Summer 2025 Transfer Window: Page 52 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Summer 2025 Transfer Window

Tam

Claudius Btw, I thought Trossard was great yesterday, and our most enterprising forward.

Totally agree there. He gave us a good injection of determination and life into the game towards the end when things were flagging a bit.

HomeSteak

[Sami Mokbel] Isak? Sesko? Gyokeres? Inside Arsenal's summer plans

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clygl4lvdjqo

The boys are out tonight, the PR machine starts early. You know the season was fucked when that happens.
Next up, someone from the team will tell us Arteta is a genius.

Don Pacifico

HomeSteak I think it's less the PR machine and just Sami Mokbel recycling old content.

DiabyKungFu

JazzG Who should we be in for?

I don't think we have a huge need for guys who would "raise our floor" or "give us a different option". I think what we need to do is identify the single biggest attainable superstar and drop the bag on them. I could talk myself into being excited about anyone Rodrygo-level or better (i.e. Isak, Wirtz or Rodrygo seem like the top candidates here). I don't really see Sesko or Gyokeres or Williams or Gittens moving the needle for us.

To be fair, the Mokbel report seems much more positive on the Isak front than I was expecting.

DiabyKungFu

And, to be clear, I don't mean that in the tautological sense of "good players are better than not-as-good players". I mean it specifically in the sense that Trossard out and a superstar in is massively preferable to me compared to multiple "floor raiser" signings. I think it's understood that we need to not have everyone's limbs explode next season, but I think that's a necessary but not sufficient condition.

JazzG

DiabyKungFu Wirtz would be an absolute dream signing, Madrid press recently have said Bayern have got that one nearly done though. I'd skip signing a CF to bring him into the side.

Rodrygo is an interesting one, his best position is on the left and has had to make way for Vinicus Jr. What are your thoughts on midfield, happy with Zubimendi?

Isak would be the great but I don't even think it is about finances, I think Newcastle will sell Gordon and Bruno before they sell him, for the Saudi's he's a star player and attraction and someone they want to build around.

RowJimmy

DiabyKungFu I don't think we have a huge need for guys who would "raise our floor" or "give us a different option". I think what we need to do is identify the single biggest attainable superstar and drop the bag on them. I could talk myself into being excited about anyone Rodrygo-level or better (i.e. Isak, Wirtz or Rodrygo seem like the top candidates here). I don't really see Sesko or Gyokeres or Williams or Gittens moving the needle for us.

This is my thinking too.
The Delap rumor above works with this - £150M for Wirtz and £30M for Delap is better than 3x £60M.

Pepe LeFrits

Tam If there is limited scope for transfer wheelings and dealings then I'd rather focus it on Partey's replacement than Trossard's.

I doubt there's much chance of the club replacing Trossard this summer. They need to:

Replace Neto (unless Setford is set for promotion to number 2)
Replace Sterling (either by signing an AM and making Ethan Saka's backup, or by signing a winger and making Ethan our AM. I think the evidence suggests that Arteta doesn't really trust Ethan at 10, so we probably need another AM)
Replace Tomiyasu (either make White Saliba's cover and sign another RB, or sign a right sided CB)
Replace Jesus with a new CF and sell Jesus if possible
Replace Jorginho
Probably replace Partey (either sign another DM, or put MLS in the DM rotation and either sign a new LB, or keep Zinchenko)
Depending on the above, sell Zinchenko
Sell Nelson, Vieira, Lokonga and probably a few other loanees I've forgotten about
Tie down Saliba and other 2 year contracters, or sell and replace

... then we have Trossard. Selling him and signing a replacement wouldn't be top of my to do list

Qwiss

Pepe LeFrits I think when we are talking about replacing Trossard its because we don't realistically see us managing to sell some of the deadwood like Jesus, Zinchenko, etc At least with Trossard there might actually be buyers. Add that we keep being told we need to sell to buy and that he's out of contract in a year and it starts to make a lot more sense.

DiabyKungFu

Pepe LeFrits I think Max Dowman is pretty clearly lined up as the Raheem Sterling replacement.

JazzG Wirtz would be an absolute dream signing

Yeah. Overall, I reckon he's the best fit for our needs.

JazzG What are your thoughts on midfield, happy with Zubimendi?

For our level, I think he's pretty much Just Another Guy. Maybe for our level you need to spend £40m+ for Just Another Guy. Meh.

JazzG Isak would be the great but I don't even think it is about finances, I think Newcastle will sell Gordon and Bruno before they sell him, for the Saudi's he's a star player and attraction and someone they want to build around.

You would think so but the Mokbel report makes it sound like it's just about putting up enough money. I wouldn't actually take that as the gospel truth, but it was surprisingly positive to read. Like Qwiss said, we could do much worse than getting Gordon anyway.

RowJimmy This is my thinking too.
The Delap rumor above works with this - £150M for Wirtz and £30M for Delap is better than 3x £60M.

I wouldn't even really give a shit about the Delap part of this, to be honest.

Qwiss

JazzG I think Newcastle will sell Gordon and Bruno before they sell him

Then we should buy Gordon.

Big Willie

tazmania To compete in the CL and EPL for the long run, we need rotation. I want 2 good players for each position. We need CB, CM, LW/RW and CF all covered and GK.

At least two of those should be elite level talent. CM, winger and CF for me. If Arteta brings those in and we can't win anything or be fails to rotate, it's time for change.

On the other hand what if he simply doesn't bring those in and we can't win anything?

Claudius

Qwiss not averse to this. Full of vim and vigor.
One guy I would check to see if he’s unsettled is Foden. His form and usage really went to shit this season. He’s the kind of partner who can multiply Saka and Odegaard with his off the ball movement.

JazzG

Qwiss Would absolutely take him if he's available.

CPM Agreed, there is an obsession with signing a CL. We shouldn't spend big money on that position if the right option is not available. Also spot on about PSG & Liverpool, our problem is more Martinelli/Odegaard haven't stepped up with goals this season than a CF.

DiabyKungFu Yeah. Overall, I reckon he's the best fit for our needs.

Fits our needs so well I'd happily skip on CF this summer just to get him. A shame it sounds like he is going to Bayern, not sure how well he fits in with Musiala there. Musiala was another who I had hoped we may have made a move for but after his contract extension

DiabyKungFu You would think so but the Mokbel report makes it sound like it's just about putting up enough money. I wouldn't actually take that as the gospel truth, but it was surprisingly positive to read. Like Qwiss said, we could do much worse than getting Gordon anyway.

If they finish in CL places I don't think they'll need to sell him, if they don't and he starts pushing for it then maybe there is an opening.

Qwiss

Claudius not interested. Pure number 10, wouldn't fit and will bettered by Nwaneri very quickly.

CPM

Arsenal 24-25 PL with Havertz: W14, D8, L2 (79 point pace)
Arsenal 24-25 PL without Havertz: W4, D5, L2 (59 point pace)

Kai is no backup. And the obsession with a "proper striker" is anachronistic. PSG don't have one. Liverpool don't have one. We need more creativity and goalscoring, but that needs to come from multiple positions, particularly with no magic striker on the market. In the modern game it's often the wingers who are the real danger men.

Claudius

CPM love this!

MistaT

CPM -- six of those games without Havertz are also when we'd lost Gabriel.

I know who had a larger impact on our team.

Big Willie

CPM Arsenal 24-25 PL with Havertz: W14, D8, L2 (79 point pace)

Havertz or not, still nowhere near enough to win the title.

Don Pacifico

CPM not trying to completely invalidate your argument as I think you make a fair point but there's a big difference between having Havertz up top or our back-up DM! I know Tross and Jesus have played a few games up top but it's primarily been Merino, which isn't an appropriate comparison to another forward

Gazza M

CPM slightly cherry picking there. we had a raft of other injuries during that period. I'd wager missing saka had more to do with that points drop off. and as others have said, a 79 point is pretty average and a steep drop from last season

he's giroud mk2 and should be our high quality alternativr option next season. people forget the impact of an elite 9 can have because we've rarely had one at arsenal for the last 15 years

QuincyAbeyie

CPM @JazzG PSG's striker is the top scorer in Ligue 1 and has 8 goals in the CL. How is Dembele an example of a club getting away with having a striker like Havertz who doesn't score that much?

flobaba

CPM do Martinelli! Do Martinelli!!

CPM

MistaT Of course we missed Big Gabi as well, but our goals per game fall off a cliff without Kai.
Arsenal 24-25 PL with Havertz: Played 24, scored 49 (2.04 per game)
Arsenal 24-25 PL without Havertz: Played 11, scored 15 (1.36 per game)

Big Willie Yes, for sure. I just think he is severely underrated by many, largely because of his unfortunate facial expressions and body language. He has a huge positive impact on our team, certainly more than someone like Martinelli. We absolutely need another striker in the squad, but the likes of Gyokeres, Sesko, and Ekitike are not taking his spot in the XI, and the "magic striker" signing is not what would put us over the top next season.

Qwiss

MistaT quite a few without Saka and Martinelli too. And it includes the all the games after we've given up on the league. Silly stat to base an argument on. Very much a correlation is not causation scenario.

Claudius

Big Willie i thin his point was that Havertz injury had a massive impact on us. And that Havertz has been a key cog over the past year, including when we were roasting teams 4 or 5. Contrary to the opinion that some hold that he is a scrub and a massive waste of money.

Big Willie

Claudius look, Havertz isn't a scrub. But he isn't the type of striker to lead the line as first choice for a title winning team.

He's a good player, and has his uses, but his pressing is his only elite quality. He doesn't strike the ball cleanly enough for me to be someone we rely on to finish when we have 1 or 2 chances in a game. Aside from possibly the header that Rice missed, and that inexplicable Saka miss at the death, do you think he'd guarantee a goal from any of the other chances we had vs either Madrid or PSG?

If he had great ball striking ability I'd be all over Havertz leading our line as first choice. Or if we played a game similar to Liverpool's when they had Mane and Salah playing off Firminho, but we don't do that either because we require both our wingers to hug the touchline with Saka occasionally drifting into a free role in the box.

CPM

Don Pacifico Yes, it's not a perfect comparison, there are lots of variables. But Merino isn't our backup DM, he's an 8 whose strengths include his tactical intelligence, box presence, and goal scoring, and he's largely been lauded for his contributions.

Big Willie

CPM I just think he is severely underrated by many, largely because of his unfortunate facial expressions and body language.

For me it's got nothing to do with how he looks or his supposed body language. It is his ability to put power into his shots and get a clean connection. Too often he scuffs his shots or hits them too weakly for me.

CPM He has a huge positive impact on our team, certainly more than someone like Martinelli.

Fair enough if that's a jab at me. Thing is, at the moment both of what they contribute to the team is similar enough to what the other provides. At least what Arteta asks of them. Putting themselves about, making a nuisance of themselves, pressing the opposition into a mistake and tracking back to defend.

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