Caicedo thing isn’t going to happen is it. Feels like a pipe dream. Even if you offer them 80 million can they actually even sign a replacement. Similar to the Douglas Luiz bid

No, its a waste of time and energy.

If it was doable Chelsea would have done it by now.

We are now either looking at second rate loans, players with buy-out clauses or young relatively unknowns.

Brighton signed caciedo in 2021 for 5 million Euros.

He’s on 3500 a week.

Honestly you can’t begrudge him for wanting to move. By all means don’t sell him but hike his wages. There’s a moral issue there.

One thing I noticed in the match yesterday from both teams was the amount of longer balls that got player - I think this was by force rather than design because whilst neither team's defence came under severe pressure when playing out from the back lots of passing lanes were cut off and the eventual squeeze led to the longer ball or at best a more chipped pass in to the forwards. I'd say 8/10 times this was easily mopped up by either sides defence.

Looks like it’s actually £15000 from this season. Still relatively extremely low, but not unheard of for a 21yr old.

Can’t see this one being done in January unless we hit Mudryk money.

Over the last two seasons Brighton have brought in 188m and counting! Like Leicester and Dortmund it’s great until clubs come in earlier and earlier for your players so you don’t get the benefit of them in your first 11 and your replacements aren’t ready. Dortmund are struggling to finish in the top 4 in the Bundesliga.

... at which point we say abracadabra! and produce another rabbit out of the hat, a la Trossard?

I hope that is not wishful thinking and we do have a backup plan. The transfer window is ebbing away.

I was one of those who loudly wanted him out. And I have been proven wrong. Glad to have been proven wrong.
He is now one of my favourite players. I have huge admiration for those who take second chances seriously and succeed at it with sheer will, hard work and discipline. Kudos to Xhaka! And huge apologies for slating you so loudly.

Which is why I hope Lokonga can be turned around by Arteta. He needs a huge kick up his backside, and only the boss' kick can jolt him positively.

Had this been an away game at Bournemouth, he could have played the exact same way and the description on his play would be totally different.

This was a huge game on a huge stage. The occasion was not just too big for him, he didn't match the level of his teammates. My fear is his confidence is shot. As I showed in a brief video of him, he walked straight off the pitch away from his teammates.

Mikel knows this as well and sooner rather than later, make a decision on what role he will play with the club, with the team limited minutes or opposition way before us, on loan or whatever, but a private word with him
is needed right now. And he must obviously choose his words and tone wisely.

He's been banned from the training ground until the window closes.

Arsenal have appealed their FA charge against Oxford on the grounds it was unreasonable and unfair. Appeal has been submitted and club are awaiting response. They have submitted evidence to back up their case.

Partey is ok for Everton.

Thank you allah

Great news

According to Charles Watts, Arsenal are appealing their FA charge against Oxford as it was unreasonable and unfair. And the club has strong proof. Now awaiting FA response.
Well done Arsenal.

I think we’ll go as high as £70m for Caicedo, Brighton will say no and we’ll move on to other targets.

Brighton could get the same money if not more in the summer so no reason for them to sell now.

I’m not sure I’d want another prospect in that position, we need proven ability, which despite being only 21 Caicedo was ideal as he’s done it in the Prem.

If we’re serious about Rice in the summer and see him as the lone 6 then I’d want us to bring in a hybrid 6/8 who can cover Partey and Xhaka and still leave room for Rice. Zubimendi from Spain might be that guy, £52m release clause and likened to Xabi Alonso

Where have you seen that? I’d love for it to be true.

Hopefully it’s not just a negotiating stance to make us seem less desperate for an incoming player thereby keeping the fee down.

And is Caicedo really worth such a huge fee?

Looking through the squad how many second 11 players can come in and replicate what the first 11 player does? Not exactly or to the same high level but at a good level that they are still a threat and overall performance doesn’t drop. And I mean this by bringing just that player in to the starting 11

Jesus/Nketiah
White/Tomiyasu
Zinchenko/Tierney
Martinelli/Trossard - early but the signs look good
Ramsdale/Turner
Ødegaard/Emile Smith Rowe - Emile Smith Rowe needs time to find out where he’s actually going to be most effective in Arteta’s system


In theory then you could also have
Saliba/White
Saka/Trossard

So it’s clear that the key players we can’t afford to lose are Partey, Xhaka, Gabriel, Saka.

It’s well publicised. Although partey could be paralysed from the neck down and they don’t want Brighton to know

Just been suggested we have upped our bid to 60+10 in add ons. They apparently want 80 which would make him the most expensive transfer of all time for Arsenal. Honestly that’s a huge fee and I don’t know anywhere near enough about the player to suggest it makes sense.

Hi TG
I know nothing about him either and really is he worth this money??
Of course not but there must be something about him that has made Chelsea bid 55 and us up to.70.
If rejected we need to move on.
Zubimendi at societad has a 52 release clause.
Xavi apparently has sung his praises that he is as good as busquets.
Maybe more value with this guy?
We cannot afford another record breaking guy who doesn't hit the heights he is expected to

Zubimendi sounds more experienced and probably much better value, although it is often the case that inbound players do not adapt well to the Premier League.

As least Caicedo has some track record albeit extremely brief.

Update : Brighton reject 120 million pound Arsenal bid for Caicedo

Arsenal expected to increase bid close to cost of HS2

Big if, but assuming we beat an Everton in turmoil and if....IF sperz can nick a point off City, then City will have to reel off a lot of wins including over us.

Michael Jackson and Bob Marley in Jamaica (1975)
The Jackson 5 visited Jamaica in 1975 to play Jamaica Stadium with Bob Marley and the Wailers. Former Wailer Peter Tosh returned to the lineup for the show, one of the last times that he would ever perform with the band. Tosh, like Michael, built a legacy fighting for equal rights. In this photo, the Jackson 5 poses in a tree with Bob Marley, The Wailers, and friends.

Winning at Chelsea has already happened.

Otherwise, everything is possible!

For example, according to current betting odds, there is a 44% chance that City will drop points as Spurs. The odds would probably about the same in our Newcastle game.

City would be slight favourites to get the better of our two games, but that is offset by our lead, which is why we are very slight bookie's favourites.

Then injuries, form, etc are a huge wildcard.

The word 'unpredictable' describes that situation perfectly!

Spurs set to sign Porro today for £45m. £45m for a right-back on top of the £25m they spent of RB Royal and the £20m they spent on RB Spence just 6 months ago. And the £15m signing of RB Doherty a few windows ago. So that’s £100m on right-backs…..and yet their fans will moan that the board hasn’t given funds to the manager.

It is a classic response when plenty of funds have been provided but have been wasted

The next manager will not be thanking Conte. All good news really.

I am hoping we are playing poker with Brighton and pressing our advantage.
Trossard is telling him it's great there. That's a given. The player is completely unsettled.

Brighton know they will have a somewhat useless player the rest of the campaign.

They are motivated to sell and we should risk walking away and finding a makeshift replacement for the rest of the season.

Man U have had a high proportion of home games against weak sides (City aside) and have 4 of their next 5 at home in the league. And 6 of their next 8 overall

When you look at each of the away games they’ve played in this run (except Forest away) they’ve struggled in every single one.

I think they’ll continue to struggle in away games- in March they have Liverpool, Brighton, Newcastle in 3 of 4 league games

Fabrizio Romano: “Despite reports to the contrary, I’m not aware of second Arsenal bid for Moises Caicedo submitted on Saturday, let’s see on Sunday what happens. The last bid was the one I mentioned on Friday: £60m, rejected.”

Mitoma looks a heck of a player. Very similar I think to what we'd have got from Mudryk.

Forget Caicedo, let's sign Brighton's scouting network.

Their set up is incredible Soc
McAllister Mitoma Ben White Bissouma Maupay
Trossard Cucurella Caicedo Estupinian
Ferguson
They can certainly identify talent

Hi Andy,

Amazing.

Makes you wonder why other teams with far more resources can't scout players with as much success.

I imagine they might get £80m offers for Mitoma if he carries on playing this well.

Being reported chelsea are going to pay the 120m buyout clause for enzo Fernandez.

Nuts

From the feeling my age department I was watching Fulham vs Sunderland FA Cup tie yesterday
Decent game 1:1 ….in the 90tb minute a Sunderland guy, Chris Rigg scored the winner( later chalked off by VAR)
He is 15

Ornstein

Arsenal are expected to increase their bid for Caicedo equal to the overall cost of the Apollo space programme. Brighton expected to reject

Magic of the Cup
Wrexham all up for the biggest game of their season against a team second in the Championship
Huge enthusiastic crowd
One down in 62 seconds and two of their back three off injured and substituted in first three minutes!
Man they must have offended the FA Cup gods

Brought it back to 1-1

Brighton have just sealed a £6m deal for Yasmin Ayari, 19 year old Swedish central midfielder….maybe we should just sign this guy instead!

And now lead!