I was in Tottenham yesterday afternoon for a reason totally unrelated to football. Being last season’s North London derby there was behind closed doors, I’d never seen their new ground before let alone been inside it as I generally have very little reason to go to Tottenham apart from away games there.

So I decided to make a slight detour to go and have a look at it. I have to say, from the outside it looks magnificent. The stadium has a really imposing look. Sadly, in my opinion it looks more impressive (I’m very tempted to say ‘much more impressive’) than the Emirates. At least from the outside.

Nketiah is 21 and has shown enough talent to be taken seriously and someone the club should give minutes to so he can improve. He is obviously not the finished article and these are the years where the coaching staff should be honing his skills and having him develop areas where he is lacking. I'm hoping he gets a lot more first team minutes on the pitch. If he does, I'm confident he will get progressively better and become a contributor.

Being 13 years newer than the emirates, and having learnt from the mistakes we and wembley made it is no surprise that Spurs' stadium is the most impressive in the country. If Chelsea ever manage to build their new stadium I'd bet that would top it. Spurs stadium also cost £550m more than the emirates to build and went quite some way over budget. I don't think they have £550m worth of stadium more than us. It will certainly be interesting how the pay back of that stadium effects spurs ability in the transfer market, including behind closed doors stuff because the increased ticket revenue was the single biggest financial certainty Spurs had as a positive when building it

Luiz is highly likely to be ruled out of the first game of the season with a neck injury. May keep him out for longer depending how he responds to treatment.
So we start the season without Luiz, Mari, Mustafi, Chambers from our CB list, and I'm sure we'd have preferred not to have had to throw Saliba and Gabriel in from the start, but if Sokratis is totally out of favour it only leaves us with the two new boys, Holding and Tierney

It's good to have the domestic cups and a couple of easy fixtures in the Europa League to give some youngsters minutes, but in general I'm not so sure about the whole idea of just giving a bunch of minutes to a young players in the hope that they develop. At a certain point a player has to just seize the opportunity; look at Saka last season, it's not like he struggled initially and we just kept playing him. From the very beginning he made sure he gave the manager something to think about. Same with Maitland-Niles when Wenger started playing him - he may not have looked like a future star or a starting player, but right away he showed he belongs at the Premier League level.

This goes for all of our youngsters, not just Nketiah, but Nelson, Willock and Smith-Rowe too. They need to make more of the opportunities given to them, in my opinion.

Leeds showing their ambitions and going after Draxler. We were strongly linked to him at one point. I was really hoping we would have bought him. Yes, he has not done well since that time. I think its just the wrong club. I think he could have done well with us. He wouldn't be Messi but I think he'd have thrived with us. Pure speculation and one can say he's not done anything to warrant that opinion. However, some players just are square pegs in some situations. I'm curious to see how he'd do in our league.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/54076189

With the defensive issues Rich posted, its a tough call. We may start more experienced players and sub in the new boys later. Just hoping we are solid enough as a unit where its not going to be a problem. We need all hands on deck by the Liverpool game.

I agree with what you say about, with the newness of their stadium (and of Chelsea’s being better than both of them if it is ever built), it was always going to be better than the Emirates. However, inflation will account for a proportion of the higher cost of building their one. Whatever the cost of the Emirates had been in 2006, that sum will be worth appreciably more now.

I agree.

We’ve been here before as well. We signed Franny Jeffers from Everton who had done ok in the Everton first team but was largely signed because of his insane u21 record where he scored 13 goals in 16 appearances, so much so he was called into the actual England squad and scored on his only appearance. It was really his u21 games that forced his name into consideration.

Take Nketiahs goal for the u21 last night, decent finish but it was from the scenario where he forces the centre back into making an error. His enthusiasm is terrific to do it but top class centre halves aren’t going to do that in big games. When he starts I don’t see us having much of an outlet up front.

Out of the current crop of youngsters I think willock looks least likely to make it at this level followed by nketiah. I also think if Aubameyang and Lacazette had just signed 4 year contracts he wouldn’t be getting much game time

Morning Soc

It's a reasonable point to make about Eddie's conversion of chances - but - it has to be remembered that he's been playing in a team that creates very few chances. Our midfield in recent seasons - well, since Özil gave up - has been pretty much devoid of craft and creativity. Saka has excelled from wide recently but there isn't much else. Eddie's chasing and harrying have probably created more opportunities than threaded passes.

With regards to Nketiah it is a tough one for Arsenal but not one they need to rush into a decision on.

I always used to think striker was one of the easier positions for a young player to break through in to men's football, they could rely on shear pace to beat the most experienced and tough CB, then it was down to finishing ability. Michael Owen being the best example. But, that was a while ago when a lot of teams played two up top. Would Michael Owen break through as a lone striker in the formations a lot of teams play today? I think he would be out on the right or left wing in a front 3 - also an easier position for young players to break through.

Rashford has been moved out to the wing. Tammy Abraham was benched for Giroud and now has Werner ahead of him as well.

Toughest positions for young players to come through are centre back and central midfield, but the lone striker is a pretty unforgiving position as well now.

Time is really dragging with this issue. For how long has Arteta been making positive noises about Aubameyang extending his contract? Way before his post-match interview after the Chelsea cup final, because we’d heard what he said then many times previously. But still nothing has been confirmed. There are not even any credible reports (that I’ve seen anyway) that Aubameyang is on the point of renewing his contract.

If nothing happens anytime soon, the club will presumably have to seriously think about whether it will be better to keep him and accept the very real risk (some may describe it less optimistically as an odds on certainty) that we will lose him for nothing next summer, with all the subsequent negative consequences for team rebuilding that holds.

Or, will it be best to sell him now to get the money into the coffers for team rebuilding? At least then we’d have money with which to find some sort of replacement, as well as strengthening other positions. After all, I thought the club, following the loss Ramsey, had declared that wouldn’t happen again, at least for a player not approaching retirement and worth a significant sum.

I don’t see it as an easy decision either way, if he doesn’t want to sign a new contract (which I would hope the club would know). How much would we get for him this window? Say it’s at least £40m to £50m. Is one more season of Aubameyang really worth that if he then leaves for nothing to the club of his, not Arsenal’s, choice? That could easily be a Premiership rival rather than someone like Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Villa sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford for £33m! Most expensive player from the championship.

Could mean Brentford coming back in for Balogun from us. They wont be short of cash so they can pay our asking price.

Watkins £33m
Callum Wilson £20m
McBurnie £20m
Ramsdale £20m
Mawson £20m
Webster £20m
Solanke £19m
Eze £17m
Jamal Lewis £14m

A list of some inexperienced or just pretty average English players and their prices over the last couple of transfer windows. Any english player, or a player that has home grown status has this bench mark. Any of our young english players need to be starting at £20m and going up from there.

Shear pace? I can feel a joke about cutting edge coming on.

The joys of autocorrect. My phone has finally realised I more often want to use the word 'shots' rather than their alternative suggestion.....although with some of our efforts at goal maybe the phone is right

According to reports, we are selling Bellerin to fund midfield targets. Its a risk. In a years time, conceivably, we'd have a back line of Bellerin, Saliba, Gabriel and Tierney. Without question one of the best back four for some time. Better than the back 4 Gallas was in for us I'd say. I'm attributing success to a back 4 we haven't seen play together yet, so this is all supposition. On looks alone, its a helluva back 4 (back 5 as well) on paper. I can imagine after, say, 2 years together, we'd have to go back a number of years to find a better Arsenal back line. And lets not forget Saka.
If we sell him, I imagine we'd have to keep AMN but this transfer period is so crazy, who knows what we'll end up having.
Bellerin is also a respected leader on the team so we will lose a bit of on pitch leadership as well. We'll have to see how all this plays out.

Looks like a u-turn on loaning Holding out to Newcastle. With our injuries he'll be needed. However, if Luiz injury isn't serious and Mari and Mustafi are working their way back we could look again at a possible loan (or sale) for Holding before the deadline of October 5th

We really need to shift 2 if not 3 of these centre backs. It is frustrating to not have made any significant sales so far. Leaving things late can mean someone panics and you get the price you want but seeing as we're lead to believe the sales are crucial to get our targets it seems to me that it is us that will be forced to blink first and sell for what they want rather than what we want.

Yes their positional sense was rather skewed by the heavily filled wallets they carried.

Aubameyang holds all the cards here. He doesn't have to sign, and he doesn't have to go either if the bidding club or deal on offer isn't to his liking. Going at the end of his contract will certainly guarantee higher wages than if a club has to pay £50m now.
All the club can really do here is try and convince him to sign. But I'm starting to think the likely scenario is he runs down his contract.

I agree Bromley. Aubameyang running his contract down is beginning to look a likely scenario, unfortunately.

I wouldn't bet on that.

If we have offered him 250k a week as per the reports then that would mean he would be 3.6 million worse off over the next 12 months whilst he runs his contract down plus better bonuses and signing on fees etc

Then he has the gamble of getting an even better contract at 32 years of age. What if he also had a bad season ? It would be a gamble no doubt

Think he’ll sign

So if a £250k per week offer is on the table, why hasn’t he signed it yet? Why does he avoid questions about him signing up, as he did after the Chelsea final? I hope you’re right but this has been going on for so long without resolving things, as each week passes I think the possibility you are correct declines.

While watching a clip of The Sopranos. The 2nd best TV show ever. The ending song was very unique and a little bit of research unearthed John Cooper Clarke's "Evidently Chickentown". I had no idea who he was. Very unique.

https://music.avclub.com/a-british-punk ... 0and%20the

How do you know he hasn't signed already ? They just haven’t announced it.

If he doesn’t sign there will be major egg on faces. Especially Arteta who came across really confidently.

If he is running his contract down it’s a massive gamble that someone would offer him a 325k a week contract next summer when he’s 32 in this climate. Could you see that ?

Do you seriously think if he has signed it, the club wouldn’t have confirmed it? If so why wouldn’t they have done?

Next summer he won’t command a transfer fee, which a club signing him would be able to take into consideration with the terms they offer him. That could be a saving to them of £40m to £50m on the transfer fee, so paying him a bit more would represent a saving against that. Also, it’s feasible he could believe he has a better chance of winning things elsewhere, which may be important to him.

Why should he be bothered about Arteta getting egg on his face?

As I said I hope you’re right. But as time goes on I’d say the chances you are right look less and less likely.

There could be loads of reasons Bernard, legal, accounting, maybe they are negotiating with clubs and don’t want to appear to be spending loads. Maybe his agents financial year is in a few weeks time and they want to delay. Just loads

Nobody would pay 50 million for a 32 year old Aubameyang in this climate. If he left by running his contract down it wouldn’t be about money. What if he got injured?

I’m not 100 percent but think he will stay if I was going to take a bet it would be he stays.

Where would he go anyway ? Barcelona are desperate to get Griezman off their wage bill because they are broke apparently so it’s not Spain? There’s only so many clubs who would pay a 32 year old 325k.

Hi TG,

I suspect Aubameyang is simply waiting to see who we sign before he puts pen to paper, a perfectly reasonable position to take for a player who is about to commit the peak years of his career. I certainly wouldn't be rushing to sign until I saw that promises made privately about new signings were followed through.

If we were to sign at least two more top class players I reckon he probably signs. One more and its fifty fifty.

I think that’s a perfectly logical explanation mate but even if we sign 2 players we aren’t winning the league next year and Aubameyang knows that.

My feeling is if he leaves it will be for a small fee right at the end of this window and it’s likely a last minute negotiation tactic to milk every last drop from us or he has already signed. I think in the current climate he’s only really affordable for Arsenal

I can’t see any club offering a 32 year old player a 50 million pound 3 year contract next summer that’s for sure. He goes or signs this summer whilst his value is high.

The only club I could really see going for Aubameyang is Madrid anyway.

City and Chelsea are fixed for strikers, United probably have nightmares about the last player they got from us and seem occupied with Sancho. So that’s everyone from England

Barca have griezman and apparently can’t afford 20 million for Bellerin.

Juve have just got Suárez and already have Ronaldo.

PSG have just signed icardi and have Neymar,

Where’s he going?

Evening Soc, Bern, TG,
You Soc naybe correct as to Aubameyang playing the waiting game as to who's out and who comes in. Ball is in his court right now, even if he is or not gleefully on the sidelines watching all the haggling going on.
Whatever happens, it will all come out in the wash on Oct 5, if not before.

With the signings we have already had and the ones we are going after, Aubameyang has more than enough evidence of our ambitions. If he's not signing, it won't matter if Partey and Aouar sign or not. Arteta is a very good manager, we have won 2 cops beating very good opposition in them. There is a very positive buzz and even pundits are saying positive things about the upcoming season and future.

My guess is his mind is already made up. If he's staying its just some small matters contractually and those should be ironed out in short manner so if there is further delay for a couple more weeks, my guess is he's off. It won't matter who we sign.

If Aubameyang doesn't sign in the next week to ten days, he's off. That's what I'm guessing.
https://dailycannon.com/2020/09/arsenal ... ouncement/

Leeds were rumored to be in for him hard. If we sell Lacazette, then I'd go for it. I'd have loved to have him a few years ago when we were rumoured to be interested but not sure how he'll fit now. I would have liked to see him converted to striker. He's still young (26).
We have a fair amount of attackers now but he's experienced, good age, but his star has definitely fallen.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/09/10/psg-reig ... wsnow-feed
Paris Saint-Germain reignite interest in Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi and are willing to offer Julian Draxler in swap deal

Tottenham?

Can’t see that either. They have Kane and son and a huge stadium debt. Kane wouldn’t be happy at getting paid less

Liverpool....Bayern Munich...Man Utd...Aletico...

Rumours of Barca and PSG interest in Bellerin. It seems to suggest Arsenal are after a fee of between £18-23m. I just don't understand why our players seem constantly undervalued, even in the rumours.
Castagne 24 year old right back signed for Leicester from Atalanta for £21m this summer, he's had 1 season in the champions league and only 3 seasons of football in a top league. Bellerin is only a year older but his experience is vast.

It is similar to Martinez, if we sell for £20m we will need to buy a replacement, I don't know how much Raya from Brentford will cost but they don't need the cash after selling Watkins for £30m. So even if we get him for £10m we've made £10m profit but weakened our GK pool.

We have to sell, and that goes for most seasons, but we need to sell at the right price.

Accepting 23 million for Bellerin would be ridiculous. 35 million even in the depressed market.

Ornstein reporting Aubameyang about to sign a new three-year contract.