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.

What is our main, number one goal this season? I'm not saying we shouldn't try and do well in every competition we are in but we don't have a squad that can compete at its best in multiple competitions.

The Trump memes racing across social media pages from the states are brutal. And in great quantity. No attempt at decorum, civility. I've never, ever seen a president so openly reviled in a moment that should garner sympathy and politics put aside for the moment. Republican friends are silent for the most part. Not much of a push back. To be fair though, were it Obama, the evangelicals would be praising Republican Jesus and saying its God's punishment for not being against abortion.

Even his wife is dragged into it. And people hoping other members of his cabinet have gotten it or members of Congress. I can't really say it's a surprise. During the debate he ridiculed Biden for over using masks.

I think the midfield is suffering because Xhaka is so limited. By covering his limitations the midfield is unbalanced. Start with that position and then see what we have at the club even if younger players are tried and fail. I think Xhaka has to go to start. Pépé out altogether and try and reorganise by using Saks, M-N, Smith Rowe (when recovered) in midfield and see if any of them work out. Give them extended runs. Maybe move Gabriel or even Tierney into Xhaka position. Assuming we can get some value out of all the other CB’s at the club. Teams of any standard are continually creating more chances than us and often they are quality chances. I don’t want us spending on other midfielders unless there is a guarantee they will improve the team and be able to start in the EPL without us waiting 1-2 years.

So that basically means we shouldn't sign anyone, since no player is guaranteed to do anything? It's honestly one of the weirdest opinions I've seen on here. Thomas Partey - a starter for a better team than Arsenal - isn't good enough for our midfield, but Emile Smith Rowe might be? Not sure exactly what our aim would be if we got rid of Xhaka and Pépé, didn't sign anyone and played the academy kids instead - top 10?

Note I said back up. If you need to shut up shop, you are playing Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup, there is a Carabao Cup match or Dundalk in the Europa League then Chambers might be a good guy to have as a DM as opposed to risking a first choice player. If he was Fulham's player of the year while playing in the Prem then you'd have to think the guy has something about him. He maybe no Keane, Pirlo or Vieira but then there are very few of those around.

Know nothing about Aouar but I have seen Partey play a few times in the later stages of the CL against the likes of Real and he looks a decent player who would add to our team.

I also thought think it might be relevant that some are thinking of Chambers as a back up defender. From what I’ve heard of his time at Fulham, he’s an even worse defender than he is a midfielder. Look, I think Chambers is one of the players I’d like to see the back of. But under the sort of circumstances you cite Gunfire, he could possibly do a semi-decent job as a back up defensive midfielder where he performed well enough in a rubbish Fulham team to win their player of the season award. It’s big ‘could possibly’ in my last sentence and I wouldn’t be happy to see him play there for us. But following on from his season at Fulham, I may well be even less happy about him playing in defence for us.

I don’t agree that Xhaka is ‘so limited’. I think if he had more pace, then his ‘limitations’ would be far less noticeable. It’s his lack of pace that gets him into trouble and the main reason in my opinion he commits so many ‘silly’ fouls.

I agree about Pépé - he isn’t going to make the grade. He’s had enough time to adjust both through training and the matches he’s been involved in, and I think we have to put down the money spent as a bad investment. Sell him and get back whatever losses we can recoup.

Arsenal contributed their fair share to this list.

Sadio Mané tested positive. Wish him well but why couldn't it have shown up before our last prem game.

Worried about how many of our players could be infected too?

I think this is a bit harsh. Coming to Arsenal in the state we were in last season is probably the worst possible circumstances imaginable to join a big club in - never mind the fact that the Premier League is a challenge for any player. He still managed 8 goals and 10 assists over the course of the season, which is not a bad return, and had som impressive displays. To me, he was possibly our best player after Aubameyang in the FA cup final.

Like everyone else, I expect more from him this season, but I think it's way premature to write him off.

One thing I would say about Pépé is that despite not impressing too much he never has had a clear run in the side as far as I recall.

The watershed moment was in the Europa league last year when he came on as sub, looked very dangerous and scored 2 stunning free kicks and everyone thought that he had arrived. Next game, dropped ! Just as soon as he seems to do something that impresses the side is changed. Not sure how he is building momentum if that occurs. Give him a run of ten games and see his mettle.

The William thing, very impressive againest Fulham (who are surefire relegation candidates) but since then all a bit meh. Bit pepeish but with a brain

I hope you’re right Haz. If he comes good, then great.

To get a clear run in the side, you need to impress the person picking the team. He clearly hasn’t done enough so far to merit a place for a sustained period.

Agree on Willian - he looks a bit of a sulker if things aren’t going his way.