Even if we don’t get Pepe, at least Arsenal showed real intent…

Some gooners might wonder we don’t offer the same amount for Zaha. Arsenal might have assumed that a player linked with a host of Champions League sides would put us out of reach, but it seems the key to our recruitment strategy is finding a seller who are open to a repayment plan.

Crystal Palace can demand the majority of 80 million up front because financially they don’t need to cash in on their star man. Lille on the other hand can’t turn their backs on such a figure, hence why they are happy with structured payments. Just because his agent wants his client to move to London doesn’t mean the Ivorian wouldn’t be tempted by other suitors. Yet even if a Liverpool hijacked our plans at the last moment my fears have been reassured.

Zaha has clearly become our 2nd option but we now know the cash is there if we really wanted it to happen. He might have to accept that we simply don’t value him enough to pay over the odds. That’s fine, I never had a problem with us sticking to a valuation I just wanted to see us try and get better.

If Pepe chooses elsewhere at least we were realistic with a 72 million bid. That’s all I ever asked…

Dan Smith

29 Comments

  1. It’s only a sign of real intent if you actually sign the player, or another top player should this deal fall through. We missed out on so many top players during the Wenger/Gazidis era under the guise of “we tried”. I accept that we can’t be successful in all negotiations, but Arsenal have been absolutely woeful for so long in regards with transfers, that intent just isn’t good enough anymore…we need to see solid results.

  2. I completely agree with ThirdManAW, trying for players is not good enough. We have to sign them, missing out on players, is the story of our life’s !

    So far so good, we must sign Pepe, Tierney, and a big name centre back. We would then have an excellent team, the first time in several years! COYG

  3. Whatever happens this season -IE bringing in players and results wise this is all down to the new regime and Emery ,no more of these silly excuses some dimwits on here keep using about its still wengers fault .
    Buck stops with Emery and the board ,let’s hope he can get the players he wants and let’s see how good a manager he really is , no more whining excuses .

    1. Emery has a lot less involvement, and way less power behind the scenes compared to Wenger. Do even know what’s been going at Arsenal with the changes over the last year? Maybe if you paid attention, you wouldn’t consistently make so many ignorant comments.

  4. pepe deal was not the way the agent and his club thought because they were thinking so many big clubs will be gunning for him but at the end it was not what the thought so they had to use the media to claim so many clubs are after him in other to bring in competition. It was said initially that liverpool were intrested in him but liverpool deny the news about there intrest in him.

  5. Am confident that this deal will go thru because Napoli which I see as the only club after him apart from arsenal is a down grade when it comes to comparing both clubs and if not for champions league nothing special about napoli

  6. I am usually the last man to take the many incoming transfer rumours, usually fake and far fetched ones, seriously. But on Pepe it is well documented and IMO fast proceeding to a successful conclusion , probably within a day or two. David Ornstein, who first broke the news, has a strong and positive record for the truth. I see it as at least 95% certain now.

  7. I applaud the intention of Kroenke and the club this time, after they gave us a big surprise in buying Lacazette and Aubameyang in the same season

    I think this bid is different than the bids for Luis Suarez and Thomas Lemar. It is done earlier and there is no ridiculous +1 poundsterling offer

    But if Arsenal cannot get Pepe, they must get another left-footed RW. Zaha is an excellent LW, but we should sell one or two of our LWs before getting him

    1. If we cant get pepe, Fraser will be better..
      Fans only like zaha because of his tricks aside from that he is overrated..
      He can go to Everton for all I care .

  8. Arsenal are closing in on the permanent signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille after both clubs agreed on a £72 million transfer fee.
    According to Express Sport , the Ivory Coast will sign a five-year deal with the Gunners which comes with weekly earnings of £105,000.
    Arsenal’s £72m fee for Pepe will shatter their record transfer fee of £60m which was paid to bring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to England in January 2018.

    1. If you consider in the last 3 transfer windows in 18months we have purchased

      Leno
      Gendouzi
      Torriera
      Saurez (loan)
      Saliba
      Ceballos (loan)
      __________________potential
      Tierney
      Rugani
      Pepe
      Soares
      Zaha

      It takes Intent to make things happen. So for fans to say intent is not good enough, only signings are good enough clearly dont understand the way things work.

      Please understand the board is new, the manager is new, and the intent has been good in the last 18months.

      You dont get signings without intent and our efforts are clear to see (look at my list above).

      I agree with the articles main point. Bravo

  9. This will prove Arsenal’s best transfer in the last 5 years at least.

    Because for the first time in years we’re buying a player who is miles better than his competition in the team. I mean Laca is better than Giroud, but not nearly as much as Pepe is above our current so-called wingers.

    Now let’s just hope our defensive coaching has improved because unless someone comes for Mustafi, I just don’t see us getting another CB this year…

    I also hope Tierney fans are right, so that if he comes he’s a resounding success.

    And lastly, despite Reiss Nelson proving a talent, I have a feeling Martinelli could be better.

    1. It’s not a feeling it’s true
      Nelson is clearly over rated
      Martinalli has been promising
      From what we have seen so far

      1. The talents are Sancho and Odoi… were unlucky not to have either of them.

        As for Nelson, well let’s hope he turns out our WC

  10. The great thing about these transfers and the Torreira deal is it is in installments so the £45m budget doesn’t seem that far off. Pepe will be the same as with Tierney bar we may have to stomp up £20m straight up for Keiran so that is our budget gone.

    The only way we sign a CB (Saliba next season, installments again) is only of we get rid of Mustafi but that has gone extremely & most frustratingly quiet on all fronts.

    Holding
    Mavraponas
    Beilik
    Chambers

    Are all CBs, the latter 2 can play CDM also so maybe that could be a reason why we wont sign a CB until Saliba arrives. What CB would we try and get in?

  11. This deal look seal, hope all things gies as we want.
    Hopefully we try and do some deal with Everton Soars,even if we cant afford him this season. Pepe isnt 1 season wonder, i have heard fans here dream about this deal since 2-3season back.
    Just like the author of last article opine, (Kostantine i guess), our defensive issue is beyond personel, the system of defendings seems not right and now am afraid any other cd recruited may shine innitially and eventually become like others, looking inward might be the solution, most of our cb seems to perform when they newly arrive but later become useless,
    Arsenal fans like to hold some players accountable for team lackluster performances,and the scapegoats, we all know, meanwhile no one discussed attack inefectiveness that lead to the Brighton match been a draw. A team scored 1 at 10min and couldnt add more put pressure on the mf and backline esp as game approaches the last 20min, thats why am happy with the solution we are finding as the best form of defense is attack. Barca is like our model and barca dont really give much concern to defence, if attack is enough to destroy any team, say 3 or 4 goals at ht,defense should have easy job

  12. BUYS:
    Martinelli,
    Pepe,
    Everton,
    Tierney.

    LOANS:
    Ceballos,
    Rugani.

    …………..Aubumayang………….
    Everton…….Lacazette……….Pepe …….Ceballos………Torriera…..
    Tierney………………….Bellerin
    ………..Rugani….Holding………
    ……………..Leno…………….

    SUB
    GK: Martinez
    DF: Sokratis
    DF: Chambers
    DF: Bielik
    DF: Medley
    LB: Kolasinac
    RB: Maitland-Niles
    MD: Xhaka
    MD: Guendouzi
    MD: Willock
    LW: Iwobi
    LW: John-Jules
    RW: Martinelli
    RW: Nielson
    ST: Nketiah

  13. BUYS:
    Martinelli
    Pepe
    Tierney
    Everton

    LOANS:
    Ceballos
    Rugani

    ………….Aubumayang…………..
    Everton……Lacazette………..Pepe
    ……..Ceballos……Torriera……..
    Tierney…Rugani….Holding…Bellarin
    …………….Leno………………

    SUB
    GK: Martinez
    DF: Sokratis
    DF: Chambers
    DF: Bielik
    DF: Medley
    LB: Kolasinac
    RB: Maitland-Niles
    MD: Xhaka
    MD: Guendouzi
    MD: Willock
    LW: Iwobi
    LW: John-Jules
    RW: Martinelli
    RW: Nielson
    ST: Nketiah

    1. arsenal is going for either 4-3-3 with auba-laca-pepe or 4-1-3-2 with laca-auba front line imo

  14. I said Emery and the board did I not ?
    Why is my comment ignorant?is it because my post applies to you ,the problem with your posts are that you never come out with facts it’s all fantasy to back up your drivel about wenger .
    How long will you use this old regime crap for ?the next ten years .
    I can admit when I’m wrong ,same can’t be said about you and a few others on here .

  15. Arsenal keeps telling us about promoting the youth from our own academy
    Yet this season the club plans to spend 120m on young foreigners!!!
    Matinelli (17)- Bazilian 7m
    Saliba (18)-French 25m
    Ceballos(22) -Spanish. ?
    May be
    Tierny (22) Scottish/Manx 30m
    Pepe (24)- Ivorian/French. 72m.
    How many English players have we bought?
    If all goes to plan 20 out of 21 starters will be non English.
    The owner is American.
    The major sponsor is a middle eastern oil country.
    The Manager is Spanish
    The assistant manager is Swedish.
    The key coaches are non English.
    The English “core” we were told would dominate the team and
    lead the Arsenal to many big trophies.
    We knew they were lying about the “core” but we wanted to believe.
    Man Sheiky are the same as they buy a billion quids worth of mainly foreigners
    yet Guadiola says Foden is the most talented player ever!!!
    And the English City fans want to believe it so they do.
    Aside from Spurs all the major clubs are owned and run by non English
    and most of their players and managers are non English.
    The majority of the English players at Arsenal are token quota
    bench warmers given a run against teams from Latvia, Albania and Moldova.
    As long as fan keep buying it the Management will keep selling it.

    1. Can you answer your phone, I think it’s the 1970’s calling! No point in trying to counter your comment It doesn’t deserve it

  16. Dude thats lot of bull…whats makes d premier league so intresting is because of d diversity in nationality, so who cares if d manager n d players are non english as long we end up competing for d premier league trophy

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