Monstar-Gunn4r
Established Member
In my opinion for the team to actually improve (within budget reason) we need to be looking more at the teams around us and below us in the league and hunting for those players who have another level in them.
They have the experience of the league and wont be just joining Arsenal for the money or for London but to actually make a step up in their career and for them to prove themselves at a bigger team. Even stake their claim for national sides.
The below names are super unglamorous but what I believe is these players below could be affordable additions and 1 or 2 of them could help improve the team.
Jack Stephens (soton)
James Tarkwoski (burn)
John Egan (sheff)
Declan Rice (w ham)
Dwight McNeill (burn).
I get they may not appear world beaters but could they add and improve our structure and team. 1 or 2 of them yes. Would they come to Arsenal. Yes. Would they see it as a big challenge and to improve. I believe so.
Anyone else have any other names? I think we really need abit of toughness. I'm not going to say British-ness as but abit of identity. A different attitude maybe.
For me I would take Rice and Tarkowski all day over 2 obscure foreign players. Would they cost more? Yes. Maybe 60m would buy them both. But you gain valuable experience and they are good players. Better than what we have. Perfect ages and I believe they both have another level in them.
They also wouldnt be needing such high salaries as they would be recieving a lot less where they are.
Being Irish and keeping an eye on him Egan is not actually just a fairly good level defender but far better on the ball than you'd give him credit for. Egan unfortunately now would be expensive, whats funny is I think we had some low levels links with him for years and now thats hes proven his ability in the premiership its too late.
I think Chambers can pretty much do the job Rice can as a holding midfielder and think Rice's long range passing is relatively limited as well as his ability to deal with pressure on the ball in a team that is pressed, hes okay at it but not great. So while I think he does well in a West Ham side (same as Scott Parker) he probably wouldn't do too well here.
Out of the players likely to get relegated theres the standout performer in midfield that is Grealish. Its just a case of paying the money, putting him in the team and he'll perform, theres not a whole lot of question marks about him. If we don't buy him and try to "oUtSMarT ThE mArKEt" again it will be another risk that may or may not pay dividends (when has ti actually worked out?). I think youd be better paying 50 million for Grealish who has caused most teams in the premiership problems than chancing someone for 30 million from France. Pay the money and get the position sorted for a few years.
Just buy the the players with very few question marks... I dont think it necessarily has to be premiership based, like if you watched a game with Cazorla in it before we bought him you just knew he was absolute class. Most of the players we buy lately seem to have hefty price tags and question marks. Even after nearly a full season someone like Pepe is very divisive and Ceballos has been somewhat similarly divisive.
Edit: I'm not saying that Chambers should be in midfield, merely that Rice is somewhat limited