ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
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rodders999
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by rodders999 »

SteveO 35 wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 8:20 pm
The damage was done in the last window. Never leave yourself desperate in January. In fact we've had several windows to sign a striker and failed. Managed to sell a few mind
It’s still baffling that we didn’t sign a striker last summer when the need for one was clearly identified with the Sesko bid early in the window. Not managing to get him and seemingly having no pivot as we exited with nobody made fuck all sense. There must have been a shortlist of options.

If rumours are true we transitioned from Caicedo to Rice and Mudryk to Trossard previously when we missed out on a signing so I’d love to know what’s gone on here. Has Sesko agreed to join in the summer? If the choppers miss out on champions league will Isak be on the table?

Rolling the dice on Havertz and Jesus was a massive gamble which ain’t gonna pay off. If I’d have known we’d sign no forward I’d have advocated keeping Eddie :shock:

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Midz
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Midz »

rodders999 wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 8:53 pm

Rolling the dice on Havertz and Jesus was a massive gamble which ain’t gonna pay off. If I’d have known we’d sign no forward I’d have advocated keeping Eddie :shock:
No, rodders, No! I'm so glad we got rid of that useless piece of shite. :D

Palace can see now just how shit he is.

Limerick Gooner
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Limerick Gooner »

Just heard that we are in for Wally Otkins.

Retro Gunner
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Retro Gunner »

Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:07 pm
Arsenal are not knee jerk transfer wise. They have been in the past and it has never worked out. I think we should have a Plan B but clearly we won’t move away from key targets if it means getting anyone. I have not seen a player move this window that I would have wanted at Arsenal.

The other thing at play here is that clearly any player needs to fit into our system. I think Havertz is crap at finishing but he does serve a role in the team giving defenders a hard time and working as part of the press. If you get a new striker they have to do all of that work and also finish. I don’t know who that is. Sesko I would imagine. So it is not a great surprise that we are not going to sign anyone. Loan deals are free rolls of the dice but we don’t have any dice left unless we do a foreign loan.

I know shouldn’t respond to this, but I can’t fucking help it.

“Knee jerk”?? He’s had 5 years to come up with a striker and the last two years when it’s been massively apparent, so he’s had plenty of time to assess the market and buy someone. It would hardly constitute a knee jerk reaction would it. How long do you want him to fucking wait?

You’re glossing over the fact that he’s bought two duds in Jesus and Havertz in that time, who were obviously considered signings. He’s clearly convinced that Havertz is good enough, or is just too egotistical to admit the fuck up.

As for “fitting our system”, you talk like replacing Havertz is like finding a replacement for Messi, Ronaldo, or Cruyff. If what he brings is giving the defenders a hard time (he doesn’t) and being part of the press, then we could have saved the 60 million and the 300 k per week and signed a fucking Conference player. Funnily enough, it’s the crap finishing that you mention, that we’re all worried about and why we’re desperate for an upgrade. You could train a chimp to do the rest of it.

As for Sesko, if Arteta is prepared to sacrifice this season because that’s the bloke he wants, then he needs to be a lot better than the guy we saw at the Euros. Forgive me, but I’m not overly confident in Arteta’s judgement of strikers.

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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Retro Gunner »

the playing mantis wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 6:33 pm
Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 6:27 pm
Perryashburtongroves wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 5:54 pm
the playing mantis wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:50 pm
They have basically written off the season.

They could have got someone in who could do a job better than the donkey havertz.

Simply no will.
Yep. The reality is that they've either waved the white flag and thought it's not worth bothering about as we won't claw back nine points on the dippers or they are fucking deluded and think not having a goalscorer isn't a problem. I don't know what's worse but it's fucking horrendous mismanagement and negligence. No hiding places now.

To be honest Perry, while either, or both of those options are possible, I genuinely think that the biggest factor is pig headed ego. Arteta is a clone of his lord and master, the Old Fraud and having undertaken his Havertz vanity project, he isn't able to admit that he fucked up. The fact that it was such a bizarre and questionable signing at the time, makes it even harder for him to accept that he got it wrong.

I said not long after we signed him that Havertz would be the rock upon which Arteta would founder and it fucking well should be, although i suspect that our clueless owners won't recognise it.

You can hear it now....five goals yesterday, five different scorers, including Kai, so who needs a striker? :banghead:
Sad thing is retro the sheep either believe that, all based on the last game, or will pretend to believe it to defend there lord and master.

We are back to akb times.

It's a personality cult as these people support the manager not the club

Yep, I'm afraid you're right. We can only hope that it doesn't take 10 fucking years for the axe to fall, as it did with Wenger. It never fails to amaze me how many supporters still wouldn't call for him to go, even in 2018. I honestly believe that at least 50% of the fanbase would still have been prepared to "give him one more year." :roll:

I'll never forget (and I've told this on here before), how on one of the Wenger protest marches, some old boy looked at us angrily and shouted loudly "Give him a chance." Reno (who was xistential back then) said, "What, isn't 22 years long enough?" :lol: :lol:

Seriously, I used to think we had the smartest supporters in football, but in the last 25 years we've acquired a huge number of cretins, who are clueless about the game. I'm all for giving a manager a fair crack of the whip, but there's comes a point where he has to be held to account, especially when he's been indulged the way our bloke has.

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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Limerick Gooner »

Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:42 pm
Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:07 pm
Arsenal are not knee jerk transfer wise. They have been in the past and it has never worked out. I think we should have a Plan B but clearly we won’t move away from key targets if it means getting anyone. I have not seen a player move this window that I would have wanted at Arsenal.

The other thing at play here is that clearly any player needs to fit into our system. I think Havertz is crap at finishing but he does serve a role in the team giving defenders a hard time and working as part of the press. If you get a new striker they have to do all of that work and also finish. I don’t know who that is. Sesko I would imagine. So it is not a great surprise that we are not going to sign anyone. Loan deals are free rolls of the dice but we don’t have any dice left unless we do a foreign loan.

I know shouldn’t respond to this, but I can’t fucking help it.

“Knee jerk”?? He’s had 5 years to come up with a striker and the last two years when it’s been massively apparent, so he’s had plenty of time to assess the market and buy someone. It would hardly constitute a knee jerk reaction would it. How long do you want him to fucking wait?

You’re glossing over the fact that he’s bought two duds in Jesus and Havertz in that time, who were obviously considered signings. He’s clearly convinced that Havertz is good enough, or is just too egotistical to admit the fuck up.

As for “fitting our system”, you talk like replacing Havertz is like finding a replacement for Messi, Ronaldo, or Cruyff. If what he brings is giving the defenders a hard time (he doesn’t) and being part of the press, then we could have saved the 60 million and the 300 k per week and signed a fucking Conference player. Funnily enough, it’s the crap finishing that you mention, that we’re all worried about and why we’re desperate for an upgrade. You could train a chimp to do the rest of it.

As for Sesko, if Arteta is prepared to sacrifice this season because that’s the bloke he wants, then he needs to be a lot better than the guy we saw at the Euros. Forgive me, but I’m not overly confident in Arteta’s judgement of strikers.
As per usual you seem to confuse someone trying to explain and rationalise something with someone agreeing with it. I’m not agreeing with it, condoning it or supporting it. Therefore most of your point is pretty irrelevant to what I posted.

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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Retro Gunner »

Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:08 pm
Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:42 pm
Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:07 pm
Arsenal are not knee jerk transfer wise. They have been in the past and it has never worked out. I think we should have a Plan B but clearly we won’t move away from key targets if it means getting anyone. I have not seen a player move this window that I would have wanted at Arsenal.

The other thing at play here is that clearly any player needs to fit into our system. I think Havertz is crap at finishing but he does serve a role in the team giving defenders a hard time and working as part of the press. If you get a new striker they have to do all of that work and also finish. I don’t know who that is. Sesko I would imagine. So it is not a great surprise that we are not going to sign anyone. Loan deals are free rolls of the dice but we don’t have any dice left unless we do a foreign loan.

I know shouldn’t respond to this, but I can’t fucking help it.

“Knee jerk”?? He’s had 5 years to come up with a striker and the last two years when it’s been massively apparent, so he’s had plenty of time to assess the market and buy someone. It would hardly constitute a knee jerk reaction would it. How long do you want him to fucking wait?

You’re glossing over the fact that he’s bought two duds in Jesus and Havertz in that time, who were obviously considered signings. He’s clearly convinced that Havertz is good enough, or is just too egotistical to admit the fuck up.

As for “fitting our system”, you talk like replacing Havertz is like finding a replacement for Messi, Ronaldo, or Cruyff. If what he brings is giving the defenders a hard time (he doesn’t) and being part of the press, then we could have saved the 60 million and the 300 k per week and signed a fucking Conference player. Funnily enough, it’s the crap finishing that you mention, that we’re all worried about and why we’re desperate for an upgrade. You could train a chimp to do the rest of it.

As for Sesko, if Arteta is prepared to sacrifice this season because that’s the bloke he wants, then he needs to be a lot better than the guy we saw at the Euros. Forgive me, but I’m not overly confident in Arteta’s judgement of strikers.
As per usual you seem to confuse someone trying to explain and rationalise something with someone agreeing with it. I’m not agreeing with it, condoning it or supporting it. Therefore most of your point is pretty irrelevant to what I posted.

That's good, because it rather read like an apologia on behalf of dear Mikel.

I must have misunderstood the bit about not signing a striker being a result of us not making "knee jerk" buying decisions and the part about it not being a surprise that we haven't signed anyone, because y'know, we'd have to find someone to do all the hard work that Havertz does ( :oops: ) and who can finish too. I always thought that was the description of a top quality striker, the sort many of us are crying out for, but I suppose it's hard to find one in 5 years and with only 800 million to spend. I mean, we don't want to knee jerk do we?

Still, I'm glad you not agreeing with Arteta's transfer tactics.

Limerick Gooner
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Limerick Gooner »

Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:30 pm
Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:08 pm
Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:42 pm
Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:07 pm
Arsenal are not knee jerk transfer wise. They have been in the past and it has never worked out. I think we should have a Plan B but clearly we won’t move away from key targets if it means getting anyone. I have not seen a player move this window that I would have wanted at Arsenal.

The other thing at play here is that clearly any player needs to fit into our system. I think Havertz is crap at finishing but he does serve a role in the team giving defenders a hard time and working as part of the press. If you get a new striker they have to do all of that work and also finish. I don’t know who that is. Sesko I would imagine. So it is not a great surprise that we are not going to sign anyone. Loan deals are free rolls of the dice but we don’t have any dice left unless we do a foreign loan.

I know shouldn’t respond to this, but I can’t fucking help it.

“Knee jerk”?? He’s had 5 years to come up with a striker and the last two years when it’s been massively apparent, so he’s had plenty of time to assess the market and buy someone. It would hardly constitute a knee jerk reaction would it. How long do you want him to fucking wait?

You’re glossing over the fact that he’s bought two duds in Jesus and Havertz in that time, who were obviously considered signings. He’s clearly convinced that Havertz is good enough, or is just too egotistical to admit the fuck up.

As for “fitting our system”, you talk like replacing Havertz is like finding a replacement for Messi, Ronaldo, or Cruyff. If what he brings is giving the defenders a hard time (he doesn’t) and being part of the press, then we could have saved the 60 million and the 300 k per week and signed a fucking Conference player. Funnily enough, it’s the crap finishing that you mention, that we’re all worried about and why we’re desperate for an upgrade. You could train a chimp to do the rest of it.

As for Sesko, if Arteta is prepared to sacrifice this season because that’s the bloke he wants, then he needs to be a lot better than the guy we saw at the Euros. Forgive me, but I’m not overly confident in Arteta’s judgement of strikers.
As per usual you seem to confuse someone trying to explain and rationalise something with someone agreeing with it. I’m not agreeing with it, condoning it or supporting it. Therefore most of your point is pretty irrelevant to what I posted.

That's good, because it rather read like an apologia on behalf of dear Mikel.

I must have misunderstood the bit about not signing a striker being a result of us not making "knee jerk" buying decisions and the part about it not being a surprise that we haven't signed anyone, because y'know, we'd have to find someone to do all the hard work that Havertz does ( :oops: ) and who can finish too. I always thought that was the description of a top quality striker, the sort many of us are crying out for, but I suppose it's hard to find one in 5 years and with only 800 million to spend. I mean, we don't want to knee jerk do we?

Still, I'm glad you not agreeing with Arteta's transfer tactics.
Havertz can have periods where he finishes like an average striker. He’s not lethal. He’s not a clinical kind of striker. He’s like a modern day Emile Heskey. Arteta seems to want that. I don’t agree with it but if you took him out of the side you would need to replace his physicality and pressing. Haaland for example adds nothing in his wider game. If we replace Havertz, it needs to either be an upgraded version of Havertz or we play in a different style. Just my opinion. I’m not surprised we signed no one. A loan was always the likelier route as he clearly wants Sesko in the Summer. But we don’t have any loan spaces other than from abroad.

Retro Gunner
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Retro Gunner »

Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:36 pm
Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:30 pm
Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 10:08 pm
Retro Gunner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:42 pm
Limerick Gooner wrote:
Mon Feb 03, 2025 7:07 pm
Arsenal are not knee jerk transfer wise. They have been in the past and it has never worked out. I think we should have a Plan B but clearly we won’t move away from key targets if it means getting anyone. I have not seen a player move this window that I would have wanted at Arsenal.

The other thing at play here is that clearly any player needs to fit into our system. I think Havertz is crap at finishing but he does serve a role in the team giving defenders a hard time and working as part of the press. If you get a new striker they have to do all of that work and also finish. I don’t know who that is. Sesko I would imagine. So it is not a great surprise that we are not going to sign anyone. Loan deals are free rolls of the dice but we don’t have any dice left unless we do a foreign loan.

I know shouldn’t respond to this, but I can’t fucking help it.

“Knee jerk”?? He’s had 5 years to come up with a striker and the last two years when it’s been massively apparent, so he’s had plenty of time to assess the market and buy someone. It would hardly constitute a knee jerk reaction would it. How long do you want him to fucking wait?

You’re glossing over the fact that he’s bought two duds in Jesus and Havertz in that time, who were obviously considered signings. He’s clearly convinced that Havertz is good enough, or is just too egotistical to admit the fuck up.

As for “fitting our system”, you talk like replacing Havertz is like finding a replacement for Messi, Ronaldo, or Cruyff. If what he brings is giving the defenders a hard time (he doesn’t) and being part of the press, then we could have saved the 60 million and the 300 k per week and signed a fucking Conference player. Funnily enough, it’s the crap finishing that you mention, that we’re all worried about and why we’re desperate for an upgrade. You could train a chimp to do the rest of it.

As for Sesko, if Arteta is prepared to sacrifice this season because that’s the bloke he wants, then he needs to be a lot better than the guy we saw at the Euros. Forgive me, but I’m not overly confident in Arteta’s judgement of strikers.
As per usual you seem to confuse someone trying to explain and rationalise something with someone agreeing with it. I’m not agreeing with it, condoning it or supporting it. Therefore most of your point is pretty irrelevant to what I posted.

That's good, because it rather read like an apologia on behalf of dear Mikel.

I must have misunderstood the bit about not signing a striker being a result of us not making "knee jerk" buying decisions and the part about it not being a surprise that we haven't signed anyone, because y'know, we'd have to find someone to do all the hard work that Havertz does ( :oops: ) and who can finish too. I always thought that was the description of a top quality striker, the sort many of us are crying out for, but I suppose it's hard to find one in 5 years and with only 800 million to spend. I mean, we don't want to knee jerk do we?

Still, I'm glad you not agreeing with Arteta's transfer tactics.
Havertz can have periods where he finishes like an average striker. He’s not lethal. He’s not a clinical kind of striker. He’s like a modern day Emile Heskey. Arteta seems to want that. I don’t agree with it but if you took him out of the side you would need to replace his physicality and pressing. Haaland for example adds nothing in his wider game. If we replace Havertz, it needs to either be an upgraded version of Havertz or we play in a different style. Just my opinion. I’m not surprised we signed no one. A loan was always the likelier route as he clearly wants Sesko in the Summer. But we don’t have any loan spaces other than from abroad.

Seriously mate, finding an upgrade on Havertz would be the easiest assignment a scout could have. Wouldn’t have to go any further than Hackney Marshes.

I guess it’s all about opinions, but I haven’t seen the physicality you refer to. He’s wary of challenges in the air and will jump into the defender with his back to him, rather than make a genuine effort to challenge for the ball and he hardly throws his weight around in tackles. Gives away a lot of niggly free kicks, but he has no physical presence.

Still, you’re quite entitled to your opinion of course.

gooner265
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by gooner265 »

Sold Laca and Auba and in 11 transfer windows we haven't replaced either of them with a genuine striker utterly baffling and could cost us trophies.
I get he wants Sesko but you have to have a 2nd and 3rd choice with your transfer strategy. Spunky was on the radio the other day saying he knows we've been trying to sign a striker since the summer but can't get any he wants over the line, who they are I've no idea . You can't tell me you can't sign a genuine goalscorer in 11 windows , the reason Liverpool are top is they have an array of talent up front to nick the points , they aren't anything special ,if we had the same we'd be top.

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sk-gtfo
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by sk-gtfo »

Surely we could have got someone in, even on loan?.

You just know a Havertz injury is coming, not good enough, it feels like we're in stasis(?) Until we replace Edu.

Time is slipping by, Saliba will get fed up waiting for trophies and bugger off to RM.

Can't help feeling we'll end up like Pochs bottlers - lots of nearly moments for 5 or 6 yrs but nothing to show for it.

Next season we need to win something because unless we get exceptional luck with injuries from now on (yeah right!) we have fvck all chance this season.

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Ray C
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by Ray C »

Seriously mate, finding an upgrade on Havertz would be the easiest assignment a scout could have. Wouldn’t have to go any further than Hackney Marshes.

I guess it’s all about opinions, but I haven’t seen the physicality you refer to. He’s wary of challenges in the air and will jump into the defender with his back to him, rather than make a genuine effort to challenge for the ball and he hardly throws his weight around in tackles. Gives away a lot of niggly free kicks, but he has no physical presence.

Still, you’re quite entitled to your opinion of course.
[/quote]

I remember years ago some very nice players would turn up at Hackney Marshes on a sunday morning - do their thing - & bugger off to the 'Feathers' for a couple of pints of light & bitter !. Most of them would piss all over 'Avit'. :barscarf: :barscarf:

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TeeCee
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by TeeCee »

So the 'bid' for Watkins did turn out to be the standard Arsenal play of offering below what someone is worth knowing it will be turned down. Ornstein has confirmed that Villa were willing to talk about letting him go if an offer of 60m was made. Arsenal only made the low-ball bid and didn't go back, there was no intention of actually signing him
This is all going to end in disaster again, Chelsea will definitely offer up to 20m more for Sesko so all of Arteta's eggs will be smashed in one basket and we'll Scrabble around for a cheap nobody. No plan B.

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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by EC1 »

Is £60m for Watkins who is 29 and would have very little sell on value, a sensible bit of business for Arsenal, I don’t think so.

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rodders999
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Re: ALL Transfer talk - merged thread

Post by rodders999 »

Cheaty spent 200 million this window and no doubt they’ll go absolutely batshit crazy again in the summer and be off into the sunset next season. 115 is dead, bought off in litigation - time to move on.

This was the chance, just like Leicester was the chance. That season we only brought in helmet head and paid the price, this time it was Neto, Merino and Sterling and the price will be paid yet again.

We’ve learned fuck all, so near and yet so far :suicide:

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