flobaba wrote:

If you were Saka, why would you stay? He surely has a bunch of suitors that are doing much better than we are footballistically and financially speaking. And with our general injury record...

Honestly, if I’m Saka I’m looking at the fact that Raphael Guerrero is heavily linked to Barca. I’d see if moved and try to go to Dortmund for a few seasons to take that clear role on the outside of the 433. That’s what I would do in his shoes. Would be less money immediately but probably a better accelerator for the next 2 years while he’s still young. Then he can net a big deal. I don’t see good opportunities in England top 4 unless Liverpool sells a player. The other teams have rubbish managers or no slots.

If he stays he's on a trajectory to be a real star in 2-3 years and he'll probably have his pick of clubs if he wants to leave at that point. If he leaves, who knows? I think there's a lot more to lose than gain by leaving.

The mismanagement of the club and the straits we're in really have weighted all the negotiating leverage to the players. Its easy peasy for agents to really twist the knife into a club as desperate as we are. Pre-2015, a player like saka would have swiftly committed his next 3 years to arsenal without any hint of a potential saga

goon wrote:

If he stays he's on a trajectory to be a real star in 2-3 years and he'll probably have his pick of clubs if he wants to leave at that point. If he leaves, who knows? I think there's a lot more to lose than gain by leaving.

He's still super young. He's had only one top class season that was disrupted by Covid-19 and hasn't played national team football yet. He really needs to think carefully about what he wants to do in the next 2 years. He cannot, for example, afford to go to Liverpool to go jerk off Ox on the bench.  But he also can't go to United and not learn a thing under Gollum even though left fullback is there for there taking. He'll become a forgotten man like Martial and many others there. That's not a good use of his time. He'd be better off here. Or earning less to play in a system that maximises his tools in Germany. 

Dortmund is pretty much the only place that would potentially get my eyes to light up. Proven record of giving game time to kids and bringing about rapid development as well as CL football. I would say that I think starting in the PL for a top 6 club as he is here is probably better for your career development than playing in Germany on easy street most weeks.

Gazza M wrote:

The mismanagement of the club and the straits we're in really have weighted all the negotiating leverage to the players. Its easy peasy for agents to really twist the knife into a club as desperate as we are. Pre-2015, a player like saka would have swiftly committed his next 3 years to arsenal without any hint of a potential saga

Our pulling power definitely doesn't help but I don't think this is unique to us. Look at Hudson-Odoi at Chelsea or Sancho at City. I think it's a trend you'll see a lot more of, because players are being courted by top clubs at a much younger age. When you hear top clubs are after you, you're going think much more carefully about your options. 

goon wrote:

Dortmund is pretty much the only place that would potentially get my eyes to light up. Proven record of giving game time to kids and bringing about rapid development as well as CL football. I would say that I think starting in the PL for a top 6 club as he is here is probably better for your career development than playing in Germany on easy street most weeks.

Your mums working on easy street most weeks.

jones wrote:

goon wrote:

Dortmund is pretty much the only place that would potentially get my eyes to light up. Proven record of giving game time to kids and bringing about rapid development as well as CL football. I would say that I think starting in the PL for a top 6 club as he is here is probably better for your career development than playing in Germany on easy street most weeks.

Your mums working on easy street most weeks.

sauvage 

Has he signed yet?

Goon's mum works in Bundesliga?

goon wrote:

Dortmund is pretty much the only place that would potentially get my eyes to light up. Proven record of giving game time to kids and bringing about rapid development as well as CL football. I would say that I think starting in the PL for a top 6 club as he is here is probably better for your career development than playing in Germany on easy street most weeks.

Gazza M wrote:

The mismanagement of the club and the straits we're in really have weighted all the negotiating leverage to the players. Its easy peasy for agents to really twist the knife into a club as desperate as we are. Pre-2015, a player like saka would have swiftly committed his next 3 years to arsenal without any hint of a potential saga

Our pulling power definitely doesn't help but I don't think this is unique to us. Look at Hudson-Odoi at Chelsea or Sancho at City. I think it's a trend you'll see a lot more of, because players are being courted by top clubs at a much younger age. When you hear top clubs are after you, you're going think much more carefully about your options. 

When you have guys like hazard, sterling and sane in your team, and have had recent title successes, and have money to spend on replacements, you can afford to hold your negotiation position with guys like foden, sancho and CHO. We have none of that and its becoming clearer with each game that we desperately need to keep him. This is my point about how we have a weakened negotiating hand here

Yeah, he’s become one of the first names on the team sheet and will expect to be paid according to his status.

We erred by not securing his contract when he started to show real promise around last pre-season. The competency of the board continues to be the club’s achilles hill.

Apparently, Huss Famy hasn’t signed a contract since last year. What are these guys doing?
Aubameyang, Mustafi, Saka expire next year.
Nketiah, Chambers, Kola, Laca expire in 24 months

If we lose Mustafi on a free next year, I will throttle someone. This is what incompetence looks like. They need to sell him now. They can’t announce an extension without pissing off every fan. Mustafi know this. So he should take his sweet time and only move if he can find a great deal now. Everything points to us losing him on a free. Guy who should’ve been sold for £20m last year.

he should have been sold after year one. he was the same stumpy ass player back then that he is now, but wasn't full exposed as the shitty defender that he is.

That guy needs to be sold this summer, even if its a massive write down on the 35m we spent on him

Actually Mustafi has been playing relatively well under Arteta, Chelsky gaffes aside. So his value might have improved. Would still sell, mind, especially now his value may have improved.

All sounds good in principle, but we’ve let him get to this point. He could tell his agent to chill. Mustafi is said to be on £90k. How easy will it be for another club to pay a transfer fee and match that wage? If he wants to keep his wage, he probably needs to leave on a free.

Claudius wrote:

If we lose Mustafi on a free next year, I will throttle someone. This is what incompetence looks like. They need to sell him now. They can’t announce an extension without pissing off every fan. Mustafi know this. So he should take his sweet time and only move if he can find a great deal now. Everything points to us losing him on a free. Guy who should’ve been sold for £20m last year.

The only ones interested were one of the Turkish clubs and there's no way they can afford that sort of money along with his wages and apparently he had no interest in going there. Mustafi is a white elephant, I don't think there's much to be done.