Lukazan that’s what stuck out for me. Was skill. Not as fluid as Odegaard or Bergkamp, but certainly had a plan or reaction time to get past the defender.

    Although I like this Hugo kid, he is not made in our (Arteta’s) current mold of striker. Physical strength, hard pressing ability, hold up play, aerial duel winning machine, those are our prioritized qualities. Sesko is the target I believe - for good or for ill. Arteta prefers to have workhorses upfront rather than thoroughbreds.

    A whole set of clubs after him , we will have to be very convincing to land him.

    Panda just trying to help make the math math. If he’s good enough, he’s old enough as the saying goes, and by all accounts this kid is another monster in the making. Saliba learned his trade on the job as well, and we were fine. He can be the mentor this time around.

    Anyway, if I’m honest, I don’t know why I’m still advancing this conversation - I do like Gabriel and saw what he could potentially become early, kudos to him for leveling up his game and improving his focus. I guess I really just got triggered by the statement that without Gabriel the project was dead and that he’s irreplaceable.

        flobaba . I guess I really just got triggered by the statement that without Gabriel the project was dead and that he’s irreplaceable.

        As Arsène once said, "the cemeteries are full of useful people". Nobody is truly irreplaceable.

        But maybe big Gabi comes close... 😃

          Sound like it is imminent.

          Quite a situation for Liverpool. Arguably 3 of their best 4/5 players are potentially going to walk for free this summer, after winning the PL with them. Salah and Van Dijk have both given their peak years to the club, both well into their 30s and I think the fans will accept that.

          Trent is gonna sting like hell for them. Entering his peak and will walk away, local boy who has come through the academy on top. I don't blame him, he is 26 and a move like Real Madrid is a once in a lifetime opportunity, would be worse if he joined another PL club.

          Losing Trent is a huge blow for them. His creation numbers are off the chart and while he's not a great defender, he's such a difference maker for them from that right back spot - literally no one else in the world does what he does from that position. I still expect them to hold onto Salah and VVD but even that end result of undoubtedly overpaying two players on the wrong side of 30 is a scary proposition.

          Rumours that Nunez wants out and so does Diaz as well. Liverpool potentially will be losing a lot of key players in the summer.

          Trent has won a PL, CL, World club cup, Super cup, FA Cup and Carabao Cup with Liverpool so he's won it all with them.

          If Pool lose even half of the players mentioned (between TAA, VVD, Salah, Diaz and Nunez), they are potentially gonna take a significant hit next year.

          At least city have some semblance of a plan in place for losing players like De Bruyne, Grealish (no big loss on the pitch), Stones, Silva, Gundogan, Walker, Kovacic. They will have Rodri back and have purchased some players in January that might be a bit more settled by next season. And they will bring in plenty more (unless they are sanctioned)

          And we all know what our needs are. Extremely significant summer for the top teams.

          Liverpool already needed to spend on a new LB, new CM and a new ST and that was assuming Nunez leaves this summer. Now they need to sign a new RB and also ensure they re-sign Salah and VVD, which will be no small feat. If they let Diaz go, that's another top player they need to replace. Even if they keep Salah and VVD, if Salah doesn't have another Balon D'Or quality year and his performance goes down by just 10-20%, that's such a huge hole to fill with his performances, no TAA, and new players around the pitch. Clearly winning a title is worth it but I would not feel great going into this summer as a Liverpool fan.

          You would think with all of the players they'd need to replace - it almost rules them out of the running for Isak as they probably can't allocate such a significant portion of their budget to one player.

          I also don't think they will be as hurt as people think. Sadly, they have excellent talent ID.

            daredevil I don't think they will fall back to like mid-table like United, Spurs or Chelsea have since they have a solid manager with good players. But I do think that Salah and TAA have saved them multiple times this year and in past years due to their awesome attacking and creating abilities. If you take out TAA and just put in a solid RB, they'll arguably get better defensively but they lose that X-factor that has been so crucial for them this season.

              I'd love for all of you to be right but I just know that Liverpool have had the gods with them for a decade now.

              There's no accounting for every chance or setback as we've seen this season, but most judges would say we've got more squad upside than Liverpool.

              A lot more if Salah heads off, but I wouldn't be surprised if Salah stayed on for three seasons for Haaland's wages or even more.

              In any case, if we have the summer we need and normal luck, I think we are better than Liverpool.

              They could keep Salah and VVD, and add Isak

                Claudius I doubt that'll happen. If Salah and Virgil were going to stay why haven't they agreed a deal already? The whole situation has been handled horribly by Liverpool. They're lucky Salah is having an all time season because if they weren't riding the good vibes from that there would be a lot more scrutiny.

                    Qwiss result of a bad handover of multiple executive roles. We are going through a similar phase of transition. The risk that our new DoF doesn’t handle Saka, Saliba, Gabriel and Martinelli is high.
                    Also Trossard, Zinchenko and Tomi all expire in a year.

                        Claudius later 3 all need to be sold. No value running those contracts down and none should be renewed. Tomi may prove unsellable with his fitness

                            Even if Salah stays, his performance level will drop if not through ageing through reduced motivation

                              lorddulaarsenal he's in his usual late season slump now too. One of the greats but you can outrun father time.

                                  Qwiss No value running those contracts down and none should be renewed. Tomi may prove unsellable with his fitness

                                  Wouldn't be surprised if Zinny and Trossard ran their own contracts down. They both have a year to go as I understand it. Tross has been rejecting our offers in talks, I presume he reasons he'll have enough juice left to attract interest when he's available on a free.

                                  MistaT you think Dules can outrun father time??!!

                                  So long as he keeps lean

                                        Burnwinter If they do they do. Can't blame them but we need to make it somewhat attractive for them to leave, not much point in trying to drive a hard bargain with those guys. I wouldn't mind Tross as a 4th choice winger, 3rd choice striker for one more year if he wants to run down his deal though. As long as we don't extend him.

                                          Burnwinter lean I can do.

                                          Staying awake beyond 9pm these days naaah

                                          Me refractory period has increased by an extra minute or two. Nearly a 50% increase yikes. Pop Time shows no mercy no nobody

                                              Saliba, Gabriel and Saka. You don't sell one of the best in the world to get another one of the best in the world in another position. You just weaken yourself on an area where you are one of the best to strengthen another. If you want to get a top striker you get him and keep the most important players. You don't sell one of your only world class players to do so.

                                              Burnwinter 45 is a bastard, I've gotten reading glasses and gotten twice as gray in the past couple of years

                                              I feel you man. Got quite a few new greys popping up as well as feeling my eyesight get worse over the past year and I just turned 38. I'm in denial and avoiding wearing my prescription glasses for now.

                                                  Big Willie Comes at you pretty fast eh? I'm not doing appallingly badly, but the eyesight thing is a bit annoying. Means I'm wearing glasses 80% of the time since I work with software. Also need to shave the beard, but that's been necessary for a little while, just working round to it.

                                                    Eketike had another good game against Stuttgart yesterday. He really should be ahead of Sesko in the reckoning for us.

                                                    USArsenal can't believe I'm only just over two years away from this milestone - I still feel like I'm 27. But I think it's a curse and a gift that most men feel like this, sure I've said before but I'll never forget my Grandad telling me and Jo he couldn't wait to see what happened when he grew up. He was about 85 at the time. 🤣

                                                        RocktheCasbah "Growing up", at least where one's had the luck not to be run into the ground by a hard life, seems a one-two punch. The jab is the realisation you're never going to grow up, but the cross is still gradually getting bored by your own nonsense.