Kepa 😆 is the most expensive one, then Alisson Buffon and Ederson. Depending on the source and bonuses after that it's either Courtois or Ramsdale so 5th or 6th even.

Kind of mad that Buffon still makes the list having been signed a decade ago.

Fucking hell! Two decades ago! 😆

Meatwad wrote:

west brom fan

Ah silly me for presuming off some speculative record. Still, I'm buzzing. Inaki Cana seems to have a good eye for talent, bringing in the likes of Runnarson in the past.

Wenger had faith in Martinez, that is worth noting. Who is behind this signing? The guy that just let go Martinez, hired Willian on a 3 year contract and couldnt handle Saliba? Oh yeah, I am sure this signing will be a success

goon wrote:

If you want to be positive about that then that's the hope, that he's got great underlying attributes but is just shaky due to confidence and age - not sure how that will be remedied in a significantly more pressured environment. 

As a top 10 most expensive keeper in the world, you'd expect him to hit the ground running straight. The fact we are trying to think of excuses and lower expectations shows how crazy the fee is. We literally got mugged by a team that's relegated.

Sold one of the best keepers in the world for 20m last year, then sign Ramsdale for 30m this year. And the myth that we needed the money to sign Partey despite many opposite claims can finally be put to bed. Don't believe we need to sell Willock either, just simply Arteta not rating him.

We had martinez and he was on a hot streak. How high the level of incompetence should be to let him go? This signing just confirms how erroneous that decision was

and martinez had their coveted homegrown status too. now we're paying a premium for it.

AAStyle- wrote:

Wenger had faith in Martinez, that is worth noting. Who is behind this signing? The guy that just let go Martinez, hired Willian on a 3 year contract and couldnt handle Saliba? Oh yeah, I am sure this signing will be a success

How do you make that out?

Clrnc wrote:
goon wrote:

If you want to be positive about that then that's the hope, that he's got great underlying attributes but is just shaky due to confidence and age - not sure how that will be remedied in a significantly more pressured environment. 

As a top 10 most expensive keeper in the world, you'd expect him to hit the ground running straight. The fact we are trying to think of excuses and lower expectations shows how crazy the fee is. We literally got mugged by a team that's relegated.

Sold one of the best keepers in the world for 20m last year, then sign Ramsdale for 30m this year. And the myth that we needed the money to sign Partey despite many opposite claims can finally be put to bed. Don't believe we need to sell Willock either, just simply Arteta not rating him.

Look, I think the Ramsdale business is bad.

But as much as I wish we still had Martinez, what you're saying about him just isn't true in my eyes. We had two 'keepers who wanted to be #1. One of them had to go therefore. At the time, Leno seemed the better prospect based on extensive evidence of his ability vs comparatively limited evidence of Martinez's ability. Coupled with the fact, there were seemingly no clubs in for Leno last summer.

I think Martinez is great but if he's one of the best in the world, why is he at Villa?

If Arteta don't want him to go, you think he will be allowed to leave?

That last point is a moot point given it's been only a year and plenty of great keepers played for not as good clubs in their career anyway.

I think Arteta wanted both to stay but that wasn't ever feasible.

Leno was the better prospect based on extensive evidence of his ability but nobody came in for him while Emi was wanted?

Nobody came in for Leno because we weren't looking to sell him. We were looking to sell Emi so a club bid for him. Situations like the ESR bids where there's no indication that the player wants to leave isn't usual, the bidding club usually doesn't go in blind. So that we sold Emi because nobody came in for Leno is letting us off the hook immensely.

Captain wrote:

Fucking hell! Two decades ago! 😆

Maddening to think he already had 220 top flight games under his belt at that time too. Since then he has added another 700 and almost 200 national caps. That transfer has to be up there with Ronaldo to Real Madrid as the best record-breaking value-for-money fee of all time.

Don Pacifico wrote:

I think Arteta wanted both to stay but that wasn't ever feasible.

What we have seen extensively in his stint is whoever he wanted out, he has gotten them out by hook or crook ruthlessly. Whoever he wanted to keep, he kept them by all means. It's all by choice. Our board has backed his decisions massively.

Emi was down to the last 10 months of his deal, the idea that Arteta could keep both if he wanted obviously isn't true given Emi's demands of being undisputed No.1

The thing I don't get about that decision is that they didn't tie Leno down at that point. You have 2 good keepers, leverage that into getting one of them tied down and let the other go.