:
Let’s see. He’s a mystery to me. That goal scoring ability is extremely valuable on a shot shy team like ours. But he needs to round out his game

Heard gunnerblog saying that in their Athletic stat things they do the player in the league with the most similar stat breakdown to Willock was Gundogan. Do we really want to let go of a 21 year old English Gundogan?

jones

I like Willock and I wouldn't sell him for double what Newcastle are currently offering but come on, he plays absolutely nothing like Gündogan.

Claudius

Athletic needs new stats guys. Gundogan is sooooo much better at every part of the passing game. Progressive passing, completing his passing etc. I don’t know how they even watched Willock and said he looks like a black Gundogan.

goon

If you want to compare Willock to anyone in order to caution against selling it's definitely Ramsey. They share many of the same strengths and weaknesses. Willock probably isn't quite as instinctively brilliant, but he's got more power and seemingly won't spend half of every season injured.

I'd definitely keep for now, we've got a long list of undesirables in the squad that we can sell and midfield is one area we're not going to be stacked.

KingslandBarge

Don't see that connection either personally. I'd like us to keep Smith-Rowe and Willock as I'm optimistic that at least one of them are odds on to pan out as a league supreme attacking midfielder. Each possessing a valuable set of traits, at least 2 year market upside but most importantly both have Arsenal DNA. A quick buck is not worth more than the upside possible. Best case Smith-Rowe can make a position in the front line his own as well. However, theres a lot of performance and fitness strides both players, particularly Willock need to make. Opinion could switch by end of next season.

Claudius

There are things ESR does that other players will never be able to do. The way he moves in and out of space. And his two-footedness means he can get out defensive cover in any direction making him extremely hard to cover. These attributes make him speed up the game in a way few players on our team can. So when folks say “oh he has no goals and assists”, I don’t worry yet. They will come

Gazza M

I want to keep ESR mainly for aesthetic reasons. there's magic in those boots and I enjoy watching him use his technical abilities. it's a welcome break from the drudgery we get served most of the time

goon

Claudius wrote:
There are things ESR does that other players will never be able to do. The way he moves in and out of space. And his two-footedness means he can get out defensive cover in any direction making him extremely hard to cover. These attributes make him speed up the game in a way few players on our team can. So when folks say “oh he has no goals and assists”, I don’t worry yet. They will come

The funny thing is he actually registered 4 goals and 7 assists last season from 26 starts in his first least season in the PL at the age of 20. If he got much more than that he'd basically be in Grealish territory. It's a bizarre complaint.

Claudius

Didn’t even realise he was outputting at that level already.
Other thing is I just want to be entertained. He amuses me.

KingslandBarge

Produced that kind of output matched with an intense work rate off the ball. Need to manage Saka and his minutes much better next season with better rotation and better partnerships.

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