His ball control feels like it will hold him back a little I reckon. It’s a little Yannick Bolasie like. Impressive passing in the compilation posted earlier though.

GaelForce wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:

Now you're logged back in, post more! You're sorley missed.

Thanks mate, hope all's good with you. 

Even before this news I was feeling a lot more optimistic about the season. You can tell the new management team are the right combination of logical and ambitious - it seems they've tried to sell the right players (Ozil, Mustafi - even if they couldn't) and correctly identified the critical holes in the squad (a left back who can play in both directions, a centre back, a creative central midfielder and a winger who can dribble at pace). It might take a couple more years to completely replace the mistakes of 2014-2017, but we're moving in the right direction. 

Just need real football to come back now! 

Really good thanks, mate.

It's definitely going to take a while to bring it all together, as you say; lots of damage from the past few years to undo, but the fans will come on board if they can see the club are trying. And that's so important right now.

Hoping to see more of the old crowd posting more on here if Arsenal can stop making us want to commit murder nearly every weekend. As I say, you have been missed.

Bring on the football! Can't wait!

I'm not gonna get too excited until this one is confirmed.

Sicario wrote:

Is it 100 per a done deal?

Still won’t believe until it’s on arsenal.com

Finalise personal terms, agent fees, medical. Bar late drama/gazumping it sounds like the bulk of the deal is done

Ricky1985 wrote:

He's quicker than Salah. Maybe not quite as quick off the mark because Salah is tiny and Pépé is 6' tall, but top speed Pépé would eat him alive.

I really don't think so. Zaha is quicker than Pepe for example and Salah is ridiculously intense in sprinting.

JazzG wrote:

I'm not gonna get too excited until this one is confirmed.

Same here.
I haven't even clicked the video but, then again, i didn't click Zaha's so superstition is BS.

Ricky1985 wrote:
deardevil wrote:

Did he actually say that? 😆

Fucking beggars are at the door again. 😆

Yes, he did say that. Word for word.

And, although you're only joking, it's comments like your second sentence that I hope are going to stop being made by Arsenal fans. It sums up where we have been for a while, no doubt, and it's part of the lack of pride and apathy that has plagued this club for too long.

But times they are a-changing; be proud to support Arsenal. Defend them when other fans slag us off. That's how the club will be reborn, that's when it will happen. And the fans are desperate for it, you could even see that with the Adidas kit launch that captured so perfectly what it means to be Arsenal and why we're such a big, fat stonking football club.

That will only happen when we achieve good results on the pitch. Transfers feel good factor can only last that long till the results hold us back again.

Can’t believe we’ve done a madness.

Worried it will come at the expense of Lacazette moving on. If he doesn’t, will we see Auba at LW?....woof

I know it would be tough for the squad, but shipping Laca to find Zaha would be outrageous.

pornstein just said that laca and auba are not leaving

so, that must mean that we'll see pepe at RW, and then laca/auba at ST/LW

mkh seems like the obvious player to leave, but i doubt anyone is knocking down our door for him

I don't know about this one. He looks decent in those compilations, but he doesn't strike me as a player worth €80 mill. Hope I'm wrong though.

Kel Varnsen wrote:

I don't know about this one. He looks decent in those compilations, but he doesn't strike me as a player worth €80 mill. Hope I'm wrong though.

He’s worth every penny.
The fact that we went to get Mendes to make sure this got done should alert you to the elite status of the player, if not the caliber of team we beat to his signature. He was the best attacker outside PSG’s three kings last year. Not even close in Ligue 1. He is going to change our offense. I have a profile 2 pages back on how. The directness and danger we lost with Alexis is back.

It concerns me that 40% of his goals came from pens. To justify this sort of price tag he needs to be hitting 25 goals/assists a season.

goon wrote:

It concerns me that 40% of his goals came from pens. To justify this sort of price tag he needs to be hitting 25 goals/assists a season.

How many wide men are scoring 25 goals a season and what are they valued at in the market? And don’t use very old prices due to inflation

goon wrote:

His ball control feels like it will hold him back a little I reckon. It’s a little Yannick Bolasie like. Impressive passing in the compilation posted earlier though.


I know it's a lower standard, but maybe this old video allays that concern somewhat?

For me, it shows more than you see in the more strict tactical role he has at Lille. You see the dynamism in his game, the broad range of skills, the different types of ball controls, the passing ability with that left foot. The flair he has, what he can do physcially in terms of his explosiveness and with that great balance, the quick feet and quick thinking in tight areas. And that touch of genius he has in producing the unexpected.

You also get to see what a spikey character he is, and you see that more when you watch him live for Lille. He's extremely cocky and does not like to lose.

Also think this is a good representation of his game and is worth watching:

Thanks Ricky will check those out.

Claudius wrote:
goon wrote:

It concerns me that 40% of his goals came from pens. To justify this sort of price tag he needs to be hitting 25 goals/assists a season.

How many wide men are scoring 25 goals a season and what are they valued at in the market? And don’t use very old prices due to inflation

Goals/assists combined, so 12 of each would do.

Plenty go wide men reach those sorts of numbers.

Claudius wrote:
Kel Varnsen wrote:

I don't know about this one. He looks decent in those compilations, but he doesn't strike me as a player worth €80 mill. Hope I'm wrong though.

He’s worth every penny.
The fact that we went to get Mendes to make sure this got done should alert you to the elite status of the player, if not the caliber of team we beat to his signature. He was the best attacker outside PSG’s three kings last year. Not even close in Ligue 1. He is going to change our offense. I have a profile 2 pages back on how. The directness and danger we lost with Alexis is back.

I'm kinda surprised about Mendes. Times really changing at Arsenal. Who would have imagined us to approach Mendes to get this over the line and pay a hefty agent fee just for it. And he is only working for us on this deal.

wtf I didn't expect this rumour to have legs.
Seriously, what happened with not having money?

This is definitely the kind of player you buy young and sell off at 26-27.

goon wrote:

It concerns me that 40% of his goals came from pens. To justify this sort of price tag he needs to be hitting 25 goals/assists a season.

He won many of the penalties he scored.

The next global football star will be at Arsenal.

so we should play a flat 3 in midfield (ceballos, torreira, xhaka (ugh) and then play pepe at RW, auba at ST and laca at LW. laca should not be a left winger, but i think we need auba in front of goal, and laca's hold-up play is solid.

Gunner89 wrote:
goon wrote:

It concerns me that 40% of his goals came from pens. To justify this sort of price tag he needs to be hitting 25 goals/assists a season.

He won many of the penalties he scored.

Yep

Recafe going absolutely crazy angry about this deal with their ambitions to sign players and secure 6th place. Finally they are being us. 

goon wrote:

It concerns me that 40% of his goals came from pens. To justify this sort of price tag he needs to be hitting 25 goals/assists a season.

He did also win 5 of those 9 penalties himself.

The season before (2017/18 ) he scored 13 goals in 31 starts for Lille in Ligue 1. Only 1 goal came from the penalty spot. He got 5 assists too. Lille finished 17th and only scored 41 goals. So with goals and assists, Pépé was directly involved in nearly 50% of their goals that season, just as he was this season.

I just want this done.
Two players I’ve wanted more than any other over the last 2 years were Pepe and Ndombele. And we got one, arguably the one with the higher ceiling. If/when he signs will be a great relief after the way the early summer played out. So happy that Raul decided to leave the comforts of Camp Nou to do real work.

Amen to that, brother! Just want to see this confirmed now.

Clrnc wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:

He's quicker than Salah. Maybe not quite as quick off the mark because Salah is tiny and Pépé is 6' tall, but top speed Pépé would eat him alive.

I really don't think so. Zaha is quicker than Pepe for example and Salah is ridiculously intense in sprinting.

I'm telling you Pépé would leave them both for dead box-to-box. The boy can shift with the best of them and he can do it over and over again for 90 minutes and 40 games a season. He's an incredible athlete.

Nice little video that BT Sport put together:

That low, left footed curler will become his trademark because it's impossible stop. His pace on the outside guarantees him the opening and he plants it right on the far post with ridiculous frequency and serious power, with zero backlift.

Guys and girls, what the actual fuck?!? Late waking up today but I just jumped out of bed. What a huge week if this actually happens!

Ricky1985 wrote:

Amen to that, brother! Just want to see this confirmed now.

Clrnc wrote:

I really don't think so. Zaha is quicker than Pepe for example and Salah is ridiculously intense in sprinting.

I'm telling you Pépé would leave them both for dead box-to-box. The boy can shift with the best of them and he can do it over and over again for 90 minutes and 40 games a season. He's an incredible athlete.

I think Clrnc is on about acceleration and you hardly ever see Salah running full pelt as, like Messi, he is away in 2 or 3 steps.


Bayern's scout claimed they didn't go for him because they are wary how he will perform with less spaces. As you can see he thrives alot in spaces and counter attacking, so that will be one big part of his game he will need to improve. Vision, technique and finishing is top anyway.

Mirth wrote:
Bold Tone wrote:

Ricky is more likely to be right as Raul doesn't have the authority to spend £80 of Kroenke's money like that.
If Gazidis is still chief executive, Stan is not loosening his pursestrings.

Gazidis really was fucking useless.


Not sure how the structure at Milan is but their fans are happy with their supposedly transfer dealings. 

What impresses me most isn't even the dribbling, the finishing, or the athleticism, but the passing and decision making that goes along with all that. Next level.

Muswell Hill Gooner wrote:

I think Clrnc is on about acceleration and you hardly ever see Salah running full pelt as, like Messi, he is away in 2 or 3 steps.

I did say Salah is probably quicker off the mark, being 5'7" or whatever he is, but in a sprint Pépé would eat him for breakfast.

Talking about Salah, interesting how closely they measure statistically:

[Twitter]

Clrnc wrote:


Bayern's scout claimed they didn't go for him because they are wary how he will perform with less spaces. As you can see he thrives alot in spaces and counter attacking, so that will be one big part of his game he will need to improve. Vision, technique and finishing is top anyway.

Bayern staff are full of shit. Anything anyone has ever said while on their payroll is a lie or comes at least with ulterior motives

Ricky1985 wrote:
Muswell Hill Gooner wrote:

I think Clrnc is on about acceleration and you hardly ever see Salah running full pelt as, like Messi, he is away in 2 or 3 steps.

I did say Salah is probably quicker off the mark, being 5'7" or whatever he is, but in a sprint Pépé would eat him for breakfast.

Talking about Salah, interesting how closely they measure statistically:

[Twitter]

They even finish similarly, that cut back and curl into the far post from the right. 

Looking back at my wishlists I wanted Tierney and Pepe so bad back in April. Seems unreal we are close to getting them both now. Bascially just a CB left to make this a 9/10 window all things considered

Clrnc wrote:
Mirth wrote:

Gazidis really was fucking useless.


Not sure how the structure at Milan is but their fans are happy with their supposedly transfer dealings. 

Not to defend Gazidis but it’s worth remembering he was the one who brought Raul in. He also essentially left with Wenger so it’s hard to really judge.

That being said, I’m glad everyone associated with the era defined by a lack of ambition is gone.

Coombs wrote:

What impresses me most isn't even the dribbling, the finishing, or the athleticism, but the passing and decision making that goes along with all that. Next level.

That’s what struck me in the clips too. Looks like the lad has a good footballing brain on him, something with I think Zaha is severely lacking.

jones wrote:
Clrnc wrote:


Bayern's scout claimed they didn't go for him because they are wary how he will perform with less spaces. As you can see he thrives alot in spaces and counter attacking, so that will be one big part of his game he will need to improve. Vision, technique and finishing is top anyway.

Bayern staff are full of shit. Anything anyone has ever said while on their payroll is a lie or comes at least with ulterior motives

As if there would be less space in Bundesliga, haha. What a horrid, classless club they are.