Several reports that Özil is very close to signing a new deal. Very important signing, especially as we seem likely to lose Sanchez this summer or the next. We need to show we can keep world class players at the club.

I'm still concerned about our central midfield options.
Xhaka and Ramsey appear to be first choice, but with cazorla injured for an unknown length of time it leaves the remainder of our central mid options as coq, elneny, maitland-niles and ox (and wilshere if he still counts). Ox is erratic in central mid and the first 3 are all similar style players.

If we only sign one more player it should be a classy central mid who can control the game but also offer a creative threat from deep.

Low ball cheeky bid for Fabregas and let him live out his few remaining years as a footballer as a gooner.

Lemar has apparently played in central midfield for Monaco in previous seasons. Perhaps Wenger sees him as someone who can cover multiple positions?

I would also like to see another central midfielder who can come in an challenge for a starting spot, but there are unfortunately no rumours that we're after such a player from what I've seen.

Ribery needs a walking stick to help him get around the pitch these days (he actually made his Bayern debut ten years ago today). Post-Christmas I can see him playing in a wheelchair. Interesting that Bayern have shipped Gnabry out on loan to Hoffenheim for next season (or is 2017/18 'this' season yet)? With both Ribery and Robben so old now, and Costa having gone to Juventus, unless I've forgotten someone it only leaves Coman who can play wide for them next (or 'this') season. If they don't need Gnabry under those circumstances, why bother signing him? Then they could have reduced Lomekian's hatred of them by 0.0000000000000000001%.

I wouldn't write off Robben just yet but Sanchez would be a perfect addition to their squad. I think the interest in him was genuine but his wage demands were clearly extortionate.

The latest rumour, for what it's worth, is that PSG are willing to pay 200m+ for Neymar and pay him €1m per week.

I think there should always be one DM. Tbh I don't see why it's so hard to find someone who can pass (when with the ball) and defend (when not with the ball) or at the least to understand where in the pitch they are such that they can't do both. Maybe it's the manager that can't get them to think like that.

Čech has an extremely predictable pattern on penalties which any decent amount of statistical analysis would show teams decent odds of beating. He's been shite at saving them since arriving but as always we see little change in player performance over time under Wenger.

Especially not when he's allowed, after 10 years, to cut inside onto his left boot.

Is it just me or does Lemar look extremely light weight?. May be he's quick but one little tap or twist of the knee and he's in the Royal Arsenal Hospital for a 6 month break. I mean he looks like those 'skipped leg day' memes.

Tottenham picked a great time to have their best team in years. Probably since the early '90s Gazza years. I wasn't around then but they seem better in comparison probably..dont' know.

Anyway, perfect timing for them since they are expanding their stadium. Had it been half a dozen years ago, who knows. Large fan base but mediocre squad.

Kurt Zouma has signed a new six-year contract with Chelsea and will be loaned out to Stoke for the season. Ridiculous.

Zelalem has never really developed physically, which has held him back, and he's just done his ACL, so no-one will see much of him til after Xmas, sadly.

This nonsense of 'big clubs' aka clubs with limitless money, loaning out literally dozens of players has been going on for years, especially Chelsea, it is very irritating and morally wrong especially when it is to clubs playing in the same division.

I don't know what the limit is domestically or abroad but the numbers should be cut right down to stop rich clubs exploiting the system for their own gain, like FFP I doubt anything will happen though. Perhaps the wages the players are earning (regardless of who is paying them) should count against the club who owns them, maybe then they would stop doing it so much.

The loan system in soccer ... there are rorts everywhere , bent deals abound

Super 15 rugby competition ...figure this out

The Australian Brumbies ; finish second in the group having gained 34 points and make the play offs

.....while the Auckland Blues gain 37 points but finish in sixth and miss out .............. .

The South Africa Stormer accrue 43 points yet the Waikato Chiefs on 57 don't get home field advantage in the play offs and have to travel to the Republic

Same with the Hurricanes [ 58 points ] had to play the Brumbies [ 34 ] in Canberra last night .

Thankfully justice prevailed ...... not one to gloat but where's Gaz ..... Australian teams have played NZ teams 25 times this season .... er ahmmm ...........Aust 0 NZ 25

Settle down Granty ...Arsene's tried and true formula for success is based on skilful midgets .... the Vieira days of big mothers swatting the opposition off like so many pesky bar flies has been consigned to history .

It's called progress ; times change ....get up with the play .

Look where the policy of having a bit of presence is leading Tottenham

I agree, players like Wilshire, Szczesny, Campbell on loan from rich clubs and all being paid silly amounts of money because of a socialist pay structure at their club. I think we should not be too quick to point the finger here.

I am afraid that is one of those sports where I only take a marginal interest and have for years. I know the Aust teams are dire and this will continue for years. I suspect the next TV deal will be low. I can tell you that even if I was given free tickets to a test match I would not attend. It is not because of the chance of seeing an Aust team win is almost like a miracle happening it is because of what the sport has become. Dire.

The last time rugby was even interesting was when the Ella brothers and a few around that era played. Don't rate the game at all anymore and haven't for years. lie on the ground holding the ball and could be a penalty or not depending on the ref, offside can be anything and advantage is when? Kick a pile of penalties to win a game.

It is a bit like AFL which has now become another lie on the ground game and no one is game to actually try and break thru what passes for a tackle.

Football / soccer is also heading the same way where instead of beating players we see a sideways or backwards pass and people think that is good play. I would prefer to see George Armstrong trying to beat someone and lose the ball than watch Theo any day of the week. That is why I like Alexis because I see effort and an attempt to beat players or give a very difficult pass.

Maybe when we get older everything seems better from the old days. But even motor racing I preferred times when cars were real cars and mechanical failure was just an unknown. Sterility of modern sport has made me lose faith.

Rumor mill Barca is offering us Rafinha for 30 mil. Worth it? I'm going to say no but admittedly Ive not seen a lot of him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZpZlmQeQpc

I think there are cases were it's ok to loan out senior players, Wilshere being an example of that. After all those injuries he needed to play but he was still in Wengers plans.

There's no reason Szczesny and Campbell should've been loaned out though. They clearly had no future here. The loan system needs to be looked at.

And by the way, I'm not pointing the finger at any club. Chelsea are not breaking any rules, they're using the system to their advantage. It's the system that is wrong.

Morning Bernard, it looks like Sanchez is off after all. Reports in France that PSG are prepared to offer 70m (not sure if the reports are saying pounds or euro, I've seen both mentioned). A decent compromise in my opinion, just don't want us to sell to a league rival under any circumstances.

I don't agree with the loan system at all at any level. If a player isn't good enough to make a squad let him sign for another club.

Hopefully, that comes to pass and we can move on and recruit a replacement.

If that is what's happening Hazuki, it's a second best case scenario and I'm fine with that. The ideal or very best case scenario would have been him signing a new contract at Arsenal, but that clearly wasn't going to occur. This way we get a good transfer fee without strengthening a domestic rival. As you know, had PSG not been interested, I'd have been okay with selling him to City now rather than run the major risk of handing him on a plate to them in a year for free.

I look at it this way. How many clubs would pay £50m-£70m to have a player for one single season? No longer, no shorter - one season alone, after which he has to be released on a free transfer. Other than the player being Messi (and however good Sanchez is, he isn't Messi) with the club owner being a sheikh or oligarch, I suspect not many. But in effect that's surely what Arsenal would have done with Sanchez had the club refused to sell him to PSG, City or anyone else for something around that amount. Arsenal would basically have been paying the lost transfer fee of £50m-£70m to have Sanchez for the 2017/18 season, to then lose him for nothing.

It's the recruitment part that worries me. Wenger too often has misplaced faith in being able to find replacements internally or buying potential rather than ready made.
He has softened on that stance recently but I am certain we will start the season, yet again, with a squad that the majority on here think is 2 top class signings away from a title challenge

Or if players are loaned then get them to sign contracts before they go in order to protect their value.
In szczesny's case it's just poor use of the system, loan out a player so he improves, which he does, then sell him anyway. The second season on loan only allowed his value to drop because his contract was running out.
We've got a lot to learn in using the loan system as efficiently as clubs like Chelsea

I wonder if Wenger really understands the situation he has now brought to himself by taking on another 2 years.

Either from podcasts or listening to people at the Australian games there is a gathering expectation that we will win the UEFA Cup. Further the club has basically promised that we will challenge for the EPL and many think we need to put in a lasting challenge if not actually winning it.

There are some clubs of at least equal ability to us in the UEFA Cup plus our usual mental weakness means we should have some real squeaky bum games. I don't think most of our players have the heart for trips to far flung destinations. When our challenges fail rather than if they fail, I expect it to get pretty messy at the Emirates.

So 20 days to the first game - still awaiting the other 2 top class players plus of course a top class player to replace Alexis if he leaves.

I think there are two seperate things about loans.

For young players on the verge of the first team I find it completely acceptable for them to gain experience of first team football. For older players who are out of the team for whatever reason I don't.

If it were up to me I'd allow any player who qualifies as u23 to be loaned out but limit clubs as to how many they can have out on loan over that age group - I wouldn't get rid of it completely as, for example, it can be good for players coming back from a long injury. I'd set the limit at 2. Further I'd also set a limit of 2 for the number of players a club can loan (of any age) to teams in the same league.

There are probably other changes that should be made but I think something like the above would be a good place to start.

btw today's game is on ITV.

I didn't realise that. Thanks, I've turned it on.

Yes thanks Exiled, I'd no idea it was on.

Ospina in goal. Back 3 of Mertesacker, Monreal and Maitland-Niles. Ox and Bramall wing backs. Ramsey and Xhaka central mid, Lacazette, Iwobi and Özil forward.
Lucky not to be 2 down already 7 mins in.

Maybe it's just me, but this is dull. Crappy pitch, very high humidity, and players not really tuned in.

Yes, agree with all of that. The pitch is really awful.

2 goals in a few minutes.
Maybe I should watch the golf.

We actually started well enough. Then it went pear shaped.

I don't know what you were watching but Chelsea had about 3 presentable chaces in the first 5 minutes.

Wjll be gutted if Oxlade-Chamberlain does leave.
What i dont get is if playing in central midfield is that important to him then he will not get a guarantee of that at chelsea or Liverpool.
Surely he must know that.
So is it down to money???
If we havent offered him the same wage as theo at least then im not surprised he wants to leave. We really shouldnt be losing this type of player. The boy has everything.

Missing a lot of first team Players but you can still see the squad has some big holes in it.
Wenger always talks about signing 3 players maximum so as to not upset the balance of the squad. If you are Chelsea and those 3 players are rudiger, bakayoko, morata then that is spot on. At arsenal we need to clear out so much deadwood and replace them with proper quality who can start in the first 11. It won't happen so we are set for yet another season exactly as we've had for the last 10 years.
Even if we get this lemar guy, Sanchez looks likely to leave, would we be any stronger than last season? I don't think so.

If we go with the 3-4-3 then I'd say we have big gaps in central mid to challenge Ramsey (we've got plenty who can sit in the two) but also big gaps in the two who play behind the striker. Assuming Sanchez is off we have Özil, iwobi, Welbeck, Walcott....but only the first two are suited to that role in that system