Just get it done so Xhaka has to earn his place next year.

Torreira and AMN should be plenty of pressure/motivation.

I think Xhaka will be marginalised

Di Marzio talks a good amount of rubbish too, tbf. Its not like he's Ornstein.

marv3llous wrote:

Di Marzio talks a good amount of rubbish too, tbf. Its not like he's Ornstein.

Ornstein is an outlier, he doesn't say anything that isn't intended to be put out in public by the club itself. In terms of transfer leaks/news there are few as reliable as Di Marzio especially when it comes to Serie A

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

I think Xhaka will be marginalised

Hopefully.

If he’s not we are doing something wrong.

jones wrote:

marv3llous wrote:

Di Marzio talks a good amount of rubbish too, tbf. Its not like he's Ornstein.

Ornstein is an outlier, he doesn't say anything that isn't intended to be put out in public by the club itself. In terms of transfer leaks/news there are few as reliable as Di Marzio especially when it comes to Serie A

Absolutely correct on them both. Just saying, that Di Marzio is reporting loads of stuff that is not true or is simply falsely fed to him. He is the most reliable of Serie A sources though.

Its simply that Arsenal transfers, for the very large part, do not happen like this. Only ones i can think of, from the top of my head, were Lacazette and Mustafi. Those two had reports of us trying to get the deal done for weeks, before it actually happened. But the again, those two were the kind of deals where the selling clubs are notoriously big on haggling over the price and taking things out to the media. But generally, when something is actually happening, it comes out of nowhere. The name of our of actual target is quite often someone who has never been mentioned in relation to us. I hope, that Torreira is simply getting mentioned due to agent or the club trying to get the bidding war going ... and that we will simply blow others away and get this done. Just not convinced it actually is so.

He’s willy shakingly good. He’s got a great shot on him. Got that knuckleball in his locker

Holyyyyyy shiiiiit!!!

Happy with this signing, and happy that the club has finally cut the bs prioritised a midfielder that can tackle

the replies to any arsenal related ornstein tweet are really fucking majestic.

mdgoonah41 wrote:

the replies to any arsenal related ornstein tweet are really fucking majestic.

There's not a single normal response in there ffs

The work rate and aggression on this guy is going to make others take note.

This feels like a player we couldn't have signed under Wenger. Bring on the Emery era.

Wenger really seemed to have an issue with Serie A.

I'm gonna be pissed if this ruins our pursuit of Fellaini.

Now we need to sell Xhaka.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

Wenger really seemed to have an issue with Serie A.

Yeah, I think it was personal for him. Wenger used to speak all the time about how we had signed players from 'other countries' who had unusually high blood values when they arrived here. I think he was speaking about Henry, Kanu and Vieira among others. I have nothing concrete to back this up with, but Henry arrived at Juventus right at the peak of Agricola's doping program, and many of the players didn't have a clue what they took. Milan being dirty was an open secret too. We've signed remarkably few players from Italy ever since. I'm not sure I can recall anyone else except Viviano. I think that was the main reason. Wenger was furious that they had sold him jacked up players, regardless of their class.

Diaby KungFu wrote:

I'm gonna be pissed if this ruins our pursuit of Fellaini.

Gnarrfff

Good one diaby Kung fu

Delighted this looks like it’s going to be true. Partly because this signing, along with AMN’s comments, suggest we are really going to commit to the high press.

Despite what others have said on here, I’d keep Xhaka in the team to sit deep and give this guy more freedom to press and play. Something like this:

—————— Xhaka

—— Ramsey ——— Torreira

Ozil ———— Auba ———— Mkhi

If Emery can bring Xhaka and Ramsey’s pressing game up to a more consistent level I reckon that midfield will turn out to be a lot more combative than folks will expect.

Xhaka has not shown that he's ready to be starting XI material with us. He has poor instincts - he's not in the right spaces and he's slow with the ball. You might as well buy a good B2B player and play a proper 4-3-3 with Torreira/Ramsey/whoever else.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

He’s willy shakingly good. He’s got a great shot on him. Got that knuckleball in his locker

He really does look a brilliant player. He seems to be able to do pretty much anything he wants with the ball, and his agression in the tackle is glorious.

Really exciting. Can't wait to see him in an Arsenal shirt!

Love this love this love this!

Looking like a club that’s actually thinking now.

Early days, but I’m hoping some of you guys are starting to see just how much of our time (and money) Wenger basically threw away with his signings/non signings.

Claudius wrote:

Tambourine Man wrote:

We can quite easily conduct the medical in Russia. Am pretty sure similar arrangements have been made in the past under similar circumstances.

So if you're Tabarez, you're going to disturb your detailed planning for the World Cup in the week before the opening game by allowing one of your key players to leave camp to go do a physical that is out of sync with your training schedule? Okay. 

I'm pretty sure we either send a medical team out to Russia to do the medical there, or the deal is based upon him passing a medical after the World Cup.

finish this up.. and then focus on a CB and perhaps a GK..

USArsenal wrote:

finish this up.. and then focus on a CB and perhaps a GK..

Cb is done already-Sokratis

Sicario wrote:

USArsenal wrote:

finish this up..  and then focus on a CB and perhaps a GK..

Cb is done already-Sokratis

wait, did we sign him already and i wasn't aware?

Funny how shit happens much faster in the new era innit?

USArsenal wrote:

Sicario wrote:

Cb is done already-Sokratis

wait, did we sign him already and i wasn't aware?

It's been done for a week or two but it's not going to be formally announced until July, not entirely sure why. The contract has been signed according to insider sources though and Ornstein just confirmed it with his tweet.

flobaba wrote:

Love this love this love this!

Looking like a club that’s actually thinking now.

Early days, but I’m hoping some of you guys are starting to see just how much of our time (and money) Wenger basically threw away with his signings/non signings.

Too early to say tbh. Torreira fits the profile of players we've been signing for ages. Only difference is that he's from the Serie A. There was way more hype around Xhaka and Mustafi when they were signed for instance. 

Not the midfielder we all wishlisted but could be every bit as good as those. 26m pounds is a good deal as well for someone of his potential. Been crying out for a santi replacement and this guy is more tenacious as well

I've seen Torreira very little, but he's not a Cazorla type of player, I know that much. People would do well to abandon that comparison. Kanté might be the best equivalent in Premier League.

I think he's a little similar to Amadou Diawara, if anyone's seen him. Which is probably why Napoli didn't buy Torreira despite tracking him for some time. They already have a young guy like that in their squad.

Feel so much better reading all these confirmations. Amazing player and will make a huge difference to our MF.