But how soon? We heard lots about the 'project' and using younger players rather then journeymen. It seems contradictory, and downright fickle, to suddenly demand that we come 4th this year. If we wanted immediate results we should have invested in a different profile of player, surely. The fact that we are letting so many players go without replacement (and the temptation is surely to find journeymen to fill gaps, or just not get rid of our own journeymen) suggest that we are more interesting in building up a quality squad in the long run, and waiting for the right players, than finishing fourth. Is Arteta making all those decisions? If he isn't our problems in January were hardly his fault and replacing manager with another unproven one does not seem progressive to me.

Of course but now when we are having our best league campaign for a while where we have a genuine chance for top 4. He’s not convinced. Doesn’t really stack up.

But he hasn’t invested £160m of his own money, as he will see it, before.

But is long term squad building in football always achievable? The obvious example is the talk of Saka leaving, whose contract expires in just over two years. If we don’t get into the Champions League this season, will he renew it this summer? I very much doubt it. Then we’re beginning to get into the nervous will he or won’t he renew period. What if he does go in 2023 or 2024? It arguably will show squad building must be accompanied by results.

So all of a sudden he’s become an obsessive and ruthless winner.

Nope don’t see it. I’m calling b%*&s%*^ on this one.

So all of a sudden he’s become an obsessive and ruthless winner.

Nope don’t see it. I’m calling b%*&s%*^ on this one.

And if he has invested so much money you would think it would be a for a long term project. He's not going to change tack just because of a few bumps in the road. Not the time to fold!

And if he has invested so much money you would think it would be a for a long term project. He's not going to change tack just because of a few bumps in the road. Not the time to fold!

If he leaves any decision to the end of the season, I would hardly call it changing tack because of a few bumps in the road. Would that have given Arteta approaching three years? Must be two and a half at least.

Ornstein now saying there's an agreement between clubs to loan Aubameyang to Barcelona. Six months with option of another year.

...and we've apparently signed an American defender, who will join the club in the summer. Auston Trusty, 23 years old, plays for the Colorado Rapids in the US.

If we are to sign someone in the final few hours of this window wouldnt there be some news of negotiations?

Also ignoring the fact it’s made up because he’s “silent Stan” who doesn’t speak to the press anyway let alone tell them he doesn’t like his current manager.

Although it is feasible he said something to somebody who wasn’t in the press, but it eventually reached a reporter.

Unlikely and even less so in a couple of days Or whatever it’s been. It didn’t happen. Made up.

Is is really that unlikely? Stan will speak to others not only in his family but KSE. That is guaranteed as it’s inevitable. I don’t think it’s outlandish to imagine someone mentioning what he said to someone with links to the press.

Yeah, there would be. Nobody's coming.

It's a huge gamble. If we manage to get a respectable league position (top 6 for me) and the club really invests this summer I can see this being worth it. If we fall further down the table because of a thin squad and we don't recruits heavily this summer, then heads will need to roll.

Our chance of ending up in the top 6 pretty small if we don't get someone at the last moment.

2 points off fourth place with a game in hand. Best position we’ve been in for a few seasons at this stage. Doesn’t make sense at all.

Made up.

But he’s only just spent money. He is going to not just want but expect something back for that. For all I know it might be made up. But we cannot be sure, one way or the other.

Yes we can we know it’s nonsense because we were clearly pursuing vlahovic and espanyol said we enquired about their striker too. He wasnt being deprived funds by the owner.

Made up

How serious was that attempt? Mcquilkie questioned how much time we’d wasted on an attempt to get a player it seemed had zero interest in joining Arsenal, and that’s a reasonable point.

I suppose I’m just not so pig-headed to write off with apparent contempt any rumour I don’t like as made up.

If we were willing to spend 60 million it’s serious. Plus we’ve signed 2 other players from the MLS. He’s not being deprived of funds. Made up

Does every offer have to be a serious offer? I heard a different pundit yesterday who questioned how seriously Arsenal went for Vlahovic, considering the pundit said he was a second rate, or was it second tier striker. Second something anyway. He allegedly had no interest in joining Arsenal. We could have offered Fiorentina £70m and apparently he wouldn’t have considered joining us.

But we have signed other players. He can’t be depriving his manager of funds if we are doing this. Clearly we aren’t signing a striker because we couldn’t get our main target and didn’t fancy the other ones available

We weren’t pursuing vlahovic because kroenke wanted to throw our fans off the scent that he actually hates his manager.

According to the BBC, Ramsey is in Glasgow for a medical with Rangers.

Wonder if there’ll be any late confirmations of deals now the transfer window has been closed for around an hour and a half? Specifically, will Aubameyang get his move to Barcelona?