I'm so unimpressed with the striker market. Osimhen, Vlahovic, Boniface, Toney...I'm not convinced by any of them. We need a truly world class goal scorer if we want to win the biggest competitions. Do we have to be looking at LFW instead?

  • Doc likes this.

Intriguing what will happen in the Jan tran. Can see us not moving for anyone.

    lorddulaarsenal wouldn't surprise me, either. The trouble is, we need someone if we're going to push on. We've neglected the attack too long. Trossard is seen as a great buy, but he is the quintessential squadie. We need a real contender.

      Just watched a Toney highlights vid to remind me of his style. He’s such an all rounder - kind of Kane-seque. Wouldn’t be against it

        Keep seeing links about Kiwior going on loan to Milan. Surely we wouldn't even consider that under current circumstances so the only conclusion I can come to is that his agent is trying to put pressure on us to give him more game time? Realistically, think he'll get a lot of minutes over the next couple of months.

          Can't imagine him being happy playing at LB too. Looks awful again against PSV being toyed by Bakoyoko. He lacks the agility to be a fullback, reminds me of Xhaka playing there.

            lorddulaarsenal He was phenomenal for large stretches last year and looked like he was a top 3-4 striker in the league heading into the World Cup and then the gambling stories surfaced. I remember being completely stunned he didn't make the WC roster for England but then that story made all the sense.

            For me, its all dependent on the deal. For the rumored 70-80m pounds that they have said is his price, I'd pass since I'd prefer someone younger and more in line with our project (Osimhen, Ferguson, Boniface, Vlahovic). But if we could somehow finagle a loan or a better deal, it's a no brainer to me. His passing is incredibly underrated - he's the closest thing to Kane we have seen as a striker in that regard. Add that to his strength and hold up play and I think he would fit perfectly with Saka/Martinelli/Jesus, while giving us the goals/presence at the top of our attack that we currently don't have.

              KingslandBarge There were reports earlier in July that a 5 million pound move was in the works. Not sure how genuine, but rumour has popped up again after the PSV match earlier this week.
              https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/39111413/villarreal-interested-arsenal-defender-cedric-sources
              Again, another reason it was important to shopwindow certain peripheral senior players in a low-stakes match broadcasted widely with the Winter transfer window coming up. Lad's on 100k a week. Desperately need someone to take him.

                Dunno how reliable to this guy is.

                Option would be great. Not keen on obligation since I think it will stop us from going for the highest quality.

                If we're really after Toney, hopefully Brentford pick up a decent points haul over the next month so that they're sitting nicely mid-table when the window is open.

                Personally I would only consider this as a obligation, I like our policy of signing big money players under 25.

                Toney is a good player but don't think he is someone who transforms our frontline.

                Could hardly complain if we signed Toney on loan for the rest of the season, it would be a ridiculously convenient deal, and forgive the fact he's not an ideal recruit.

                He’s an excellent player and strikes me as the type that would improve here too

                Why would they give us Toney with no obligation? Not a deal that makes any sense for Brentford.

                Toney is a bad Apple - too many red flags with his gambling and ‘fuck Brentford’ video.

                I wouldn’t trust him as a personality in our dressing room.

                  With links to Paulinha and Onana it seems Tet has taken a real fancy to physically dominant players.

                  Get a powerful forward it and we’d be a horrid team to play against even when we’re aren’t playing at our fluid best

                  Onana is more interesting to me than Paulinha.

                  Sicario2 - Tier 1 If we are interested in him I'm sure we would have inside info on what his attitude is like, especially from Raya.

                  Personally don't think Toney should be our priority, we need a CM and defender this window more urgently. We are running very short on numbers in those positions. We have Jesus, Eddie and Havertz who can play that position for us, unless it is a really good deal we shouldn't consider it.

                    I don't think we should be making short term defensive signings due to injury. We are pretty stacked in defence, hopefully Tomi is back soon. Get Partey back in Jan and thats another option. Midfield I'd be more open to because its probably somewhere that needs a summer signing anyway. However I'd still rather a forward. If we get a CF Jesus can play wide sometimes and free up Saka and Martinelli when we need to, plus it allows Trossard to rotate in midfield more. It gives us a lot of tactical options. I think thats more valuable than a sub to come in behind White and Zinny, or a mid who wont play ahead of Rice or a fit Partey.

                      Qwiss
                      I agree with this but I also don't think we should be signing a forward whose function is to replace Nketiah as backup/plan B. If we can sign someone who can challenge Jesus for starter's minutes (even if not right away, still as our conception of what he's for), great, let's do it. I'm unconvinced that Toney is anything more than a slight upgrade on Nketiah. And English players are always overpriced. It was worth it for Rice. I don't think it is for Toney.

                          I'd take Toney on the cheap, I think £40m or less could look like a Trossard shaped bargain over the next 2-3 years.

                          I'm biased though, because I love Jesus and don't really have a desire to see his spot challenged. It was heart-breaking to see the crowd putting in a lame half hearted 'eeeeyy' when Jesus controlled a cross field ball by juggling with his head.

                          RowJimmy I'm not that into signing Toney but he's much more than a slight upgrade on Eddie. He'd be starting ahead of Jesus for me. Though I'd rather wait for Osimhen. I do like Toneys seeming eagerness to play here though. That matters.

                            Toney gives a real plan B. He's so strong and physical and wins a lot of headers. From that perspective he is a huge upgrade on Eddie, who offers more of the same but shittier.

                            For January, Toney >>> Guirassy >>> Solanke >>>>>>>> Nketiah. In an ideal world, Toney should be on a loan deal with an option, and we go for someone proper in the summer like Osimhen/Boniface/Openda.

                            We really have to sell Nketiah, he's huge for FFP. If we sell him for 30m, it means we can spend 150m on another player with a 5 year contract. No brainer really.

                              Nketiah is basically Tesco club card points waiting to be converted

                              Clrnc We really have to sell Nketiah, he's huge for FFP. If we sell him for 30m, it means we can spend 150m on another player with a 5 year contract. No brainer really.

                              We'd still need to sell another 30m per season for those 5 years to cover that, no?

                                  Big Willie We'd still need to sell another 30m per season for those 5 years to cover that, no?

                                  Yes. Companies are run by cashflow, not by accounting nonsense. Swiss Ramble has done untold damage to football discourse.

                                      DiabyKungFu a regular company can use as much money as they want. A football club can't. Is your opinion about Swiss Ramble that they don't understand how FFP works, or that people don't understand what they're trying to convey?

                                          Say the only business we do over the next 5 years is sell Nketiah for 30m this and buy one 150m player this season. No other sales or buys over the next 5 years. Would we be in breach of FFP or are we good?

                                            Big Willie think the view is that we’ll have more room for manoeuvre with increased revenues from Champs League plus the associated increase in merch sales that comes with the unconscious love for Controlball

                                              QuincyAbeyie Is your opinion about Swiss Ramble that they don't understand how FFP works, or that people don't understand what they're trying to convey?

                                              My opinion is that Swiss Ramble has been so successful at explaining FFP to morons that football discourse is littered with people that know nothing sunk costs or opportunity costs but know everything about amortization schedules.

                                              A more concrete example of what I mean is when you see stuff like "<INSERT CLUB> shouldn't sell <INSERT SHITTY EXPENSIVE PLAYER> for <INSERT SUM OF MONEY THAT IS WAY MORE THAN THE PLAYER IS REASONABLY WORTH> because that will register as a loss for FFP!". The more you make good decisions that make sense, the less you have to worry about FFP nonsense.

                                                  Big Willie Depends on income from other sources, as well as other expenditures. It's not transfer business that needs to balance.