Saliba deal is good but Arsenal fans have been promised more

It is good news that Arsenal has basically got the William Saliba deal done. It may not be official just yet but I think we can all agree this one is in the bag.

But an 18-year-old defender with limited game time in Ligue 1 absolutely unproven in the Premier League who cannot be with us for at least one year is not the big expensive big name that we were promised.

So, it is all well and good that this one is done and fingers crossed it turns out to be a fantastic long term piece of business. But what else is on the horizon?

Everton Soares may be a good player but I will be honest, I had never heard of him before this summer. Kieran Tierney may be another Andrew Robertson or even as good as Virgil van Dijk in years to come but no one can guarantee that, not even close.

Then there is Dani Ceballos, is he really a big name? Also, he would be a loan only and the feeling is we would be developing a player for Real Madrid.

Finally Wilfried Zaha. No doubt opinions on whether he is a big name will be split, I personally do not think he is a big name for one second and it seems neither does any of Europe’s big clubs because I do not see them lining up to sign him.

No, we have been promised big expensive big-name signings and that we should be excited and while I am happy that William Saliba is going to be a Gooner I have to be honest and say I am underwhelmed.

I am also underwhelmed at the other players that we are close to signing.

To me, none of them is what we have been promised.

52 Comments

  1. I may not have heard of him. But 15 goals 3 assists in the Brazilian top league, golden boot at Copa America, filling the big shoes of Neymar in a star studded Brazil Senior team for a 23 year young winger imo would be a BIG signing as well as Tierney and Ceballos. The above if signed, and with a formidable CB added to the fray will underline a successful transfer window.

    1. I agree with you Jo. Zaha ain’t bad but he shouldn’t disrupt our plans with his request to leave palace. I won’t object to zaha but I’ll prefer everton. Have you guys seen his videos? The skills, the flair, I’ve missed all of that ronaldinho stuff. Football these days is too straight forward. Pass and run and shoot. We need some samba spicing up N5. By the way ceballos is a gem.

    1. Word. All the players we are linked with will improve our squad tremendously and for me that’s what counts

  2. Look this positive atmosphere was created by kroenke group to create a false sense of “everything is fine” after we care do u . To be honest the players mentioned are mediocore who is only enough for mid table finish. Really, saliba, our savior? Cabellos? The guy who is not rated in real Madrid? The last time we bought a player from Real who was highly rated, look how he has ended up.Tierny? Who may turn into good player after 3 YEARS.

    1. I don’t get it. if they end up not buying those players and the players end up being world class. yo, Arsenal fans, be slating the club for failing to sign those players.

      do you want Arsenal to go and buy Eden Hazard in Madrid? or you want them to go and buy M’bappe, Neymar and Messi?

        1. Lola, please tell us who you think Arsenal should have bought?
          Ceballos is so unwanted at Real Madrid they will only loan not sell.
          As stated above all the players named improve the Arsenal squad, with Saliba being an investment for the future.

  3. We are buying Ramsey back end of the season when him, big ron and co have lifted the champions League and ARs value would have rocketed through the roof!;)

    Andy Carroll anyone?

  4. If Arsenal are really the sixth richest football club in the world, they should have bid for Ousmane Dembele

    Barcelona offered PSG 90 M plus Coutinho and Dembele for Neymar, so I guess Dembele would be available for around 80 M. They want to sell him because he missed a lot of games due to injuries, but his talent is too good to be missed

    Arsenal can enquire for Vinicius Jr as well. He is a much better dribbler than Zaha/ Soares and younger

    1. Why would we spend all that on just one player when so many positions need addressing?

      The simple fact is that whether the media reported sums of 40mill or 70mill are true or not we will still have a budget for the window….. I’d rather see the club using that wisely and strengthen as many positions as they can with quality players rather than shell out for a marquee signing.

      Would adding Zaha or dembele alone get us back into top 4? I highly doubt it.

      Will signing KT, Everton, Ceballos and Saliba all for about the same price get us back into the top 4? I don’t know but if you ask me it has a better chance than a big name signing alone does

    2. 9th, and we will keep falling without UCL. Accept it, we are a Europa League team paying UCL wages, and that is the problem. Either we target top 4, trim the squad to avoid paying huge wage bill, stack up youngsters that can complement first team – both from inside and newcomers, or we will keep rotting further and further. I just dont want us to be a Leeds or New Castle or Portsmouth no offense. Just keep one target, dont fight on all fronts, and use a smaller squad for a year to keep only those who are quality.
      That would see Elneny, Kos, Mustafi, one of Mkhitaryan or Ozil, Asano, and may be Kolasinac go – Tierney, Ceballos (who cares if he is a loan deal? get us to UCL and get your deam Real Madrid spot earned) come in, Nketiah, Smith Rowe, Willock, Reiss, Beilik get first team minutes, Jules and Saka go on loan to championship

    3. So, Ousmane Dembele will play as winger, striker, defender, simultaneously ?
      Because we need more than a winger as far as I am concerned.

  5. Ceballos is next rising star in my eyes. he lead spain U21 to won Euro

    thats why madrid doesnt want let him go just loan him for experience so next season he will replace Modric who getting old

    About Zaha yes I agree he not good enough. look like u guys forgot he failure when play for Utd, he cant take pressure play with big teams same like lukaku he beast when play for everton but turn bad when play for Utd. Hell if he really good big team already snap him long time ago

    1. Let’s not get into the “big name” inflationary game. We are neither a debt financed club or an oligarchy club. Our self sustaining model means only one route:buy young and sell high. Definitely a roll of the dice thing as a cycle of soon and bust will be inevitable. That is the Arsenal reality.

  6. Saliba is in the bag. Zaha, Everton, if we can afford both, we should go for them. But I have a little fear that Everton may be the partying type. Hope Edu streamlines him. Some of the south Americans lack discipline. Hope if he signs, he’s able to adapt. Really love what I saw of him in the copa America.
    Rb, Lb and cb needs urgent attention. Hearing of a certain Pape Cisse of olympiacos.

    1. I get the vibe that Edu would be a positive check on Everton. Knowing how dear the national team is to both and Everton not wanting to jeopardize his chances as Edu might still have contacts with the National team.

  7. Big names don’t matter.

    Ceballos would be a good deal, because unless he turns spectacularly good – better than Isco – he will not have a future at Real, and we would be in the driving seat to buy him outright.

    Zaha is not sought because he is overpriced. Simply put, he is an excellent player, but his value will decrease in the next 3 years, so nobody in the right mind would pay more than 60 mill. for him, which I think should be the limit to our offer. Yes, he’s no Hazard, but we ain’t getting that quality at the moment.

    Everton S. could be a better option financially (long-term especially), but Brazilians fresh from Brazil to England have often failed to adapt properly…

    Saliba and Martinelli are both excellent deals for the future. I feel a Saliba – Mavropanos could be the best EPL defence in 2 or 3 years time.

    Tierney may prove excellent, but tearing it up in the Scottish league is no guarantee, so other clubs are balking at the 25 mill. valuation (Tripper was just sold for 20 mill. – yes, older, but proven in the EPL, played in the UCL final etc).

  8. Look guys if arsenal sign ceballos, Tierney, everyone and a mid 20’s defender(asides) saliba, we will win the premier league.

    1. Meant everton (not everyone). And by the way the guy is married and looks settled with his missus. I don’t think he’ll tear up clubs and stuff. He is even learning English now. Anyone see that video?

    2. You live in a dream world if you think we can win the premier league with these new additions that is never gona happen again have more chance of winning the lottery!!

      1. Grandad, from what I have read Everton Soares can play right across the front three, so he is not really “an inverted left winger.”
        In answer to Diogenes, I am glad Arsenal is nowooking to buy Brazilians and other South Americans from their home clubs, rather than once they have come to Europe, made a name and their value sky rockets accordingly. By the way Everton Soares is the only current Brazilian International still playing in Brazil, not in Europe.

    3. wont put us close to winning EPL, but will be an okay summer. A Mustafi sale, and a new CB would be a dream tho.

  9. I have to agree with the sentiment that big expensive players are not as important as those who can improve us. Casing point ozil big name expensive and most would have him gone.
    Zaha is too overpriced.
    Sores, tireny, and cabellos would improve us massively. However we still need a quality cb to replace mustafi otherwise it will all be for nothing if our attack is scoring but we let in more the other end. If we can give up on Zaha and spend that money on 1 or 2 quality cb then we will be back in business for the season.

  10. Sensible words befitting a Greek philosopher Diogenes.I share your concerns regarding Soares who seems to have appeared from nowhere.Do we need another inverted left winger when we have just signed the talented young Martinelli and have others who can fill this role such as Nelson and the very impressive John Jules.To add balance to the team we should be recruiting a left back and a left footed traditional left winger who can cross the ball on the run.Surely there is another Sane out there?

  11. Until penned, it is no deal and officialisée, it is no deal but gossip.

    Then, he is not an addition needed in team as he will stay one year at Sainté first.

    Thé rumors and Gossip do not help. We have not made any addition needed for this season. Young attacking signed looks good but behind Auba and lacka, should be sent on a good team to play each week to devellop to full potential as Saliba.

    Not make another Bielik waist, 22 years old, no first team but better than many…

    The rest are talk and on thé end, we have not sign anyone.

    Please make relevant article, possibly reflect reality and not just make ratings with irrelevant spéculation and gossips. OR You just like owners we hâte. Making money getting ud pissed off.

  12. If true I will be watching Saliba on loan very closely this season. Hopefully he will play well

    If Koscielny goes then we definitely need another CB. He was our best CB last season sadly
    1. I don’t trust Mustafi. Haven’t seen much of Mavrapanos
    2. We have injuries every season ie defenders Bellerin and Holding last season
    3. Saliba won’t be here this coming season
    4. Sokratis is good but turning 31, more susceptible to injury, May decrease in quality, won’t be able to play every match

    If Holding and/or Sokratis gets injured, we are screwed. They can’t play every match either.

    We need to sign an experienced CB for this coming season either through purchase, loan or free transfer.

    I can’t stress enough the importance of a strong CB partnership

  13. I have to say admin, I am quietly excited about all but one of these, Saliba is a good piece of business, everton and cabellos look like the sort of players to get the emirates rocking again but I am sorry but Zaha does not excite me at all,he flopped at utd,would be another Michy or Ozil and only perform occasionally and is grossly overpriced and i don’t see other clubs tripping over themselves to get him, in fact the only good thing i can say about him is that he wants to come,and he is a fan.

    1. Salah wasn’t a hit a Chelsea and yet look at what he has produced at Liverpool. I think Zaha is ready to make the next step and would be our player of the season if he signed. I don’t think we will get him but with him I think top four would be achieved. Admin- why do I have to put my email in every time I comment!

      1. because everyone does! But most people have their device set up to put it in automatically. I can’t change that!

    2. How did he flop at united when he wasnt even given a chance? baring in mind he was 20-22 while at utd and hes not the same player now as he was 4-6 years ago

  14. The rumours are hotting up about various possible transfers to Arsenal but i’m staying calm damn it!

    When the transfer window closes and the season starts I will make my opinions public. Right now, nothing much has been finalised!

  15. Happy about Saliba and can’t wait to see him next season. The people complaining now will realize next season how great this deal was. We’re sorting our defense for years yet ppl are complaining? Tierney, Bellerin, Saliba will be mainstays in our side for years to come, and if Holding can excel he will be too. Yes, we still have shortterm issues, but look at all the CB’s we have at the club that we can’t shift. Ceballos, Tierney, Saliba, and a winger would be an acceptable summer. What many ppl don’t see is how unbalanced of a side Emery was given. He needs a winger, a Ramsey replacement, and a better LB. This will give him so many more options and we will see less of Miki, Ozil, in starting lineups. Also, people are overlooking Chambers yet again and hopefully Emery will not. But first, let’s make these signings official! As of today we still only have Martinelli.

    1. Yes yes and yes. I can’t understand why ppl here think he wouldn’t take our team up a level. He scares defences which will leave space for others, might even help Ozil with the space that will be left in the middle

  16. Arsenal fans would have called Salah an average player who couldn’t do it in the premier league, had arsenal shown interest in him before Liverpool. We are a wonderful bunch!

  17. Players who left Arenal: Ramsey, D.Wellbeck, Suarez, and Cech. With these players available, the squad was narrow. Even if we sign four players, the squad is still narrow. Because by signing new players we are simply substituting the departed. Therefore, for Arsenal to compete with Spurs and M.United for fourth place, an aggressive approach is needed. Only three weeks are left and only one player is signed(officially)…..and am I the only person worried?

  18. To be sincere watching Everton’s video I dont think He can cope with the premeir leauge case in point is the Brazilian Bernard in Everton with a small stature….I really doubt if the physicality of the premeir leauge will overwhelm Him. But Zaha is a physical player people brings up his failure at Man u but remember Henry failed at Juventus and became a cult hero in Highbury…so lets not use that to judge him

  19. I like how St Etienne are committed to working on Saliba. They didn’t say, we got the money now next target. They want the lad to fulfill his promise, and it is wise of Arsenal to go along with that. He’s still a teenager and Arsenal is a big step up. This is better than him playing less minutes or us sending him out on a bad loan move. He played less than 20 games last season so I think it’d be a big gamble to throw him in at the deep end with the pressure for us to reach targets, too much responsibility for a kid moving to new country. I like that both teams want to give Saliba the best shot of succeeding.

    1. If the mooted players are signed, Arsenal still need to invest in an experienced CB for the coming season.
      Rather than “big name players” I want to see Arsenal sign committed, mentally strong and tough professionals, who will play for the badge, fight for club and show fans they are giving 100% on the field.
      I am sick of the Arsenal folding when the pressure is on.

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