flobaba wrote:

Imperative that we are aggressive and decisive in the transfer window. Targets must have been identified already and once the window opens, deploy a full court press on them and their clubs immediately.

That's the minimum I expect of Mislintat. I'm actually a bit disappointed that we've had so little credible rumours about new signings in January. Doesn't seem like we even began working on January transfers. Hopefully we're just super good at being secret.

Herbas wrote:
flobaba wrote:

Imperative that we are aggressive and decisive in the transfer window. Targets must have been identified already and once the window opens, deploy a full court press on them and their clubs immediately.

That's the minimum I expect of Mislintat. I'm actually a bit disappointed that we've had so little credible rumours about new signings in January. Doesn't seem like we even began working on January transfers. Hopefully we're just super good at being secret.

id guess its the latter.

I watched a clip with Raul Sanllehi a month or so back where he said that he doesn't believe in the January transfer window. Ideally you plan for the season in the summer and then stick to that plan.

Injuries and special opportunities might have changed the plan, but I doubt we've been looking at first team signings up until now... aside from maybe keeping track of the Dembele situation. I think we're more likely to recall Calum Chambers than sign a new defender as things stand.

Klaus wrote:

I watched a clip with Raul Sanllehi a month or so back where he said that he doesn't believe in the January transfer window. Ideally you plan for the season in the summer and then stick to that plan.

Injuries and special opportunities might have changed the plan, but I doubt we've been looking at first team signings up until now... aside from maybe keeping track of the Dembele situation. I think we're more likely to recall Calum Chambers than sign a new defender as things stand.

i thought i read that we cant recall chambers?

Ah, right. Any player can be recalled if both clubs agree though, but Fulham might not be so keen on it without a clause.

We could maybe work out a deal where we loan them someone else instead and take back Chambers. He has mostly played in midfield for them. Perhaps they'd take Elneny in his stead?

Klaus wrote:

Ah, right. Any player can be recalled if both clubs agree though, but Fulham might not be so keen on it without a clause.

We could maybe work out a deal where we loan them someone else instead and take back Chambers. He has mostly played in midfield for them. Perhaps they'd take Elneny in his stead?

Wonder if this is the purpose of the loan = to develop him into a DLP cover for Xhaka as we saw in pre-season?
In which case I wonder if we'd recall him to play at CB even if we could do so?

Have read a suggestion that we should not be planning to sign a CB in Jan as we have 3 CBs coming back from injury (including Mustafi), as well as 2 FBs who can play in the position if needs be = we have the numbers.  It was even suggested that we should also retain the back3 even in a makeshift capacity so as to look to maximise our current attacking capability and performances, and a CB should only be signed in Jan if it is as part of our plans going forward, as we have bigger priorities elsewhere.

Anzac wrote:
Klaus wrote:

Ah, right. Any player can be recalled if both clubs agree though, but Fulham might not be so keen on it without a clause.

We could maybe work out a deal where we loan them someone else instead and take back Chambers. He has mostly played in midfield for them. Perhaps they'd take Elneny in his stead?

Wonder if this is the purpose of the loan = to develop him into a DLP cover for Xhaka as we saw in pre-season?

I don't think so. He was loaned out as a centreback and then someone at Fulham suggested to Ranieri that they could try Chambers there since they were short of options apparently.

He's not good enough to replace Xhaka at Arsenal at any rate. His distribution is alright for a centreback but he's nowhere near the top midfielders. He's subpar from a technical viewpoint too.

Chambers should be sold. Was a bad buy at the price, but you can't win them all.

Anzac wrote:

Have read a suggestion that we should not be planning to sign a CB in Jan as we have 3 CBs coming back from injury (including Mustafi), as well as 2 FBs who can play in the position if needs be = we have the numbers.

Sounds like Wenger speak to me. I can't remember a single time we got this kind of decision right in the last 22 years. "We're a few people short, but we have some underwhelming players coming back soon so we should be okay, and don't forget Diaby can play there"

Klaus wrote:
Anzac wrote:

Wonder if this is the purpose of the loan = to develop him into a DLP cover for Xhaka as we saw in pre-season?

I don't think so. He was loaned out as a centreback and then someone at Fulham suggested to Ranieri that they could try Chambers there since they were short of options apparently.

He's not good enough to replace Xhaka at Arsenal at any rate. His distribution is alright for a centreback but he's nowhere near the top midfielders. He's subpar from a technical viewpoint too.

Chambers played DLP in pre-season and did quite well & there was a suggestion that he could be developed in that area.  I don't think it was ever suggested that he'd become a starting player but would possibly be more useful than Elneny as cover.

Klaus wrote:
Anzac wrote:

Have read a suggestion that we should not be planning to sign a CB in Jan as we have 3 CBs coming back from injury (including Mustafi), as well as 2 FBs who can play in the position if needs be = we have the numbers.

Sounds like Wenger speak to me. I can't remember a single time we got this kind of decision right in the last 22 years. "We're a few people short, but we have some underwhelming players coming back soon so we should be okay, and don't forget Diaby can play there"

Agreed - and IMO this is the sort of conservative thinking/approach/stench that will be the hardest to change from the Wenger Era, because it didn't begin and end with AW but was ingrained under PHW.

Goodness.
Cahill turns 33 next week. Can only work as a plug, but that leaves us with 3 pensioners in central defense
Bailly showed potential until Mourinho broke him. Can we put him back on the trajectory he was on 3 years ago, and is he an ongoing injury concern?

When was the last time we signed someone useful from United? Every time we do business they dump their undesirables on us, and then we're stuck with them for years.

Bailly is useless, and a walking injury to boot. No wonder they want to be rid of him. There are so many good defenders in Europe that we can go after. There's absolutely no reason to rummage through the Premier League bargain bin.

Klaus wrote:

When was the last time we signed someone useful from United? Every time we do business they dump their undesirables on us, and then we're stuck with them for years.

Bailly is useless, and a walking injury to boot. No wonder they want to be rid of him. There are so many good defenders in Europe that we can go after. There's absolutely no reason to rummage through the Premier League bargain bin.

pretty much. i can think of 8 or 9 centerbacks playing in italy that id love here, right off the top of my head. paying the premier league premium for shitty players is bad business, which hopefully the higher ups understand.

We need a hip madness signing to add appeal and vibrancy to the team and to mark Ermery’s era

Someone like Sancho.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

We need a hip madness signing to add appeal and vibrancy to the team and to mark Ermery’s era

Someone like Sancho.

We already got Nelson, fam.

We need Sancho to complete England's future attacking trio.