To be a big club you act like a big club. by Dan Smith
Some Gooners won’t have anything bad said about their club and will tell you that it’s only rumours that we are interested in Declan Rice.
Let’s just say though it’s true Mikel Arteta identified the midfielder as his number one target.
Let’s say it’s true that we have been negotiating with West Ham since January.
Let’s say it’s true that the players criteria is to be playing in the Champions League and remain living in London.
We know that David Sullivan went on national radio and said he has a gentlemen’s agreement with his captain, he won’t stand in his way if his asking price is met.
David Moyes has never been shy quoting that sum is at least at 100 million.
If all the above is true, a big club gets that transfer done.
If a Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich had intel that their first choice signing wanted to join them, his employers were willing to sell and his family were settled in the city where you’re the only residents offering top tier European football, they would get their business done.
Let’s be honest if a club want to sell to you, and a player wants to play for you, that’s quite a hard deal to mess up on.
That’s what Arsenal may have done with the latest news in what is turning into a saga, being that Man City are about to make their own offer to West Ham, creating the bidding war that the Iron’s owner was hoping for.
If true, you won’t find the Champions haggling over every last pound. They will ask for West Ham to name their price and either pay if they agree or walk away if they disagree with the valuation.
Just like they haven’t dithered over buying Kovacic, just like you only heard about Chelsea’s links with Nkunku when the purchase was confirmed, just like Liverpool announced the Mac Allister capture once the window opened.
Edu equally could have had this deal confirmed by now but perhaps has arrogantly relied on believing we are Rice’s only choice?
Man City’s interest will be music to West Ham’s owners ears, with talk from the London Stadium that they were getting annoyed by the payment plan we were offering. Mr Sullivan might now get the bidding war he seeks.
That might force the Gunners to finally meet the Hammers valuation instead of haggling over every last penny.
The handshake Rice has with his employers is they will accept any offer that meets the sum they have quoted.
So, this isn’t a case of Man City outbidding us. If Mr Sullivan is a man of his word, he will accept any offer for his skipper once his asking price is met.
So, if it’s true that for months Rice has been sold on the project at the Emirates, he could still insist that he will only listen to offers from North London.
If Pep Guardiola is interested though this will force Edu to accept that he has to meet the asking price instead of trying to save money.
To be fair, if you believe the reports, West Ham have been telling our Sporting Director this for months.
If we fail to acquire the 24 year old, I will then question our entire policy.
I love Edu the player and his place in our history is always secure, but it’s his job to identify targets and negotiate.
He’s not doing us a favour, it’s his job, one that he gets paid a lot to do.
I bet he’s not conscious of saving the Kroenke Family money when he agrees his own contract.
Maybe once or twice the Brazilian can make mistakes and miss out on those at the top of our shortlist.
Yet Rice isn’t the first talent where negotiations have been leaked out to the public, gone on for weeks and fallen through due to those in power being indecisive.
In fact, this has been a common occurrence since Stan Kroenke first had major control on our board.
Remember Higuain?
How about the famous 40 million and a pound for Suarez?
It would be great if our owners flew over and insisted this deal gets over the line.
Their own manager has insisted Arsenal don’t have the squad to compete on all fronts and have to improve all aspects of the club (including recruitment) to compete with Man City.
Isn’t that the level we should be aspiring too?
When we were last in UEFA’s top tier competition, we didn’t have the ambition to compete. We were happy to finish in the top 4, bank the Champions League revenue, and use Mr Wenger as a shield to hide behind.
The next couple of months it’s -now or never- for Josh Kroenke to prove he has more aspirations than his father.
That he’s not afraid to take that next step.
He can’t hide behind stadium debt like his dad.
Ticket prices have increased, shirt prices have risen, subscriptions are unaffordable, etc …our fanbase have every right after two decades without a tittle to demand the best.
That’s all I ever ask of my club, to be the best version of themselves they can be.
Some readers won’t have anything bad about said about the club and will defend the regime no matter what.
They will act like accountants and pretend they care about money being saved.
How can they preach value when we are about to give Chelsea 65 million for Havertz. That might be hard to do?
If an attacker who’s failed to score double digit of goals in the League since moving to England is worth 65 million, then West Ham have a right to value Rice at the amount they do.
If Rice ends up at the Etihad, I can envisage some supporters acting like the person who’s been rejected by their crush.
They will make out they didn’t want Rice anyway and it’s a blessing that we didn’t pay over the odds.
Rice though improves our midfield, is at an age where he will only get better, has leadership qualities, etc.
The fact is Arteta has identified this player as his first choice.
A failure to back our manager means after 6 years we have gone full cycle.
6 years ago, we didn’t act like a big club, and we have regressed.
If we have returned to the Champions League still unwilling or unable to buy the best players, then we have gone backwards, just to return to the same position we were in under Mr Wenger.
Things change but stay the same?
A big club, having negotiated since January, having been told the player wants to join you, that the club are willing to sell and that he’s your managers first choice ……a big club gets that deal done.
There’s no point pretending that’s not the case.
Dan