Nope never watched the game with Partey in it. But reading your email he sounds like defensively he is okay, like Torreira was and Xhaka. I thought we wanted creative players. No mention of defence splitting passes, makes way thru crowded midfields etc. maybe he has the ability - just not seeing it in the highlights reels.

If you seriously haven't seen Partey make his way through a crowded midfield, then I have to question what kind of compilations you've watched. That's continually talked about as one of his biggest strengths, his ability to dribble through crowded areas with technique and power.

If Saliba is leaving on loan, then I can only imagine it's because Arteta feels it's best for his development. The whole thing about loaning him because we can't get rid of players makes no sense. Why would we let having Mustafi for the final year of his contract disrupt the development of one of our key pieces for the future? It's not like Arteta has anything against not playing certain players if he feels it's best for the team, nobody would force him to start Mustafi or Sokratis over Saliba.

Think you’ve nailed it Hazuki. The idea we’re letting Saliba go on loan because Mustafi may stay sounds barmy. Arteta must think it’s best for Saliba’s future development meaning he doesn’t feel he’s ready for Arsenal yet.

Is one of the reasons we can’t shift these players at Arsenal is because we persist with them too much to a point where it’s evident to all and sundry they have had a spectacular fall and aren’t up to it?

Do you know what I mean. Like Mustafi for example, clearly never a 36 million pound defender. Evident after 12 months in, surely should be sold before his star falls too far ?

Are we not decisive ? There must be a reason if you know what I mean

Mate the club are losing 100 million off its annual revenue sheet because of Covid. It might be a joint thing about the players development but at the moment you have Mustafi, Mari, and chambers as centre backs sitting on the sidelines probably even when they do get match fit. It doesn’t really make sense to have so many and if nobody is willing to take the Marx brothers on loan it might be best to recoup some cash for saliba

We should have kept Čech.

Don't really think we're trying to offset 100 million in losses by getting Saliba's £40k per week off the books for a year. I would say all evidence (like the fact that he's playing U23 games and isn't even on the bench for the league cup) points to the fact that Arteta feels Saliba is just not ready for the Arsenal first team quite yet. And it's not really strange considering the fact that he turned 19 earlier this year. Gabriel is four years older by comparison. I would rather Saliba gets first team minutes somewhere else for a year than waste a season playing against kids in the U23s.

Your probably right but if Arsenal had been able to sell Mustafi and Sokratis and maybe even chambers like they were clearly trying to do you think we would have signed another centre back then if Saliba wasn’t ready

Haven't seen any really credible links regarding Chambers, so if we do sell Mustafi and Sokratis we still have Luiz, Holding, Gabriel, Mari and Chambers. I'd say that's enough cover if Saliba isn't deemed ready.

I have CNN on in the background as background noise to conduct an experiment. I didn't think it was possible to have several hours of non stop reporting of only topic since 911.

Arsenal here in Ireland since I don't know when and no fans let in.

That would be my take on it as well, Haz.

I suspect that Arteta and the coaching staff feel he's not yet ready for the demands of the PL. How many PL teams have 19 year old CBs. Not many, if any. It's a specialist position that usually requires a degree of experience that comes with age.

It is also said that there are some personal issues he needs to deal with and these may better be resolved back in France for a year.

It is disappointing purely from the fact we will be relying on some substandard CBs for another year but its not entirely unexpected. I was never one of those who thought that at 19 years old he would be shoved straight in the team and start playing like VVD, but there are fans who clearly did.

Arsenal had one of their videos on my feed and it was Wenger's top ten signings

1. Henry
2. Vieira
3. Pires
4. Ljundberg
5. Sol
6. Özil
7. Fabregas
8. Kolo
9. Anelka
10. Ramsey

How the hell is Özil ahead of Fabregas? Kolo top 10? Hmm....okay. Honorable mentions: Lehmann, Reyes, Gilberto Silva, even Clichy could get a shout...lol, Wiltord, van Persie

You’ve mentioned this before, haven’t you? Any idea what these personal issues are supposed to be?

Players with 1 year left on their deal: Luiz, Sokratis, Özil Mustafi
Players with 2 years left on their deal: Lacazette, Nketiah, Guendouzi, Kolasinac, Elneny, Chambers

Luiz we know about, he can leave on a free next year. Özil we'll happily get rid on a free. Mustafi and Sokratis need to leave this window - or you need to look at protecting the value of a player like Mustafi and giving him a 1 year extension

On the 2 year deals we need to sign Nketiah up to protect his value - if Brewster is worth £23m then Eddie should fetch the same if we decide he won't make it with us, but he wont if he hasn't got a good few years on his deal.
Guendouzi is an awkward one because I can't imagine him signing a new deal so we protect his value, his bridges seem burned, but there is no point loaning him out without an obligation to buy has all that does is take his value down by being so close to the end of his contract
Elneny, Kolasinac really have to leave. Chambers and Lacazette - not many probably see them as the future of the club so again we need to make decisions on these players.

I can't believe Fulham don't want to come back for Chambers, he was voted their player of the season when they had him on loan and they are desperate for defenders.

What about Mari and Soares?

Actually, I think we'll get Aouar done. It's looking increasingly unlikely that we'll sign anyone else though, which is a shame. Then again, a lot can happen in the final days of a transfer window, as we've seen many times before.

Özil would feature in my top ten worst signings now purely because of the associated cost. It’s incredible to think he’s prepared to sit an entire season out on the sidelines, if he wanted to he could go elsewhere and agree a new contract admittedly probably on a lower wage but for a longer term whilst he can. He’s essentially trading his reputation and self respect for money

What’s more remarkable is that Arteta was his teammate as well so probably knows him better than most so he must be a real *%^@ if he’s decided to not persist with him.

The thing is he won Fulham’s player of the season award for his excellent performances in midfield. In defence he was hopeless, according to my Fulham supporting cousin.

A Fulham supporting mate told me it wasn’t that he was bad in defence so much they were so bad generally. They would definitely have him if they could.

Btw I thought chambers was playing very well before he got injured. Was having something of a renaissance

Torreira to Atletico as a loan with OPTION to buy is all but a done deal.

At least Torreira's length of contract protects his value, it also frees up a non home grown space in the squad, but does very little in helping us bring in new signings. I assume Atletico will cover his wages.

Atletico refusing to negotiate on Partey. He has a release clause so it is black and white for them, pay it or he stays.

Yes, it has been suggested that his mum died a few months back and he is still grieving.

No idea if that's true but if it is then it is perfectly undertandable that he needs time.

Nice to see us helping out Athletic whilst at the same time being told where to stick our offers for Partey.

Well Fulham have shown no interest in signing him so maybe my cousin is more right than your mate, as it was their needs in defence that got Rich questioning their lack of interest (unless I misunderstood his point). In defence my cousin reckons he was a major reason why they were so bad. I still recall the expression he used: ‘a disgrace to the shirt’. That’s a Fulham shirt, it’s not even an Arsenal shirt let alone a Bayern, Barcelona and others at their level.

In reference to this Aouar business...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.joe.co ... uar-251630

Saw same yesterday on L'Equipe that PSG owner Khelaifi was in talks with Lyon owner Aulas about Aouar. Quite amusing. Possible hijack? Arsenal being blown out of the water is an understatement. Looks like money will talk again if this happens.

Hadn’t mentioned it, and to be honest I haven’t opened your link. But I read yesterday that Aouar is most likely to join PSG.

Wishing the President a speedy recovfefe.

Might he be a decent back up DM for us based on that?

It’s all loans right now Bernard, loans with obligations blah blah blah

Plus he’s injured. They may not think it’s a great deal to loan an injured player.

Seen some mentions of a 7m loan fee, if that's true and we can sell him for his full value next year I guess it's an okay deal. Won't help us much in this transfer window though...

There’s certainly an argument for that.

Is that how desperate we are for central midfielders? On the basis that we’re looking to upgrade from players who lack pace, power, mobility, first touch, technique in tight spaces and ability to dribble out of a high press I really can’t see how Chambers fits the bill at all.

What I have seen is a player who can dribble but often goes nowhere or turns backwards in order to keep the ball. Nothing at the end of the run. Gervinho and Pépé looked exactly the same. So what is he a defensive player or creative or a bit of both. He might be okay but so might Cellabos of Willian but they don’t seem to showing it.

Borat...

He's not 'okay', he's an excellent player who's been a mainstay in a very good Atletico Madrid team for three years now. Whether that translates to the PL is impossible to predict (and sadly I don't think we'll find out) but there's no doubting his quality. You just have to watch him play, or listen to literally anybody who's seen him.

Again I have to ask who you'd like us to sign, if Aouar and Partey are so clearly not good enough.

Mané has tested positive for Covid

Fabrizio Romano still saying Arsenal in pole
Position for Aouar. He says Real, PSG and June not in the race. Any recent media speculation is rumoured to be a Lyon tactic to force Arsenal’s price up.
It is a game of poker, do we call their bluff and wait until the last minute and force the deal at our price or go up to their price to ensure the deal is done

Arteta, learning as he goes along and adjusting. Nice to hear that.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... zwWzaFwnAM

"Yes, the boys can play better but I am not sure they can play better after two days' training against a changed Arsenal team."

The result sees Liverpool yet again disappoint in a domestic cup under Klopp, but the Reds boss had nothing but praise for his opponents after the defeat.

"They did their analysis as well and didn't give us the space like the last game," he added. "You have to learn from the game and I thought the boys did really well.