Chido Obi-Martin the record 16 year old goal-scorer for us looks like he won’t accept Arsenal’s offer and could leave the club. Plenty of clubs talking to him which he’s free to do at 16.

Troyes have just sold their record signing Savio to Man City for a record fee. All seems normal, except Troyes are part of the City football group, Savio never played a single minute for Troyes and Troyes themselves have suffered two back to back relegations.

Troyes are just a financial vessel to allow Man City another route to break and swerve FFP rules

How does this benefit City?

The fee City sign players from clubs within the City group can be remarkably below their market value.
City can hoard players via their feeder clubs in a try before you buy methodology. So City might be up against FFP regs so their owner signs the next big Brazilian ‘for’ Troyes, stops other clubs getting them and then send them on loans and if they are good enough for City they can bring them in when the accounts allow.

Calafiori getting closer to signing for us.

Tough to see how Kiwior stays if he does sign, interest in Kiwior from Italy.

The hold up is with Bologna trying to get Basle to lower their sell on clause. I don’t understand why clubs think they can do this? You agreed a sell on clause at the time you knew what the deal was now when it’s time to cash in on the player clubs try to strong arm the smaller club in to accepting a lesser percentage.

I think Wolves did something similar to Maidenhead over the sale of £40m Max Kilman to West Ham.

Let's hope Cauliflowery is the real deal.

Assuming you are referring to what happened in Leeds. It feels this way doesn’t it although I’m not sure statistically it’s true that crime is through the roof.

I think the government made so many cuts to police and social services it’s affected their ability to deal with general lawlessness. Shoplifting is on the rise.

I think the criminal justice system is falling with overcrowded prisons. There was that case the other day where 2 guys who robbed someone of their 25k Rolex in London just got sentenced to community service and no prison. Just seems crazy. Where’s the deterrent. Not to mention prison screws shagging the convicts being a slight issue too. Send me to Wandsworth nick

£33.7m with £4.2m in add ons deal agreed. Personal terms were agreed some time ago. Final details and we should have our second signing of the summer….Raya being the first

The profile fits what Arteta traditionally looks for:
Young (22)
Flexible, can play left back and CB
Tall - 6ft 2
Aerially dominant - 2nd in Serie A for aerial challenges won last year
So comfortable on the ball particularly carrying out from defence
Duel monster ‘when I lose a duel I am upset!!’

The options in the back line are so flexible
RB: White, Tomiyasu, Timber, Partey
LB: Calafiori, Zinchenko, Timber, Tomiyasu, Kiwior
RCB: Saliba, White, Tomiyasu, Timber, Kiwior
LCB: Gabriel, Calafiori, Kiwior, Tomiyasu

A Swiss Army knife set of defenders.

33.7m + £4.2m for the Italian lad. seems shrewd business

reminder. Arsene paid 42 million for Mustafi.

I think you’ll definitely see a defender leaving now. Possibly 2

I was forced to stay at a Travelodge a few weeks back not far from Tower Hamlets and excel, The joy of a $@$*#y work expense policy.

Left reception at 8.45 am to call myself a taxi and a guy came over to me who was shaking a bit and looked pale and told me to put my phone back in my pocket as he’d been jumped and mugged for his only 15 minutes earlier by a guy on bike or e scooter thing literally outside the front of reception in the same place. 8.30 in the *%^@*** morning for gods sake.

I’m not a big believer in the London has fallen type crap you read on the internet but it strikes me there needs to be a zero tolerance policy to this stuff now.

Behind closed doors friendly today. This is the line up.

Lewis-skelly as an inverted left back. Timber rather than White playing CB (maybe)

Hoping to see this signing (among other possibilities). He's young but I thought Kiwior struggled a bit much on occasion with us. Maybe it was too much too soon and he needs to be out on loan. Or maybe sold.

At a small ground I can see why his voice is annoying but to be banned for it? You only have to put up with it twice a season.

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=7869475136500774

Arsenal beat Leyton Orient 2-0 behind closed doors. Emile Smith Rowe and Jesus with the goals.
Very strong starting 11, then a raft of younger players came on at half time and 60 mins

Not sure who else will join up for the US tour - maybe anyone who was knocked out of the euros or copa america early but would imagine Raya, ramsdale, saliba, saka, Havertz, Gabriel and martinelli will be given more time off

Sky Sports reporting that Calafiori final details going through and that Juventus, Real Madrid and a premier league club came in late for him but he’d already committed to Arsenal

Feels like a good one. We need a couple more, however Perhaps a winger/striker and a midfielder. Squad depth is going to be essential if we are going to compete seriously on two fronts. I wonder if this depends on us moving along several players ...

According to reports both us and Man Utd are in for 29 year old Adrien Rabiot. He'll be on a free I think. He'll obviously be a makeshift to add some experience until we get what we want. If we do get him. So, Partey is probably on his way out. Jorginho? I'd imagine we need either him or Partey.

If we get Calafiori I'd say we'd be looking at 1 x central midfielder and 1 x winger/striker - plus a back up GK. After that any new additions will likely need an outgoing. This would be based on the assumption of Ramsdale, Nelsen, Emile Smith Rowe and Nketiah all leaving

Raya/new back up GK
White/Tomiyasu
Saliba/Timber
Gabriel/Calafiori
Zinchenko/Kiwior
Partey/Jorginho
Rice/new CM
Ødegaard/Vieira
Saka/new winger
Martinelli/Trossard
Havertx/Jesus

If we get a striker rather than a winger then Jesus will likely spend more time on the right wing.
To get a Zubimendi defensive mid it will likely depend on moving on Partey
A new left back would mean Zinny or Kiwior moving

I'd give Rabiot a swerve - I'd much rather spend £20m on Mikel Merino than Rabiot on a free. I think Rabiot could be disruptive

i’d be shocked if we sold Partey this summer. can’t see anyone even the saudis paying his 250k a week,

Rabiot ? hope not, wouldn’t mind Eze but feels like he may end up at spurs.

Calafiori omitted from the Bolonga pre season training camp

Latest noise is Eze to Man City. Feels like an annoyingly good fit on the left 8 position. Foden and De Bruyne both operate best from the right 8 and last season felt like the start of the handing over the baton/keys to the team in that regard. No one replaces Rodri as the holding midfielder. The left 8 has been Bernardo or Kovacic at times, and Foden has played there. De Bruyne has the Saudi League making offers - neither Kovacic or Nunes have been great, nor are they long term. Eze just fits for them - as I think he would for us to play the left 8 in an attacking line up, or can play off the left wing.

I'd much rather a lot of players over Rabiot but we are not privy to the club's inner workings. The Italian player is a done deal, if 99 percent done can be deemed a done deal.

DeBruyne going to the Middle East is huge. He was slowly coming back to his old self. I'd like to see the back of him. City have the resources to get a good alternative, but tough to see them getting someone as effective in that side. But if anyone can with their resources, its City.

Villa are looking scarier and scarier. Kinda reminds me of us a few years ago as we were building.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... rlgzx6gpro

Rumour is we want 25 million for Reiss-Nelson in a bid from West Ham. I hope this goes through.

He has been disruptive at previous clubs.

Absolutely the last thing we need! The young player with Partey/Jorginho as cover is the way to go.

So, Partey has another year on his contract. That is 12 million, and it is hard to see him as a consistent starter. I suppose it is not that much for decent cover in modern football.

Partey/Jorginho looks a big stretch, so the CM must be the top priority. If Jesus is actually fully fit we should be just about able to cope with our forward resource, albeit very short of cover on the right and up front.

The Premier league needs to close the transfer loophole clubs are exploiting to circumnavigate FFP.

Here is the latest one.

Odysseas Vlachodimos was signed by Forest last year for £4m plus £4m in bonus payments to Benfica, he played 5 games for Forest, was valued at about £5.5m and has just signed for Newcastle for £20m

Elliot Anderson was sold to Forest by Newcastle for £35m despite never having a value greater than £15m and only playing 44 games for Newcastle and no one ever considering him anywhere close to that value.

Both clubs were ones who needed to balance the books this year to avoid points deductions.

Hopefully either the loop is closed - which may be difficult if these clubs collude between themselves - or they're playing a here and now strategy that will be difficult for them to maintain in the future. In theory the money issue is just delayed it hasn't gone away

The EPL is no different than any other 'business'. You can't think of all the loopholes to close. Just like it works in any other business the members will always find loopholes, exploit and you have close it after the fact with new rules and regulations. Unfortunately that's how it works. You can't think of everything.

In other news I keep hearing we are fairly close to Merino but if we don't get him supposedly Rabiot who may also be us using his name as a negotiating ploy.

It's been a crazy week or so in American politics. First, Trump picks a former critic of his as VP. Trump then speaks at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Had the bullet been a few inches to the right, we'd be having a JD Vance vs Joe Biden presidency.

Trump had effectively won the presidency after the shooting. His fist in the air, it was pretty much a consensus he'd win it fairly easily. Trump then goes off script and goes on a rambling incoherent hour and a half rant in his nomination speech at the convention. He then reminds everyone why he's unfit.

Biden proves he's physically unfit to run a bingo game at a retirement home during the debates. He is forced to quit the race after the RNC convention. Why is that significant? Trump and the Republicans spend the RNC convention making a case against Biden who is now no longer running. LOLOLOL...you can't make this up.

Now they have to pivot to Kamala Harris probably. The near death shooting of a former president and present candidate would normally dominate the news cycle for days and weeks now in roughly a week or so after an attempted assassination, that has now seemed like ages ago in the news cycle and Kamala Harris is now dominating the news. Crazy.

Furthermore, she was polling lower than Biden months ago, but within a day of her being supported by Biden, over 80 million has poured into the party and a reported 250 million on the way. Incredible.

The Republicans saw the election as a cup final similar to City vs Burnley and now its more like Liverpool vs Newcastle or Villa. They should win it but they are going to have work for it.

Kamala Harris has impressed me in how she has learned a bit of the American Game of Thrones. A bit like Sansa Stark. Not knowing what was going around her. Unpopular and a novice. But more like Sansa in season 5 or 6. A bit more savvy. She made a list of VP choices and it was her rivals to the Democratic nomination throne. Very canny. It freezes them. I'm impressed with her political acumen even if I'm not with her personally as much.

She needs the DNC convention to be a coronation and not a referendum and fight for power. Secondly, she needs the right VP choice. Gen Z will support her or not depending on her views on the ongoing Israeli-Gaza conflict which has captured all young people under 25 to 30 as their current issue of the day.

Republicans are in a bit of a tizzy over her. They now have to pivot and not enough time right now to come up with a cogent argument other than 'The Democrats are being undemocratic in making Biden quit the race'. Which is true but none of their business. They are just as controlled by big money interests as well. Even moreso.

Obama hasn't given his blessing which speaks volumes. No pun intended. He helped orchestrate pushing out his friend and former VP but he wants an open convention to choose a new head of the party ticket.

America over the last 10 days or so is symbolic of America generally. Chaotic.

Nketiah to Marseille is gathering pace. It may be a loan with an obligation to buy. Which brings in the same money as a straight sale but doesn’t help with the accounting if we need sales to offset buys THIS year.

I suspect a decent sale of Emile Smith Rowe in the £30m+ range would mean we can spend freely this summer if we want

Surprised to not hear more noise around Ramsdale being linked to more clubs

Pep has been really talking up James McAtee, City youth player, saying how much he rates him and wants him in the squad….for me that means McAtee is someone they are ready to sell and Pep’s enthusiasm for him is being used to up the interest and price. I’m not a cynic at all though

I wish I knew more of our academy players and get to see them play more

My second team is Palace. I'd like to see Emile Smith Rowe go there but West Ham seems very keen on buying him.

Really hate that awful outfit. The way Pep Guardiola has prostituted himself for them is just gross, especially alongside his free Cataluña activism. Plenty of “the game’s gone” landmarks over the past 50 years but welcoming Abramovich with open arms stands out as the very worst. It was the dawn of this blood money sports washing that has been synonymous with football ever since, and just as we stood on the crest of a wave too.

This can be argued and debated forever.

Who is the one starter that is the most important to the starting XI?

For me its Ødegaard. We can fill in pretty much any other position. Maybe Jorginho can fill that position the closest but he's no where mobile enough. Rice? Hmm...