(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread

I'd keep him and let him go free next year if he still wants to. If he goes to City then so be it. 

We need to set a marker down and show that we're not a selling club any longer. It didn't get much press, but last summer we refused to sell Debuchy to ManU when they came in for him, simply because we wouldn't sell to a rival. Times have changed since van Persie, and all the M.City sales, the board do seem intent on making sure that doesn't go on any longer. I really hope they follow through on this one. 

The stay rumour this morning is a chilean journalist who is quite respected usually. So it sounds good, but take with a grain of salt, I don't think it's 100% by any stretch. 

Giroud sounds like he wants to stay in his latest comments which is excellent news.

These transfers we're making are going to look a hell of a lot better if they're purely strengthening the team, rather than replacing guys who are leaving. 

Cautious excitement this morning.......

1. Peyton is still at the club. Lehmann will be assisting the first team, not a goalkeeping coach.

2. The 'Chilean Journalist' isn't even a football journalist, so would take that with a big pinch of salt.

I think the reason people are a bit meh on Lacazette is because he sort of looks like a French Walcott. I can definitely see that. He's direct and not necessarily 'tricky'. He's more a Walcott than a Sanchez or even an Iwobi.

Oh crap thought I read a while back that Peyton had left... 

No matter, still happy with mad jens coming in if he does, love that guy!

Gutted about the journalist. I had hoped that was for real... 

Lacazette definitely not an iwobi - iwobi is a passer, he's more a back-up to Ozil than any other role in our squad. I always thought he looked best playing no.10 rather than wide as well.

The clips I've watched suggest he has a lot more dribbling and passing ability than Walcott, but again a grain of salt required, youtube clips can be misleading, that might be all the dribbling and passing he's done in his career lol

Any suggestions on how to get rid of a couple of Syd tix for each game?

On the transfers up front - I hope OG stays, I hope AS stays too; but if he won't sign a contract and we can get 60mil to get him abroad (ie: out of the Premier League) then that may be a smarter option, particularly if we're bringing in both Lacazette and Mahrez... IF...

If he wants out and we can get a big fee ABROAD then I'm probably ok with that. 

But if we offload him to Man City for 30m or some such I'll be fuming. 

Daily Express reporting that Cazorla has already basically been ruled out for the season

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/824374/Ars...

That'll be just about 2 years out, jeez, poor bugger

Jens Lehmann's first ever tweets, read from bottom

Lacazette top 20 goals for Lyon

https://twitter.com/afcvideo/status/88157484349335...

I wonder if we can give Sanchez his wage demands on a performance basis, give him the $160 a week base and ability to make $300 a week depepdning on goals & assists.

gutted about Santi. By far and away my fave player in the squad. Just a joy to watch

completely agree, also very underrated and awesome team player

Hanging out for the Lacazette signing announcement.

Side note, did you know the Arsenal FB page shared a photo of Mbappe June 15th...!

Seems like an impossible signing for us at the rumoured prices, and the options he apparently has that can offer champions league, but there must be something there.

There has to be some explanation for the constant rumours involving us. Usually I chalk these things up to Agents planting stories trying to prompt other clubs into making offers, and essentially using us, but these rumours have been strong and sustained. 

It feels like perhaps him and his family love Wenger and would prefer this move, but the fact that other clubs can pay more, and we no longer have champions league, seem to be hindering any real chance of us getting him.

Mbappe rumours are ridiculous - I'd love for us to sign him just as a big FU to everyone saying we couldn't. But I must admit I'd feel slightly weird if we signed him for the reported amount. It just seems like silly money for an 18 year old.

This. We also don't have a replacement. I'm surprised there have been barely any rumours for a Santi replacement.

Lacazette signed

A lot of talk around Giroud... Still not sure that unless it's a player demand we would sell him.

Completely agree, still hoping we land another midfielder to replace Santi & Jack. Even if we re-sign Jack & Santi get's back on the field they're in the Diaby/Rosicky mould for me. Give them a contract that's 30% base and 70% match fee so their fitness doesn't impact our finances & we can put proper money into a Panjic, Saul, or this guy:
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/141716/Show/Emil-Forsberg

Always a bit skeptical about players who score goals in the French league until they do it somewhere else, and we already have the guy who starts ahead of him for France. But pleasing to do some business early for once instead of desperately scrapping in the last few minutes on deadline day and ending up with a Welbeck.

really hope giroud stays, i'd rather us selling Walcott.

Lacazette deal done without too much drama or delay, will be interesting to see how he fits in

agree and lets hope its not the last deal we do this window.

The challenge with both Giroud & Walcott is they're excellent squad players capable of 20 goals a season. I'd hang on to both of them but Perez is the sacrificial front line goat for me. Isn't it better to have a little bit of bloat/versatility up front with Wenger able to pick from Giroud, Welbeck, Lacazette, Walcott, Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi for the front line positions?

http://southendnewsnetwork.com/news/arsenals-bank-...

I think Walcott should go, as well as Lucas.

In the 3-4-2-1 formation Walcott really has no role for me, other than possibly striker. In Lacazette, Giroud and Welbeck I think we have the right number, and the right variation in playing styles, for the lone striking role to be sufficiently covered. In the event of an injury crisis involving all 3 we have Sanchez who can move up top, if he is staying. 

If we go back to 4-2-3-1, then there is potentially a role for Walcott there on the right, but I'd prefer Mahrez if he's available. A ton of guile, but not as much pace, however with Sanchez on the left and Lacazette up top we've plenty of that anyway. 

If we don't sign any other forwards, then I'd hold onto him.

I'm not convinced that we will stick with the 3-4-2-1; I think that it will be an option next season, but depending on how things go, perhaps not the primary one. It was a bit of a panic move by Wenger last season.

I think we'd be wise to not plan a squad on a formation that worked for 10 games. While I like it I think versatility is key. It enables Wenger to set up as he approaches each game, and that's why Walcott's still important for me.

Alexis Sanchez demanding £400,000-a-week to sign new Arsenal deal. Giroud future uncertain but Perez set to go https://t.co/b1EPtxO2f3

— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) July 6, 2017

What the actual f*ck?

Great signing Lacazette, need Sanchez to stay though otherwise its no benefit.

I don't believe the Sanchez rumours around wages, I'd say its the club trying to soften the blow when he leaves.

On the above, I don't think we will stay with 3-4-2-1 either.

I agree, but I'd prefer to have players who can play in both (and other) formations, and I don't feel Walcott can, since he's now ruled himself out of playing striker (and we've signed Lacazette anyway).

L-equipe reporting that we've put in an improved bid for Lemar, in the region of 45m euros...

Considering they're asking for 80m, I'd say the likelihood is that either we meet in the middle at around 60m, or we don't get him and focus on Mahrez. 

Though with Leciester asking 50m for him (crazy considering his last season), I think that has put us off.

Sounds serious on Lemar

Hadn't seen the 80m quotes? That would be too steep surely... Mahrez the cheaper option ;) 

Mertesacker to head up academy from next season

Changes starting to stack up, still lots to happen on the playing squad front, new season going to be interesting

I'd prefer Lamar if we keep Sanchez, a great talent and understudy with time to keep developing. But we have to do Mahrez if we lose Sanchez, no room for a gamble on unproven future talent to replace him.

Lucas and Szczesny both not travelling on the pre-season tour, that would mean both of them gone surely.

Sounds like Lucas was always going, but I wanted to keep Szczesny, thought he was the long term successor to Cech really.

What does this mean? Martinez now the legit no.2 for this season if Ospina is also going?

Aust pre-season tour squad;

Cech

Martinez

Ospina

Bielek 

Brammal

Coquelin

Elneny

Giroud

Iwobi

Kolasinac

Koscielny

Lacazette

Maitland-Niles

Malen

Mertesacker

Monreal

Nelson

Nketiah

Oxlade-Chamberlain

Ozil

Ramsey

Walcott

Welbeck

Willock (Joe - his better-known brother Chris Willock has gone to Benfica permanently) 

Xhaka

Good to see Giroud, Ox and Ospina in there given the rumours.

Notable omissions;

Debuchy (sold?)

Lucas (sold?)

Jenkinson (sold?)

Szczesny (sold?)

Gibbs (sold?)

Apparently Wilshere still on the come back from his latest injury.

Sanchez, Holding, Chambers, and maybe others (haven't properly assessed squad list) haven't returned due to Summer commitments yet. Edit: Also no Koscielny, Mustafi, Bellerin due to summer football. 

Not sure what's up with the young Nigerian lad Nwakali or whatever, that was on loan in Holland last season, apparently very highly rated and did well over there, I would have thought he'd be travelling. Perhaps already earmarked for another season-long loan? Probably would struggle for a work permit in England this season anyway. 

In Sydney now after a week in Gold Coast then couple of days on Sunshine Coast. Going through security at Brisbane airport this morning wearing an Arsenal jacket the security guy asked me "what's with all the Arsenal fans today?" Been a few shirts and bags etc going through today with people heading to Sydney!

I've been trying to wrap my head around the Szy situation.

As it stands we can't keep him or Ospina, it's an either or spot we're in.

If I was in Szy's shoes I've been sent on loan for two seasons, distance doesn't always make the heart fonder. Furthermore if Juventus/Buffon is shoulder tapping me as his long term successor who wouldn't jump at that chance?

While it doesn't mean it's ideal for the club as we're losing a home grown player & we'll need to spend big money on a Cech replacement next summer or the summer after it's not the end of the world as we've still got Cech playing well, Ospina/Martinez as cover/battling to take over.

Walcott move, as much as I'm keen on keeping him, would follow a similar logic. Hopefully Walcott it would be the chance to go be to a new club what Sanchez has been to us, especially somewhere like Westham or back to Southampton.

I'd be surprised if we kept Ospina, even if we get rid of Snez. (which is looking likely) Sounds like Ospina really wants to go.

Yes , which I guess is fair enough, he's not a B Team keeper. 

I would of been leaning to letting Cech go and bring WS back. 

Anyway it appears Cech #1 Martinez #2 is the clubs preferred option.