Can add Maximilian Philipp to the list. Really interesting young player.

Dortmund and Bosz is absolutely flying with these young players.

Claudius wrote:

I would bring equivalents of these three and sell lots of 2nd tier players.  By that I mean Walcott and one of Giroud/Welbeck, Coquelin, etc. rubbish.

The problem is that we tried it this summer and we couldn't move them, because they're overpaid relative to their current level. No one wants to take on those contracts unless we chip off millions from the transfer value, and even then there are better options around in most cases. We tried to give away Debuchy this summer but the prat is still at the club. No one wants him.

United had a similar problem a few years back with their rubbish squad when Ferguson retired. We're gonna have to wait out a lot of these contracts. Welbeck, Walcott and Coquelin will still be at Arsenal two years from now. You can either get mad over this fact every time they step out on the field, or you can accept it and try to plan the rest of the squad around those unfortunate figures.

Klaus wrote:

Claudius wrote:

I would bring equivalents of these three and sell lots of 2nd tier players.  By that I mean Walcott and one of Giroud/Welbeck, Coquelin, etc. rubbish.

The problem is that we tried it this summer and we couldn't move them

Did we though? I mean we tried to get rid of Giroud but I haven't heard any reports of us trying to move on the other 3. People seem to assume we are always trying to sell Walcott but I don't think its true at all.

Klaus, then you have to do what we did with Gabriel and Gibbs. You sell these guys at £10m apiece. You're also getting rid of £4-5m of annual salary commitments at a time as you do this. Better than throwing your hands up in frustration and saying nobody will buy them at Chelsea prices. I want these guys off the books. We need a leaner squad that is much more coherent in its constitution. 23 players, young and old, who fit the club's strategic ethos beautifully and clearly.

Qwiss! wrote:

Klaus wrote:

The problem is that we tried it this summer and we couldn't move them

Did we though? I mean we tried to get rid of Giroud but I haven't heard any reports of us trying to move on the other 3. People seem to assume we are always trying to sell Walcott but I don't think its true at all.

I'm not sure about those three specifically but Ornstein said that we had tried hard to offload players all summer. We couldn't do it because they were on too much money.

Claudius wrote:

Klaus, then you have to do what we did with Gabriel and Gibbs. You sell these guys at £10m apiece. You're also getting rid of £4-5m of annual salary commitments at a time as you do this. Better than throwing your hands up in frustration and saying nobody will buy them at Chelsea prices. I want these guys off the books.

It's not that I disagree. I've been complaining for years about our bloated squad. But I think the club were taken back this summer by just how unwanted some of our players are. Arsenal have always seen player contracts as an investment. You know how Wenger speaks of retaining transfer value? And unfortunately it turned out that there's zero value in average players anymore.

This wouldn't necessarily have been the case if we sold them one or two years ago, but no one wants Jenkinson, Coquelin and Debuchy on high wages when there are wage bill limitations at play. This is the very reason we are trying to get rid of them. Now imagine West Ham and Watford trying to fit them into their squads.

Plenty of average players have gone for big money to be honest.

I’m surprised a club like Everton, desperate for goals, didn’t go for someone like Walcott. I actually think he would’ve done well for them too. Same with the likes of West Ham. My gut feeling is it’s Theo who has no desire to leave.

goon wrote:

Plenty of average players have gone for big money to be honest.

Yeah, looking around the transfer market, worse players have gone for more.

It's either the reputation of our players are terrible in the market or our transfer team just suck at this game.

goon wrote:

Plenty of average players have gone for big money to be honest.

I’m surprised a club like Everton, desperate for goals, didn’t go for someone like Walcott. I actually think he would’ve done well for them too. Same with the likes of West Ham. My gut feeling is it’s Theo who has no desire to leave.

Seems this way to me too. And I think Wenger is afraid to let Theo go because despite everything else he can still score goals. So there is no push from either side. There were zero rumours about Theo all summer too. If the club wanted to sell him we'd have heard something.

Clrnc wrote:

goon wrote:

Plenty of average players have gone for big money to be honest.

Yeah, looking around the transfer market, worse players have gone for more.

It's either the reputation of our players are terrible in the market or our transfer team just suck at this game.

I agree with Goon, it's most likely Theo who refuses to leave. Understandably so, he's been at the club for 11 years and it's a cushy place to be, he won't get his current salary and standing anywhere else. But it's almost certainly down to our transfer team (ie Wenger) that we never try to nudge them towards the exit door

I've long argued that players have a right to look out for themselves first and foremost, but it's only at Arsenal that both them and the club both look at the players' wellbeing exclusively

I am intrigued at how we will handle the Alexis situation.

Surely, it's not too difficult to offer them a carrot of a huge payrise with a decent buyout clause? Suits both parties. Liverpool did it with Suarez and everyone was happy.

I'd be absolutely shocked if we manage that for Ozil or Sanchez.

I expect next year either a 11/12 season where we depend on one player's brilliance to save Wenger's contract extension (Lacazette or Özil if he stays) or a 12/13 season of dark dark football

Either way Wengers statements where he basically declares that players running down their contracts has become the norm is worrying to way the least

Ozil on a free to United is rumoured. Would be ridiculous is we lose Sanchez and Ozil to both Manchester clubs.

More likely than unlikely. We are three months away from possibly losing them both for free to foreign clubs for nothing. These players want out of this shit show very badly

Last summer was our last opportunity to sign them we needed to go get something like Fabinho and Morata in and say "boys, we mean business. Sign your extension!" We didn't. They are right to want to leave. This is a club in rapid decline. The football happening in Manchester is far more appealing than the drab nonsense we have going on here. I am very pessimistic about our future

Clrnc wrote:

I love my traditional number 10s, I think they can still work in modern days football if you have 2 great CM behind.

I'd go for Lemar, Fekir and Gelson. All 3 very young, hungry and hardworking attacking mids and go 4231.

There's a bunch of CM that's top and gettable like Weigl, Goretzka, Fabinho but I would focus on AMs and see how our CMs does this season.

I'm not sure Fabinho is gettable with Jorge Mendes being his agent. Fabinho is also a third party ownership player too, most of the transfer fee would go to Mendes. Until I see us sign a player represented by Mendes, I won't have that much confidence in getting Fabinho. 

So? These nuts-owner problems can be unbundled. We can make a proper push for Fabinho and Lemar. Just put £120-130m down and get a conversation flowing.

Lol. It's obviously not your money Claudius.

If it was, we wouldn't have these problems. I'd be making it rain like DJ Khaled. We the best!!

If success mattered at all, we'd have bought Lemar easily. It was more of a "shrug, maybe, if circumstances are desperate/ideal, if not, oh well" kind of an attitude.