Ben White is class Ray.

If we're drawing a game 1-1 and we're pushing for a win, bringing on a guy like Abraham is going to be a lot more useful than subbing in Balogun this season.

I don't like doing deals with Chelsea, either. I'm just looking at the logic of it more abstractly, which seems sound. When you get into the details, however, I'm not sure he's the right guy at the right price coming from the right club.

Seems likely that this rumor is more his agent shopping him around more than anything we've come up with ourselves.

But you could have said the same about ESR time time last season. When it comes to back ups you have to be prepared to lose a little in the short term to gain in the long term if yup have promising prospects. And if you’re lucky, you may be better off in the short term too.

Ray wrote:

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Ben White is class Ray.

People were saying the same when we signed Chambers, he's just a faster more aggressive player. But same profile and from the Soton academy.

People also said this about dozens of other players who turned out to be very, very good.

Do you not rate him because you’ve watched him and don’t like what you see, or is it just because of the vibe you’re getting?

TA fits the current profile of the signings we have made and looking at this summer re his age, physical attributes and being EPL ready. He also better fits the profile of the CF role we used last season and is not yet the finished article.

Saw a stat in an article = as at April of this calendar year he had the highest career goal contributions (including assists?) for current u23 strikers level with Haarland, and ahead of the likes of Martinez, Jovic & Calvert-Lewin. Rather than looking at his price as a cost he is not only cheaper than the player he would replace, but also most if not all of the CFs we have been 'linked' to thus far this summer.

As for coming from CFC = they are a level or 2 above us as current UCL Champions and they have a match day squad that is the result of having spent over 200m last summer to improve a squad that had won the EPL title 3 seasons earlier. TA started the season well under Lampard before Tuchel played a different shape and style with more a false9 and no need for a linking forward.
We are not competing with them for top4 let alone the title, and same applies re the likes of MC and LFC - we are not in the same ball park as yet. IMO he is probably the better/best available fit for us without having UEFA football.

My bigger concern re current transfer links is Ramsdale @30m+.

goon wrote:

But you could have said the same about ESR time time last season. When it comes to back ups you have to be prepared to lose a little in the short term to gain in the long term if yup have promising prospects. And if you’re lucky, you may be better off in the short term too.

Ray wrote:

People were saying the same when we signed Chambers, he's just a faster more aggressive player. But same profile and from the Soton academy.

People also said this about dozens of other players who turned out to be very, very good.

Do you not rate him because you’ve watched him and don’t like what you see, or is it just because of the vibe you’re getting?

I think he’s potentially a solid PL player, as is Chambers, but not worth the 50m he will go for, especially when CB is a position which didn’t require immediate attention.

If we bring this guy in on loan for a season and shed Lacazette and Nketiah and use that to bolster CM and then use next year's budget to actually go get a striker to replace Auba (I'd love to get Gouiri), that's a plan I can get behind. He'd effectively be competing with Balogun for a year.

Tammy for 40mil is a bit much, but 30mil should be ok. Problem is that's 30mil for Chelski.

Actually think even 30m is too much. 20-25m will be a good deal for him. Chelsea sure know how to market their young players.

If we had Abraham and wants to sell him other clubs will be bidding 15m for him.

we also don't have much of a sample size other than his early hot streak. he could easily be a flash in the pan player whose actual level is Southampton or villa. I wouldn't want a permanent deal for him, only a loan makes sense if it's on offer

He's a decent player, without question. But there are loads of strikers out there I'd sign ahead of him, and that's even with a dearth of actually good strikers around.

Though the prospect of another year of having to watch Lacazette up front dragging himself around has me open to the idea of just about anyone.

he'll score plenty enough given the chance, but I'm not sure he's got a particularly high ceiling.

Ricky1985 wrote:

But there are loads of strikers out there I'd sign ahead of him, and that's even with a dearth of actually good strikers around.

Vlahovic, Isak, Kaladzjic etc...?

Even Malen would have been a smarter signing at 25m. Or Gabriel Barbosa

Barbosa aka Gabigol would not last a month at a decent European club where his partying and lackadaisical attitude towards training would not be tolerated.

Gazza M wrote:

we also don't have much of a sample size other than his early hot streak. he could easily be a flash in the pan player whose actual level is Southampton or villa. I wouldn't want a permanent deal for him, only a loan makes sense if it's on offer

TBF he had 2 very strong seasons in the Championship as well.

Clrnc wrote:

Ricky1985 wrote:

But there are loads of strikers out there I'd sign ahead of him, and that's even with a dearth of actually good strikers around.

Vlahovic, Isak, Kaladzjic etc...?

Even Malen would have been a smarter signing at 25m. Or Gabriel Barbosa

Issue being that all are being valued higher than TA and none are EPL ready, let alone that some may not suit the CF role Arteta wants, whereas TA has already shown both. 

Good lord, please no. He reminds me of Adebayor around like 2005. Poor technique, not a link player, third rate, not top 4 quality, rough around the edges.

Won’t happen anyway as it would require us shifting Lacazette. Zero interest around for him

He's far better than Welbeck

30m is a good fee

Ade didn't cost 40m.

Wenger pulled some absolute gems out of the bag for us. I was watching highlights of every game from the 07/08 season and it was crazy how little that squad cost. He extracted incredible value from the market in close to every position. His loyalty to some in that squad cost us in the end but what he managed just three years after the Invincibles with almost an entirely new squad really was exceptional. The man was a genius.

I think the competitive advantage we had in the market with Wenger evaporated as scouting networks improved. By that, I mean I think we benefited a lot from his extensive connections in the game, which enabled us to poach rough diamonds before others became aware. That loss of competitive advantage was one of the reasons I think Wenger suffered in his later years.

On Ade, easy to forget that a large proportion of the fanbase didn't rate him for his first 18 months or so. He also had a pretty awful track record in terms of goalscoring at Monaco so not sure TA is comparable. That being said, I'm not advocating we sign TA, just don't think the two situations are comparable.

Clrnc wrote:

Just realised Ade cost 3m. Ffs Wenger is really something else those days

And he was a grade A donkey when he arrived. For Wenger to get him for that price and the. Turn him into the player he became was incredible. Monaco actually rang us up to offer him. They were desperate to offload him to anyone.

And how poor his was post Wenger was equally impressive.

Ayebbz!!

From Locatelli to a new Xhaka contract. From Vlahovic and Lautaro to Tammy.

What is with wrong with this club!

At least it's just TalkShite so I'm still hopeful.

Just because he wants to come here doesn't mean Arsenal and Chelsea will be able to agree a deal. I'm sure they'd rather send him to Italy.

English overpriced mediocrity. Watch us cough up 50m to get the deal over the line

loan, option to buy, is fine by me.

spending anything on him, above a loan fee, seems foolish.

and if we bring him in, we better be fucking selling lacazette

CFC have reportedly agreed a 2 year loan deal with an option to buy for 35m with Roma.

Its Laca for us so.

Anzac wrote:

CFC have reportedly agreed a 2 year loan deal with an option to buy for 35m with Roma.

this was reported yesterday. Abraham hasn't agreed personal terms because he prefers staying in England. journos reckon he'll take a few days before accepting. hopefully edu doesn't get any bright idea to gazump roma

Fuck me, that's a good deal.

Chelsea wouldn't afford us that kind of leniency I think. they're making concessions because they prefer he doesn't play for another English club

Gazza M wrote:

Anzac wrote:

CFC have reportedly agreed a 2 year loan deal with an option to buy for 35m with Roma.

this was reported yesterday. Abraham hasn't agreed personal terms because he prefers staying in England. journos reckon he'll take a few days before accepting. hopefully edu doesn't get any bright idea to gazump roma

Have seen reports we have agreed personal terms with him despite CFC and Roma agreeing a fee.

Gazza M wrote:

Chelsea wouldn't afford us that kind of leniency I think. they're making concessions because they prefer he doesn't play for another English club

The interesting thing about it being that it suggests CFC do not need to sell to raise funds re Lukaku, but simply to make room for him in the squad.

So annoying that we can’t shift Lacazette. That’s the downside to Europe being broke

the thought of Abraham as centre forward with auba on the wing is bad. like, Michael Jackson bad. not the album, bad. like how bad he looked at the end of his life