The Wish List

[DJ_Markstar]

FFP

'Financial Foul Play'. City will buy who (as in Fifa officials...) they have to, as will the other oil teams. What will be done? Nothing, obviously.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

See I could see UEFA/Fifa actually punishing City because City are not a huge global brand like most other clubs..... still doubt they will, but I don't think they'd be as lenient with City as the likes of Real or Barca for example.

 

[GDeep™]

Chelsea or City will drop 40M on the table for Barkley, no problem. Rumour is that they'll do a swap plus cash with Lukaku.

Barkley is Rooney and Chamberlain level for me.

 

[truth_hurts]

Rate Barkley highly but 30 million is a little steep particularly when he's an attacking player and we already have ramsey, wilshere and ox that play similarly.

Wouldn't be needed here.

 

[Iceman10]

Yeah, it looks like a shambles and the worst thing is that a large part of our club's long-term model was to hold back and then take advantage of FFP assuming it would be strictly enforced and we also perhaps failed to see ahead in terms of the inside deal sponsorship deals certain clubs are using to game the system.

TNN is right in terms of UEFA/FIFA being less afraid to come down hard on City, but then again would set a precedent and ultimately they are concerned about TV revenues. Rather than banning clubs from the CL they could enact bans for transfer activity for set periods, that's the best that can be hoped for really.

 

[CurryFlavoured]

He's too selfish right now but he's seriously powerful in possession, crazy athletic ability for a guy his age. Not what we need but I reckon he'll be class in a few years, wouldn't turn him down that's for sure but he'd play a similar role to Ox and is a similar age so it'd be hard to fit both in.

 

[MutableEarth]

We don't need Barkley at all

Cracking talent of course, but we have Ox and Wilshere, both huge talents in their own right.

 

[Iceman10]

It depends on AW's plans for Ox long term, i.e. will those plans be to play him more centrally, but right now when everyone is fit he has to play out wide for the foreseeable future.

I see Barkley being effective as a left forward, but if Theo and Ox can play effectively on the left, and I know Theo can for sure, then there probably is little room.

 

[truth_hurts]

It depends on AW's plans for Ox long term, i.e. will those plans be to play him more centrally, but right now when everyone is fit he has to play out wide for the foreseeable future.

I see Barkley being effective as a left forward, but if Theo and Ox can play effectively on the left, and I know Theo can for sure, then there probably is little room.

See this is the thing Theo could play central an be flanked by Ox and Barkley but the problem with that is - all 3 are arguably out of position in that set up. Much more sense in spending the Barkley money on a top class winger or striker.

--------------Ramsey----------Wilshere--------------
------Ox--------------Özil---------------Barkley-----
---------------------Theo----------------------------

at least the media would like us with that British core plus Özil!

 

[Anzac]

Goetze is supposedly unhappy at the lack of consistent playing time he's getting at Bayern and that he's being used n a number of roles. If we're going to sign another AM type then I'd rather drop 30m on him than the likes of Fabregas, even to use Goetze as a false9 in the Messi role.

If Martinez is available then I'd be happy with him for the DM role.

Boney wants to sign for a bigger club to play CL football - I'd have him if we can't sign the likes of Lukaku or Welbeck (assuming we're not going after an elite CF).

Reus would be close to my #1 target for the summer. IMO we 'need' a proven goal scorer at WF who can provide both movement and take on defenders & beat his man with the ball - even more so with talk that Walcott will miss the start of the season.
If anything IMO the lack of movement without Walcott is a bigger issue than Giroud at CF.

 

[Iceman10]

@truth_hurts, I see more that we use squad rotation and of course injuries have to be planned for.

AW needs to use squad rotation more with a deeper squad if we are to break out of this pattern of being in contention and then falling away ~ Feb.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Can't wait for a Marco Oxlade-Rambendzilkaku front six next term, gonna be awesome.

 

[truth_hurts]

@truth_hurts, I see more that we use squad rotation and of course injuries have to be planned for.

AW needs to use squad rotation more with a deeper squad if we are to break out of this pattern of being in contention and then falling away ~ Feb.

Fair point we do need to rotate I just worry that Ramsey, Ox, Wilshere and barkley are essentially all best as the midfield engine room and our engine doesn't have room for all 4!

Think Barkley is City or Chelsea bound.

 

[ArsenesNO1Fan]

Ross Barkley, really impressed with his footballing brain, would add to our British core, and it appears that United and Chelsea may have their attention elsewhere this summer. Can be pretty effective as LW.

Wishlisted him at the start of the season, has he played much left

Plus it's the Mirror and not even John Cross

 

[Iceman10]

Ross Barkley, really impressed with his footballing brain, would add to our British core, and it appears that United and Chelsea may have their attention elsewhere this summer. Can be pretty effective as LW.

Wishlisted him at the start of the season, has he played much left

Plus it's the Mirror and not even John Cross

He hasn't, it's more on seeing him play, instinctively thinking he will be good out there, and he is pretty good with both feet. He would also be a bit like a Ricky Alvarez (from the right) or Ashley Young (on the left) who could cut in and get a good curling shot on goal (the far post), similar to the goal he scored against City. There would also be good interchange possible with him in the 3 in a 4-2-3-1.

Regardless, I agree with truth_hurts and others in terms of him maybe not being realistic for us, not least with other priorities. He's going to be an immense talent though and there is the obvious attractiveness of deepening our British core coming through. Griezmann would arguably represent even better value and probably would be more immediately effective on the left, and also as a supporting goal threat from the left.

 

[ArsenesNO1Fan]

Ross Barkley, really impressed with his footballing brain, would add to our British core, and it appears that United and Chelsea may have their attention elsewhere this summer. Can be pretty effective as LW.

Wishlisted him at the start of the season, has he played much left

Plus it's the Mirror and not even John Cross

He hasn't, it's more on seeing him play, instinctively thinking he will be good out there, and he is pretty good with both feet. He would also be a bit like a Ricky Alvarez (from the right) or Ashley Young (on the left) who could cut in and get a good curling shot on goal (the far post), similar to the goal he scored against City. There would also be good interchange possible with him in the 3 in a 4-2-3-1.

Regardless, I agree with truth_hurts and others in terms of him maybe not being realistic for us, not least with other priorities. He's going to be an immense talent though and there is the obvious attractiveness of deepening our British core coming through. Griezmann would arguably represent even better value and probably would be more immediately effective on the left, and also as a supporting goal threat from the left.

If Wenger actually wants to convert a no10 to our DLP/DM, Barkley would be an excellent choice.

Apologies about the John Cross comment that was a mix up with the Rio thread

 

[Iceman10]

No worries, if John Cross says something at this point in the season it probably is best to look in another direction anyway

 

[Bigbludfire]

Martin Olsson - Loan
Mark Bunn - 4m
Reus - 30m/40m if we can't trigger the clause
Benzema - 30m
Schneiderlin - 20m
Coleman - 20m

Total - 104m/114m

 

[ASAP Berg]

I am pretty confident we can sign a good RB, and a solid midfielder to replace Arteta, Sagna.

But the top class attackers cost big big money. A brilliant striker or winger and Walcott back from injury and we will be ready to destroy teams.

Barkley would be amazing, we desperately need that pace and power on the attack, it's all a bit turgid there at times.

 

[ArseGod]

Pogba next to Ramsey