Pez1974

This. Our recruitment team have been amazing since NSWE have come in. They could sign Troy Deeney and I would still trust them (please don't sign Troy **** Deeney).

What a player! I know a lot of people deserve a lot of credit for this guy being at our club - but where to start? Who watched him and decided that Arsenal's reserve keeper was probably the best keeper in the world (when seemingly all the top clubs didn't)? Is it Cutler who has taken him up another level? Has Smith given him so much confidence? Or is he some sort of God?

Amazing vote of confidence in the lad. They clearly think he's the bits. Wouldn't be surprised if he got a year out on loan - hopefully at a Championship club, but with guaranteed (not literally) game time. Think this is why Guilbert is back this year - the he'll he off I'm afraid.

Well. That was a fun read. Now...over to Facebook to see how my ex-wife aged beautifully, won the lottery and become an amazingly thoughtful person.

No-one knows how this will end, right now. Arsenal's hierarchy will be aware of how much face they will lose if he joins us and it's perceived to be on the cheap. They could react by just going nuts. We clearly want the guy, but not at any price - so there will come a point when we stop pushing, and leave Arsenal with the resulting problems. There is a genuine rumble of noise around this one, making me feel there is something there - its feels more real than the Grealish noise, but that could be my claret and blue bubble. Guarantee if he stays there - the **** will score against us next season.

There are so many things in play here...for example, Newcastle apparently want Willock. But Arsenal want more than some Dunlop polos and a **** big mug. Ditto Xhaka - most of their fan base seem to think he's shit - but now Roma want him and he played OK for Switzerland again - suddenly he's worth a fortune. I'm sure they'd like the wages off their books, but they need cash it seems and know it's not a buyers market so have to gamble on getting more. They've poisoned the squad by paying the likes of Willian and Ozil mad wages for little benefit on the pitch. And mismanaged their squad badly, like with Martinez. I've got 7 of their current 28 man first team squad out of contract in a year, and another 10 or 11 in 2023. If they can sell some players like Willock for decent money, that will make our chances of signing ESR much lower, and is probably partly the reason we're pushing quite hard now; in a couple of weeks it might all be too late, and we're on to plan B.

I've only seen it in the Mirror, so it's probably horseshit. But as others have said - if we're going back with a 3rd bid, then we clearly know something. Plus - with the relatively small increments, (25m---30m---32.5m), it would seem we know a lot. And frankly, it is a lot of fun.

Late to this.... 1) Tammy would be a great addition to the squad; I'm not sure he'd be a starter in my first 11 if Ollie was fit. But he knows us, and we know him, so the 'risk' element with any transfer is reduced. 2) For £40m, assuming Jack is staying, I would be slightly concerned as I think we have greater need in the squad (DCM for me) where this money might have more impact. 3) His wages might unsettle a few people, and lead to a significant hike in our overall wages costs due to the knock on effect (see Declan Rice apparently rejected deals at West Ham due to the mad wages others are on). 4) I do not understand the clubs current plans or finances so (2) and (3) are neurotic fears; I trust the club to get these right 5) Star Wars is a lot better than Star Trek, and if you think differently, you're just plain wrong.

You just feel that we're toying with them for shits and giggles. Imagine if this were to happen. Saka and other would be kicking down the door for the same or more. They might need to spend their transfer budget on paying their current players just to stay. Maybe move on to Everton or West Ham next? (We don't need to focus on Spurs; they're **** themselves up without our help)

Given our interest in Smith-Rowe, and I presume we'd love to have Saka - might it be worth just putting in a bid for Arsenal as a whole? Then we could just sell off the assets, and wind it down or keep it as a feeder club.

So much of this is coming from a very small number of sources - the Daily Mail and Jim White/Talkshite. Others - like the ever reliable Sir John of Percy, acknowledge interest and that Villa want a new contract for Jack. Which I think everyone can believe. As always - ignore the bullshit merchants - don't click on their links (it gives them advertising revenue); don't tweet o retweet their BS (it gives them 'trends', which means other might look, and that leads to advertising revenue). Just ignore the charlatans.

Absolutely spot on. I believe our owners are aiming at top 4 in a couple of years. When I see what they are doing - I keep thinking about how 'this' signing will help us get there. El Ghazi and Traore are not both top 4 squad players - one perhaps; neither would start. Ramsey needs a loan.

Doubt it - we only have him as a proper DCM, so we need another. If we signed Kante - we'd still need a back-up, and that would be Marv. It's a tough position to play, and with Europe the aim, I think we'll see more of him once we sign a higher quality DCM (which obviously won't be Kante!) because it would mean we can retain our shape, and rotate a bit more.

Don't want to sell him. Don't think we need to. But..... That CM is looking packed with players right now, who all seem to want to play the same sort of role. And that's without adding (checks note) *the greatest collection of U23 talent ever assembled in one place*, who need to be allowed to come into the first team. So, as much as I think he's batshit crazy, and a very good player, I could understand us letting him go for something in the region of £50m if the club think the impact on that position will be minimal, and the freedom with FFP will allow us to get the players for the positions we actually need (DCM and CB are the first in line for me, currently).

So Norwich have signed some guy called Rashica. On You Tube he looks amazing. And very gif worthy. I can't believe no-one suggested him. (Sounds fishy)

Will be gutted, but not the least bit surprised if Tyrone is dropped for Maguire, who, on balance over the 2 games, I thought he's been as good as anybody for England. Even Henry Winter - who has gone very odd recently - has put out a team in which the only change from the horseshit against Scotland is Maguire for Mings. I kinda hope Maguire plays, and we concede 3. (And Jack comes on in the 70th minute, and scores 4).

Delighted with this. We needed some experience; we needed some cover at LB; we need some quality in dead ball situations; we have an injured Trez. For £0 fee and a salary probably around that of the departed Elmo and Taylor - we're sorted. And it means our bench can be more flexible given the number of positions he cover cover. Yes he's 35 - but he doesn't look like a Rooney sort of 35 last season. The fact that Inter (champions in Italy and in the Champions League) wanted him to stay shows he still has something to offer, so he will do as cover for a team that finished 11th - albeit with aspirations of much more.

That was soooooo last summer!

Smith-Rowe for £25m? Brilliant fun. He's got 2 years left on his contract, and despite plenty of noise hasn't signed a new one yet. Can't help but feel we're taking the piss, as they were never going to accept, but who knows where this could lead.

Despite everything being said - if the management think he's the right player, we should get him. In the modern game, it more often the midfielders who get rotated, and I think this has been Deano's mistakes this season, as Luiz and McGinn were clearly exhausted at times, but he didn't trust his squad and didn't make subs early enough to change games. Plus, we are aiming for Europe, and may want to actually put some cup runs together, meaning there will be more games and requiring more rotation. A midfield pack of Luiz, McGinn, Sanson, Nakamba and Ramsey isn't enough. I think people agree we need a DCM; add a JWP into that, and suddenly we have real depth and quality, and some flexibility to play different systems.

Agreed - I think the 0 goals in 11 games is misleading, given the minutes. He only really play 1.5 games. I think was is telling is that he only got 138 minutes of football for Everton in that period. They were struggling at times, and he still didn't get on that much. I trust the club right now to do what is right - but for the life of me I cannot figure this one out, so suspect it's not true. But if he signs, he gets my support, like anyone else.

As others have said - he has a year left on his contract so likely to be a transfer not loan. TransferMarkt.co.uk have him listed as a right midfield, who can play RB. Chelsea have him as a wing back. For what that is worth. Looking at a couple of Chelsea fan sites - they aren't happy he could leave cheaply (like many, it could be any youth team player they haven't seen is amazing); he's very fast and skilful. Likened to Lamptey (Tariq, not Nii). And he's played in every England age group up to U20. Honestly, if the club think he might make it - sign him and we'll keep the best ones.

As he's 18..... And to the best of my knowledge FFP doesn't apply to youth development... Does this mean we can sign him (for whatever value); stick him in the U18s or U23s for a few days/weeks/months; and if he is the bits, slowly bring him into the first team and it not actually impact on our FFP compliance? (And does anybody understand FFP? Know what's happening to it during Covid? and know if we are in danger? Except Purslow, which is probably a good thing).

Great comparison. A year later, if we'd bid £50m for this guy, we'd all be over the moon. We either have a scouting team who know their job, so we back them. Or we haven't, so need to replace them. Deals for younger players are often either lower with big add-ons and sell on fees, or just high. We structure the deal based on our confidence (and what they'll accept).