Charles Watts has given his thoughts on Arsenal’s supposed pursuit of Tammy Abraham from Chelsea, and claims that any possible move would have to put back until we could offload one of our current crop.
The Gunners currently have five options for a central attacking role at present, and while at least two of those are linked with the exit door, it remains an outside thought that we could add another without offloading one of our current crop already.
This may seem like common sense, but some are so eager to see the squad improved, Watts has clearly felt like he needed to address the situation by giving his thoughts on links between us and the signing of the Chelsea star.
“You talk about Tammy Abraham, I don’t see how that happens without [Alexandre] Lacazette leaving this summer,” Watts told his YouTube followers. “So if Arsenal genuinely do want to sign Abraham, I think you’ve got to move Lacazette on – if you can.
“You’ve still got [Folarin] Balogun, who you want to give opportunities to this season, you’ve still got [Gabriel] Martinelli, you’ve still got [Eddie] Nketiah, you’ve still got Lacazette, you’ve still got [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang. You only play one central striker. How do you sign Abraham before one of those players goes?”
Talk of an exit for either Lacazette or Nketiah has seemingly gone reasonably quiet lately, despite many reports still claiming the pair are likely to depart, but from the outside, there doesn’t appear to be any solid interest in either party at this point in the transfer window.
This surely means that any attempts to sign a striker also has to be on the back-burner, but would it really be that bad to start next season with our top goalscorer from the previous campaign?
Patrick
Basically the only way we get Abraham is to sell Lacca. Mmmmmm not sure about that one. Abraham could be a good player but where is out battle and stick ability up front. When we clear long Lacca is the only one who challenges and can hold up. We lose Lacca we lose that and we become even more one dimensional.
Abraham did really well at Villa, and I’m sure he’d like to go back there: alternatively the Hammers are looking for a Lingard replacement. He can go anywhere except Arsenal!
Yes true talk why lacs auba should go!
Laca will be playing as best as he could, if he’ll be with us this season. Too much is riding on this season’s performance for him. He’ll be at the wrong side of 30 when the season ends and possibly without a club. He’ll try to make the best out of every single minute he gets on the pitch. To have such a player, even on the substitute bench, will benefit any club.
100% opposite with the lazy and not on time for trainings Auba since he got his 55m contract of 3 years with us. I really prefer Laca and he showed this year good leadership
VasC, unfortunately Alexandre Lacazette is a very underrated player by many Arsenal supporters. I just hope Arteta hives him a run of games when he is in form, scoring goals and high on confidence. Too often last season, Arteta dropped Lacazette to the bench, when in form. Similarly with Nicolas Pepe, he needs a run of games to build and maintain confidence. Both looked sharp against Millwall, with a goal each.
Ozzie, i beg to differ, Laca went almost a year without an away goal, too bad for a club having high aspirations and for a player on same 180K/week (correct me if I’m wrong).Laca needs to be gone IMO.Any mediocre striker will return 10-15 goals a season
Loose Cannon, do you mean a mediocre striker like auba (10 goals last year) while
earning up to 350k per week with bonuses ?!
I adore Laca – again today with his battling he gave the offensive players that will to fight and press – he’s so much more than just a goal scorer (his weakpoint IMO) and he’s unique in that team. I’d rather see Auba go than him, although it won’t happen. I’d rather run down his contract and let him go for free next year than sell him cheap just to get quick cash (talk is £15m which is a steal).
Cant believe we would let him go for that and if we did, i cant believe Athletico aren’t in for him and if they were, they are a far better team than us. So i would keep him whatever. Not hyper prolific but nits things together and works.
I agree Guy. If Arsenal really wants Abraham, I think shifting Auba makes more sense. It allows Martinelli and Balogun to get time on LW while Abraham and Laca fight it out up front.
Abraham will be first pick before Martinelli, and balogun will merely be a bench warmer. If we assume that one of Auba and Lacazette will be sold, and we are having mixed results in moving on players so far this summer, then once again we are blocking off our own talent.
Give me the much maligned, under appreciated
Frenchmen and match day of the week over Auba.
Can’t remember the last time Laca ever disrespected
the badge by being a 90 minute passenger.
Arsenal are a better team with Laca leading the line.
Any match day
Obviously Arteta doesn’t!
100% agree !!! Plus how much money saved lol. It seems like Leno/Martinez mistake last year. Arteta is about to do the same. Why keeping auba that cost a hell of a lot and is 2 years older.
👍 👍 👍 👍
But many fans cant see that or are blind to what has/is going on. I dont trust the none process at all.
I don’t even understand why we re even talking about Tammy at all like we don’t av better strikers. This our club doesn’t av ambition. Why all this kind of players, our focus should even be in the midfield and wings. We just don’t get our priorities right and they alwayz make bad decision. Like auba out instead of laca and Leno out instead of Martinez. Edu n arteta don’t occur to me as intelligent
Balogun and Martinelli show immense promise, and there’s absolutely no point in signing yet another Chelsea cast-off and THIS time not on a free, to block their progress. Abraham is NOT top class, and I would argue that he’s no better, just more experienced, than Nketiah, who I think needs to leave. Chelsea must be wetting themselves at the thought of getting Arsenal to pay good money for yet another player they no longer want at their club.
Willian was a free agent but did not came for free. We paid 15m as a signing bonus for a 32 years old with no resale value. This time if we pay 30 like some reports suggests and less wages than Willian it might be ok. We are talking about a 23 years old, homegrown and who supported the club. And he is probably better than nketiah. We don’t badly need it but he might be a decent opportunity.
👍 Biscuitbum
We should not make the mistake of selling Laca, he is a fighter who gives us another option going forward and I can’t remember the last time he disappointed. I’ll rather sell Auba instead. As for Abraham, and I repeat, a big No to him, the likes of Martineli and Balogun should be given chances to perform even Nketia has been performing in this preseason games, I believe they can deliver.
I am against signing Tammy. While he is good, he is not great. Secondly, like the article said, we have already had 5 players playing the position. Lastly, signing Tammy means helping Chelsea get rid of him and fund for Haaland.
Every player that we have bougth from chelease they have not perfomd their best at emirates. I dont any reason why we are going to bring abraham there is no sense lets look elsewhere
Another chelsea flop after willian, luiz, cech, gallas etc
Tammy Abraham for 30-35M could turn out to be a good piece of business by the end of the transfer period…just a hunch. My reasoning for this: Spurs will soon be cash-rich from from their 150M sale of Kane and will likely make a late pitch for either Auba or Laca. So, there is our answer, Mr Watts.
Frankly, I would sell any one of our two (soon to be retired) strikers for a younger and cheaper Tammy Abraham; his ability to attack crosses into the box being an extra bonus to our attack.
@RFrancis- if the Spuds do get a large chunk for Kane from Citeh, and it won’t be £150m thatsfor certain, why would they spend any of it on two ageing players that are surplus to requirements at the Emirates?
There are plenty of strikers out there they will target and it won’t be anyone from Arsenal they are looking at I can tell you
Plenty of strikers – where? And do you know any club that would take the risk of selling their main striker without time to find a replacement? Whether we like it or not, Laca will most likely end up at the Lane. 15M is just too good to resist, even for the stingy Levy.
Firstly, it is far from certain that KANE will leave Spuds this summer anyway. AND far more to the point, even IF he does, they will never spend a single penny of that fee on either of our ageing strikers. THAT IS COPPER BOTTOM GUARANTEED!
FAR BE IT FROM ME TO DEFEND SPUDS THINKING BUT LEVY IS NOT THE FOOL OUR CLUB HAS BEEN SO OFTEN THESE LAST FEW YEARS WHERE TRANSFERS ARE CONCERNED.
EVEN BALE HAS NOT BEEN THE TOTAL DISASTER WILLIAN HAS BEEN.
Tammy may be 6″3..but for one so tall
He is not very good in the air. Plus we already have players that are ready for that striker role in Martinelli and Balogun.Arteta should be concentrating on a RB..another CM or DM and a AM…the Goalkeeper situation needs to be sorted.