The Wish List

[Tom349]

Wesley Fofana. Gone a bit under the radar since Saliba steals the spotlight when he plays, but this kid is also a huge talent. Would be fun to have two young CB that already has the experience of playing together, and high ceilings.

The more I think about the more i think this is the type of CB signing we will make. Will go back out on loan and return the following season to replace Luiz.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

I like this. Very realistic (Grealish could be too expensive this window. The thing that worries me is how much cover Xhaka can provide for our defense?

That's the thing, Xhaka doesn't have to be the only one covering, Partey and Grealish are both blessed with physical attributes, both get up and down the pitch. There is a nice blend of creativity, speed, steel, workrate and leadership in these three.

If Villa go down, Grealish will be affordable. Just depends which other clubs go in for him aswell.

 

[dashsnow17]

I just want us to buy some good young players tbh. We don't have a big transfer budget, we're not going to compete with the likes of Chelsea this summer, we're still gonna be pretty sh*t next season, we're gonna lose Auba.

Like fine, i'm a fan, I can accept sh*t, but just get the best 17-21 year olds around. You can't tell me we can't do that, cos we can. Aouchiche, Joelson Fernandes, Gabriel Veron, Adam Hlozek...whoever, just bring some talent in.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

I just want us to buy some good young players tbh. We don't have a big transfer budget, we're not going to compete with the likes of Chelsea this summer, we're still gonna be pretty sh*t next season, we're gonna lose Auba.

Like fine, i'm a fan, I can accept sh*t, but just get the best 17-21 year olds around. You can't tell me we can't do that, cos we can. Aouchiche, Joelson Fernandes, Gabriel Veron, Adam Hlozek...whoever, just bring some talent in.

How is that going to help us? We already have talent in the team with Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, Saliba. We need quality, players who can come in now and make a difference.

 

[dashsnow17]

How is that going to help us? We already have talent in the team with Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, Saliba. We need quality, players who can come in now and make a difference.

We don't have any money, you know that right? Any money we will have is gonna be from sales. What's the point in selling Aubameyang and spending 50m on one player in their prime when we're nowhere near to winning anything?

I'd rather spend the 50m on building something for the future.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

We don't have any money, you know that right? Any money we will have is gonna be from sales. What's the point in selling Aubameyang and spending 50m on one player in their prime when we're nowhere near to winning anything?

I'd rather spend the 50m on building something for the future.

This isn't football manager, real football doesn't work like that.

We have enough deadwood to sell, remember we'll only have 1 game a week next season, our squad doesn't need as much depth.

We can sell - Sokratis, Holding, Chambers, Maitland Niles, Willock, Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Özil, Lacazette, Nkhetiah

Then players we can sell if they want to leave: Auba, Torreira.

Obviously we won't get rid of all these players, but there are enough there that'll help us raise funds to get a couple of top quality players in.

 

[dashsnow17]

How is that going to help us? We already have talent in the team with Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, Saliba. We need quality, players who can come in now and make a difference.

Also, we need more than that. Young players suffer ups and down, injuries and misfortunes. Only a minority make it. Arsenal should always be in the business of sourcing the world's best young talent.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Also, we need more than that. Young players suffer ups and down, injuries and misfortunes. Only a minority make it. Arsenal should always be in the business of sourcing the world's best young talent.

Agree, but they shouldn't be the priority, the priority should be signing players to get a settled first 11. Then get some talented youngsters when we can.

 

[dashsnow17]

This isn't football manager, real football doesn't work like that.

We have enough deadwood to sell, remember we'll only have 1 game a week next season, our squad doesn't need as much depth.

We can sell - Sokratis, Holding, Chambers, Maitland Niles, Willock, Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Özil, Lacazette, Nkhetiah

Then players we can sell if they want to leave: Auba, Torreira.

Obviously we won't get rid of all these players, but there are enough there that'll help us raise funds to get a couple of top quality players in.

Of those 10 players i'm only sure we'll sell 2, Elneny and Mkhi. Chambers won't be sold cos he's injured. Holding might be sold if a good offer comes but more likely he'll go out on loan. Willock and Nketiah won't be sold this summer, Willock might go out on loan. AMN will be sold only if a good offer comes in. Sokratis yeah, he could go even for a small fee. Lacazette depends, if Auba leaves then Laca stays probably. As for Özil, no chance we find a buyer.

I agree, this isn't football manager. We're not gonna sell 10 players to raise funds to buy 5 great players. More likely we'll manage to sell 3-4 and raise funds to buy one player.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

Of those 10 players i'm only sure we'll sell 2, Elneny and Mkhi. Chambers won't be sold cos he's injured. Holding might be sold if a good offer comes but more likely he'll go out on loan. Willock and Nketiah won't be sold this summer, Willock might go out on loan. AMN will be sold only if a good offer comes in. Sokratis yeah, he could go even for a small fee. Lacazette depends, if Auba leaves then Laca stays probably. As for Özil, no chance we find a buyer.

I agree, this isn't football manager. We're not gonna sell 10 players to raise funds to buy 5 great players. More likely we'll manage to sell 3-4 and raise funds to buy one player.

Even if that's the case, it's still better to sign 2 players who will improve the starting 11 straight away and help us push for 4th rather than signing some 16-18 year olds who might not even make it.

 

[dashsnow17]

Agree, but they shouldn't be the priority, the priority should be signing players to get a settled first 11. Then get some talented youngsters when we can.

I agree yeah, but I think both are equally important. Bringing in young players isn't about wanting to play football manager, it's about having a sound long-term business strategy. We simply can't afford to only think about next season, we're not Madrid or Barca, we don't have enough money for that. Dortmund or Leipzig don't buy young players cos it's fun, they do it cos it's sensible and suits their financial situation.

 

[dashsnow17]

Even if that's the case, it's still better to sign 2 players who will improve the starting 11 straight away and help us push for 4th rather than signing some 16-18 year olds who might not even make it.

The thing is we've been saying that every year since we dropped out of the CL and it hasn't worked. We spent 100m on two strikers in their prime years, we gave a 350k a week contract to a guy supposedly in his prime, and it hasn't gotten us back into the CL.

Ok yeah 16-18 is a bit young, obviously you can't only buy 16-18 year olds. I'd correct myself and say anywhere from 17-25 is the age range we should be targeting.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

The thing is we've been saying that every year since we dropped out of the CL and it hasn't worked. We spent 100m on two strikers in their prime years, we gave a 350k a week contract to a guy supposedly in his prime, and it hasn't gotten us back into the CL.

Ok yeah 16-18 is a bit young, obviously you can't only buy 16-18 year olds. I'd correct myself and say anywhere from 17-25 is the age range we should be targeting.

That's because we've made stupid decisions. Point is, make the right decisions this summer - signing two starting 11 centre mids. For me, That's Partey and Grealish.

 

[dashsnow17]

That's because we've made stupid decisions. Point is, make the right decisions this summer - signing two starting 11 centre mids. For me, That's Partey and Grealish.

I'd love Partey and Grealish, i'm with you there, those are the two I'd have too. I just don't think we can afford them.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

I'd love Partey and Grealish, i'm with you there, those are the two I'd have too. I just don't think we can afford them.

I think we'll easily be able to afford them once we make some sales, especially if Villa go down. Issue is will they want to come here, i'm sure others will be in for Grealish.

I quite like Buendia too but he's not as complete for the CM role as Grealish. He might be good for getting Pepe in better positions though.

 

[ChefMan21]

Id love to see us go all in for Skrinar and Tonali, but I doubt we’d be able to pry them away from Italy

No point even bothering to wishlist Italian players really. Out of 39 players currently or recently picked for the Italy team, only 6 play outside of Italy, and only 1 of the current under-21 squad plays outside Italy. Whereas you look at the France under-21 squad and 12 of them play outside France.

I take the point about Italians, but Skriniar is Slovakian.

Anyway, my alternates would be (depending on fees):

• Central defenders: Skriniar (Marquinhos or Tah) or Romagnoli (Ake, Hernandez, Zagadou - any left-footer with good potential really), Saliba (coming), and Lascelles (Dunk)
• Central midfield: Ruben Neves I think would be fairly straightforward. On the others, hard to find replacements since they (especially Puig and Tonali) seem so one-of-a-kind. I like Szoboszlai as a young player, I liked Camavinga when I saw him, Exequiel Palacios - who knows (we've at least been linked to the first two). I guess the point is we need to revamp our midfield a bit just to get some defence and sharp passing happening again.

 

[TornadoTed]

Really mega low key, realistic summer transfer window. Make extending Saka the priority while also shifting some dead wood, it's fanciful to think we can get rid of everyone we would like in one window.

GK - Leno, Butland

DL - Tierney, Kolasinac
DC - Luiz, Mari
DC - Saliba, Mustafi, Chambers
DR - Bellerin, Soares

DM - Xhaka, Guendouzi
MC - Saka, Özil
MC - Partey, Willock

AML - Kluivert, Martinelli
SC - Auba, Nketiah
AMR - Pepe, Nelson

Out - Holding £15m, Mavro Loan, Sokratis £5m, Torreira £25m, AMN £20m, Mhki swap, Lacazette £35m = £100m

In - Butland £5m, Mari £10m, Soares free, Partey £45m, Kluivert £10m + Mhki = £70m

I would like better but that at least looks fairly balanced. Maybe pick up a loan or two if quality options become available.

Next summer we have a proper rebuild when Mustafi, Luiz, Auba and Özil's contracts expire and we get that £750k per week off the books. I'd love to see Mustafi and Özil gone this summer but I don't think anyone will try to sign them with the wages they are on. I don't think either would take a wage cut even if it meant playing regularly.

 

[truth_hurts]

Clown Gooners are turning their noses up at the likes of Coutinho and Lemar. This is the level of footballer that we need because aesthetically we aren't far off a Bournemouth or Palace at the minute.

I'd take a few players like Diop/Dunk/Ake, Dacoure/McGinn/Lundstram to stabilise our core, but we need a marquee signing as well.

I'd love Partey, Koulibaly or Coutinho/Zaha.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Just saw something about Thiago not renewing his contract at Bayern. We'd be really stupid to not try and get him.

 

[Malky]

Really mega low key, realistic summer transfer window. Make extending Saka the priority while also shifting some dead wood, it's fanciful to think we can get rid of everyone we would like in one window.

GK - Leno, Butland

DL - Tierney, Kolasinac
DC - Luiz, Mari
DC - Saliba, Mustafi, Chambers
DR - Bellerin, Soares

DM - Xhaka, Guendouzi
MC - Saka, Özil
MC - Partey, Willock

AML - Kluivert, Martinelli
SC - Auba, Nketiah
AMR - Pepe, Nelson

Out - Holding £15m, Mavro Loan, Sokratis £5m, Torreira £25m, AMN £20m, Mhki swap, Lacazette £35m = £100m

In - Butland £5m, Mari £10m, Soares free, Partey £45m, Kluivert £10m + Mhki = £70m

I would like better but that at least looks fairly balanced. Maybe pick up a loan or two if quality options become available.

Next summer we have a proper rebuild when Mustafi, Luiz, Auba and Özil's contracts expire and we get that £750k per week off the books. I'd love to see Mustafi and Özil gone this summer but I don't think anyone will try to sign them with the wages they are on. I don't think either would take a wage cut even if it meant playing regularly.

Other than Partey and Saliba coming in, with Saka hopefully extending, that is one miserable window. Sadly it is the likely scenario.