WINGER, WINGER, WHICH ONE'S FOR DINNER?
Well, hot dang, things are moving—or are they?
The Mikel Merino move has all the top journos dropping "CONFIRMED" chatter on the internet. It’s not a cheap deal (£32m), but it’s one Arteta clearly wants. That left-sided No. 8 situation we’ve been going on about is about to be solved by a huge duel-winning monster with some of that Spanish flair. Am I excited? That has nothing to do with you—how dare you.
The transfer window has most certainly blown open in the last few days. Clubs and agents are airing their dirty agendas in public, and we’re getting a clearer idea of who is on the move and who is not.
We were heavily linked with Ademola Lookman in the morning, only to have our hopes dashed in the evening as it seems PSG is moving hard and fast on the much-traveled Nigerian. I liked the idea of him. He’s 26, a journeyman, came good in a well-coached team, scored a lot of goals, and probably carried a chip on his shoulder… I felt like he could be another Trossard. Alas, hopes were dashed.
Later in the day, one of the top-tier rumor spreaders claimed Arsenal was still interested in Nico Williams. He’s probably the best player who hasn’t moved as of now. I’m struggling to qualify this story, with David Ornstein stating Arsenal needs a backup winger who is happy to sit on the bench.
‘Arsenal are in this quite strange position with their wide players in that they’re looking for a back-up who will be happy being a back-up, yet will still contribute to the effect that would help them win trophies, compete for major honours.’
The vaunted journo also said this:
‘In the past, there was Pedro Neto, who Arsenal decision-makers were big fans of. The one that Mikel Arteta & those involved at Arsenal really like is Nico Williams, but he’s the apple of everybody’s eye!’
‘The problem there is he’s already on a really high wage, which would only increase when he comes to a league such as the Premier League & a release clause in his contract that would need to be paid in full. It would appear he’s going to be staying.’
Williams is a certified superstar, and though his release clause is cheap, his salary screams, "YOU HAVE TO START ME."
Who knows what Arteta has planned? The side of the pitch where we have a problem is the right, yet the internet keeps linking us with players on the left. I’m not sure if that’s because Arteta thinks Jesus and Martinelli can cover the right, or if they want to give Nwaneri minutes. But I’d really like us to sign a right-sided player.
Aaron Ramsdale doesn’t appear to be attracting many full-time offers—Southampton are the latest to apply for his services, but it’s very much a loan deal. Arsenal will want to secure the bag, but it’s looking increasingly likely that no one wants to take the risk on a player who might have a bit of market tarnish after losing his confidence towards the end of his stint as our first-team keeper. I’d prefer he didn’t go to a club that’s going to get walloped every week for 9 months—I don’t think that pushes his value or does much for him on a personal level. Get him in at Wolves or a mid-table club where he’d make a difference. He should go to Ajax if a loan is all that’s on the table; at least he’d get exposure to European competition.
Eddie Nketiah has agreed personal terms with Nottingham Forest, and it seems their interest in the Feyenoord striker has disintegrated. Now all that’s left is for Arsenal to agree on a fee. I really want to see him go and get minutes, so if the number is £30m with a sell-on clause, I think we should sell him.
The boys over at the Ball Watching Podcast landed a major coup when they got Jorginho for a little chat. Check that out here.
That is quite a lot of stuff going on - so let’s finish on the Thursday Therapy podcast and be done with it!