Is Almiron the best Arsenal could find? Or the cheapest? Dan Smith
Atlanta United have all but confirmed Miguel Almiron will be joining us in the New Year. Our recruitment team were praised for getting business done early in the summer and appear organised for the next window. So, having scouted the globe this is the best possible talent we could find?
Maybe Stan Kroenke is such a fan of the domestic game where he lives he’s recommending talent to us? More likely the criteria for January is to ensure you find someone for value. The fee is believed to be 15 million, ironically the price tag on Aaron’s Ramsey head.
The MLS, which feels it’s quality is often overlooked, see this deal has a a turning point for perception of ‘soccer’.
For once it’s one of the biggest names from England contacting them rather the other way around. The last decade has seen the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Cole and now Rooney follow in David Beckham’s footsteps by competing in a league below the Championship in terms of quality. While all used their name power to help the game grow in the US, it’s still not the most watched sport in America, nor will it ever be. So, for them to be a breeding ground for one of the most famous names in Europe is progress.
Of course, anyone who becomes a gunner has my full backing, but do I believe this is the very best we can do? Some gooners seem to think for 15 million, you can’t go wrong. It’s so little in today’s market that the juice is worth the squeeze. But why are we accepting, when we make the most match day revenue, 15 million deals for someone with no record at this level. I respect some readers have seen him play and are excited by his work rate but just ask yourself in all honesty, is the Paraguayan someone you could see Man City or Chelsea buying? The answer is no, proving yet again that when it counts we have zero ambition in ever being Champions under this owner.
If Arsene Wenger was around he’d be hammered for shopping across the Atlantic. Under Emery it’s like we cheer change for the sake of it. Anyone else notice how we continue to save money? Ramsey’s departure will reduce the wage budget while his sale will fund the arrival of someone who has 13 goals in a competition on the level of a League 1 or 2, so why would he do better in an environment where every aspect will be harder? Please remember we pay the highest ticket prices in the world. Think how much it now is to buy yourself a shirt? Consider how much the TV deal is now worth? Never forget the man with full control over us is a billionaire.
So, I ask again, is this really the best Arsenal can do? If yes, consider this …. Starting from next summer, we are guaranteed 60 million a year for having the honour of Adidas on our kit. Let’s see if that new piece of revenue is used for recruitment?
Dan Smith
Miguel Almiron the real deal mark my word……..what I love most about his style of playing is he can’t stop running and hard working..
Ozil must I mean must be scared of this guy……south American(Sven the golden eye)
city bought a winger called jacknharrison who is on loan at leeds.Could he make it at city probably not.He gets the chance to play in england,possibly leading to the premier league.City get a good fee for him.
This is my first time commenting here, although I have continually read articles and comments for years. Well on the issue of the above article, if u judge players on strictly on that basis then there are no needs for scouts, because that’s how neyma was found, coutinho too, couldn’t even start for inter and d list goes on, someone will always have to take d risk on players, neyma came from a league with no competition to Barcelona, coutinho from wherever and now plays for Barcelona, some risk will pay off some wouldn’t, hazard came from the French league too, no much competition, although he won best young player, that league had no good team to compete with epl teams until psg. Let us take d risk, if it pays off fine, if it doesn’t OK too, after all we the fans have taken risk with supporting the club, they should risk their 15mill
City signed Jack Harrison this summer ..On loan at Leeds but look how well he is doing.
Yeah._.On loan at Leeds
Ridiculous assertion that Chelsea or City wouldn’t buy from the MLS. If a player is good enough it doesn’t matter where he comes from. spurs (small s) bought Deli from MK Dons for 5 million and he is arguably now worth nearly 20 times that amount. It’s not small thinking or cheapskating, it’s buying the player you want at the price he is available for. It might not be the very best that Arsenal can do but if he’s seen as a bargain and a good fit for the team then get him I say. The article writer has gone well down in my eyes after writing this.
Is Alli worth 100 million? Dont think so……
Read it again, I said arguably and nearly.
Name mls player top club brought?
cant knock opinion then not offer example
Going on about championship players is fine but never questioned that
Tim Howard.
MetroStars (Now New York Red Bulls after Red Bull bought them) to UTD in 2003.
Although he didn’t settle in UTD, he did have a fine EPL career and I for one thought he was a top GK once he adapted to the EPL.
UTD are below us so… Maybe no longer a top team (can’t resist a poor dig at them) 😛
Can’t believe Jose is actually putting a smile on my face, who would have thought heh XD lol
Dortmund bought the brightest player to come out of America for a long time; Christian Pulisic. Fantastic attacking midfielder and dead ball specialist.
Agree Declan, many players from Alan Devonshire in the past to Jamie Vardy in the present have come from non league football. You never know, if City do their homework they may even try to gazump us.
“Ridicolous assertion City and Chelsea wouldnt buy from MLS”
Who they buy then
Its our job to find the players the likes of Chelsea and City have not set their eyes on yet. Look at Spurs. They have such good team based with players which where ignored once.
The only thing Wenger can be proud of is getting Koscienly for example. What a player. Are there other hidden gyms around the world? Sure. So its up to us to find them and give them the chance to play.
If the german has his eye on, than we should welcome everything what comes here.
Why do we have to always fault our club? Hazard, Kante came from ligue 1 and became EPL best. Almiron looks like d real deal to me, bring him on Sven…
Exactly!!! Ouseman Dembele is a perfect example from Sven.
Men! this guy is great. Who discovered this guy? He is a real deal !!!! great Ball control, swift turning with the ball, great Speed, dazzling Dribbling skill, Fighter without ball, high work rate, goal scorer and superb eye for unbelievable passes. This will fit in straight to our team. I am just sacred of injury because of his style of play and considering English football. But with that prize? I will say GET HIM NOW!
F**k Chelsea and Man City
author- your understanding of MLS quality is a bit off. The league contains countless players that represent their countries at international level. Sure, a championship club is better organized, plays with more passion and has a defined identity, but the best players on each MLS team are much more talented than the best championship players. From an individual transfer perspective, that is why your understanding is off. Did you not just see that Bayern Munich snapped up a young MLS talent…? Only time would tell if Almiron is good enough for the EPL, not the fact that he currently plays for an MLS team.
Best we could do?
Best by what criteria?
What you consider best and what I consider to be best could very well be two different things, instead of being ambiguous, could you say what you truly mean?
There is an air of inferiority complex about Arsenal brought on by Arsene Wenger and it ultimately rubbed off on the players and the supporters.
The players under Wenger used to step onto the pitch against the big teams feeling second best, which is why they always celebrated equalizing goals the way they did, take dressing room selfies when they eventually beat the big boys and us fans would rave about the winning for weeks.
I said the above because we the fans continually see other clubs as benchmark for what we should be, whether they are actually good enough or not.
This article for instance asks if City or Chelsea would buy from MLS so as to justify us trying to buy from there.
But I say who the hell cares where they would buy or not, they aren’t to be emulated, especially not by us. Arsenal had set a standard before those clubs had any real fanbase.
Lots of players have come from the weak leagues and turned out to be gems, we shouldn’t try to get some sort of psychological approval on this.
Dan has always been controversial. I don’t rate his articles. You don’t judge a player by the league he plays in. Arsenal bought Kolo You’re from Asec Mimosas, an ivorian club, we all know how he turned out_ great defender. The league doesn’t matter, the player does. As longer as Sven is convinced on the quality of this lad, I say buy him. As long as he can fit in, he’s a fighter and a hard worker willing to step up his game, I will consider 15million for him.
Kolo Toure. Auto spell check!
I dont rate his articles-ill just read them , comment on them but honestly I dont rate them lol
Almiron is a Paraquay International. Arsenal has Sven, Raul and Huss scouting players and signing them to contracts in consultation with Unai. If they consider he will be an asset to Arsenal, who are we to argue.
By the way Dan, who had heard of Vardy, Mahrez and Kante when they went to Leicester City; what did they cost and what are they worth now?
Any of those 3 from MLS?
Do you know how much money we make?
Dan, how is this relevant? What’s to say that their aren’t hidden gems in the MLS? Guendouzi came from French league 2, Holding from the Championship. Spending a lot of money is not a guarantee of success.
Still yet to name a player from mls?
Under Wenger…
Under Emery…
Totally ignores Sven.
Ignores Svens eye to spot talent…
Wasn’t Sven the diamond eye at BvB when Pulisic was spotted and grabbed for their youth team? Later to progress and become an exciting talent…
Almiron may turn out to be a flop, he may turn out to be a fantastic find, do we trust Sven to do his job or are we going to question him like we are the true experts?
?
An entire article to say that a player is not good enough simply because he is not from a top league. 2 minutes of my life wasted.
Just wish to point out that it is YOU who have wasted the two minutes. No one forces you to be on here. AND, I have wasted even longer – and do so regularly, reading utter nonsense, as I believe this article to be. WORSE STLL, I waste even more time by writing my own, mostly inane replies, though no one forces ME to do this either. So in the League of time wasting stupidity, I claim first place. I will gladly allow you (how generous I am!) to claim second place though. What I am saying is that, really, virtually ALL social media sites are a waste of time, IF you want to actually achieve anything with your life. I excuse myself by being old, decrepit and still clinging, most precariously, to any scrap of remaining sanity I ever had, so I have an excuse. What is yours? ( he asked , impertinently!)
I don’t accept the premise of this article at all. It states, wrongly, in my view, that Almiron is almost a done deal. I say we fans will have no idea WHO is coming UNTIL they arrive. The new regime is unlikely to make what is happening public knowledge; nor should it! I see no real likelihood at all of this scrawny youth coming to Arsenal and on the little I have seen of him online, in that Mickey Mouse league,( and coming from a country where “spaceman in spacesuits” throw oval shaped balls to each other and call it “football”, while the rest of the world, apparently, play something called “soccer”) I am thankful for that, at least.
Just to make it clear that my book, “How to annoy most Americans in one trite paragraph ” is now not being published today. In fact, it is not even written yet. But I am working on it! Only kidding ! I love the good old US of A, BUT CAN’T STAND MOST OF THEIR SPORTS. Why can’t they play football with a round ball like the rest of the world does and use feet, not hands to propel it.Take no notice of me though, I am having one of those days when I long to insult someone but the wife has gone out shopping, so I am only left with this site. Cue violins!
association football, abbreviated to soccer from the suffix or er to create a jocular word.
Rugger (Rugby) is a prime example of this.
The history of rugby union follows from various football games played long before the 19th century, but it was not until the middle of that century that the rules were formulated and codified. The code of football later known as rugby union can be traced to three events: the first set of written rules in 1845, the Blackheath Club’s decision to leave the Football Association in 1863 and the formation of the Rugby Football Union in 1871.
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with a foot to score a goal. Unqualified, the word football is understood to refer to whichever form of football is the most popular in the regional context in which the word appears.
Try looking at the origins of stuff, really fascinating to see the evolutions of different things in society.
Funny then , that NO other country , including Britain the home of football, uses the term “soccer”. Your rugby paragraph, though correct, is irrelevant to THIS discussion. Isn’t the real truth that USA are not conformists to the rest of the world and always think their way is right. Prime example of this is the President that country in its “wisdom” elected. And a “world series” played between teams only from USA. POINT PROVED I THINK! Lastly Midkemma, if you and I EVER agree on anything , I will be amazed.
I used history to show how it got to be called Soccer.
It got called that in this country dating back to before American Football was established.
As for you claiming it is irrelevant, how so? You brought it up, you initiated the area of language with incorrect BS, misleading lies which I felt needed to be corrected before the xenophobia spread. Or does it become irrelevant when you realise how incorrect you are?
At least America recognised that it is American Football and not just Football, which can include Rugby. If anything us Brits have it wrong but our own arrogance over the English language means people will claim it is right even if proven wrong, like you and football.
Just look at the history and the development of the language… I mean, if you claim to be so great at English that people are jealous of you 😉
Oh and prepare to be amazed Jon.
Arsenal are a great club with massive potential, I love the club.
We agree on something on an Arsenal site? Or are you really a spud in disguise? I’m not amazed but hey, I think for myself.
I think its okay to sign a quality player regardless of were he is coming from
lol to fans who think themselves as big shots disrespecting mls quality, reminds me of england fans to think of themselves as a big football nation. where did coutinho came from ? lewandowski came from a polish league, mbappe when he was wanted by wenger before he became famous would have been labelled a cheap buy by the fans. I remember fans calling hazard an above average player at best when arsenal wanted him.
Last one to kick arrogant fans ass where did messi come from? average argentina league. african players like eto drogba toure come from weak african league. There are many african fans on this site who behave like arrogant british fans. degrading our own players is a speciality of arsenal fans as is degrading potential players.
Mustafi and Xhaka cost around £70m .Are they more talented than Almiron or Torreria? I think not.
Did u no Almeria , this time last year?
Almiron
Guys
Stop with the personal digs and answe questions
If im wrong then name
So far we had ali, vardy , toure, kante, dembele, hazard and apart from Howard no exaples
Just the,attack Dan because he critisised Arsenal , irony has many of you get angry if i mention Arsene Wenger was best in our history
This is not factual but an opinion piece
Im not paid to write for public
Im here to give my opinion
This has been over a decade of ownership ,mr Koronke has no ambition
Dan you make a good point and all are fully entitled to our opinions. Having said that, if you are brave enough to regularly contribute thoughts and articles of your own- AND YOU ARE, so praise for that- you must expect to receive criticism on a debate site. It is a pity though that more replies do not EVER praise good articles. Keep posting them though please Dan, as this site relies on such as you to keep it going. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF; no one is always right, NOR always wrong. It is tough being a writer but worthwhile AND A THICK SKIN HELPS.
Cheers Jon
I like a debate
So if im saying would chelsea buy from mls for example
I want a list to prove me wrong not._._Dan your a._._.you lose argument at that point
Just suprised how many adults think we cant question our owner
Clint Dempsey. (Spuds)
DeAndre Yedlin. (Spuds)
Mix Diskerud (City bought from Goteborg who bought from Red Bulls)
Three more names that graced the MLS and then later the EPL.
How many players have top teams in the EPL bought from Campeonato Brasileiro Série A?
How about Argentinas Primera Division?
How about Chilies Primera B?
I can name a TOP player who came from each of those leagues, I could find more obscure leagues which top players came from… All it takes is 5 mins research.
Should I drop the mic now or…?
Sorry your best example is Spurs signed Dempsey???/
Thats my point
I want us to be champions
Your saying shall you drop mike because Dempsey was good at Fulham._.._.right
But to be fair you have flawed me with Diskerud.._..A clear example of an mls player who exceld here in prem