Why Do Arsenal Take So Long Doing Transfers? by Dan Smith
I probably ask this every year in the transfer window, but why do Arsenal seem to find negotiating so hard compared to other clubs?
We seem to want to haggle over every last penny and detail. Yet for a side who are so cautious in spending, we seem to constantly leak out our business to the point that every window there is some sort of saga.
Think of Chelsea. One day I was reading they were interested in Chilwell and Ziyech, then a couple of days later their signings are confirmed.
I only heard about Werner’s buyout clause after it had been inserted.
Be honest, had you heard of Ruben Dias till a Sky Sport’s yellow ticker was stating Man City had purchased them?
It’s not just those with unlimited resources. Spurs, Man United, Villa, Wolves, Everton, Leeds, etc, have all brought talent this summer without dragging talks out for weeks. They identify targets, ask the seller the asset’s value and then decide if they agree with that figure or not.
If they don’t agree, they go to the next name on their shortlist.
We have been linked with Partey and Aouar for months now. The Gunners had every opportunity to deny interest as simply gossip but as I write this journalists with contacts at the Emirates, maintain our interest is genuine. Yet we seem to be one of the few clubs who get quoted a price and start bidding off at half the amount.
I understand part of waiting till the last minute on Monday to clinch a deal is poker from all parties. The closer to the deadline, the less power Lyon have if they want to make some money. Yet it’s a gamble. It allows other bids to materialise and leaves you with limited time to find a plan B.
For the sake of saving a few million, surely it’s worth having a settled team ready to start the new season?
Some gooners used to think our approach was simply down to Arsene Wenger’s indecisiveness. Well you can’t blame the Frenchman this time.
For example, it’s common knowledge 45 million triggers a release in Partey’s contract. Atletico Madrid have made it clear that’s the only way they will lose their midfielder. The Gunners have had months to decide if they rate the player enough to pay that or to look elsewhere.
Let me ask, how many other clubs would have found 45 million if that was your managers first choice? How many have?
Yes, we have lost match day revenue by we are not the only one, yet seem unique in how we do business. Some agents have said we are a laughing stock in the sport for how we negotiate.
At a time when many of our fans want to talk about how many players are being over paid, please remember equally others get a decent wage for recruiting players. That’s literally their jobs, to identify players and get them through the door.
They don’t just have two transfer Windows to do that, they should be doing that all year long. We just had an unexpected 3 months off where they should have been discussing all their ideas.
No one in football will admit this, but we know everyone talks behind the scenes. In other words there’s zero reason to be leaving your shopping ’til the last moment.
Certainly, no excuse if we end up not improving the team at all.
As things stand our net spend is 8 million.
That’s not including the 2 million saved by 55 redundancies.
We were the only team In Prem remember who asked players to take a wage cut. We were told this was so we could strengthen the squad.
We have two days for Stan Kroenke to show he has any kind of ambition….
Dan Smith
Very True …. the difference in Arsenal and Chelsea is the approach of the promoters of the club ….
Abramovich and Kroenke ………. miles a part …..Abramovich has invested millions and the Kroenke has invested …….??????????????
I’ve said this before we are the most pathetic n stingiest club in the EPL. We are all talk . After Gabriel I knew he was the last significant signing. We took 2 weeks to prepare a bid that was still going to be rejected. Watch how Chelsea will seal Partey deal in the coming hours. Top 6 finish will be a struggle with such average players …
Shalijith, why should Kroenke put more money into something he owns 100%, when the finances appear to be mismanaged?
KS&E just consolidated and paid all external debtors.
Kroenke is the problem in that he continues to employ the muppets running the Club; however given the continuing Tim Lewis investigations Raul Sanheili may not be the only casualty.
If funds were not available, why did Vinai and Edu publicly state that Arsenal did not have to sell players to buy?
Your last comment ozziegunner, puzzles me a lot, especially as it looks like sales were needed, unless by some miracle Edu has a deal up his sleeve that has, so far, bypassed the media. Another point, what is Huss Fahmy doing as contract negotiator? Have I got the wrong end of the stick, but isn’t it his job to get transfers over the line?
SueP, good question, what has Huss Fahmy done to earn his money? The statement by Vinai and Edu is well documented in the media and on YouTube, yet the nett spend is about £5 million.
Yes but nobody wants our deadwood
………. Nothing
Do some research!!!
FFP prevents rich owners investing their own money in the club now!!
Chelsea didnt spend in the last 2 Windows so still have the money they made from the following transfers..
Eden Hazard – £100million
Diego Costa – £60million
Oscar – £54million
Alvaro Morata – £50million
Nemanja Matic _ £40million
Thibaut Courtois – £30million
still their pockets thats why they can spend so freely now !!!
Meanwhile Arsenal senior management has blown money on underperforming French ‘ stars ‘ from the mickey mouse French league …. and have too little money left.
Old gunner, that’s blatant lie, Chelsea signed kovacic—– 40m, Kepa— 72m, pulisic— 56m, warner— 53m, Ziyech—40m, Chilwel— 50m, Harvertz 80m, Mendy– 25m, . Add all these together and compare to what they sold, you will know that their owner really interfere in their transfer….
I think you made good points but it can’t be down to transfer fees only. I don’t know the wage structure at Chelsea but that, commercial deals possibly and CL football all have to be considered
Wale, before you call Old Gooner out for a supposed “blatant lie” you need to consider all the financial inputs as pointed out by SueP, then check the balance sheet.
For a start they brought pulsic the.January before hazard left and loaned him.back
That’s hazards replacement
So they spent before they knew they be banned
The other twat got the sack for pissing about when will Arsenal learn and stop penny pinching and ACT like a big club and do the business EARLY and get it over with so the players bought can settle in Now we are loaning out Saliba so he can get experience What a joke and Arteta keeps saying Oh I am a big fan of this player or that player it does not matter if the board don’t back him
I asked myself this same question million times each new season. Arsenal isn’t ready to compete and get to where they dream getting to. Each year’s transfer saga is a SHAME & BIG INDICTMENT on the integrity of the club. YOU WANT TO COMPETE BIG CLUBS, YET YOU DONT WANT TO PURCHASE PLAYERS TO BERTH YOUR SQUAD! Arsenal should now consider themselves as mid-table club. Everton will outshine you soon. F**k
Kronk is investing in the US, his son spouts empty promises, we will lose Arteta due to the lack of support and horrendous decisions on wages for Kolas, Cedric, William etc.
Very limited budget + very ambitious targets. Not all that hard to work out.
Moaning fans who want money to grow on trees. It would be great if rich people gave us all money, wouldn’t it?
👏👏👏 very true
You are right Sean, but from a business point of view, it is time for KSE to recapitalise or sell. We have made so many bad investments in the past and it has come to hunt us now. We need to understand that success on the pitch drives earnings. These two are directly proportional.
It’s time for KSE to cut their losses and recapitalise ( or should I say, “inject capital” since they haven’t even done it before apart from paying external debtors) or sell the club.
I don’t see how we start competing or achieving success on the pitch without fresh investments.
There is a plan b
When you are unable to buy as you please, you move on and work with what you have.
Except in this case our plan b was actually our plan A.
I think the “we couldn’t move players out “excuse will resurface on Tuesday Morning .
To think that we will go into the new season with the same midfield as last is a massive error of judgement on the part of the board.
We have had all September to move players out and to get players in and here we are once again scrambling around 36 hours before transfer deadline ,I honestly thought this season was different but maybe not ,I will hold judgment till Tuesday morning but it does not look good .
Also gets me wandering why Auba signed a new contract if he wasn’t given reassurances about new signings ,then he obviously stayed for the money .
Anyway 36 hours to go ,not goi g to moan again till it’s over ,now on to the match today COYG .
I really don’t believe aubamayang stayed for the money, that spanish journalist said aubamayang was offered more money but he chooses to stay with us because he loves the club. I’m sure the club assured him but maybe the assurance was a lie.
👍 Unfortunately true.
Stop with this Auba talk.
The guy just signed a rumoured massive £250,000 a week that could climb to £300,000 a week. He is 31 years old, set for another 3 years.
He is happy like our resident elder (Ozil).
The only unhappy lot are us the Arsenal fans. We keep receiving the bare-minimum enjoyment from our club. The board are taking £millions a year. Player receiving £millions a year. Managers receiving £millions a year. While we the fans get absolutely nothing. No enjoyment apart from stress, depression, disappointments, anger etc..
We should be the ones to be felt sorry for not the likes of Auba that are set for life financially.
😊
A] Kroenke is a business man only – not a fan.
B] Therefore we had to sell to raise funds
C] We are failing to sell because too many over paid, unambitious Arsenal players are happy to sit on their contracts.
D] Arsenal’s decline over the last decade has been mainly the fault of senior management – including allowing Wenger to enjoy dicator status … and wasting money on the wrong players.
E] Arteta is having to push a boulder up a hill.
Can’t fault your gloomy outlook. How utterly depressing
chris, Vinai and Edu publicly stated that your point B was not the case and that Arsenal I’d not have to sell players to buy.
Your remaining points are valid. The interesting thing about point E is how long Arteta will be a “good corporate man” and say “he is being supported” despite the facts, before the suitors come and he walks?
Because Arsenal owner is not serious or care about the club or Fans. This Man need to let go of this club for a more serious minded Person. WE ARE FED UP WITH HIM.
I agree whole heartedly. I have a business & if I need a cash injection I put money from my personal account over. (Not millions) to reap the rewards.
Kroenke could of loaned,interest free,70m & we buy Diawara & Aouar early in the window leaving time to get out players not required.
Owners cant just loan money !!!
FFP prevents that just imange who City would buy if their owners could simply “loan” them a billion pounds!!!
Old Gooner.
Kroenke is sole owner. If he lends or gives money to Arsenal he lends or gives it to himself. He is ‘Sole Owner’.
Chris and Jimmy do either you or your associates have access to £2 billion plus in order to make a bid for the Club?
I don’t, so I have had to develop serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
KS&E may soon be under severe financial pressure due to the massive blow out in the cost of Rams Stadium at Inglewood, CA. I suppose Stan could always ask his wife Ann Walton Kroenke for a loan, if his request for more loans from the NFL are knocked back. Otherwise he might need to seek a buyer for Arsenal FC.
She must be minted having Just sold Asda .
Kronke probably can’t take on more debt for Arsenal FC because this club is maybe being used as collateral for the 5 billion dollar Ram stadium.
He refinanced the debt of Arsenal in longer term bonds, but not for Arsenal’s benefit but his personal benefit.
His 5 billion dollar stadium and no fans to sell tickets to due to pandemic restrictions. Losing his a$$ currently in St. Louis court rooms, and probably have to reimburse the city and fans he lied to and blatently violated contracts.
So spot on jimmy. People keep calling kronke a business man but he doesn’t behave like one. The mighty Arsenal is facing decline; and i mean both financially and on-pitch and its not just because we have failed so woefully on the pitch but because other teams are investing in their teams and becoming better.
It used to be big two (Arsenal and man u), then it moved to 3, then 4, 6 and I would say 8 in 2020.
We bought average players and paid them wages that did not match their abilities and sold players below their worth. The result was decline on the pitch and missing out of CL for 4 years in a row. The financial deficit can’t be reversed, simply put!
Its time for KSE to inject fresh capital and start over or sell. Unfortunately it is the only way out
say no more Pepe £72 million can’t get in the team sitting on the bench Great but I don’t think
We or not a big club any more and if you believe we was going to get this 2 you was living in cloud cuckoo land we just get the left overs and 2rd rate Brazilian. RIP arsenal
That’s the million dollar question!! I’m wondering how Tim Lewis is getting on with our accounts…
Arteta came out and said EM was sacrificed so we could strengthen areas that needed it…. I don’t for one minute think he thinks our midfield will suffice… unfortunately not all teams are in for a 20 year installment plan, they want all the money upfront..
I just hope Edu has something else up his sleeve! There’s still time… I freely admit i’m a lil disappointed, but haven’t given up completely yet 🤪
There are a few deals on a knife’s edge, so let’s remain hopeful….
Sue, the Tim Lewis appointment to the Board was indicative that KS&E were concerned, leading to the departure of Raul Sanheili. The investigation of the accounts is far from over. KS&E stopped taking the £3 million management fee in 2015, so they are not taking money from the Club, unlike the Glaziers at Manchester United. The question remains where has the money gone?
Vinai and Edu have publicly stated that Arsenal do not have to sell to buy, yet in over 11 weeks they have been unable to obtain Arteta’s #1 and #2 priorities, with known prices. They have obviously had no back up plan, if these players for whatever reason, were unattainable.
If Arsenal fail to get Thomas Partey at least, (known buyout of €50 million, not negotiable by Atletico Madrid), there is only one word for it:
INCOMPETENCE.
There
I began to wonder what type of business arsenal are doing in recent years. Pepe for 70 million, tieing Ozil to 350k per week, while allowing Ramsey to leave for nothing, and just recently Aour and Partey our top targets are not joining the club. Are we going to be a successful under Edu? Do we have any ambition
any more, will Arteta stay longer with club?
ozziegunner,
I mentioned above that we all talk of Arteta and Edu as identifying what is required but isn’t it down to Huss Fahmy to get it done? Someone, somewhere must know how much can be afforded and whether sales are required.
Incompetence is right if the club draws a blank with its targets.
That can’t be right, regarding the money, Ozzie, surely? I was under the impression we had funds, but not enough for both HA and TP..but even still what the hell are they playing at? The penultimate day of the window and we’re still haggling and scrimping!! It drives me nuts!!
Although we can still buy from the championship after tomorrow! Yay! 🤪
Dan I empathise with you. It’s a mess. I think a lot of it due to Arteta’s OCD. He was fixated by Aouar. There is also something in our DNA, which culminated in the Suarez £40,000,001 offer, which made us the all time laughing stock of football. Also the famous Juan Mata affair where we dilly-dallied so long trying to cut the price down, Chelsea went ping and nicked him. We could have bought Aouar a month ago and we may well have beaten Liverpool in the EPL. It’s clear the sell first to buy policy we have suddenly adopted is a destructive failure. There is so much wrong with how we do business that percolates down from our ‘sole owner’, Stan Kroenke. We are purely one of a collection on his mantlepiece and NOT his favourite. How can a man own seven clubs? It’s illegal in the UK to own seven clubs, but it seems not if they are in the USA.
Will Arteta’s obsession with Aouar mean he is blinded to other fantastic prospects. I feel sadly yes. He will now get ‘obsessed’ with Jorginho and all the other great prospects like Boubakary Soumaré will go out of his OCD ‘blinkered’ obsessive personality. A shame, I support him fully, but he is intensely obsessive and very blinkered. That shows in his ‘scapegoating’ of Matteo Guendouzie.
And the Higuain thing. Madrid asked for £30 million or something like that, but Arsenal were not barging on our £28 million offer.
Joke club.
We always have to go into each season with “What could have beeb if we had signed what we really needed”.
It’s fcking infuriating, irritating and frustrating.
Artetas OCD ????
Where the f**k did u dredge that up from???
Didn’t take some so called fans long to turn on another manager!!
I wondered about the OCD reference too, Old Gooner. Agree with your post entirely
Old Gooner, it won’t take long. The Board and senior executives fail to support the manager in the transfer market, he is supposed to achieve miracles with the players he is given and once fans expectations are not met, they turn against him.
Mikel Arteta has the advantage of having good English communication skills and is “one of us”. That will help him last longer than Unai Emery.
He will have to decide whether he will support the “company line” or continue his career elsewhere, when the suitors appear.
Arsenal will churn through managers, not like Chelsea to seek success, but because it takes less money, less effort and competence than buying the players to compete.
Old Gonner
I wrote that I fully SUPPORT him. Does that mean I should not comment on what I see. This obssession with Aouar has let us down. I never said for one second I don’t support Arteta. Seems to me you live in a black and white world with no shades. I would rather live in an HONEST world.
Everton are 6 points clear, as we looking for others clubs players for free instead of paying them for their assedts like Everton n Chelsea do , Arteta just came out of Friday that he is happy n comfortable with what is happening regarding transfers, not sure what he means, but i expected one top key target to have been bought by now, im nevrvous m confused, why would Arsenal buy a Chelsea player n Chelsea take your target? That means you can’t compete with them , i remain hopeful that something good will come up tomorrow last day , that the Aour rumours that he is not coming are false, that both targets will be signed come tomorrow night.
Disappointment is the motto of this stupid club, & if you value your health, go support some other club built on efficiency & transparency.
I’ve just liked and followed Liverpool’s official handle
I need some joy this season
I just think it is a tactic or a ploy by the board. They sprinkle these rumours at the start of each transfer window and then drag them out throughout the whole window.
It keeps us engaged as fans while they the board buys time to not spend big. They just drag these so called big money transfers throughout the window.
And I have noticed. We buy one big money signing each season. Not more than that.
Santi (2012/13)
ozil (2013/14)
sanchez (2014/ 15)
Lacazette (2015/16)
Auba (2017/18)
Pepe (2018/19)
Aouar or Partey (2020/21). This window was supposed to be one of Partey or the Aouar kid. But they seem to have fcked this up. Lol
They pinpoint which big money signing they would go for each window. They then allow rumours to circulate the whole summer while they drag out the whole thing.
Signing a big money player very early in the window will get the fans all greedy for more signings. We will be like “Alright, good early start, now let’s go for the next big money signing as we still got enough left in the window”. Lol
The board does not want that. They prefer these late / last minute buys as it does not give us the fans the time and space to ask for more signings. Dragging out a signing to the last minute works for Arsenal as it is a psychological win for the owners. We the fans will then have the “Pheww, that was close and we pulled it off at the last minute. It’s better than nothing”.
They Lowered our expectations in the transfer window like they did with competing for the EPL title. Now just makinf Top 4 is better than nothing.. lol
Sorry for the long winded rant..
I am so besides myself and disappointmented with our transfer business. I should be used to it by now as it has been this way for more than 15 years, but i don’t know why we always fall for it each season.
🤦♂️
😊
Goonster, 2020/21 must have been Gabriel for £24 million, Runarsson £1 million, Willian for free and sale of Martinez for £20 million; nett spend £5 million.
Then again we all know that re signing Aubameyang, the return of Elneny from loan and the re loan of Ceballos will be like new signings.
Or watch
Santi – vanpersie / song left
Ozil – finally spent nasri / fabregas money
Lacca – got money back by selling ox
Auba – Sanchez left
I think Arteta came in too late. Instead of appointing Emery ,Arsenal board should have gone straight and appoint Arteta. Pepe was a wrong signing (72m) that is half of our budget. Saliba will turn out great. We just need to loan him out. He needs to get his head down and work past what he is dealing with.
Now to Arsenal team, I don’t believe we don’t have goal scoring midfielders, when xhaka was in mochengladbach, he scored goals. Ceballos scores goals both for Spain and Madrid. Willian scores goals, elneny is about the only defense minded midfielder who doesn’t score. Now it’s down to our approach which makes me think that we need partey more than we need Aouar.
We need to get that balance which Arteta always speak about right, put partey in midfield and free xhaka/ceballos and willian there you will have your goal scoring midfielders who will support our attackers. Our midfielders are more worried about defending that’s why it seems they are not goal threats. Put a solid Dm in there and you will unlock a good attacking mf, even dare I say it, ozil will even play well. It’s not about signing every dick and Harry, it’s about getting the Ballance right.
Chelsea won against Crysta palace because Kante was the doing the marking for jorginho while he was controlling the tempo of the game. That was a massive performance by jorginho.
Look at doucore yesterday also, to get the balance right we need a solid, dependable Dm.
I think we should loan willock, my gut feeling says he will turn out a fine player because he has the physique. Loan him to Southampton or Fulham or even westbrom to develope his game. Fingers crossed on 1 or 2 players coming in on deadline day.
Coyg
Lucia, I agree with you on the balance of the midfield.
If Mikel Arteta is not supported in the transfer market, then his fate will be the same as Unai Emery’s; however he will jump before he is pushed, when the suitors come.
Arsenal owners are impotent just show offs took the head coach to us to show how big they were. Get out kroenkes
Lucia, that is an excellent assessment of our midfield problems. We have been crying out for a DM ever since Viera left and was surprised AW didn’t replace him like for like given the success we had then.
We haggle a lot over nothing. We identify targets only for them to be taken by serious teams.No wonder why we are no longer a Champions team but a middle team.Small teams like Leicester, Everton,Leeds are overtaking not mentioning Tottenham and Chelsea who were way behind us a few years ago.As a club we have regressed while other clubs have improved. With last year’s midfield, Arteta will be torn apart by most of the premier league teams and by the end of the year he would wish if he had not joined even Auba will be cursing himself. Poor we. Get Kroenke out and bring in an owner who likes the team not the profits.
Farai, agree about the quality of Arsenal’s midfield; however I can’t see Kroenke taking any profit, when KS&E have consolidated and paid off the Club’s external debt and the asset value of Arsenal FC has reportedly dropped by £150 million.
Guys, we should get used to this by now!
We are not Chelsea, Man City, or united.
Let’s think about the future, what can we do now with the available players? is it the right time to include both Ozil and Guandouzi in the next games?
It doesn’t make any sense of paying them and not using them!
I thing that we got stuck with them(Ozil and Guendozi) and also with Sokratis,as they show them in the last practice, the only one missing were Torreira and Kolasinac.So really nothing changed with the exception of Gabriel.With a bit of luck we may retain the same position of last competition.Very poor negotiators.
Playing hard ball with Ozil might come back to haunt Arsenal. Good players to not grow on trees and choosing a different approach with the player could benefit everybody. Buying new players is not a sure thing . Pepe and Saliba are a good reminder of that.
Because our squad is too big and there’s no space for two more players after Magalhaes arrived. So we’ve got to move some players out first, before we can buy a new one
Unfortunately there’s too little interest from other clubs in the likes of Torreira, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Mustafi, Ozil and Guendouzi. Arsenal had to increase the transfer budget by selling in-form players like Martinez, but it’s still not enough to buy Aouar and Partey
If you remember, Arsenal did their deals quickly when they had enough budget and space in the team. For instance, when they bought expensive players like Mustafi, Kolasinac, Ozil, Xhaka, Lacazette, Aubameyang and Pepe
we have the players already. Just bring back Ozil and Matteo Guendouzie then Arsenal will be solid in the middle. I still rate Ozil over Cebalos and Guendouzie over Elneny.
Mikel Arteta doesn’t and his opinion is the one that matters.
Can’t wait for Tuesday morning, then I will draw my expectations for the season and how I will follow them.
If no incoming signings, there might be another 8th place league finish and this time there might be no cup winning.
Let’s see how it goes.
Forward planning & forward thinking is what’s required. Yes theres a pandemic but theres still money to be made in the CL. Aouar + Partey & wages £130m. Alot in these times but, a very good chance of qualifying for CL. Top 4 or win Europa. Have a fire sale,just get rid say 5m for Kolasniac coz we’re also saving his wage bill. If Quendozi stays,then play him. Cups,injuries whatever.
We have some average players, receiving large salaries, we want to sell these, at a very diificult time , when monies received are severely deleted. Small wonder other clubs cannot afford or want them so we are overstocked with wel,paid non productive players. Not enough money to buy our ambitious targets.
So I’m afrid its cut yur cloth etc, or revitalise the Ozil brigade.
Kroenke is writing his own script.
All this will financially go back to him.
Fans still don’t understand our problem, yet we’ve laid out many facts before on this platform…
Buying new players is always a must but you have to have built a favourable “system” and MENTALITY in place to accommodate them.
We already have world class players in Aubameyang, Pepe, Ceballos, Luiz, Willian; but no wonder they’re struggling because there’s no system in place yet.
Partey, Aouar, Mane, Salah, etc would struggle as well in this backpassing, defensive, “playing safe” system.
I believe the board have seen enough of their money wasted on good players doing wonders in other teams, yet when they arrive at Arsenal, they just appear not good enough.
No wonder players are now branded the Emery signings, Arteta signings, Wenger signings;;;; Will the new managers keep replacing all the players they didn’t buy????
To compound the misery further, while we are still in “no man’s land”, smaller teams are starting to muster the rules of the modern game (system);;;; pressing and quick passing
Kronke
Short arms deep pockets.
Where AFC Are concerned.
Yet he forked out 5 Billion for a new Rams stadium !
(probably funded with Arsenal Money)🤨
Lee, please do some research and educate yourself on how Rams SoFi Stadium is being funded.
Unlike the Glaziers with Manchester United who have withdrawn £1.5 billion, KS&E have not even taken a £3 million management fee since 2015. That is not to say they have not used Arsenal FC as collateral for US loans.
Arsenal will learn to appreciate Wenger more after this transfer season. He left Arsenal in a very strong financial position. He navigated the tricky years of building the Emirates without burdening the club with debt. Failures in this transfer season point to a more serious problem which should concern the supporters. The club may be experiencing more serious financial problems than we have realized. The lay offs suggest that as well. Perhaps the most important battle right now is for Arsenal to avoid bankruptcy. and total financial ruin.
Winner
Bankruptcy?????
What are you talking about?
Sorry, don’t agree. Wengers last years, are very much responsible for our current problems.
He left us in bad financial position and with a squad of players he had been unable to develop and unwilling to sell, when they had a value, which could have been reinvested.
His football philosophy was outdated and we were on a constant slide.
While I appreciate the first half of his tenure, I think he shoiúld have been sacked earlier, than he was.
Winner, if there was no stadium debt, what was the £184 million KS&E consolidated and paid off?
Also I ask you to take a look at the Arsenal squad Arsene Wenger inherited from his predecessor Bruce Rioch and the squad Wenger left for Unai Emery. If you know anything about the footballers who have played for Arsenal FC, there is no comparison in the overall quality.
With this stone age football we’re playing, When Leeds come over here, be prepared for a walloping.
Before this window, we were the 3’rd highest nett spender on transfers over the past 5 years, despite no CL football. We outspent Chelsea by miles nett. We are also one of the highest spenders on salaries. We have a big loss in our latest financial year.
So the constant blaming the owners for not spending is a myth, or rather, it is totally factless claim.
If you then look at, what we have gotten out of some our spending:
Our record purchase, Pepe, is a fringe player.
Our untill now highest paid player, Özil, is not even playing.
More, but less blatant examples of mismanagement could easily be mentioned.
The answer is not constantly throwing money at new players. The answer must be to get more out the ones, we have + getting one or two, that can really strengthen the squad, once we have the financial possibility to do so.
“….more out of the ones, we have +…”
Thank you Anders, the word “incompetence” in financial and player assets management comes to mind.
Hopefully the investigations by Tim Lewis are ongoing.
Yes, to both 😉
First of all it is time to tell ourselves the truth and ask ourselves questions. Have the so called Arsenal Owner done well in the modern day football running? Has the board been effective positively to the success of this club IN recent years? What is the need of owning a club without success, trophies? ..Is FA cup our seasonal target? What about the premier league and Champions league? You have been singing about Partey and Auar signing without actions. For many years we are playing without a natural defensive midfielder and a strong and visional creative midfielder. Now we found both that suit our kind of play, now we cannot go up and conclude the deals. Get the coach what he needs to deliver the trophies else, Kroenke should leave and let us have owner who is willing to invest, an owner who is hungry for success.
Frankie, do you or someone you know have spare £2 billion plus to by the Club?
Be careful what you wish for, the Glaziers may buy Arsenal FC and strip it like Manchester United.
ozz you remind of NA program… arsenal will get partey or auror… just wait
luckstar, please translate the above for me.
There are still good players available some of whom we have wanted
1) Amadou Diawara
2) Boubakare Soumare
3) Todd Cantwell
4) Said Benrhama
Pleeeeze not Jorginho. He is the ‘Tortoise’. Slower than Ozil.
Those directors are fraud, they overvalue players and bring such wish wash players to Arsenal.
How on earth did you pay 76million on a player like pepe, how did you pay 25m on Williams seliba a player you do not need.
There are very good and ready players for cheaper price.
Ask Arsenal to buy a player that lacks quality they will tell you outrageous Price, but to them to sell such players they wount have a buyer.
The owners of cluArsen should just do one, that is sell the club to people who want to run a club.
As for Arteta. He will be sacked very soon because Arsenal is a club that is built to fail
Take this to the bank
Referring above to Sue and ozziegunner talking about the Tim Lewis appointment, it is becoming clear that there has been mismanagement (there are other words for that too) for a long time.
For a club that never splashes the cash, unlike some we know, the fee for Pepe astounded me. I know that it was a financial plan, but the money still has to come from somewhere each year, and this eats into the transfer funds this year and for years to come. It was a case of not properly living within our means. Hopefully, Pepe will thrive this season but if not, then that’ s another fine mess, Stanley.
Until the players who refuse to move on or who are not wanted by other clubs due to their outrageous salaries, Arsenal and Arteta will be having to grub around and make do.
If that is the case, then as supporters we need to get behind him and accept that pretty football and stellar signings,for this season will have to be replaced with pragmatism and a team that can eek out results, playing ugly if necessary.
As a coach, Arteta has already shown that he can make a silk purse out of several piggies’ ears, so I can only hope that he keeps up the good work
Agree, SueP and hopefully having seen how Arteta is having to operate, there is more sympathy now for Emery and the lack of support he got.
We bumble our way through negotiations just like the Brexit negotiating team. No wonder we end up with crap that we take so long to get rid of.
And of those that do leave us on their own terms, they prove us wrong by winning the prem with another club! Do not let Walcott and Iwobi be next.
Surprisingly, many opportunities came for Arsenal to sell Kolasinac, Mustafi, Sokratis, Torriera, and very few in regards to Chambers and Guendouzi,but poor negotiation skills by Edu and the board have resulted in the failure to do so. In moving forward, Arsenal must be ambitious, decisive and ruthless in future transfer windows. This high level of incompetence exhibited by Edu and the board is totally unacceptable ,if Arsenal ,aspires to move away from being a mid table team to being a great team again. When a team performs poorly, usually, the head coach bares majority of the blame. As manger/coach, I would suggest that Arteta have the only and final say on all transfers. That prevents conflict, as he would be able to establish his vision in the team. Once, he has identified the player(s ) he needs, Arteta then sanctions Edu and the board to get deals done swiftly within 72 hours period. For players,who are not part of his plan, they should be sold asap. Edu and the board does not respect Arteta, despite his success thus far. They are scared of his fast rise at the club and want him to know that they are in charge, hence the conflict of interests.If Arsenal wants to be at the top again, a change in the conduct of transfers and business is imperative.
Arteta tell them the players he would like the board has the last say always had and always will and that will not change