Would these two Groves recommendations transform Arsenal?

Perry Groves has urged Arsenal Football Club to go all-out and sign Everton’s Ross Barkley, before urging them to sign Steven N’Zonzi also.

The former Gunners’ winger won two league titles in his six-year spell with the club, and has held an affinity for us ever since.

Groves has now urged us to move to sign contract rebel Barkley, who is believed to be keen on sealing a move away from his boyhood club, with only one year remaining on his current deal.

The 52 year-old said: “I’m a massive Ross Barkley fan and think he could be perfect for us. I’d absolutely love him at Arsenal.

“He’s got something that other players don’t have. If you can get Barkley for £25m, that’s a no-brainer.

“He could play behind Lacazette or alongside Xhaka – I’d love to have him.

“At this stage of his career, the money should not be the driving force. He wants to test himself and needs to do so at a club like Arsenal to earn the right to demand such money.

“I think he’ll end up at Spurs or Chelsea, which would be a real shame as he’s entering the peak stage of his career.

“Too many people look at the negative aspects to Ross’ game rather than what he can do.”

Groves added: “I’m not just saying this because I watched him yesterday but I’ve been a massive fan of Steven N’Zonzi.

“I think he could do a real job in the centre of that midfield for us, adding the steel he did at Stoke and Blackburn. He’s a destroyer.”

Barkley has always been an exciting talent, but has some weaknesses in his game which do get highlighted, but his stats for assists and creating remain strong.

I would definitely take Ross in to cover for Cazorla, as well as N’Zonzi coming into replace Jack Wilshere and Francis Coquelin. What do you reckon?

Pat J

Tags Arsenal Barkley Groves N'Zonzi

39 Comments

  1. Ross Barkley…..I feel we have his type in the team. I will pass.

    Nzonzi played for Blackburn and Stoke in the past. Not a bad player to have as he is strong but I will go for Seri/Lemar/Mahrez. This three will be great but any of the two wouldn’t be bad.

    1. lol,
      you must be joking..yes lemar and mahrez are good, but combibned with nzonzi or barkely would be perfect

      see spurs 2 in the legue midfeild…dembele, and the keyan(physical players)

      chelsea winners of the lueague( matic, kante) physical players

      mancity (yaya, fabinho) physical players, etc with other big teams the worldover

      hope you catch my drift? who does arsenal have xhaka, ramsey, carzola,wilsheer,coqlin……nobody physical and if something isnt done, mark my words fans will cry this season.

      arsene i love, but really hes like a grandpa playing a boys game
      his time is up

      1. Xhaka has a physical presence, he may not do as many sliding tackles but he can hold players off with his str well.
        Coquelin game is all about being physical, to say he isn’t is kinda surprising, he is the player willing to put in tough tackles and does them well compared to Xhaka.

        Our main issue (imo) has been Coquelin poor in attack and Ramsey poor in defense, Xhaka needs a better CM partner, one willing to defend like Coquelin but also good enough in attack like Ramsey (when on form).

        1. I think Coquelin is fantastic defensively literally world class defending but his attacking ability is just not good enough.Had he had that he would be Arsenal’s ideal DMF.He has backpocketed the likes of Modric(12/13)Silva,Coutinho,Fellaini(upon his size) etc. with his fantastic defending.Though many people think he was a one season wonder I disagree because even as a youngster he was doing that.I quite remember some of his man of the match performances back then as a young boy.I think he’s a fantastic squad option and if Cazorla were to be fit I’d choose Coquelin to pair him.

          1. I did see Coquelin press higher up at a better level in pre season, Coq isn’t too old to get better but I don’t think he will ever set the world alight with attacking play.

            Ramsey had those few months when playing alongside Arteta and he was putting in tackles and scoring, he looked like the ideal CM but typical Ramsey dropped his form and since then he has seemed to not pay as much attention to his def duties.

            I read how Willock saying how Ramsey helped him by telling him to cover for him, Ramsey should have stepped up and helped Willock more instead of leaving a kid to shoulder so much.

            I would rather give Coquelin more of a chance than Ramsey as the wingbacks offer a good option for Coquelin along with Xhaka large range of passing. Ideally I would like us to sign Carvalho but also got to look at current players stepping up.

        2. I would love to see Xhaka liberated from the DM position with someone more suited for it, because I think he has much more potential in intricate play and he is definitely not suited for the more defensive midfield role. That would mean Elneny needs to move to be sold as we don’t want to lose Coquelin either.

      2. Looks like we may not spend a whole lot of cash on top targets judging by out transfer activity. In this hindsight it may not be a step down if we were to procure these two players which are also cheaper options. Although we would still need a central midfielder as a Cazroal replacement, I wouldn’t mind the idea of Barkley to replace Ramsey and then N’zonzi to replace Elneny, which would be improvement on both the players we have and seems practical to me. Both Barkley and N’zonzi, as you’ve pointed out nero, are physical players and we desperately need some of that in midfield. To be honest if we can’t get any of the players in speculation going around in the rumour mill, then perhaps we should settle for a contingency plan.

        1. Nope, barkely is not presently better than Ramsey. Just had the potential that may never be fulfilled.
          He would be a good squad player addition for 25M but not for 50M.

  2. er , no and no.
    only thing barkley , would not improve us really , but in a couple of years time , british players will command huge fees , so could be tied up to 7 year contract just for the profit!

  3. JUST IN:News coming in is that Neymar has finally now agreed a 5-year deal at PSG worth £450 earning £515,000 a week after tax.PSG paid him £300 to activate his own release clause.
    I also been told that Arsenal have told Nice they are ready to match the €40 release clause of Jean Michael Seri.It’s now left for Arsenal to strike a deal with the player.
    The Lemar deal is still on and even though I reported last week that this week everything will fall into place I had expect Diakhaby to sign for Monaco last week which was my own saying as sources never stated he’ll sign that week.Once Diakhaby signs Lemar will be an Arsenal player and please don’t believe the media too much as they care mostly only about themselves.The Lemar deal also has no effect on Seri deal as I’ve had it confirmed Arsenal want both.

      1. Last I checked it was just below £50 plus add ons so it’s likely we’ll break our record or if not then it’ll be £50.I can’t remember the fee I sent but I’ll verify for you.

    1. Arsenal are interested in Barkley though but as for Nzonzi there’s been nothing.I was even told a week back that Everton wanted £50 for him and it looks like the transfer of Barkley could drag on for some weeks as the player himself wants to play football not sit on the bench.From my point of view he’ll end up at Spurs or maybe Chelsea.
      I for one think Seri is good but is not what we need.We need some who can drive the team and defend properly.In Arsenal only Cpquelin defends very well but can’t drive the team.He’s our only DM and to me I feel he must start against Chelsea as he’s been better than anyone at DM in the preseason though I reckon he won’t be played and will come back to haunt us as usual.As for Lemar I don’t understand Wenger’s obsession with him.He shouldn’t even be a priority but what haven’t I seen before?

      1. Regarding Lemar you probably haven’t seen that he’s better than the Ox and about twice as good as Walcott.
        As for Barkley I think Daniel Levy/Pochettino at Spurs and Conte at Chelsea are far too sensible to pay £50 million for the likes of him. In fact the only place I’ve seen Barkley touted as going to one of these 2 clubs is in ‘reports’ (i.e. made-up drivel) from the comics The Sun, Express and Star. These rags are far more interested in women’s so-called ‘wardrobe malfunctions’ (pathetic women trying to achieve a bit of fame by showing the world their tits) than they are in proper news so it’s impossible to take any ‘report’ from them seriously.

    2. What will Barca do with all that £££?
      MBappe?

      Also, how do you know the Seri and Lemar deals are not going to affect each other?

      I do not know how much AFC have to spend but I guess they had around £100 mil with any funds raised from sales added to it, we have only made around £10 mil from sale off Szcz so far so…

      £45 mil upfront for Lacazette.
      Around £35mil for Seri release.

      That is £80 mil, £30 mil left unless AFC had more than £100 mil upfront to spend. We can’t get Lemar for that price… Same for other way around.

      If what I think is true then currently AFC can bid on one or the other, we know we are not the only team interested in them and no team has made an accepted offer yet…

      AFC could gamble and go for one over the other but ATM that gamble has not yet been made.

      Maybe us Arsenal fans are used to looking for reasons why we won’t get what we want 😛 but I can’t help but think we do not have the funds available for both of the mentioned players ‘yet’.

      1. I would say sign Seri at any price. Santi, Ngolo Kante and Seri – 3 peas in a pod. We can sort out the attack later and maybe even Ryan Nelson will make the breakthrough into the first team, to join Iwobi who also made the step up from the Academy team. I think the midfield is the priority, rather than the attack. If Alexis stays great, if he doesn’t then buy Lemar, simple. But get Seri first!

    3. I’ve watched a lot of defensive midfielders with Nzonzi being one of them.If we’re getting someone better than Coquelin why not get someone better than him in all aspects.If you think Nzonzi will protect our backline better than he does then you’re wrong.I’m sure the stats which I usually don’t like to rely on will favour my argument.If we sign Nzonzi our midfield will not be any better .We need someone who can put in the tackles and does it well,someone who can make those last ditch tackles,someone who’s always there to intercept due to Arsenal’s naivety in attack.Nzonzi is not that kind of player.We need a player who is better but plays like Coquelin and can attack very well.Nzonzi is more of a distributor who uses his strength to take people off the ball or stand strong when with the ball.I want someone who can put the tackles anywhere,everywhere and can win us matches with interceptions like Coquelin has.

        1. I would want Carvalho to partner Xhaka, 2 CM both over 6 ft and powerful, both got good passing (short and long) and Carvalho can surprise you when going forward. Not as nimble as Cazorla but he has a few tricks in his bag, Carvalho also has some pace, not the fastest but more agile than Xhaka which is his weakness in the EPL (faster league).

          Imagine the bulk of the DM line if Ox is playing RWB.
          Sead/Carvalho/Xhaka/Ox

          A meat wall XD

      1. Coquelin is great in tackles and interceptions as you’ve mentioned and he is lacking in attack, but one other thing you have missed out which is he is not physical enough like N’zonzi. You mentioned N’zonzi is good at taking ball off players and standing strong which is as important for a defensive midfielder to have in terms of winning possession and defending. I will never forget the time Hazard brushed him aside through the middle with pure physicality and went on scoring. If I picture N’zonzi in place of Coquelin in that scenario I can be certain N’zonzi would have won the ball. But by no means do I think N’zonzi is a replacement for Coquelin in any way since both players play to their very different strengths but it’s always nice to have options in your team so we can choose the player according to our opposition. I do think we should instead sell Elneny and bring in N’zonzi on top of another central midfielder to replace Cazorla.

  4. I’ve said it repeatedly if 23yr old, england international, ross barclay comes to arsenalfc its an improvement and it gives us attacking midfield cover. And as for n’zonzi iv not yet forgiven him for lobbing the ball over cech and spoiling my day. if he goes to the spuds its down to the player being deluded and a possibility he still resents the colour red.

  5. We can’t get Barkley and seri, it has to be one, and I know which one I want at arsenal…

  6. I’d take Nzonzi over Coquelin. We’d still need to drop another then bring in a high quality player. Nzonzi would be great for putting some bite into our play. His height power aggression and speed would be a welcome addition, he’s good at driving forward which Coquelin is not. And who knows, he may then earn a starting birth if nabbed. Cazorla needs replacing but I’d keep him around and get someone in who can take his mantle, Wilshere is who I’d lose.

  7. They would not transform us per se but would give our squad more depth. If we lost Ox and Wilshere, Barkley and N’Zonzi would not be a bad replacement

    I am still hoping for Lemar and Seri and perhaps Mahrez. That would definitely transform us in my opinion

    Less than 4 weeks left so Wenger should start making his move so that we can concentrate on playing matches

    1. Soonest lemar would be a gunner for sure. Diakaby signed for monaco today from rennes. Apprently we r making inquiries abt william calvaho nd seri, perhaps we may sign both eventually. William as DM nd seri as CM dat would b a solid midfielder pairing plus lemar

    2. Losing Ox would really set us a huge step back because then it means we would be short of another important 1st team player. I just don’t see Walcott, Danny and Iwobi doing what the Ox can do. Wenger have to see that the Ox is such an important player and fans must appreciate him more. Wilshere on the other hand is not even a candidate for the 1st team position and in my opinion the sooner we release him the better. As for Barkley he would be an improvement for us due to the physical and attack minded play he brings. I would have him replace Ramsey. N’zonzi is another player that brings that physicality to our game and he would be a good replacement for Elneny.

      1. It would be easier to appreciate the Ox if he had more consistency in form and didn’t get injured as much, talented lad without a doubt but The Ox needs to step up, no free ride… at least that’s how it should be.

  8. I can’t help thinking that the Neymar transfer is going to set off a massive domino effect. Barca will be buying big and PSG will be selling big. Rumours of Barca wanting Ozil and would they want Alexis, again, or just splash the cash on Mbappe? PSG don’t necessarily need to offload lots of players to satisfy ffp but I think they will sell a few. The next few weeks could be very interesting, hopefully more so for us!

  9. Actually quite pathetic getting excited over 2 nobodies. If that is the calibre of player it takes to improve Arsenal then it is a very bad place to mark as the starting point.

  10. apparently.. sky just “claimed” we still interested in Lamar …I for one know wenga would b keen to know whom PSG will offload. perhaps draxler or maria or moura…well draxler would be an interesting option…

  11. Would like Nzonzi, he is a very good player and his technical abilities are extremely underrated. He would provide a tough tackling physical presence in midfield that we lack. Would cost £30m. Not too keen on Barkley. He is capable of the extraordinary from time to time but I’m not sure he suits the way we play and I feel he’d just end up like Ramsey. For £25m I would prefer Mahrez (if we can’t get Lemar).

  12. Nzonzi i understand just his physical presence is enough for me, good on the ball and uses his body well. The Barkley i can not understand in no way does he improve arsenal, even Ramsay who we complain about is far better than him. One of his coach’s complaint was that he did not work for the team, we are saying that about Ozil already, do not need any more players like that.

  13. I said last wk nzonzi would be our vieria before he scored against us he’s strong he’s technically good he’s athletic and a presence, but we will not sign him because wenger is not interested so I don’t get where people are even talking about him we’re not linked in anyway for him haha it was prop me that started da rumers .xhaka is the player wenger sees as that he was very good towards bk end last season he is only gona get better if we can’t get lemer get demele from Dortmund he’s cracking player

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