Low key (I think that’s the phrase) blowing my mind. Did Bernard know this?? Although, idiosyncratic choices really defined his tastes I suppose, God rest him.

The trajectory of my opinion on Jorginho is “NOOOOO!!!” to “Well makes some sense I suppose…”

Hope he can take some minutes off Partey and not cost us points. If he does that it’s a winner.

I’m sure we talked about It once.

What about Lokonga loaned to Palace and learn under the best to play the position.

Some stats

Here are 5 home fixtures where we could use Jorginho where his downgrading from Partey should not be the reason we drop points.

We need to keep Partey fit, it’s difficult to legislate for an impact injury but we can mitigate for fatigue based injuries. If Jorginho starts the next few europa league games and some of these home matches that’s the job he’s been bought in to do. As well as hopefully being able to be subbed on in games that we have wrapped up or need a bit of experience and ball retention to see out.

I recall one of Arteta’s first games in charge at home to Chelsea, we went 1-0 up, ran our socks off then Jorginho came on at half time, wrestled back control for Chelsea, we were out on our feet chasing the ball and we lost 2-1. He can do a job and is a better option than Elneny and Lokonga

Some more stats.

I hope so.

Worse case scenario is that he has one mediocre game, Arteta never picks him until Partey gets crocked, then Jorginho, completely out of form, has a poor run and is recorded in the annals as "as bad as Willian'".

We average 2.3 points per game with Partey and 1.6 without. That's quite a stat.

Good stats all round

Trossard, Kiwior, Jorginho.
Not the names everyone wanted but we have to trust the club.

Looking ahead to the summer there is a big question mark to be answered in terms of us closing deals for big money. Vlahovic, Raphinha, Mudryk and Caicedo- we bid for all of them at £60m+ and incrementally increased the bids with no success.

The summer now needs maybe 3 players:
A defensive midfielder - Partey back up
A central midfielder - Xhaka back up
A versatile right winger - Saka back up

The first two need to be signed with a view to being able to take us forward as first choice players soon as Partey and Xhaka will be or are already 30.

Balogun and maybe Patino could be added to the squad also

5hours to go and Jourjinho still not confirmed?

Wtf?

Getting closer?

Has anyone mentioned that the Lakonga loan to Palace has gone through?

So Spurs summer in which many claimed they ‘won’ the transfer window
Richarlison yet to score a league goal
Bissouma can’t get in the team
Spence has been shipped off on loan
Perisic looks his age
Lenglet looks very dodgy in defence (see City’s 4th goal the other week)
Forster as their back up GK looks their best signing and eve he isn’t deemed good enough to replace the error-prone Lloris

Sabitzer on loan to Man U to cover eriksens injury

Elneny’s contract is up at the end of the season but there is an option for Srsenal to extend it for a year. If the injury is an ACL knee which seems likely or something similarly serious there is talk Arsenal will extend the year to provide the support to Mo in his recovery. If we didn’t renew Elneny would technically have nowhere to do his rehab as no club is going to sign a player with a 6-9month ACL rehab to do.

It would cost the club his wages for the year and whilst we aren’t a charity I think it would be the class thing to do for Elneny.

Sky have confirmed it. And saying it's a good move too.

Can you believe anything SKY say. Reporting Villa's Ramsey, Aaron has signed for a loan to 'Boro anfd the picture on the screen is that of Jacob Ramsey

Compare the behaviour to Cardiff and their antics about sala

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-64333540.amp

Jorginho confirmed on Arse website. Even a pic of MA and Jorginho with Jorginho glad to finally link up with MA.

The picture could be faked. We still can’t be sure

I don’t know if this is a good signing. An important feature of placing players in this team is not just playing ability but do they fit in with the culture and have they bought into the project. I don’t know if we have had time to assess if he will buy in. But then the Brighton bloke was totally unknown to me as to whether he was a one season wonder. Give Arteta wanted him I will have to trust him but he is so stubborn that he will want to prove it a great signing and probably squeeze him into the team at times to justify himself. I have to say I thought he was a year past his best. If we are paying him silly wages that will be another problem around the team.

At the end of the day, we win the league and he is part of it, a worthwhile signing.

Yeah I wouldn't be too sure. There's still a chance Chelsea will outbid us at the last minute.

Looks like Chelsea will get Enzo Fernandez for a British record fee in the region of £115m. It takes their spending this season to something like £600m. Makes an absolute mockery of FFP.

These players are still Chelsea players but on loan:
Lukaku
Hudson-Odoi
Bakayoko!
Baba Rahman!
Malang Sarr
Amapadu, Colwill and Gusto are also younger players out on loan

Chelsea's website lists 30 players as first team players - 31 when Enzo signs.

You're allowed 17 non home grown players - which for chelsea before January would be these 14 players
Arrizabalaga
Aubameyang,
Azpilicueta
Cucurella
Thiago Silva
Fofana,
Havertz,
Kante,
Koulibaly,
Kovacic,
Mendy,
Pulisic
Zakaria
Ziyech
They've since added - Felix, Mudryk, Enzo, Fofana, Badiashile - which is 2 players over the limit - maybe Fofana counts as U21 and maybe someone goes out on loan.

It is a hugely risky strategy they have undertaken and that squad will need time to gel and it is still a big ask for them to get CHampions League this year - risk losing out on £100m of that money if they don't make it. I still think there are gaps in quality in that squad as well

Can the media please spare us the fawning over Chelsea's ability to 'get a deal done' - surely they realise that is a lot easier when you're willing to pay whatever it takes to get the deal done. They live outside the rules that others play by

https://twitter.com/TifoFootball_/statu ... _3auf1kPBQ
analysis of Jorginho at Arsenal

Ok a few things

1) it’s not a risk. His wages until the summer will be over compensated by us loaning out sambi, Marquinhos and Cédric and saving theirs. After that you might see him sold anyway if he’s bad it’s a 16 month contract only

2) the main problem we have when partey is injured isn’t the protection of the back 4 too much it’s that we don’t have progressive enough distribution to get the ball forward into attacking areas. I don’t think there is any question he’s better at this than sambi or elneny

3) you are saying Arteta will shoehorn him into the side ? No chance for many reasons but none less than Partey is the best midfielder in the whole league right now as far as I’m concerned and he will struggle to get games anyway. The ask is to cover 6-8 games at most here not play 20 premier league games

My thoughts too. He brings high level experience to a callowish side. Is he our first Italian international?

Indeed. The way some folk are talking you'd be excused for thinking we have just signed Carlton Palmer or some cart-horse from Carlisle. Jorginho is a top player with more experience of the big stage than anybody else in our current squad.

Yep, a little more than a year ago, The Guardian rated him more highly than Mbappe, Haaland, De Bruyne etc:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng ... world-2021
I don't know whether Jimmy Glass or Chris Balderstone ever made it into the Top 5 in the world.

Looks pretty good here.

Great minds think alike. Had no idea Lokonga was going to Palace on a loan.

I wish him well, he needs it. And no one better than Vieira.

I lost what little respect I had for the media when they never acknowledged that Chelsea's emergence was ONLY because Roman bought them. They were a good side before, so respect to them. A top 4 side. But those titles were bought and paid for. Man Utd at least made their money from the way you do traditionally. No problem with that. Chelsea and City (and now Newcastle), any trophies they got or will get is tainted in my opinion.

Willian was the biggest glaring mistake so far for Arteta. And truth be told, we didn't see it coming in terms of his non performance. He seemed a good buy at the time.

That said we (gooners as a collective) were proven wrong with Ramsdale and White. Lokonga was always a project hoping he'd develop into a better player and he could still become a good players. I'm willing to trust Arteta with this one and we'll see what happens.

Only it wasn’t ! He came on a free and left after 12 months so it was a punt and whilst he wasn’t good there was no major catastrophe

Wanna know who was a mistake ? Mustafi! 42 million quid for a defender who didn’t know he had to get goalside.

I think the nearest Arteta and Edu have come so far in terms of transfer mistakes looks to be Fabio Vieira who for 32 million looks very flaky and isn’t resistant to being pressed. For that money a footballer of 22 years old should look much better. You could also say lokonga as well but I have a feeling we will get our money back on him.

Spurs had to cancel Doherty’s contract 18 months early rather than send him on on loan to Atletico as they realised they already had the maximum 8 loans to other nation clubs

Chelsea didn’t send the paperwork in time/ sent the wrong paperwork (depending who you read) for Ziyech’s loan transfer to PSG. PSG are furious with Chelsea. Maybe an appeal today but looks likely a very unhappy Ziyech has to stay with Chelsea for the rest of the season likely not making any match days squads.

Similarly Omari Hutchinson (ex Arsenal) had a late loan deal to West Brom fall through at the last minute. He better get used to loan moves because he’s got no pathway to the Chelsea 1st team

I don’t really buy the notion that Declan Rice is going to just rock up at our place this summer I have to say

Some divvy owner is liable to bid 150 million and kroenke and Edu will run a mile. Honestly I’ll believe that one when I see it

Arsenal bench options when everyone is fit
Turner, Tierney, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Holding, Jorginho, Emile Smith Rowe, Trossard, Nelson, Nketiah