Summer 2025 Transfer Window: Page 28 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Summer 2025 Transfer Window

Claudius

Qwiss Martinelli is disrespected. Most metrics show that Martinelli is actually a top ten winger. He’s having a rough season in front of goal, but the whole team is.

Qwiss

Claudius yep and even at that he's one goal behind Semenyo in the league despite playing about 2/3s of the minutes. He's been quite creative this season too, should have a lot more assists if it weren't for our goal scoring woes.

CPM

Claudius I think that’s roughly right. But it’s also hard to win the PL if your starting LW is “actually around the tenth best winger in the league”. Forwards make the difference. Martinelli was very good last night and I want him in the squad for a long time. We just need another option.

I share the skepticism about Semenyo and think Williams would be a better option.

Asterix

Interesting piece on the transfer speed dating room in Germany. Seems slightly odd at first glance because you always think of transfers being done in secret but makes a lot of sense. This is about clubs and agents and players forming relationships and doing the early stuff - what type of player is Club A looking for, who might be on the market etc.

https://www.espn.com.au/football/story/_/id/44399539/inside-secret-soccer-transfer-market-transferroom-rob-dawson-premier-league

Burnwinter

Willis making the "Sesko is playing better opposition than Gyokeres" argument but with some numbers attached:

https://www.cannonstats.com/p/transfer-target-discourse-is-broken

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Qwiss his crossing has become really quite impressive off either foot.

Claudius

CPM so i agree with your view "it's also hard to win if your starting LW is the tenth best". But I think have a different view from other folks who want to sell him to fund new players. We need to build on him with better forwards, so we have the same kind of depth as the other big teams, e.g.,

Madrid: Endrick, Mbappe, Vini, Rodrygo
Barcelona: Lewandowski, Raphinha, Yamal
PSG: Doue, Dembele, Kvara, Barcola

these are e foggin standards

GooneriC

Should look at Elanga

Qwiss

GooneriC I don't think so. Elanga is perfect for Forrests system, his pace is a huge weapon for them on the break but I don't see him being good enough for us when we go and face a low or mid block.

samthegooner

I still believe in Martinelli. I don't think anyone we bring in will undoubtedly replace him but I want someone who will push him for minutes where we have a legitimate competition for minutes across our frontline. Same with Havertz and someone like Sesko/Ekitike/Gyokeres. I don't think we should be guaranteeing they will come in as first choice but just that they will have a chance to compete for first choice minutes.

Martinelli had his best game of the season last night IMO and looked more explosive than he has all season.

Qwiss

Claudius I don't see a lot of clear upgrades on Martinelli. I see a lot of potential upgrades but they are risky. We need more depth in the wide areas and Martinelli has played both sides this season, letting him go would be an awful move unless someone offers truly silly money. We're never going to sign someone to displace Saka so you are looking at CF and LW to improve this summer. I think we should get someone like Williams who is one of those risk signings that could be better than Martinelli but might not, and might take time to adapt, etc

We have a similar situation at CF, although I think there are more possible upgrades there and the situation is complicated by the likelihood that whoever we sign will have start the first few games of the new season as Havertz may still be recovering from injury. I really want a more natural CF than Havertz who is of a high quality but we will still need Havertz available for us.

We've had our season ruined by injuries yet again and that is partly a depth issue. We need more quality loaded on top of whats here now, not instead of it.

Claudius

Qwiss agree with this. Keep Martinelli. Get Ekitike and Williams

samthegooner

Qwiss Completely agree. We need to build depth and competition for the first team. It doesn't necessarily need to be signings that are "clearly better" than our first team squad but just raise the bar of the competition for that first team. Players like Williams, Semenyo, Barcola, Gittens would do that for us on the wing while players like Sesko, Ekitike, Gyokeres would do that at CF. It will be a good problem to have if players are having trouble cracking the first team and will also force Arteta to rotate the squad more throughout the year, hopefully reducing stress injuries as well.

Our squad is good enough now where it's very tough to have clear improvements on the players we have. We need to just keep adding depth that continues to raise the bar so that pushes the collective level of the team higher and creates real competition for starting spots. Right now, our XI is dictated mostly by availability but ideally we can get in a place where it's a legitimate meritocracy amongst the options we have.

Qwiss

Claudius Get Ekitike and Williams

And Zubimendi. Plus whatever else we need to cover the outgoings. That'd be a nice summer.

samthegooner It doesn't necessarily need to be signings that are "clearly better" than our first team squad but just raise the bar of the competition for that first team. Players like Williams, Semenyo, Barcola, Gittens would do that for us on the wing while players like Sesko, Ekitike, Gyokeres would do that at CF.

Exacatamundo!

JazzG

That is good, get this done early or move on. There are other options in that LW position but they'll probably be more expensive.

samthegooner

Would love if we can lock down Zubimendi, Nico Williams and Joan Garcia early in the window and then work on bringing in the 9 we want out of the options we have mentioned. Depending on outgoings, potentially we could also be active with any market opportunities as well. I hope we get our business done early so we aren't chasing dreams late in the window and also can get these players integrated as early as possible.

Claudius

samthegooner our best seasons have been preceded by good pre-seasons where players were integrated early and the team already looked like a well oiled machine on US tours.
We absolutely need to do the same. Give everyone a solid month off (international nonsense permitting) and come back strong for preseason

lorddulaarsenal

samthegooner I know people have had enough of bringing in defensive reinforcements but I really think we should bring in Araujo or maybe Diomande. We need another top tier powerhouse centreback to cover or rotate with Saliba, and Gabriel.

I like Kiwior a lot. He was part of that seemingly impenetrable defence we had 14 months ago, but he’s ripe for market at present

JazzG

samthegooner Agreed, with Zubimendi and Williams we should be able to convince them before the window and it is a case of paying the release clause. Sociedad might be open to do a structured deal but Athletic Bilbao in the past have usually wanted release clause fully paid before releasing player. With Joan Garcia sounds like we have convinced the player and already talk of _€25m deal agreed.

The striker deal could drag on a bit longer so important to get the straight forward deals over the line quickly.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Claudius hoping for a great pre season. The 2022/23 one was phenomenal.

Big Willie

lorddulaarsenal I like Kiwior a lot. He was part of that seemingly impenetrable defence we had 14 months ago, but he’s ripe for market at present

As a LB, not a CB.

Panda

lorddulaarsenal Maybe they want Huijsen as this guy?

JazzG If we could replace Kiwior with Huijsen would be a seriously good bit of business.

Seems very unlikely though you'd think he will go to a club he is guaranteed to start at. Want Madrid to get him really so we can keep Saliba.

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