goon wrote:

Interesting the Iwobi sales brings us close to the alleged £45m budget. Coincidence?

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

Luckily we were linked to Rugani in between, so it was more like excited > miserable > happy enough 😃

I can attest to this. Makes me wonder if the top brass simply played the fans the whole way to achieve exactly that outcome. I would say they most likely did.

We went into the summer with a 40 odd million budget and came out having spent very little in excess of it. Were we really going to spend another 60 million on Upamecano on top of that?

Atletico Madrid are apparently close to signing Rodrigo Moreno from Valencia for a fee of 60 million.

Valencia are looking to sign Timo Werner to replace him.

30m Euros for Jeff. 
I'm hoping that the Edu appointment and Ljunberg/Bould trades help us reduce the number of stars that slip through the cracks. The Jeff is possibly going for as much money as Iwobi - so Aulas must really really believe in him because that man is a money doubler. 

Unless The Jeff has been pulling up trees in Ligue 1, Iwobi should be going for much more in the Premiership.

Iwobi is undervalued by us. Everton got a really good deal.

Wonder if we sold Iwobi to Everton with it potentially blocking the Zaha move in mind

Very sneaky Dules. I like it.

Marcia says Madrid trying to offload Jovic on loan. Crazy if it happens

Rumours that Zidane also wants out.

French press says due to the first option we had with Angers when we sold Jeff for 500k, we can match Lyon's 30m bid and hijack the deal.

I always thought it was a stretch when lots were suggesting Jovic would be a starter at Madrid. Benzema is a far better player right now and for the forseeable. I saw it as a bad move for the kid at the time, I think he needs to play a lot more football and score a lot more goals until he's ready, if he ever reaches that level, to play for a club like Madrid.

Clrnc wrote:

French press says due to the first option we had with Angers when we sold Jeff for 500k, we can match Lyon's 30m bid and hijack the deal.

We sold him for €2m (£1.5m) and have a 10% sell-on clause. Obviously no chance we get involved here at that sort of price, but the €3m is welcome.

Still didn't see a proper two-way midfielder in our game against Angers the other week, but at least he's no longer playing wide because his end product was always dreadful. Centre midfield is the only place he can become a good player in my opinion, but he's so weak and flaky and always fancied himself as a forward. Let's see what he does at Lyon.

Ricky1985 wrote:

I always thought it was a stretch when lots were suggesting Jovic would be a starter at Madrid. Benzema is a far better player right now and for the forseeable. I saw it as a bad move for the kid at the time, I think he needs to play a lot more football and score a lot more goals until he's ready, if he ever reaches that level, to play for a club like Madrid.

You're way off on this one Ricky. I watched every single match he played in for the last two seasons and the kid is an incredible striker. He doesn't have any nerves, I can count on one hand the clear chances he's missed in his time here. He's definitely good enough to play for them, he's barely been at the club two months and most of it injured, if that bald fucking idiot really sends him away he needs to be checked. The sources seem to be some dodgy Serbian newspaper and donbalon which makes the whole story a non starter anyway.

I watched him several times, and obviously have a fraction of your knowledge on the guy, but I saw an oustanding finisher, and someone that did a lot of the things well that you'd want from your Number 9, but I didn't see an incredible footballer. I think you need more than he currently has to start up front for Real Madrid.

Muswell Hill Gooner wrote:

Unless The Jeff has been pulling up trees in Ligue 1, Iwobi should be going for much more in the Premiership.

He was one of the 4-5 best young dribblers in Europe last season, statistically. (Edit: 9th - https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/europe-wonderkid-dribblers). Only ones who seem shocked over the supposed fee and Lyon's interest are Arsenal fans. Seems like his future is almost definitely on the right wing judging by what people are saying about him.

Ricky1985 wrote:

I watched him several times, and obviously have a fraction of your knowledge on the guy, but I saw an oustanding finisher, and someone that did a lot of the things well that you'd want from your Number 9, but I didn't see an incredible footballer. I think you need more than he currently has to start up front for Real Madrid.

Benzema has been piss poor for ages. He is obviously better on the ball, which isnt an insult to Jovic because on the ball Benzema is genuinely one of the best centre forwards ever. He's become extremely streaky though and hasn't been a reliable scorer for ages.

Put it this way - since 2012 when he became undisputed starter for Real Madrid Benzema has had just two seasons where he bettered Jovics tally from last season at Frankfurt, both league and overall. And that was Jovics first full season as a professional footballer, at a club many expected to be fighting relegation last summer.

Madrid need someone to finish the chances which Hazard, their Brazilian kids, Kroos etc will create, they dont need a 9.5 up front.

Benzema had a good season last time out though and scored 21 league goals.

Prior to that he was integral to a team that was obviously very, very successful. Benzema's willingness to the donkey work and his "9.5" role was a factor in Ronaldo's 50+ goal seasons and the proper functioning of their attack overall.

Jovic is no doubt a better finisher, but I still think they need Benzema's all-round ability and class in the team.

It really depends on what they are trying to do. Based on the last couple of seasons and the composition of the team, Madrid would have to start with Jovic. He's already turning into an elite marksman. If, however, Madrid secure Neymar then it makes sense to start with Benzema up front as he has some of the best link play of a number 9 that I've seen and will play Neymar and Hazard in consistently.

Monaco sign Ben Yedder from Sevilla with attacking midfielder Rony Lopes going the other way.

Very surprised that Ben Yedder agreed to this deal.

Monaco are in shambles at the moment and narrowly escaped relegation last season. This season has not started well either with an opening day loss.

Klaus wrote:
Muswell Hill Gooner wrote:

Unless The Jeff has been pulling up trees in Ligue 1, Iwobi should be going for much more in the Premiership.

He was one of the 4-5 best young dribblers in Europe last season, statistically. (Edit: 9th - https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/europe-wonderkid-dribblers). Only ones who seem shocked over the supposed fee and Lyon's interest are Arsenal fans. Seems like his future is almost definitely on the right wing judging by what people are saying about him.

I'm not sure where Lyon plan to use him, but my understanding is that Reine-Adelaide played as a CM towards the end of last season and that is where he really started to make people sit up and take notice of him. Also got a goal and assist from there in the first game of Ligue Un this season.

I don't see him as ever being an elite forward, but as a box-to-box midfileder, I think he could become a very good player. When he fills out a bit more, that ball carrying and dribbling ability could be a real weapon.

Lyon is replacing Ndombele with him, like for like plus minus.

Wenger had serious high hopes for him and just one season in Ligue 1 as a CM he is already a revelation. Can only get better.

I'm not jealous though we have Willock, but if Bennacer, JRA, Gnabry and Malen we let 4 very good talents leave for close to nothing compared to the time we invested and bought them over. Now even the former 3 will cost you almost 100m, at a club as cash tight as us we cannot afford to let talents slip out of our hands through mismanagement. Thankfully this is the doing of the past era, hope we don't see things like this again. Everything is looking up now!

I'm not calling you out Ricky, you know I respect your opinion and you've watched him a lot more than I have. He seems to be shifted around quite a bit from what I've read though, and I think the expectation is that he'll end up in a more attacking capacity. Maybe that's in a box to box role. His best game to date was against Bordeaux where he scored two and assisted one, and that one seems to have been on the right wing of a 4-3-3.

I think with players like Jeff you're always left with the decision of: should we put him out wide where he can beat his man to create space for himself, or are we going to make use of his athleticism centrally? It's not a surprise to me that he found a role earlier in midfield since he's a clever and technically good player.

Clrnc wrote:

Lyon is replacing Ndombele with him, like for like plus minus.

Thiago Mendes is the intended Ndombele replacement, surely.

i think iwobi is a pretty similar player to jeff. always thought they will end up in the centre. shame we lost both

Klaus wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

Lyon is replacing Ndombele with him, like for like plus minus.

Thiago Mendes is the intended Ndombele replacement, surely.

Is he not a more defensive player than Ndomble?

Qwiss! wrote:
Klaus wrote:

Thiago Mendes is the intended Ndombele replacement, surely.

Is he not a more defensive player than Ndomble?

I'm no expert on French football so the below is all google!

It is claimed the Ligue 1 side are keen on signing Mendes from Lille, as they aim to prepare for the exit of Ndombele during the close season.
http://www.insidefutbol.com/2019/06/07/lyon-working-on-deal-to-replace-tottenham-target-tanguy-ndombele/423449/
Lyon have announced the signing of Lille midfielder Thiago Mendes, who will help fill the void left by the departure of Tanguy Ndombele.
https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/lyon-sign-25m-mendes-as-ndombele-replacement/1gvi4a7onxmc11w1c8jp23qa3j

My thoughts are, maybe, the JR Adelaide purchase is to make up for Mendes' limitations in forward play.

I hate Coutinho. His inflated sale to Barca was fundamental to Liverpool’s transformation

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Did Robben flop at Real?

No, he did not. He was actually very good when he played. Fans liked him too.

However they had to sell him to balance the books for Ronaldo/Kaka after Perez came back as the president.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Benzema had a good season last time out though and scored 21 league goals.

Prior to that he was integral to a team that was obviously very, very successful. Benzema's willingness to the donkey work and his "9.5" role was a factor in Ronaldo's 50+ goal seasons and the proper functioning of their attack overall.

Jovic is no doubt a better finisher, but I still think they need Benzema's all-round ability and class in the team.

Alexis close to joining Inter on loan with an option to buy.

His value is so low nowadays, bullet dodged

Clrnc wrote:

Alexis close to joining Inter on loan with an option to buy.

His value is so low nowadays, bullet dodged

Bullet dodged? We got Mhki in return. I would say that bullet is firmly lodged in our ass

Qwiss! wrote:
Klaus wrote:

Thiago Mendes is the intended Ndombele replacement, surely.

Is he not a more defensive player than Ndomble?

I'm not sure. I read at the time they signed him that he was intended as a Ndombele replacement though, and then he picked up two assist in his debut for them. He got another one in the game after that apparently, but I didn't watch that game. He wasn't a defensive mid against Monaco though. Seemed like a great buy for Lyon.

USArsenal wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

Alexis close to joining Inter on loan with an option to buy.

His value is so low nowadays, bullet dodged

Bullet dodged? We got Mhki in return. I would say that bullet is firmly lodged in our ass

😆

USArsenal wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

Alexis close to joining Inter on loan with an option to buy.

His value is so low nowadays, bullet dodged

Bullet dodged? We got Mhki in return. I would say that bullet is firmly lodged in our ass

Rather take 170k per week of flakiness than 500k per week. 

Wages aside Mkhi is a better performing player currently and for the past 2 years.

We should get on the phone to Inter. It appears they’re Collecting football antiques. We have 1 or 2 pieces that might be of interest

Clrnc wrote:
USArsenal wrote:

Bullet dodged? We got Mhki in return. I would say that bullet is firmly lodged in our ass

Rather take 170k per week of flakiness than 500k per week. 

Wages aside Mkhi is a better performing player currently and for the past 2 years.

well thats why i said in our ass and not our chest. lol. in the ass won't kill us but it still hurts like hell.

I thought it was a carefully aimed remark, US.