Liam Delap does feel like a very Arteta signing

banduan or Rory, the final infinity stone of our set piece gauntlet.

Coombs We are literally saying the same thing

QuincyAbeyie I'm picturing Rory Delap getting up out of our dugout for every throw-in we get, the same way Jover does for corners.

Do we have a throw in coach? I imagine so.

Asterix same guy who does corners. Notice how both take half a day to set up.

The longer we don't have a DoF in place, the less confident I get on us doing what we need to do this summer to take the next step to being an elite squad next year. Hope we get someone in soon and it needs to be someone with experience negotiating big transfers IMO. I like the links today with Andrea Berta, the former sporting director of Atletico Madrid from 2017 - 2024. He had a great mix of value signings and bigger splashes (of course some didn't work out) and would seem to have good experience negotiating with the top clubs/agents. I trust Arteta's talent ID but I believe where we have dropped the ball is in convincing the player/agent/team to make the move. Let Arteta have a big say in who we go after but then get the deal done.

Hope we go for Kimmich, would be all over that.

Zubimendi doesnt really do it for me, bit too bland considering the type of player that occupies left 8 for us.. Going back for Douglas Luiz could be another option.

Doc bland is MA's MO. We don't get exciting players.

JazzG Wonder if our name is being used for him to get a better deal! Would be a great signing imo but probably wants a massive salary which will be a problem.

Yeah from reading that tweet sounds like he will stay at Bayern.

Would rather Zubi than Kimmixh. Think both would be a poor allocation of resources.

JazzG Watch him for Spain last summer when Rodri went off injured, put in a clinic. There is a reason why Barca, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal are pushing for him

Yeah. I have seen it. Don't get me wrong, he is a very good player but its more about who he will be playing with, if we are going to continue to play with Rice at 8, I feel like we should be playing someone there that can add a lot more to our attack. looks like he is a good allrounder with nothing really that stands out.

Having said that, I do think this type of player is the kind you need to see week in week out to fully appreciate, maybe he has insane positioning and tempo setting abilities that I have just not seen yet.

Zubimendi looks very boring to me. Will just be a younger Jorginho without the first time lobbed through balls.

Zubimendi definitely does not stand out on any compilations or highlights videos. However, like @JazzG said, he was immense for Spain when Rodri went off last summer and looked like the best player on the pitch - just intercepted everything and dictated the pace of the game. Personally, I'm a big believer in the idea that if the biggest clubs/managers in the world are after him, there's a reason. I do have concerns on how the rest of our midfield looks with him but I also think there's a world where we look back at his signing and realize how his profile completely changed the responsibilities (or lack thereof) that guys like Rice have and allowed him to be a disruptive and more attacking force. I see it working really well out of possession but my wonder is how it will look in possession.

Qwiss get both!

Let’s not dick about this summer. Spend pretty much all the budget on attackers. I’d rather have too many talents to choose from than next to none