It’s been a nearly day for supporters of the Arsenal. We have nearly, if usually reliable journalists are on the money, clinched the signature of Alexandre Lacazette. The French international is said to have undergone a medical at Shenley today, but that may have run into a second day as we have a host of medical and conditioning staff these days. There seems to be a variety of sums being discussed. As ever I suspect people are quoting euros as pounds sterling and vice versa, but one thing does seem clear. The final deal could exceed the club record £42.5 we paid for Mesut Ozil.
There is also a great deal of speculation that Jens Lehmann is nearly back at the club in a coaching capacity. Not the goalkeeping coach you understand, just a colleague to work with Steve Bould and Boro Primorac. Of course that will spark a few whispers among the support. For example if Wojciech Szczesny were unable to work with Gerry Peyton the availability of mad Jens may open up an opportunity for him to return? I’m just thinking out aloud there, as I am definitely not ITK.
I wonder who we might nearly get to put pen to paper tomorrow?
Before I go any further though I have to say thank you to all of you who were so kind in the wake of Photobucketgate last week. It really was disheartening to see a decade’s worth of work reduced to a mass of ransom demands. It will take a long time to clear the rest of the site, but the front page is once more operational. Any doleful thoughts were lifted by your kindness and offers of help, bless you all.
Also I owe thanks to those who have sent the loveliest messages after I decided to take a break from Twitter last night. I’m sure I’ll be back in the fullness of time but opening it up first thing in the morning and keeping in touch with what’s going on for 18 hours a day isn’t a lifestyle I have enjoyed much in recent weeks and months. Today I saw proof that there are far more caring individuals than rogues on there. All of your messages were very humbling and much appreciated. Thank you.
Grenfell Fund Raiser/Art of Football
I’m told that Saturday’s event @TheGunnersPub was an outrageous success enjoyed by those in the packed bars and beer garden. Once again, huge thanks to our old friends at Art of Football (click here for their website) who provided some raffle/auction prizes.
Featured product today is the tee (or sweat) ‘Unbelievable’ featuring a very famous moment in the last minute of the the 1988/89 season at Anfield. If you fancy investing in one Art of Football have a summer holiday promotion so for a 20% discount just enter the code HOLIDAY at checkout.
And with that I head back under the bonnet to get rid of more broken image links. Come back on Thursday night for the chance to win VIP tickets to the Emirates Cup courtesy of the Arsenal.
85 Responses to “Nearly”
Evening H. Top stuff, as always.
And if Lacazette, as reported, has passed a medical then that already puts him head and shoulders above half of the squad.
Haha, indeed Steve.
Nice one Guvna. I nearly believe it’s going to happen! Jens will be a great addition to the coaching team.
Those Art of Football tees are very high quality. Great recommendation.
I missed your decision to take a break from Twitter H, but as one who has only intermittently partaken of that dubious pleasure for the past year, I think that you will find it a really relaxing experience that will give you time to do all those other things you’ve never got round to.
Like the ‘Collected Works of Goonerholic’ that cba has been urging you to select! There are some fine bits of work in those archives. As you work your way through those 10 years of hijacked photographs, you could maybe give it a wee thought? The photos, though well selected, aren’t by any means the best bits IMHO. No pressure.
Thank you bath. The book is in the noggin, but probably for the retirement years. It requires research into lots of un-Arsenal-related stuff. I couldn’t charge anyone for stuff that is already here.
roll on those retirement years then , ‘hol
there’s a book i’d buy
and i’m as tight as a fuckin drum
.
.
so may i join bath in heaping no pressure at all –
start writing The Big One when it feels right for you
.
(retirement day 2 sounds good – fuck the gardening)
?
As Bath said, nice one, Guv’nor.
Twitter is like cod liver oil: best taken in small and occasional doses.
I think Szczesny has it in him to make Cech the cup keeper, especially as he seems to have come on a lot in Italy. There was already a touch of the Jens to him, so no knowing what effect having the original around might have.
Steve T@2: 🙂
Ned, cba, thank you both.
And the gardening when there is no rain isn’t much fun! Think I will start a new mini-jungle instead. ?
Good work Holic, things seem to be moving. I’ve watched Lacazette on You Tube. Puts me in mind of Wrighty. I’d settle for another Wrighty. Not sure I want Chesney or Ospina back. If we buy a goalie let it be Butland.
Look at Wojciech’s numbers last year TTG, and he doesn’t cost us a bean. He’s ours, albeit at a new deal.
Lacazette ‘head and shoulders above half of the squad‘, Steve T? Hmmmm. If Alexis leaves and the latest news about Santi proves true M. Lacazette will be head and shoulders below ALL of the squad, the shortest player of the lot.
He’s the same size as Aguero who’s proved useful in the Prem, and has been dynamic in the albeit easier champs de France, but we’ve been short of size for years and if he ends up replacing OG we’ll be even shorter. Especially in those defensive set pieces where OG was outstanding.
Keep the cheque book handy AW, you haven’t finished yet. I hope.
Lacaz is exactly the same height as Ian Wright, TTG, but I suspect quite a bit wider. 😉 On that basis he could prove a fantastic buy!
Lacazette is not a substitute for Giroud, although that is how France tends to use him; he has started only one of his internationals, and most recently he has come on for Giroud, who unlike at the Ems mostly, starts for France.
I meant if OG went out of the squad and Lacaz came in. I assume he’d play LW with Alexis or A N Other at CF.
Lacazette will apparently be officially announced this afternoon to coincide with the French stock market on which Lyon are listed – presumably after it closes?
Blimey, I go backpacking across Boulogne for 1 day and it all goes pear shaped. Keep fighting the good fight ‘h.
Szczesny refresher please, barman, with a dash of Mad Jens bitters.
A keeper of a summer drink that may be sipped in the garden. 🙂
(mammy blue)
Oh Laca
Oh Laca Laca – zette
Oh Lacazette
Boom Laca Laca Laca
Zette Laca Laca Laca
Laca Laca Laca Laca
BOOM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZzBd41NuZw
https://www.arsenal.com/news/alexandre-lacazette-agrees-join-arsenal
😀
he’s in the shirt
here’s hoping he isn’t shite
UP THE ARSENAL
lovely. simply lovely.
Arsenal site shows his home shirt (which of course you can buy RIGHT NOW!) with the number “00”. Hope that’s not a portent of his goals and assists ledger.
Chris,
Lacazette will play centrally. If Alexis stays he will play wide.
I think this is going to be a VERY good signing.
@22 🙂
Always a bit wary of Ligue 1 strikers, after the Chamakh fiasco. We’ll see though.
I have to say I do believe he is an excellent signing, and it would be fabulous if we could get Mbappe (assuming Alexis is sold) and play 3-4-1-2. Oh what goals we would see. 🙂
Holic
If we lose Alexis , I think there will be a big attempt to sign LeMar. I’ve been talking to a friend who is one of Bellerin’s advisers today and I think he has been told he is with us for some time. We were speculating that Alexis will sign a new contract at a vastly increased rate but it will have probably an unofficial break clause at the end of next season. He will then be free to leave to anyone but we would get a serious fee in return. I’d settle for that .
I understand that the fee for Mbappe was less of an issue for Arsenal ( an 18 year- old superstar in this market will be an investment ) and Kroenke saw the attraction of stumping up but PSG have blown everyone out of the water with the terms they are offering. He stays in France in World Cup year , quadruples his salary – or more and in five years time can move wherever he wants for a fortune . Unless he gets an awful injury he’s almost a risk- free investment so good is he reckoned to be.
If we keep Alexis then I suspect LeMar would be too much feewise. That might mean Cuadrado- apparently Wenger really rates him. I’ve not seen much of him but I don’t.
Odds against Kyle Walker joining Man City have apparently tumbled to 1/5. Not sure who Sp*rs plan to replace him with but he is certainly an upgrade on an aging Sagna for City.
Or an aging Zabaleta.
Lacazette’s goal scoring celebration appears to be rather understated as seen in the picture in this story:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/40496970
Understatement is what we can use if it helps the player to concentrate on scoring the second goal two minutes later. 🙂
And the last two paragraphs of that BBC story sound rather encouraging (the last sentence, in particular):
French football journalist Julien Laurens on BBC Radio 5 live
I think it is a very good signing for many reasons. Not just for spending the money but he is 26. The first time Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi went to watch him was 10 years ago and already then Arsene Wenger had an interest in him.
They have looked at him so many times, year after year and were not always convinced. Sometimes he was ‘yes’, sometimes it was ‘give him a bit of time’. On this occasion, Wenger is convinced it is the right time for him. Lacazette has matured and improved massively.
Kolasinac has been given the No 31 shirt, worn by Reine-Adelaide last season. The Jeff has become numberless. What might that portend?
Bt8, Spurs actually have a better RB sitting on their bench, Trippier is so much better than Kyle Walker, even Poxytina realised this towards the end of last term and started benching Walker. They’d be very glad to take any money City offer them for Walker.
The only two people I can’t wait to see leave Spurs are Harry Kane and Poxytina. The former because somehow he just can’t stop scoring goals and the later because he actually does know what he’s doing and we can’t have that.
The Jeff is number 22 now.
BJ@24: I hope you noticed on those pictures of Lacazette’s 00 shirt the new font being used by the Premier League this season for players’ names and numbers, its first change in 10 years.
Not officially, or at least not yet, Cent. The much coveted number that was Sanogo’s is still listed as vacant, along with Gnabry’s 27 and the No 30 that hasn’t been occupied since Park Chu-Young had it in 2013-14.
no. 83 ned ?
Exciting now and potentially very exciting over the whole season. What Lacazette needs is a good start, and if he gets it watch out the other clubs.
Lacazette is a very good signing. No way is he another Chamakh. Chamakh was better than Lacazette in the air but in pace, skill, shooting (good with either peg) or scoring Lacazette is way ahead and I hope he scores tones of goals for us.
Alexis is turning Arsenal supporters off by his outlandish wage demands. If he is not interested in staying we, preferably, sell him, say to Bayern and get Douglas Costa as replacement and some cash. If he is bent on going to Citeh a swap with Aguero would be fine as we would have a very potent attacking line up. It is important to keep Giroud, Walcot and Ox as the Thursday, Sunday schedule would require a big squad. Bellerin stays, of course.
If we get another big signing like Lemar and get rid of Debuchy, Jenkinson, Gibbs, Akpom, Zelalem etc and give our youngsters Iwobi, Jeff Adelaide, Maitland-Niles, Bielik a chance we would have made a great start to the season.
Evening Holic and ‘holics,
You know what happens when you keep nearly signing top players – you keep nearly being top of the league.
Maybe things are changing though, with Kolasinac done, Lacazette almost over the line, Mad Jens back in the dressing room – who knows.
We have also, i’m told, lined up another player of mixed Nigerian and Irish origins by the name of O’so Neilly.
Sounds about right …….. ?
racist
He’ll never win one with his knees, cba. ?
“yer turrible , muriel”
?
The player turning me off with his outlandish pay demands is Ozil, ksn. We have supposedly made him an offer of around £250k a week, which is almost a 100% rise and completely unwarranted IMO. And he still wants more?
I can’t say I violently disagree with that Cynic, but I have a feeling we’ll get the benefit if we tie him down and make him the provider behind Lacazette and Alexis (or Mbappe) next season.
I also agree Lemar is a tasty option too TTG, but I think we need a proper goalscorer alongside Lacazette with Kolasinac/Monreal and Bellerin/Ox providing the width.
I don’t see Monaco selling us two players. One highly unlikely still. Everything crossed.
Kolasinac looks an absolute beast of a player.
Excellent. 🙂
I know I will be alone in this view, but I’d let Ozil go and pick up Fabregas, if he’s not wanted by THEM. I don’t like Fabregas but he’s an ideal Cazorla replacement IMO. I just wish he was younger and not tainted.
Chalk and cheese for me, mate, but I have no divine right to be right.
Sick of the money players and agents are taking out of the game. When we could buy Boulds and Dixons and Winterburns and Groves’ and Allinsons the money was being shared within the clubs. Now it is pouring out into the pockets of millionaire grabbers who don’t give a shit, and their ‘agents’.
Hard to square the circle when you are a supporter of a club that has given so much pleasure.
cba@38: 78 is the highest the monks can find.
Cynic: I’d have Ozil over Cesc any day, and especially now. Given someone to put away the chances Ozil could create, I’d put money on Ozil breaking TH14’s record of most assists in a Premier League season, (20 in 2002–03).
Great signing… Welcome to the Arsenal.
‘Holic@49: Too true. £174 million went into agent’s pockets from Premiership clubs last season.
…agents’ pockets…
?
Player’s salaries are beyond obscene. Imagine a fireman who saved peoples’ lives in Grenfell Tower or a nurse ministering to the sick or a policeman keeping terrorists at bay . How sick that they are expected to pay high admission fees with a 1% pay cap going on. It’s not so much a political point as a complaint about how bloated the game has become.
There is only one song for the man. Forget Xhaka Laka stuff. We have Lacazette, say we have Lacazette. We have Lacazette, say we have Lacazette. 🙂
Mad Jens was carrying this when he was at training today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRojSdgeRN8
Bless.
If the Mirror report of both Ozil and Sanchez’s ransom demands are true, they can both get to fuck.
It is time the league introduces a salary cap. In the present system the players, their agents and to a certain extent the club/owners make money. The only ones really suffering are the fans, especially the ones attending the games. With the sort of money that premier leagues teams make, the cost of season tickets could be reduced but no one is worried about the fans. The way the leagues are structured (relegation/promotion) and the clubs desperation to stay in the PL, the situation will only get worse and the payments to players and agents will only increase.
Agree Cynic that Ozil’s demands are extortionate but the club has only itself (Wenger) to blame. How can a club not take timely action to get players to resign and let so many contracts enter the final year is beyond me. In any other business, heads would roll but there is no one in our club to question Wenger.
Fabregas and Ozil would be a luxury but it is very tempting. It is at best a short term solution. I would prefer to get someone young like Lemar instead.
Pablo Fornals, please, while Santi’s around to mentor him. Good vision, size and puts in defensive work. Suitable option to play with/for Xhaka. Still not convinced the Ox or Rambo can efficiently run our mid wout playmakers.
And Lemar…one season of stats aside, am i missing something? Or is he Alexis’ replacement?
Laca’s signing is superb news! Up!!
Not posted for yonks but always in the bar.
As for Lacazette song, if we’ve signed a genius we need a song from a genius. Am thinking Lacazette/Little Red Corvette. Catchy lyric anyone?
ned
no.83 – young Derry fella just signed wiff da yoof
so
carrying on the proud Irish Gunner tradition
of Pat Rice and Patrick Vieira
and
(providing he’s not shite)
the re-Irishification of Arsenal starts NOW !
RED and GREEN together as one
yup
North London is BROWN !
(unless it’s light then it’s something else which i can’t recall as i’m not Magnus Fucking Pyke)
.
.
cheerio
off out to greet the day
.
UP THE ARSENAL
look at that
ohhhhh
LOOK AT THAT !
Wooooop, Woooooooooooooooooop, we’ve been, and gone, and got one etc.
Still get as schoolboyishly excited as ever i did – more or less. But (as yours @49 perfectly captures ‘H) you see the numbers and find out who’s pocketing what, and it does seem utterly effin bonkaaaahs.
still, that’s the real world (oh no itsnot!) – or at least it is as it pertains to the preposterous corporatized money monster premiership soccaaaaaahball has become – so for now it’s “get with the beat baggy” time for me …
So gwan A. Dubbya, go haul in the boy Mbappe for 150,000 season ticket sales and all the H’ in AfghaRnistaRn (applying Boris Johnson’s old school “Glarstonbury” pronounciation), or whatever else it takes, for whoever yer fancy stocking the squad with.
UTA!
How can a club not take timely action to get players to resign and let so many contracts enter the final year is beyond me.
If they’ve not even made offers to certain players, and they want those players to stay, I’d agree. However I’m not entirely convinced we want OX to stay, as he was hardly a regular and he’s sort of fluked his way into the team by not completely blowing the right wing back job when it circumstances put him into it.
If you think about it though, there’s no other position he will be playing for us and we’ve got too much invested in Bellerin to replace him with OX, who is surplus to first team requirements IMO.
So letting him drift into his final year was a mistake financially but I’m not convinced it is from a team perspective. He’s not going to want to sit on the bench and share duties, or continue to be a utility player, at his age.
Who are the others? I forget. Wilshere? No place for him at the top level I’m afraid.
Point I am making is you can’t force players you want to keep to sign if they are playing the waiting game. The one thing we should not be doing is paying a player with no apparent alternatives a fortune (Hi Mesut)
Think about what he reportedly wants. £350k a week. £16.8m a year. Give him a four year contract… that’s nearly £70m in wages for a player nobody else apparently wants. Mental cash.
Sanchez’s reported demands, if true, are even worse. He’s not worth what Ozil is asking, let alone his own supposed figure.
I wouldn’t pay anyone more than £200k a week and I can’t even believe that figure is acceptable.
Utd sign Lukaku for a reported 75 mil.
Is he worth 25 mil more than Lacazette. ??
Lacazette is going to be considered cheap…hope he’s able to perform.
Think Alexis and Ozil will stay unless we can find their replacements first and not the other way round..!
Friday night football coming to the Ems:
Arsenal v Leicester City
Friday, August 11
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Live on: Sky Sports
One of twelve rescheduled Premiership fixtures.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/twelve-premier-league-fixtures-rescheduled
For those who don’t want to click a link
Arsenal v Leicester City
Friday, August 11
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Live on: Sky Sports
Stoke City v Arsenal
Saturday, August 19
Kick-off: 5.30pm
Live on: BT Sport
Liverpool v Arsenal
Sunday, August 27
Kick-off: 4pm
Live on: Sky Sports
Chelsea v Arsenal
Sunday, September 17
Kick-off: 1.30pm
Live on: Sky Sports
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion
Monday, September 25
Kick-off: 8pm
Live on: Sky Sports
Arsenal v Brighton and Hove Albion
Sunday, October 1
Kick-off: 12pm
Live on: BT Sport
Manchester City v Arsenal
Sunday, November 5
Kick-off: TBC
Burnley v Arsenal
Sunday, November 26
Kick-off: TBC
Arsenal v Huddersfield Town
Wednesday, November 29
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Southampton v Arsenal
Sunday, December 10
Kick-off: TBC
West Ham United v Arsenal
Wednesday, December 13
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Please note that our game against Everton at Goodison Park will also be rescheduled due to Europa League participation, but no date or kick-off time has yet been set.
My 2 buck’s worth, chant wise, re our 52 million squids capture
(and sincerest sorries if some swifter finker beat me to it before) … is the admittedly old-skool, somewhat simple – though I would argue, fairly apt incantation for our brand new petit, wee (oui – 4 the mighty Trev) French fellow, and it goes as follows:
ahem … La-Ca-Zette-Zette-Zette (etc., ad infinitum, to the choooon of: Ian-Wright-Wright-Wright).
For like the gunner of yore, he looks to me to be a tinchy goal-plunderer of surprising power and peculiar flexibility of limb, wot is bound to top the scoring charts of the top div for some 6 seasons, or more.
La-Ca-Zette-Zette-Zette!
(Disclaimer: Clearly other chants are available, with more to follow soon, I’m sure. Said chants will almost certainly prove to be both more popular and all round betterer)
But this close season I shall be teaching me mutt (with the help of chicken and other barely resistible bribes) to get all excited when I crack a can, clear me throat, and intone like an angel (Hell’s) … “La-Ca-Zette-Zette-Zette” – over! UTA!
AL @ 70. And righly so. Flummox the bewildered mutt. 🙂
Cynic, the reason Ozil and Sanchez are asking for such high salaries is because they know that next season they will have a number of clubs chasing to sign them at similar or higher figures as they would be available on a free. Next season Ozil will be worth at least £30 m in the market which translates to around £600k per week salary. So anyone signing Ozil on a free next year at a salary lower than £600k a week is gaining. Given the circumstances, both can reasonably ask for £300k plus weekly wages. We are to blame as we have put them in that position. Under normal circumstances £200k per week would be what they could reasonably expect.
If we were to sign a player of Sanchez’s caliber today we would be happy to pay £50 m. Sanchez is saying pay me that amount over a three year period. Reasonable guys both?.
Best option then is to sign them on for 3 years at an inflated salary, with a sell on clause after one season and sell them for top dollar next summer with younger replacements lined up. Worst case in that scenario, of course, is that they almost certainly won’t be able to command those salaries from anyone else bar Shitteh so we will be stuck with them for another two years on inflated salaries.
How often has Arsene said in his press conferences that there is no hurry to sort out the contracts of Ozil and Sanchez? He maintained it all season. If it was a negotiating stance it was a pretty crap one.
Re Ox, the boy is someone who , if he stays fit ( big if) could come back and bite us on the bum. I don’t think we’ve ever worked out his best position but he is able to play on either flank, he is explosive and capable of special moments. He doesn’t get enough goals, gives the ball away too much when central and can be inconsistent but if he leaves I will feel we wasted his talent.
I don’t think Wenger has managed Theo or Ox, or Wilshere for that matter, very well at all but the main reason for all three has been regular injuries which have disrupted their careers – especially LJW. I’m not sure if I was a young talent e.g., Sessegnon that I would see Arsenal as the place to build my career – unless you’ve come from Barcelona .
Anyone interested can listen to a French football watcher about Lacazette’s strengths and weaknesses:
http://dailycannon.com/2017/07/about-alexandre-lacazette/r
The Ozil debate does not go at all. Even after this many years, he still merits ” oh what is so special” comments. I cannot think of one player in this world who is a better No 10 than him currently. This with due respect to Iniesta who is better than him but does not have the legs to play a complete season. There is not a single game that he has not created atleast 2 goal scoring opportunities and we still wonder why should we pay him the top dollar? I am certain a lot will ask if he is that good, why are there no bids for him? Answer, thank god for that. He is a player who needs to be protected by a DM around him and then you see what he can do. Yes it is a luxury in today’s football but then you dont get such wonderful players again and again. If you notice, Mou is buying a lot more defensive reinforcements ( Matic) to help free Pogba who i am sure will play a far more advanced role this season. Ozil is a far better player than Pogba. I honestly cannot appreciate how lucky we are to have him in this team.
Laca will be good but not great. He may very well help us win those games that we drew and that is more than enough. He could also help us in Europa as well and if we do reach the Quarter finals, we should do all it takes to win it. till then even if it is our carling cup team, thats fine.
Alexis may sign a contract, have a release clause, get it activated after an year and then leave. For all i care, that is fine, let him just stay this season and we win the league.
Great signing, Lacazette. I have a gut feeling that we will sign Mbappe, probably for a record fee, and sell Sanchez, probably to City, which I think we will have to do to get full value for him. I don’t care any more, as I think we will have had his best years. I think we will also buy another creative midfielder. If the Ox is saying he should play in the centre of midfield, then he should leave too. No players can dictate where they should play. Unfortunately, he is pretty erratic and that, plus injuries, is why he does not command a regular starting place. He has had plenty of opportunities in a number of positions but lacks consistency:- his fault not AW’s. I’m not sure he will regularly start in centre-midfield at Liverpool, either. If he does go, then we may also be in for another midfielder, possibly Mahrez. Seriously hope we get Mbappe, as he looks the best new talent around, and could be worth double his price in 5 years time.
Strong gut feeling, though that may just be a result of my hernia.
Devon Stu. I have a gut feeling we will not sign Mbappe. There, that makes us even. 😉
But I would love to see it if it turns out you are right if for nothing else than the pure excitement factor. Although I prefer the pure feelgood factor which is of course, longer lasting, because it makes you feel good not just excited.
Got that? Not sure I did.
Ok, bt8, but have you got a hernia?
It’s competition time! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Bit late but just wanted to say I hit the link and bought a couple of bits from the Art of Football website. Well pleased with the quality of the items as well as the service and speed of delivery.
Cheers rider. The packaging is something else too, isn’t it. I’m well impressed with them.
Yeah I was impressed with that and the little note that came with it. Nice in these times of automation and impersonality to have some old fashioned human contact with the seller. I shall be advertising through wearing