Are you high? A simple google search can go a long way, you know... http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...ident-jeanmichel-aulas-confirms-a3578021.html
The Lazacette signing will only be worth it IF we keep hold of Sanchez and to a lesser extent Ozil. If we sign him, yet let these two go, it will be going one step forward, two steps backward. I know that Wenger has said on several occasions that they won't be sold, but he's said this in the past with our other star players and we all know how that panned out. So I'll see where we are at the end of the transfer window before getting excited about our prospects for the upcoming season. Also, as good a signing as Lacazette would be, we still need to strengthen in other positions. People may not agree, but I still think we need another centre-half. I'm still not convinced by Mustafi and Paulista is a liability. Koscielny and Mertesacker are in their 30s. Both are valuable players, but the former relies on his speed and agility in certain situations and that will inevitably deteriorate in the next season or so. Mertesacker's reliability is questionable given the extent of time he has been out for with his injury woes. So centre-half is a position we should be cautious about. That being said, I am keeping a keen eye on Krystian Bielik, who is very highly rated and could be breaking into the first-team squad soon, so he's one to watch out for. Midfield is another position we should be thinking about. Cazorla is injury-prone, Wilshere will be let go (I feel), Coquelin seems to be a squad player, Ramsey's form has been erratic for a few years now and we shouldn't let his winning goal in the cup final cloud our judgment. Xhaka's form improved considerably when we switched to a 3-4-3, but the jury is still out as to whether he can maintain that level of consistency throughout the entire season (as with the rest of our squad). We need to be looking for a replacement for Santi. Will be hard to find, but a player like Verratti or Pjanic (though they are different types of players) would provide that extra dimension to our midfield. With Ox reportedly rejecting a new contract and set on leaving for Liverpool, as well as Walcott's stagnation, we should arguably be looking to get a wide forward/winger too. So overall, if we are serious about wanting to challenge for major honours, there is still a lot of work for us to do on the transfer front. Not just buying players, but retaining as well.
Good summary and something I agree with. We seem to be making good movements in the transfer market but securing our two marquee players and strengthening to the right wing/Caz positions will be important for a full PL challenge. We can't afford to lose Caz again and not have a like for like replacement. We suffered big time last season due to it.
We've always had loads of rumours on Arsenal transfer targets in the media, probably more than the average club. But the Mbappe ones seem the most crazy of all. £125m for one player who is 18 years old? This goes into legendary click-bate territory. They know how desperate Arsenal fans are to land a top quality CF, that they wheel out these stories every season in the media.
The way I see it : 5 at the back ---------------------------------Cech/wos/ospina/new gk? --------------Holding/Chambers---Mustafi/Gabrie---Kos/Mert------------- ---Bellerin/Oxo------------------------------------------------------Sead/Nacho ---------------Xhaka/Coq/Elneny---------------Ramsey/Santi/Wilshere--------- ---Ozil/Theo/Iwobi------------------------------------------Sanchez/Theo/Lucas ---------------------------------Lacazette/Giroud------------------------------------ 4 at the back ---------------------------------------Cech/wos/ospina/new gk?------------------------------ Bellerin/Chambo---------Mustaffi/Gab---------Kos/Holding---------Sead/Nacho --------------------Xhaka/Coq/Elneny---------------Ramsey/Santi/Wilshere------------ Theo/OXo---------------------------Ozil/Iwobi---------------------------Sanchez/Lucas ------------------------------------------Laca/Giroud------------------------------ ------ Depending on which formation we go with i think we are relatively set in defence. I think it all comes down to who is going according to rumours the people leaving are Sanchez Gibbs Wilshere Oxo Wos Ospina The rest appear to be staying. So far we have got Lacazette coming in along with Sead. So i really do think we are okay at the back unless Oxo leaves then the potential for a RWB is possiby there unless Chambers can fill that role. GK - for the life of me I cant understand why we dont take Wos back and say wiithin a year you can be Arsenal no 1 seeing as Cech is 35/36, but if we get rid of all our backup keepers I would like a younginsh keeper who can take over from Cech in a year maybe 2. I liked Ramsey and Xhaka in midfield when we had 5 at the back, but with injuries and quality I would love another box to box type CM in - not sure who but there seem to be a lot out there. The frontline seems to depend if Sanchez leaves or not. I think another WF would be enough if he doesnt leave. If he does leave then I genuinely expect a WC wf to be brought in along with the players we are already linked with. So Lemar and someone or Mahrez and Someone. So realistically i expect GK - Butland/Donnaruma?/Heaton CF - Laca - Done Df - Sead - Done CM - Unlikely WF - Lemar/Mahrez/Mbappe This being said I would have no issue if we bought upgrades on our current players. Think a combo of streamlining and high quality replacements are whats required. Lets see what actually happens.
I dont agree. Sanchez signing on or not does'nt change the fact Lacazette is a very good signing. I've been complaining for years that we dont convert enough of our chances. In 2015-2016 we create WAY more than Leceister for example but scored less goals. Girouds conversion rate for example averages out at around a miserly 15% over the last few years. (Except last Season where it was higher - but he wasnt a regular starter) Last Season Lacazette Converted 38.9% of his chances. More than any other 20+ goal striker in Europe.(More than Messi, Lewandowski, Kane, Aguero and Ronaldo) With Ozil, Carzorla, Xhaka and potentially Mahrez/Lemar creating chances I think Lacazette is going to make a bigger impact than most are expecting. It's not just about numbers it's about converting chances - something that has consistently let us down in big games over the years. I hope Wenger keeps Sanchez because he's a great player. But I dont think he's irreplaceable and I dont think his situation should take from the fact that Lacazette could be a great signing for us.
Lzazette looks the business but has been playing in a vastly inferior league to the PL and most of his Euro goals have come in the Europa League. Also completely unproven at int'l level (although that is more down to France's host of quality strikers than anything wrong with him). I've often wondered why one of the big guns never seemed interested in a player who has scored 20+ league goals for the past 3 seasons running. Maybe he's not quite as good as people think he is?
Alexandre Lacazette set to travel to London to seal £52m Arsenal transfer http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/02/alexa...-london-to-seal-52m-arsenal-transfer-6750150/ Can anyone confirm this as true? If so, it would be our best ever start to any transfer window we've had. Signing up a marquee player so early without painfully dragging it to the close of the window.
Who are you classing as big guns? Bayern have lewondowski, real have Ronaldo, Benzema, Morata. Barca have Suarez, messi and Neymar. Atletico were in for him before the transfer ban. And he's been linked to Arsenal, Utd and Liverpool in this transfer window, with us now looking like his likely destination. That leaves PSG, who have had ibrahimovic and Cavani, Chelsea who have had Costa as the main man, City who have Aguero and Juventus who have Higuain. Most of the big teams have already got a main striker and lots of them have good back-up strikers too. So I wouldn't read much into a striker not having the "big" clubs trying to sign him.
A player can only do it in front of the opposition that you put him up against, so far he has done a very good job. He will be taking a step up but he won't get a better chance playing for a top team with very good players under Wenger's tutelage. If the deal goes through, we will see what he does. But chances are, he should knock in a fair few goals when you see the kind of service he'll get for Arsenal.
Arsenal are close to announcing the signing of Leicester's Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez, 26.(Calciomercato - in Italian)
http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/02/monac...-transfer-to-work-with-arsene-wenger-6750351/ Or: http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/03/thoma...naco-star-to-reject-arsenal-transfer-6750951/
The £125m for mbappe seems to have been picked up by most news outlets too. Though they say we are preparing a bid as opposed to have made the bid.
