Leeroy

We've dominated the game and find ourselves 2-0 down, but both defending and attacking is a concern, we have to be much better than this. Fortunately it is only a friendly and we have 2 weeks to get it right.

Going on that I definitely feel right back will be our weakest link this season unless we sign someone. Cash, decent, but not top class. Was being kept out the team at times last season by 38 year old Young. OK defensively but lacking going forward, perhaps because his technical ability isn't strong. Always been a great athlete and always seems a top bloke, ergo great for squad but easily the most upgradeable in the team for me. Konsa could be like a Ben White and excel there, but it's a risk and would mean we'd have no right back bombing forward on that side. Might be good if Diaby plays on the right wing though as defensively he isn't strong from what I can tell. Chambers is very average, will do a job and has played at the highest level for Arsenal but I do wince when he plays as he is very slow. Again seems a great bloke and won't complain if not playing, but would worry if he was playing right back much next season. Pretty much every other position we have at least one strongish first choice - striker, winger, central midfield, central defence, left back, goalkeeper (obviously Olsen at number two is not great but Martinez is world class). Right back just seems the odd one out for me even if I would like another forward and goalkeeper. Surely someone new is coming in to be first choice but we will have to wait and see.

If that's true then yes the figure is more like £75m, but I've read that Diaby is set to cost £51.9m all in after add ons. The BBC and Guardian both reported £43.2m + £8.6m in add ons. Ornstein may be correct over both those sources, but his figure (£34.6m) + the add ons figure (£8.6m) actually comes to £43.2m. So I suspect the figures have been misconstrued and it is actually the higher figure of £43.2m we have actually paid + the add ons.

Don't think we need to worry too much about specifics, it's around £80m (maybe £83m if we're being specific) as we'll most likely pay the add ons for both Torres and Diaby, or we can assume we will for FFP purposes. Signing on fees go to the player directly so don't get recorded as transfer fees.

To be honest we probably need to sign a first choice younger left back next summer. Both Moreno and Digne are 30 and as full backs that is quite old. Moreno was impressive last season but very reliant on pace so could decline in the next 1-2 years.

I guess he's useful to have as he covers multiple positions but I don't see him playing much unless we have a severe injury crisis and if that happens our results will definitely suffer.

Think that would be optimistic but I agree with you. Certainly if both Traore and Coutinho go then two new forward players should really be coming in with the amount of games next season.

Actually it is £80m, my maths is wrong - c. £50m on Diaby (with add ons) and c. £30m on Torres. Tielemans on a free. But yes you would be hoping for another significant signing given we have just qualified for Europe for the first time in 13 years with a manager capable of pushing us towards the top 4.

If Traore and Bailey played in the Championship I'm fairly sure they'd have scored more than 4 goals and would very likely rip it up. We're judging them at a far higher level. Not to say Philogene won't make it, but playing well in a couple of friendlies doesn't mean anything at this stage. I personally thought he was very underwhelming at Cardiff and didn't have a future here after that spell so surprised how well he has done in preseason and how much Emery is playing him, but we won't know if he can actually make it here until he delivers in meaningful Premier League games.

We've spent around £70m this window but not really sold anyone for any significant funds, Wesley and Nakamba brought in very little I suspect, but they are wages off the books and players not good enough moved on. I was hoping for a £100m+ spend this window so would be hoping for at least one more big signing. Maybe on a right back then we loan a really good attacking player like Torres. My wishlist would be: Right back - upgrade on Cash (not a young unproven player) Attacking midfielder - upgrade on Buendia, similar type of player but better and more consistent Backup goalkeeper - upgrade on Olsen Sell in priority order: Hause/Davis (weakest players in our squad, Championship calibre) Olsen Chambers Traore Coutinho We should only sell Traore and Coutinho if another attacking player is coming in, otherwise keep as they're useful squad players to have with a lot of games to play.

Yes I agree to an extent, we clearly have Villa bias but I was always baffled why we were ended up with Randy bloody Lerner and City won the lottery with multi billionaires with no financial limits after their previous Thai owner was found guilty of fraud and had to sell up. Lucky f*ckers. And we were a far more iconic club in the game. But it probably helped that their closest rivals were a massive club in Manchester United who were winning everything under Fergie whilst ours were Birmingham City who only won their first major trophy in 2011. I think you are also a bit mistaken to slate City for not winning much since the 1930s because I'm sorry to say Villa only had one league title since the 1930s too and only one FA Cup. City had also had a more dominant period in the 60s and 70s where they competed for the title over a longer period of time compared to us who won it once in 81 then were relegated a few years later. Both clubs have also spent time in the old Division 3. So in neutral people's eyes, in 2008, both City and Villa were probably seen as similar sized clubs, rightly or wrongly. Anyway I'm straying off topic, Silva was a top, top player regardless. I feel blessed he played in the Premier League, even if it was for that soulless club. Under these owners and manager let's hope we get a player like Silva play for us sometime soon. We've never had a playmaker that good in the Premier League era, Grealish is probably the closest we've come to having that level of quality.

So if villa were bought by Abu Dhabi in 2008 and the subsequent success that came with that you'd think of us as a nothing club with nothing players? I thought not. You can still appreciate world class players despite who they play for. And Silva, de Bruyne and Aguero will absolutely go down as some of the best players to have played in this league. Doesn't matter that they were acquired with oil money because if that had been us we wouldn't be batting an eyelid.

It was actually Unai who managed him at Valencia for 2 years before selling him to City in 2010, must have been a pleasure coaching such a technically gifted player and I'm sure Silva credits Emery with some of his development. I remember an assist he got in the season they won the league the first time, 2011 I think. They beat Man Utd 6-1 at Old Trafford and he hit a spectacular volley to put Dzeko clean through to score. Probably the best assist I've ever seen to this day.

One of the all-time great Premier League playmakers has retired: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66328822 At his best he was truly special to watch, never gave the ball away and created so many big chances. I hated City buying their way to success but it was a joy to watch this little fella play. If only Buendia was anywhere near as consistently brilliant, sadly he isn't.

Very exciting signing. Really hope he shines here. Sounds like a record fee too, I'm sure someone on here was saying recently we wouldn't sign anyone for over £40m and he had insider info. Obviously getting the wrong info. We've had a great window, us and Arsenal have done the best business IMO. Hopefully we can round it off with a quality attacking midfielder/number 10 type player to replace Buendia and quality right back to replace Cash and we'll be a serious threat next season.

Very doubtful.

Diaby isn't an average player of course.

I accept we're a generally well run club these days and don't want to overspend, but it depends how much the club really want Diaby. We are only offering slightly more than we paid to sign Buendia two summers ago who was a Championship player at Norwich, Diaby is far more proven, I don't think £50m + add ons is necessarily too much. I think even if we slightly overpay on Diaby and pay £55m, the fact we got Tielemans for free who is worth £30-40m and Pau Torres for £27m + add ons who is worth at least £45m IMO means we can perhaps afford to overspend on Diaby if we really want him. He has the potential to drastically improve the team, I don't think he'll be another Bailey. I think we need to sort it sooner rather than later, as we still need another attacking midfielder, right back and backup goalkeeper ideally before we play Newcastle on 12th August so delaying this deal makes it harder to get all that done. If we are going to walk away then go buy Doku if they think he's the one, although given he's always injured I'm a bit worried by that one.

That team that started should have hammered Walsall let alone beat them but it's only a friendly and emery's results in friendlies are usually average. Sounds like the kids did well. People also need to not get a bee in their bonnet on here if someone says something they don't like or if it differs with their view, it really is very precious.

Losing to Walsall lol

We definitely need at least one attacking player, if not two given Ramsey's injury. Our only semi-reliable attacking option is Watkins currently. If Bailey is sold then two attacking options is a minium. I agree about right back though and concerned we're not really linked with any at the moment. Bailey is fine as a squad option. I actually think he'll be impressive as an impact sub rather than when he starts every week, if he's OK with that. Diaby would be a great signing and one we should all be excited about.

Must be the longest wait for an official signing I can remember in recent memory. This evening or tomorrow morning would seem logical if he's flown in at lunchtime today, so if it goes beyond that with no word then who knows what's going on.

And we haven't signed players linked withChampions League teams before have we......

It's a possibility as both Bailey and Sancho did well in Germany but haven't here. He's not as lightweight as those players though so I'd be more confident he'd do well.

Diaby is so, so good. If we break our transfer record at least once this summer he'd be near the top of my list of players worth doing it for.