The scene is now set, both Josh Kroenke and Unai Emery have basically said there will be some big exciting signings before the transfer window shuts.
Let’s be brutally honest now, if there are not any big new exciting signings then the damage in the relationship between the fans and the club bosses will be damaged, probably beyond repair.
Kroenke said to be excited and Emery has said big players, anything less now will be seen as a betrayal.
Now, if they think Kieran Tierney and William Saliba are considered big players then they are sorely mistaken. They are not.
In fact, Dani Ceballos and Wilfried Zaha would also stretch the definition of big players as well.
Mesut Ozil was a big player when he was signed, Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang was a big player when he signed. A teenager we cannot play for a year, A Scottish international left-back, a Real Madrid reject and a Crystal Palace player are not what I would consider big players.
Maybe they will surprise us and bring in Gareth Bale, Neymar, Paul Pogba, Christian Eriksen, who knows.
OK, that was said in jest but I think you will get what I am saying when we are talking about big players.
Here is the transcript of what Unai Emery said in regards to transfers, just so there is no confusion over what was actually said and in my opinion, promised.
on not having new players here yet and if that’s tough…
We are working, the club is working with the possibility to sign some new players to help us. We are doing a lot of meetings with the club, with Edu, with Raul and also with Josh and Stan Kroenke on Monday in Denver. We have a clear idea to sign players to help us with quality and in the positions we need.
on the transfer market…
We are taking with the patience and with the calm because we really want to sign players who can help us with a big performance, and also because we think in the team we have very good players and young players and we also need to take the best player in some positions. Really, I can say to our supporters that we are going to have a very good team with the players that are there now and also with three or four players who can help us in a few days.
on Josh Kroenke telling fans to ‘be excited’…
Yes. Really we are speaking about the big players and because we are starting thinking about our team and our squad now, and we have very good players and very good young players that can progress to take and get big performances with us. Other players can come here to help us. We need, really, that they will come with a big performance and also our target is to achieve three or four players who really improve our team and our squad now. We are being very, very demanding and we are first speaking about the possibility to sign very big, very expensive players and the first player in our list is our first target. And after, if we cannot achieve that, then the second. But we are thinking every time that they are going to improve our squad.
on Dani Ceballos…
I don’t want to speak about the names. But Ceballos is a very good player.
I disagree that Zaha wouldn’t be a big signing for us but I reserve judgement if it will happen now or at all. I take positive the rhetoric of the management and it is hopefully a demonstration of intent that signings are imminent to improve the team on the field and not just as squad signings. We don’t need superstar signings we need hungry proven players with the right attitude still wanting to prove a point and work for the good of the team. While I’m not a fan of loan signings for clubs challenging at the top cellabos may work out as he needs to prove to Madrid he is capable of returning to a place in that team. I think we need to approach with some optimism the season ahead right now rather than creating negativity that won’t help the atmosphere around the club. I’m reserving judgement until we are a few games into the season.
?Provided the players address the known deficiencies in the current squad; high transfer price and wades don’t guarantee success in the EPL.
I would be happy with Everton Soares as an upgrade on Welbeck to play wide, Ceballos on loan, Tierney and a quality CB, who is available for the first game of the season. Arsenal getting Saliba as a CB for the future, Fekir and Ryan Fraser would be be a great added bonus.
Hopefully the Academy players, being now a year older can step up.
It appears obvious that the overpaid, under performing players will see out their contracts, so the wages will be freed up then.
Emery should Just sign:
Ceballos
Fekir
Ryan Fraser or Felipe Anderson
Zaha or Ziyech
Saliba
Tierney
Alves
And sell/trade/loan:
Ozil
Xhaka
Mustafi
Jenkinson
Elneny
Mkhitaryan
And we will do okay
Emery just said we were after 4 players!
50+ M player like Zaha is a big player to me, whereas aging and injury-prone players like Bale are not
I predict Arsenal would get one of Real Madrid’s or Barcelona’s benchwarmers like Ceballos, Rodriguez or Malcom
Who are you? Why do you comment on every article? And for the love of god why are you SO wrong and out of touch with football? What does Bale have to do with anything? Your going to tell me you wouldn’t take Bale over Miki? Also and more importantly WE ARE NOT LINKED TO BALE. I hope that one day you post ANYTHING that actually makes sense or contributes to the actual discussion. Love always, the person who hates reading your nonsense garbage posts every damn day. P.S please stop.
The moment I see his name in the comments, I scroll down or up to not read what he writes, I dont get how a man can be so wrong in all fronts but he never gets it, chukwueze shenenigans
Sky sports says st Etienne are stalling on Saliba deal waiting for spurs offer but player prefer us. Ceballos deal very likely.
Whispers has Everton deal very likely to happen so maybe we are the unnamed club. No new info on tierney.
If we get tierney, Saliba, Everton and ceballos we will have fixed positions that need fixing for the 2nd consecutive year thats one positive from emery Era unlike previous regime.
But it won’t sort us out at CB as Saliba will not be with us until next season.So with Kos likely to go we are left with only Sokritis and Mustafi as our CB’s to start the season with Montreal and Chambers as 2nd choice.Its the defence that has cost us so many games in the last decade so you would like to believe at least one CB is coming in
My sentiments exactly Phil, the young Frenchmen may be the
next great CB at AFC and the rock of the backline for the next
decade but the club WONT realistically contend for a top 4 spot
or seriously challenge in the Europa League without bringing in
at least 1 quality addition this summer. One of D. Upamecano,
Nathen Ake, Jonathen Tah, Will Orban, etc should be on the
short list.
Yes AFC needs to address the issues @ LB, CAM and on the wings
but the success of the 2019/20 season IMHO begins and ends with
upgrading the collective talent at the CB position.
its a shame he want to stay another season at st etienne but it also shows that the player wants to develop more before making the jump at a big club. this is a positive mentality that’s rare in the young players today running for huge salaries or social media fame.
Very disappointed Arsenal have not looked at Lewis Dunk or other young but experienced CB’s.
Spurs have already made an offer which st Etienne prefer to ours but the player wants to join us you are right,also arsenal have sent one doctor to Brazil to check up on Everton!
I like the sounds of then names often quoted on this site. But in my opinion we still need to address the lack of quality center backs at the club. We have been short in this position for years. Holding is decent, but inexperienced and coming back from an injury. Liverpool got the right person in with VVd. He has provided leadership and made others around him look better. If we sign one “big player” I hope it’s a dominant center back to shore up our leaky defence!
Spot on JoJo, AFC should be courting at least 1 if not 2 of the
following CB’s
D Upamecano
J. Tah
N. Ake
J Lascales
B. Kamara
W. Orban
M. Sarr
I. Kontae
M. Hermosa
M. Diakhaby
O. Kabak
“If we get Tierney, Saliba,Everton and Ceballos …”. Well said Ackshay. That would be a definite departure from the trend from the Wenger days. I really hope it happens though. Keeping the fingers crossed.
I think we should tread softly with the negative comments. Most people see what is happening, so it is like saying the obvious when you say stuff. But the way we say these things matter. I think many fans are a bit afraid, that it will be business as usual, that the trend of disappointment will continue. But I think there will be a day when positive change will come calling.
Who says today is not that day? Let’s that positive guys. I think better days are ahead of us.I have a feeling this in coming season is going to be a good one.
I am sorry but this time I have to stand up for Josh kroenke and unai Emery,you have completely distorted their words,they never said that we will be signing great and expensive players for sure,what they said is that it is their objectives to do so and that they are trying to sign some and nothing for sure Josh’s words were “obviously a done deal is not a done deal until it,s done”!
Question. If Ceballos comes to us on loan, does well, but has at the back of his mind that he really does well because he wants to be back in Real. That means our search continues after his loan spell. Right?
Yes. If Madrid still cannot promise him a place tho and this loan goes well (and we will need to be in UCL this time), who knows. But we don’t even know how this loan will go yet. I think a loan is suits us for now and search for a permanent replacement next summer.
I wish we put an option to buy clause in ceballos so if he has a superb season we can buy him immediately avoiding a bidding war for a player we helped developed. real madrid want to sell him so i dont think they will mind, maybe the player if he like most player think he can succeed at real.
If Arsenal manage to keep Ceballos for two seasons prior to his return to Real Madrid, Ozil and Mhikatarian come off contract and Arsenal will have additional funds to find good replacements.
I look forward to the day we play with a better defence. But having a ‘dominant CB’ come in is not really in our best interest, if we have young guns like Holding, Mavropanos, Chambers, Bielik and the like in our team, when will they become tomorrow’s VVD with us? Or do we prefer to sell them and have them become world beaters with someone else while we rue what could have been?
Someone gave VVD his chance to become who he is now. We should give the ones in our rank theirs. I will always back the youth project. It is the future of all great clubs.
Admin:I truly believe that this article should be taken down, nothing the guy wrote is true or accurate,he’s put words into unai’s and Josh’s mouths,I listened to both interviews, neither of them used those words or made these promises that’s just plain wrong!
Those words were taken from Arsenal.com and so they are exactly as he said.
I hope he fulfill his promise.
I’m not an Ozil fan, maybe 60% Ozil fan and 60% Iwobi fan but something in me is really looking forward to a wonderful season for Ozil than Iwobi
Ozil class will finally show itself up this coming season.
Just a natural feelings
Watch this space.
Well Emery was very honest in January when he said that we don’t have money and that we can only look at loans. That is exactly what happened with Suarez.
I therefore don’t have a reason to doubt him now. If Everton is true, then it is consistent with what he was saying. If plan A does not work, then we go for plan B. I believe Everton is plan B to Zaha’s plan A.
To me in this context, a ‘big player’ is somebody that would be considered a regular first team player. So therefore Everton, Ceballos and Tierney I would classify as ‘big’ players in that sense, as they should play regularly.
Saliba however not, as he wouldn’t help us now. Considering that Emery’s primary focus last season was on defense, and that there wasn’t much improvement, I expect that a quality CB would be among the 3-4 players that he is referring to.
Holding thumbs!
DDK3, totally agree.
Emery and Kroenke have replied quite categorically to the fan letter. They have made some statements that will destroy their
Standing with supporters should they fail.
I will happily wait and see what transpires, it is make or break time for the current leadership.
So telling and interesting that UE says we have really good players, as that is EXACTLY what those of us who have been saying we don’t need wholesale changes think, debunking this cry of “dross” players he inherited.
That is why this hysteria about not being able to sell our “deadwood players who are bleeding the club dry” has always been a pathetic red herring, the managment has never contemplated this,as is now plain to see. Perhaps a couple of fringe players may go, but that’s seems about it.
The thing that bothers me though is the last three sentences regarding josh…I’ve read them three times now, in order to try and get what UE is saying.
It seems that there is a “get out clause” inserted when he talks about “if we can’t achieve that, then the second”.
In other words, living within what is the reported budget, therefore excluding any massive sterling transfers.
The dye is set now, promises have been made and we can only hope that they will honour them…at least the kronkies have been forced out of their non-comittal comfort zone
Ken, Emery has been set up as the “fall guy” should Kroenke and the Board not support him.
ozziegunner, I agree with you regarding UE, it’s a scenario that we have seen before at our club!!!
It does semm, however, that all parties concerned are at least talking in a positive mode…it’s action that we need.
If only the four players UE hinted at happen, we will all become a completely different fanbase…and furthermore, if it DID happen, we would have addressed the weaknesses of the past few seasons.
That is if saliba is available immediately. I just wonder if St Ettiene playing hardball might just turn his head against one more season there?
Ken, see my comments above.
But who knows its just a plain promise as usual because they use to say Arsenal has 200million to spent but end up buying chip ones and minos.
Emery after the transfer window: We tried.
Following kronke and emery interviews, i am alot more positive than i was last weekend, when we were reading that Levy and Co had outbid and sealed the deal for saliba from under our nose.
All media have gone a bit crazy with all types of stories this summer. Even ornstein and sky sports have been off with their updates. No-one can be believed. But surely emery and kronke must have some level of certainty with what they are saying. With the tension at the moment amongst the fan base, kronke cannot surely suggest excitement and then under deliver. That would be the last straw for us if that happened. So that is why i’m taking positivity and hopefully i wont be disappointed.
Emery mentions “3 or 4 players now”. So if he suggests now, then Saliba cannot be part of the 3 to 4.
I Hope we will sign:
left back: Tierney first choice. Maybe its time arsenal focused on a second choice left back and leak this info to hopefully force celtic to get a bit more realistic with Tierney valuation. Lennon comparing to wan bissaka to force up valuation is a bit much. Esp when considering trippier going to atl madrid today for less than 25 million. i do hope tierney does come but i agree that we cant overpay.
Centre back: Saliba and back on loan to st etienne. if Kos leaves which is likely, then another CB with experience who can add value now must be bought. i like lascelles/ake/dunk etc
CM: ceballos on loan as replacement for ramsey and would be great to see. he looked very good in recent u20 tournament
Winger: Zaha has to be first choice. Think this depends on deadwood sales. Alternative i believe should be fraser/ziyech. I don’t really know about Everton. he played well at americas tournament for brazil but he’s kinda come out of the blue and his stats at Gremino aren’t blowing me away. malcolm a big no for me. And if we buy ceballos, can we really take a chance with 2 unknown quantities in premier league?
The above are our major problem areas. I think we can get buy at right back if we keep chambers as back up perhaps.
Elneny, jenkinson, monreal to be sold. Hopefully mustafi and miki too but who will take them? so i dot think we can get rid of enough players to fund the Zaha purchase which is a real pity.
I have to agree with admin here.
The words “big players” are open to misrepresentation.The prospect of acquiring talented young players such as Tierney, Saliba and Ceballos ( albeit on loan) has more appeal to me than the over hyped overpriced and overpaid prima donnas currently being discussed as transfer targets These three will become the “big players” of the future and could well take us to the next level providing we can unload our sub standard defenders such as Mustafi , Socratis,Kolasinac, and sadly Monreal and Kocielney.Moving on these players is our biggest problem because they have little attributes to attract potential buyers.One way or another we need to reduce our wage bill asap .On another matter Man City are releasing Mangala for free.If he decides to see out the remaining year of his contract he will not be included in the first team squad.Perhaps we should do something similar with our Mr Ozil?