We don't need someone who can pick apart a defence, we need someone with good movement who creates passing lanes, and can keep the ball and counter in tight spaces.

Yup. Guys who work hard. Like to have the ball at their feet. Can pass well under pressure. And can also dribble past a stiff. Give me vd Beek and then Grealish. Vd Beek has been linked to United before but where does he play with Pogba and Fernandes?

--------Partey
Ceballos Coutinho

Oh to dream.

In hindsight I appreciate the Cazorla and Ramsey midfield more. Always appreciated the Fabregas-Hleb midfield, but the former less so.

Truth be told I'm ambivalent about the signing but it seems like we're going to operate in a fairly narrow market.

Swap Coutinho for Buendia and we've got ourselves a midfield.

Edit: Maybe slightly worrying that both Buendia and Ceballos lack pace. Are we aiming to be a counter attacking team or a possession based one? Probably the latter, but if it's the former then I'm not sure if that midfield is fast enough.

You could probably stick Buendia in the current one with Xhaka and Ceballos too and it'd suddenly look levels better. Players who are better than Coutinho are a dime a dozen.

Yeah. Been watching Buendia vids. Been under appreciating him, perhaps showing some misplaced elitism as a fan of a midtable club. He’d fit the bill.

Buendia is excellent but I still want van de Beek more.

I do love how strong Buendia is. He's not nearly as small as Cazorla, much more to him physically.

Coombs wrote:

Buendia is excellent but I still want van de Beek more.

I do love how strong Buendia is. He's not nearly as small as Cazorla, much more to him physically.

Same size as Soares and taller than Torreira, which may say more about Torreria's lack of size as anything.

Claudius wrote:

Yup. Guys who work hard. Like to have the ball at their feet. Can pass well under pressure. And can also dribble past a stiff. Give me vd Beek and then Grealish. Vd Beek has been linked to United before but where does he play with Pogba and Fernandes?

Partey to fix the physicality issue in midfield and Van De Beek to bring the goals and creativity we’re missing from those areas. Perfect summer. Don’t need any more signings imo.

I'd take him if it is a low risk subsidised one year loan arrangement with no obligation to buy. But there is no way we get a deal like that so this is probably something we should stay away from.

We all like Buendia but totally no links to him right now. Will Arsenal be as smart as us?

Gazza M wrote:

Please dont do it

Would be our first attacking inho bro.

Forgetting gervinho? Or was he just gervais to you?

Kia Joorabchian: Coutinho loves playing in the Premier league, he wants to come back. There's genuine interest from clubs. Willian has two Premier League offers on the table.

Kia was on talksport again. He is trying hard to make something happen for Cou 😆

Kia is basically like one of those 1980s style corporate raider executives who ran the company from outside, like Chainsaw Al. We have submitted to his grand design, which is largely self-enrichment.

On Coutinho, I’m submitting to it happening. The one advantage of Coutinho is that he, like Buendía, has an incredibly progressive pass map. He hits about 35% of his passes forward, he passes into the 18 yard box often, and is accurate. He’s had to play on multiple pressing teams so wouldn’t be foreign. But if we spent £15m a season on this guy... my heart would break.

Gazza M wrote:

Forgetting gervinho? Or was he just gervais to you?

I only associate the inho with Brazilians. The fumbling forehead deserves it not.

Neither does Coutinho, unless the only reason Gervinho doesn't deserve it is that he's not Brazilian.

Claudius wrote:

Kia is basically like one of those 1980s style corporate raider executives who ran the company from outside, like Chainsaw Al. We have submitted to his grand design, which is largely self-enrichment.

On Coutinho, I’m submitting to it happening. The one advantage of Coutinho is that he, like Buendía, has an incredibly progressive pass map. He hits about 35% of his passes forward, he passes into the 18 yard box often, and is accurate. He’s had to play on multiple pressing teams so wouldn’t be foreign. But if we spent £15m a season on this guy... my heart would break.

Supposedly no decision will be made until after the UCL ends in mid August.

Arsenal are best placed to sign Phillipe Coutinho. Negotiations are being lead by Raul Sanllehi. [@mundodeportivo]