Summer 24: Page 51 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Summer 24

Burnwinter

Voyeur FC. We're always watching you, and preparing to begin to progress our speculative interest in your affairs. Dunno why, but this morning I feel we've got a madness left in us this window. The quiet is suspicious. When Nketiah signs elsewhere, the great Edu Rube Goldberg mousetrap will be activated, triggering a brutal series of domino transfers across the top five leagues.

Re-watching Havertz's Leverkusen goal, it's a good example of what he brings. That's a bloody long leg to poke out that fast, we wouldn't have been shocked if that hadn't been scored. Satin smooth ball from Nwaneri to Saka in the build-up as well.

Doc

Really looking fwd to see how Merino will be integrated into the team. The more I see him the more I think he could be a really great partner to Rice.. Reckon he will be played more as a 6 with a lot of interchanging with Rice in the 8 position... Gives us a lot of assurance on the ball as well with his technique.. Arteta could be cooking something special.

CPM

It would be great to get Merino in and settle Nketiah going out ASAP, right around the rumored fees. There would still be plenty on the agenda – a forward coming in, the Ramsdale, Kiwior, and Nelson situations going out – but it would be more manageable, and we would have shown real improvement on the 'negotiations' side of things (a massive fan complaint in recent years).

I don't buy the Osimhen rumors at all, he is overrated and would not be worth the fee/wages. There's still this allure of the '20-25 goal scorer with pace' when football over the last decade has made the #9 a much more tactical position, and distributed the goalscoring burden out wide and into midfield.

JazzG

DiabyKungFu

JazzG

He claims the fee is €20m. That would make more sense than €30m.

JazzG

He is usually quite reliable and I have heard the fee of €20m rising to €25m from others which would be about right I think.

JazzG

This is the player I want though, transforms the midfield for us. Barca desperate to sell but convincing the player is the main challenge.

flobaba

His wages are the real challenge. That's why Barcelona are desperate to sell.

Big Willie

flobaba That's why Barcelona are desperate to sell.

They're "open" to selling him for 60m LMAO. They'd probably take half that just to get him off the books but he doesn't want to go without his loyalty bonus and they don't want to give it to him so it's a stalemate.

JazzG

flobaba Agreed but he isn't getting those wages anywhere except Saudi, well maybe the idiots at Man Utd might but they seem to be getting their act together now.

The Barca fans don't like him, the club have gone out of their way to smear him and he's not playing anywhere near his potential so he should leave. I think the problem is Barca have deferred some of his wages from Covid time and are trying to get out of paying it. If that is the case then they should let him go for cheaper so the buying club can pay him a larger signing on fee, Barca are a scummy club though and don't like honouring deals they've signed. Happy to use dirty tactics to smear players and force them to leave.

QuincyAbeyie

They've been open to selling him every transfer window. The real question is whether he is open to it, which would mean lowering his wages.

Claudius

QuincyAbeyie are both parties open to forgiving unpaid wages? That’s the issue

CPM

De Jong doesn't fit our team or the Premier League.

Claudius

CPM there’s that as well.
Arteta is pushing for a very physical team. With high off the ball work rate.
It’s why ESR was never going to make it. Seeing his two-way work versus Havertz showed you players in two different leagues. And it’s why we like Merino.
We want to retain the ball and get bodies forward. Look at the Leverkusen game. So many of our chances come from winning high and flooding the box quickly. It’s why Rice will be your primary 6 as well.

JazzG

CPM I think he fits us perfectly, the guy can carry the ball. Defensively he is a good secure player so can drop back when needed. His passing is very good, I can't think of a more perfect player there.

samthegooner

Claudius This is why I think we might try to go back in for Raphinha at the end of the window, especially if Barca needs to sell. I'm unsure how I feel about him to be honest. Think I'd rather have Sane if we are going for a left footed winger in that age bracket.

Coombs

samthegooner I don't want either of them.

Kel Varnsen

Haven't seen him play in some time, but de Jong used to cover a lot of distance per 90 minutes. Often leading in the team stats.

Burnwinter

Not sure De Jong would be covering much ground right now, last we heard he was still out with a bad ankle injury and hadn't trained this whole summer. He's not going anywhere, much less signing for Arsenal.

Two ways I can see his situation working out. The first would be if Barca loaned him to a top club for half his wages.

The second would be De Jong agreeing to an amicable contract termination for a fraction of his owed wages. He should think about that if he can line up his future at an actual football club, as opposed to a "més que un club".

JazzG

TambourineMan

Great value if true.

Wonder if we have any fuel left in the tank for a big signing in the front three? Let's hope so!

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