Joao Felix

lorddulaarsenal

Clrnc

Joao Felix shouldn't be in the houseboat links anymore.

6 month loan deal is a no brainer. Basically another Odegaard kind of deal

Gazza M

Clrnc is it a no-brainer? it's quite risky. could be an expensive 6 months that comes to nothing. I can why clubs want more meat on the bone before doing a deal

goon

Clrnc

Where do we see Felix fitting? False 9? Another 8? Wide option? All of the above?

If we get Mudryk it feels like overkill to me especially with ESR coming back and Vieira probably hoping to get more mins in. Unless it's literally just to give us extra cover while Jesus is out.

Clrnc

Gazza M 8m is nothing to the Kroenkes, but gives us every possibility to win the league. Him and Mudryk is serious firepower.

Pepe LeFrits

Created a new thread for Felix

JazzG

goon All of the above, gives us high quality depth.

It is a short term solution but when you consider how many games we have and our squad is a bit light makes sense me.

Clrnc

goon Felix as an 8 is kinda weird, he is best at false 9 or even proper 9/wide.

Vieira and ESR are probably seen as an 8 option now ideally so it doesn't clash. It was mentioned I think by orny or another jouno that Arteta thinks we are stacked in CM, would make sense if we are seeing Elneny/Partey/Lokonga for just one position.

Our wide position is seriously weak even considering Mudryk is coming. There's no credible backup for Saka too. Marquinhos is too raw and Nelson is injured/not reliable.

Don Pacifico

As Clrnc suggested, I'm not sure we're seriously interested. Feels like a way of putting pressure on Shaktar re: Mudryk.

QuincyAbeyie

Don Pacifico in that case it'd be weird to put out the rumor that we're after both instead of launching him as an alternative.

Don Pacifico

QuincyAbeyie

I think whilst we still haven't agreed a deal with Shaktar, it puts pressure on them to not push the price too high if they think we're budgeting for Felix as well.

I just don't see us making a move on Felix, feels a very reactive, poor use of resources.

Coombs

Don Pacifico very reactive, poor use of resources.

I disagree. We need a linking forward either on the pitch or on the bench, and this guy is as good as they come. If he flopped in the PL, he'd still facilitate Eddie as our main man by taking up some minutes, even if it were just to close out games with some possession play.

Don Pacifico

If he joins, that basically says we don't see Eddie as a viable option - realistically, it benches him. So what was the point of giving him a £100k pw contract?

QuincyAbeyie

The talk is of a loan, no? In that case we'd see if we was worth it. Don't think I'd call the loan fee a bad use of resources, would be well worth the risk.

goon

I think the issue is that it will only become a necessity if we suffer more injuries or when it hits March and the EL returns, at which point you’d hope Jesus will be back anyway.

I personally do think there’s such a thing as having too big a squad and you get issues with squad management.

Don Pacifico

Yeah, that's how I'm seeing it - if Jesus were out for the rest of the season then perhaps it'd be a consideration but I fundamentally don't see the point in bringing someone in who is going to bench Eddie. And that's not because I think he's the bees knees, I just believe that if you give someone the contract we gave Eddie, then you have to give them the opportunity to prove themselves.

Coombs

I guess I just don't see it like that. If Eddie starts it has to be on merit, not because he has the way cleared for him.

Don Pacifico

Coombs

But my point is, if we've given him the contract we have then Arteta believes he has merited his position in the squad. To go back on that as soon as Jesus gets injured is then reactive in my opinion.

Clrnc

Atleti ITK reports that the fee they wants is 14m pounds, 6m to cover his wage in full and 8m loan fee.

All the English clubs balked at it so far

Clrnc

Don Pacifico This is our bench against West Ham... we absolutely need 2 great options to bring off the bench.

Substitutes
30
Turner
16
Holding
17
Cedric
21
Vieira
87
23
Lokonga
25
Elneny
90 + 3
27
Marquinhos
35
Zinchenko
72
85
Cozier-Duberry

Absolutely not what a title challenging side bench should be like

Gazza M

Don Pacifico a year ago I would've said you're on point, but we seem to have skipped a few rungs on the development ladder as a team and aren't far off having a legitimate title challenging squad. jesus' injury has now forced our hand even more. the contract we handed him was probably right at the time, but priorities and timelines are ever-changing in football. the brutal truth is a player of eddies level shouldn't be seeing much more than cup starts and 15-20 minute sub appearances in the league, if we are indeed serious about challenging for the title.

James

Started and scored for Atletico tonight.