Time to believe it then. Hopefully another move in the right direction.

Lokonga is done, wears No.23. £15m plus £4m in add ons. Will wear 'Sambi' on his shirt

Arteta said: “Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity in his performances during his development. He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht. I know Vincent very well and he talks so highly about Albert and the positive impact he had to Anderlecht in recent seasons. We’re confident Albert’s ready for the next stage in his development and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member to our squad with his quality and presence.”

There were those games when Xhaka was forced to left-back where I'm sure Arteta pretty much emptied central midfield and played a kind of 4-1-5 formation - with not great consequences. I was also thinking of games when he played with Ceballos and Elneny (save the OT performance) where it was mainly the lack of quality from his partner that lead me to that expression of 'holding the entire midfield together himself'

I agree there were some underwhelming performances but his class was still evident above every other Arsenal midfielder - and I'm one of the few who actually thinks Xhaka had a decent season but I think playing Xhaka gives us a ceiling to our performances.

When looking at players I like to look at them with my own eyes in the match (sadly don't get to see much live in person as that gives another dimension as well) but also look at the stats of the player. Sometimes either of these can contradict what you think you saw or read or they can confirm it. When I looked at some of Partey's stats he was still playing as a top level central midfielder in the prem - even if we saw a few misplaced passes or poor touches. The stats also backed up that Xhaka was better at progressing the ball forward than many would think. My issue with Xhaka was always his lack of mobility and pace and propensity to dive in to tackles.

Guendouzi and Cebackpass gone and a new Roma bid for Xhaka is expected in the next day apparently.

Looks like Arteta is ripping apart the ineffective midfield that has blighted us for so long. Promising young midfielder with more direct progressive passing has come In and we are expecting a more attacking midfield player to join also. Happy days, might actually be fun watching us again next season.

Keep going Mikel, next the Brazilian Nutty Professor please

Hi Rich. My problem was your comment that Partey was “effectively holding the entire central midfield together on his own at times.” I simply don’t believe that was the case and it’s a gross ‘over the top’ exaggeration. As stated, I think he’ll end up being a good signing. But he has to significantly improve from last season to do so.

If I had the choice of having Partey or Xhaka at Arsenal next season, Partey would definitely get my vote. No argument there. But there were quite a few ordinary performances from him last season and I would say too many to say his class was evident above every other midfielder.

I know you like looking at stats. So do I. But their limitations should not be ignored. For example, stats can be very useful for showing what is happening. But they may be less useful in explaining why it is happening. On their own they are not a reliable guide to a player’s quality. I know you haven’t claimed otherwise. I simply think the limitations of stats should be recognised. For example, you gave those stats about White earlier, which looked positive. dec thought they suggested something different.

I mentioned the stats that Mustafi outplayed Maguire in 2018/19, with Maguire only being better on one single factor. I looked it up. Maguire had one more block than Mustafi, and that was it. However, that didn’t stop Manchester United paying £85m for him, did it? That’s despite what the stats said.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... -transfer/

Arsenal.com and ltg have made it official. Good luck Lokonga...and Rich as well.

Hi Dec,

I am actually looking forward to seeing him play. I have seen some of his highlight reels and the thing that stands out is his composure and ability on the ball. He’s also quick and athletic which are big assets. He can play RB and DM as well.

I think we have overpaid but clearly we see something really special in him to have payed that much.

Can’t wait to see if it’s justified. I’ve said before, if he matures into a worldclass cb and stays with us for 10 years it’s money well spent.

Welcome Sambi

Love these young progressive hungry, with something to prove type of signings.

Now for a central midfielder to replace Xhaka and an attacking midfielder.
Would love Bissouma but I think Neves could do a good job for us.
AM? Not Maddison for me. Overpriced. Aouar worth a shout at price he is going for now.
Would like to see Azeez given some playing time as well.this season.

Great to see the likes of Balogun Okonkwo and soon to be as rumoured Taylor Hart signing new deals.
Got some great talent coming through.

The Academy seems to have done well recently. It is just so incredibly hard for academy players to nail down a first team place either first 11 or even squad. The other big 6 teams show this as well.
The last 'batch' to come through will likely see success for Saka and Smith-Rowe and success of a different kind for the likes of Nelson, Nketiah, Willock and Maitland-Niles if they are moved on. We should be getting maybe £10m for the first two and £20m for the latter two. Nketiah would be higher were it not for his contract having 1 year left.

If every 3-4 years we can produce 6 academy players with 2 ready for the first team and 4 who are sold for an average of £15m a man then we will be in a very healthy position.

Hi Soc,

It is quite a leap from one season in the PL with Brignton to world class centre back who stays with us for a decade.

The way I see it, we already have 5 centre backs but a big weakness in midfield and here we are spending huge money on another centre back. That's over £100m on centre backs in two seasons. I just think that the money would be better spent elsewhere, especially as we are spending well over the odds here.

The question is how many of our current centre backs have the quality to be a starter for a team that's aiming for Europe? I would say only Gabriel has shown that type of talent, and even he didn't really do it consistently last season. We need to improve our starting eleven in several positions, and centre back is one of them.

A lot of signs point to us going out to spend on a midfielder if Xhaka leaves, so I have no problem going big for White if he's identified as someone who can help take our defense up a level.

Time will tell if White's fee is too much. Again, Ferdinand, eventually justified his then astronomical fee. I would suggest that the success they got with van Dijk playing no small part was worth 75 million to Liverpool. Paying Sol 100k a week, astronomical at that time, basically paying him over time for the fee a club would have to pay, was well worth it.

Less I remind everyone we paid 36 million for....cough....Mustafi. 14 mil more shouldn't be too much for someone tested in the league.

It is wonderful we are getting the transfers in
Looking forward to the new season

I have to assume Henry had some part in our signing of Lokonga. Players talk and they ask each other or former players their opinion. I recall Gallas saying that Vieira (I think) saying that if he comes to Arsenal, he'll laugh at something every day in training.

You're right, it's a massive leap Dec, and I am fearful that we could have got this one badly wrong but I still can't help but be excited that we are willing to spend that kind of dosh on a relative rookie, though. There has to be something special that makes us think he's worth that kind of outlay......doesn't there?

'Cebackpass'. Hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NEWA32jqk0

The links with Ramsdale who Sheff Utd want £40m for but a deal could probably be struck for £25m appear so incredibly strange when there is Sam Johnstone who is available for £10m (as he only has 1 year left on his deal). Both fulfil the home grown status and many would think Johnstone is the better GK. Johnstone is however 5 years older than Ramsdale but when you're buying a No.2 GK does it matter enough to spend £15m more on an inferior GK?
I can't see us spending £20m+ on a number 2 GK, it would be laughable, so if we spent that much then he would be No.1 and Leno would surely be off.

Spurs are swapping Erik Lamella and £25m for Bryan Gil from Sevilla. 20 year old left winger, handful of caps for Spain. Don't know much about him, but left wing is where Son plays normally.

Sevilla getting the better of that deal. Gil is unproven and Lamela will thrive in la Liga.

According to the Athletic, Arsenal have withdrawn from their preseason US tour due to Covid 19 cases at the club.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theathleti ... MW%3famp=1

Heard it is some players who have tested positive but are asymptomatic.

Not great preparation to a)not have the friendlies and b)have half the team not able to train with the others.....there's probably a financial hit because we can't compete

We need to try to get some other friendlies arranged else we could go in to the season undercooked.

I hope the stated expectation that Ivan Gazidis will make a full recovery from his throat cancer is true. I wasn’t his biggest fan as Arsenal’s chief executive. But I do hope he makes a full recovery.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... dium=email

Read later that a few players were asymptomatic as well. A cancellation fee may have to be paid though. Rumours that Inter may withdraw due to Covid and Delta variant concerns in Florida. Also a cancellation fee would be imposed. If that happens, an MLS side could be substituted but only for one game as the MLS season is ongoing now.
Not a good start at all financially.

No Ivan wasn't popular as chief exec. Do hope though he recovers from the cancer.

I genuinely don’t understand how it’s gonna work. I mean football aside most people are going to catch this thing over the next few weeks, all of us. Only a matter of time even if you are careful

So out of 25 players say plus 10-15 staff for a match day ? Surely they are going to have issues separating people affected by this and many league matches could be at risk.

I would keep an eye on links to the Brazilian keeper Neto we’ve been linked with him before and he would be cheap as Barcelona are desperate to shift funds from their wage bill, plus crucially he’s a Kia Joorabachian client. Lump a few quid on this and thank me later

Personally I think a homegrown keeper would make sense

Heading to America in the middle of a global pandemic to play a couple of friendlies was not exactly the smartest plan.

Is that right? There have been 5.5 million confirmed cases in the UK so far, most of whom have ‘recovered’.

It’s a scary leap to think that in a few weeks 10 times that number will succumb. Currently about 7,000 a day are new cases. I sincerely hope that you are wrong.

Links today with James Maddison again, this time suggesting Arsenal will offer Nelson and AMN in the deal. These sort of swap deals rarely come off mainly because it nearly always is based on one side getting rid of a player they don’t want.
Maddison at £60m when you could have Aouar for £20-25m doesn’t seem the best idea.

More speculation today about an Arsenal move for Chelsea's Tammy Abraham. Initial loan with £40m obligation to buy.

Can't see it myself, just like I cant see the logic of the interest in Sheff Utd's Aaron Ramsdale, not at £20m+ anyway.

Nevertheless, these links persist.

I really can’t see another way it will unfold. We are what getting around 30 to 50 thousand new infections a day ? Seems to be increasing an increasing.

I’ve lost a relative to it and also known people had it who are now perfectly fine so the introduction of the vaccine will help massively but they were saying around 40% of hospitalisations currently have had 2 jabs anyway ?

If you have had 2 jabs and have had it the chances of getting again are reduced so it may get better eventually but in the meantime I don’t really understand how premier league games are likely to be unaffected if you have 3/4 players from the 2 teams involved in the game sidelined by covid

Really odd link and it seems to have substance behind it.

The only way it makes sense is if they know one of our senior strikers is leaving. Even with Nketiah going you still have 4 solid striker options which seems plenty.

Who’s going ?

Morning Soc
These bizarre links continue to persist as you say.
What with Ramsdale and Abrahams. No thanks to both.
The only way i can see Abrahams having any chance of happening is if we sold Lacazette and Eddie which would just leave us with Aubameyang and Balogun..... Oh my days i forgot all about Martinellii!! who could also play up front.
Just brainless to bring in Abrahams when you havent sold Lacazette and or Eddie.
I certainly wouldnt want another Chelsea cast off albeit a younger version coming in to block the pathway of Martinelli and Balogun.
Does Balogun sign that contract if he thinks someone like Abrahams is being brought in???
ffs lets give game time to Martinelli and Balogun rather than bringing in someone externally.
Their celings are much higher than Tammy Abrahams.

Surely two strikers have to be leaving to even comprehend this Abrahams foolishness?
Even if 2 left Aubameyang , Martinelli and Balogun should be enough for a season with no European football??

If they also sell Willian they may need Martinelli to cover wide left a bit more.

For what it’s worth I don’t think Abraham’s is a bad option up front to perform a squad role.

Up front Aubameyang, Abraham’s, Balogun

Wide Saka, Martinelli, Pépé

Sell Nketiah and Lacazette to generate 37 million quid to sign a midfielder

It’s not around 30 to 50 thousand infections a day. It’s around 7,000.

I can’t see how we are going to go from 5.5 million people to pretty well everybody in a few weeks.

And yes it is seriously scary. And I am taking every possible reasonable precaution.

It’s not 7000 is it ? 294k in the last 7 days

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases

Hi ltg,

It's around 40-50k testing positive a day at the moment.

Hospitalisations are still relatively low but even if you have had both jabs and don't get hospitalised you could still end up with a moderate to nasty flu-like illness and who know about the possible long covid issues even to those who are symptomless or have relatively mild symptoms.

I’m wrong about Covid numbers. I read the 7 day average of 47,438 as being the total figure across the 7 days, as opposed to it being a figure per day.

I have to say that despite lots of scrutiny I do find the various Covid stats obscure and conflicting to say the least.

Even allowing for say 50,000 per day it seems improbable that we would go from 5.5 million to everybody in just a few weeks.

Hi to you too. You are absolutely right about that. Scares me somewhat, especially the (many) unknown bits.