Ever since Arsenal finally got the transfer of Ben White over the line, the rumour mill has indicated that Arsenal have since decided to go all out for Leicester City’s James Maddison as their first choice to fill the hole in the Gunners midfield.
There have been rumours of bids, offers to include Arsenal players in swap deals, and then reports of increased bids coming in thick and fast.
But it seems that this is all news to the Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers, who seems quite relaxed and is quietly preparing for the new season with Maddison in his squad.
Rodgers told the Daily Mail: ‘I know he is very happy here and he wants to be here. If anything comes to the club, Jon Rudkin (director of football) would tell me straightaway and I would deal with it then, but there has been nothing that’s come my way.
‘I’ve not been told anything to say [he won’t stay]. He is happy in training and he is working hard, and he is a talented, important member of the squad.
‘He had his season disrupted by injury last year but hopefully this season he can show what a real top player he is.’
So, this raises the possibility that the rumours linking us with Maddison are just red herrings while we are pursuing other targets for the midfield position, like Martin Odegaard or Lautaro Martinez?
Somehow I think either of those would be better value than Maddison…
The classic way to keep the player’s market value as high as possible. All the right words, except “not for sale” which clearly indicates a possibility for sale if their valuation for the player is met. This is what that separates a seasoned management from a rookie one.
Look at the way we handled the Guendouzi, Torreira and AMN situations. After boasting publicly about the “clean slate” policy, we acted against that policy and either benched or entirely left them out of the squad. Now, we’re left with no choice but to accept whatever their potential suitors offer instead of putting our own terms like LCFC do now. Wonder that kind of “clean slate” Saliba gets after his season long loan spell at France.
Well put.
So are you suggesting that Arteta is responsible for the lack of interest shown in the three mediocre players mentioned? Madison is a cut above our trio and will be in demand if ever Leicester decide to sell him .It has nothing whatsoever to do with the calibre of his Manager but has everything to do with the calibre of the player.
I’ve never mentioned anywhere in my comment or now suggesting that Arteta is responsible for the lack of interests shown in the three mediocre players.
Teams don’t finish 5th in the league and reach the finals of UEL if two “mediocre” players started a combined 60+ games, played in 98 games and clocked 6000+ minutes in their debut season.
I’m just stating that we simply can’t lay down the terms for the sales of those three players like LCFC can do for Maddison. Whatever has changed at the club between Dec 2019 and now, I’ll leave it to your imagination.
Torreira – 40+ mils (Dec 2019) / 18 mils (Current)
Guendouzi – 45 mils (Dec 2019) / 18 mils (Current)
AMN – 16+ mils (Dec 2019) / 14 mils (Current)
If you believe that we can quote the Dec 2019 valuation for those players and successfully complete a sale, like LCFC is hoping to do with Maddison, I simply can’t help.
The squad was bloated and from memory – everyone had a chance to impress before the wiping of the slate was finished. Guendouzi was the architect of his own downfall and although I liked Torreira initially he didn’t kick on or enjoy his time in London.
Leicester on the other hand have bought well and can sell well. The likes of Mustafi, Sokratis and Kolasinac were never going to be highly sought after. I could blame those in charge of transfers and contracts at the time for the state we’re in now. Arteta can though take the blame for not realising that Willian was past it and for authorising his transfer and 3 year generous contract
Leicester just didn’t buy well and sell well. In between those two phases, they developed those players well, negotiated the sales well and more importantly they chose the right moments and the players for each of the phases.
The most important thing is, Leicester entrusted their squad in the hands of a proven manager.
Rodgers has had a very solid career so far. He isn’t the only reason as Ranieri was the one who won the EPL.
Leicester weren’t afraid to dispense with the services of managers who didn’t fulfill their remit…as in Ranieri himself, Shakespeare and Puel. However, it was a brilliant move by them to appoint Rodgers. There is no reason why Arteta can’t succeed, but the risks attached to his appointment at the time were enormous and still remain so
A million things fell into the right place for LCFC, when they won the title. They rebuilt the squad by selling their most marketable assets and brought in players who can improve 2 or 3 positions from those sales proceeds. A good proportion of their signings have grown leaps and bounds after moving to LCFC because of how they were managed. The same can’t be said about even one signing after AW left 3 seasons ago. The two players who have shown improvements in their debut season, Torreira and Guendouzi, both regressed in the following seasons. Even if our management can’t develop the players, they must be competent enough to at least preserve their values, at which they’ve failed miserably.
Yes
Things did fall into place – Arsenal amongst the other top4 clubs ballsed up and whose watch was that on and I am far from anti Wenger. We are unlikely to agree on Torreira or MG. I agreed with Grandad that they are not good enough. For a brief moment in time your assertion that MG was worth £45m may well have been true. He didn’t exactly rip it up at Hertha Berlin. Is Torreira wanted at AM after his loan spell? DS could have preserved his value if he was that good
So many of our players were overpriced and over rewarded that getting a reasonable transfer or actually getting them off the books due to their obscene wages was and is nigh on impossible. Will Pepe ever be worth the £72m that the club paid? I don’t expect Arteta or anyone to preserve his value
Pepe will be worth every penny and some more, if any manager can find the system to get 22 goals and 11 assists in the league out of him in a season. If any coach couldn’t do, what someone else already did with Pepe, it’s not Pepe’s fault. And if any coach could find a system to get those numbers from Pepe every season, there’s no reason for his value to diminish.
Had the team bettered the 5th place in the league and reaching the UEL final without Torreira and Guendouzin in the squad, both the players shall be deemed not good enough. When the team finished 8th and kicked out of Europe for the first time in 25 years, without Torreira and Guendouzi in the squad, someone else associated with the squad must be “not good enough” and not them.
You are absolutely clutching at straws
Maybe SueP, I’m absolutely clutching at straws. It helps me be ready for the season without any UNREALISTIC GREAT EXPECTATIONS from our club and never wanting to join the “Arteta Out!!!” bandwagon.
Sue P, AW was in charge with all three of those disatrous buys. He bought so many dud CB’s over his long time that I lost count of them long ago.
Just CAMPBELL WAS REAL TOP CLASS, WITH KOS AND TOURE NEXT LEVEL DOWN, WHICH MEANS GOOD BUT NOT GREAT.
NOT ANOTHER SINGLE AW IMPORT WAS ABOVE AVERAGE AND MOST WERE SHOCKING, TBH.
This lack of ability to put the centre of defence right was the MAIN reason I wanted him gone long before he finally left.
TV5 was good, imo better than Kos and Toure but he had that major issue with staying fit
Aw was in charge of 2 of those buys Jon .
Sok was emerys mistake .
Dan, Socrates was a Sven Mislantat buy. Emery had to coach the players bought for him.
No Ozzie ,Emery wanted sok
Sven wanted the lad who went to Leicester .
Either way it wasn’t an AW signing
Players have done much worse than Guendouzi on the pitch and were not discarded by their coach for such incidents as long as they can truly see the talent in that player.
If what Xhaka did is pardonable, then what Guendouzi did is too. Posting an apology won’t change a thing. And none but the player can know, if he truly apologized in repentance. Most importantly, he was just a kid and it happened in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t premeditated. Our management created a mountain out of a molehill when they could have handled this thing in a different way.
At least with Sokratis, Mustafi and Kolasinac we were playing in Europe and reaching the finals. Could have justified that if we’ve at least qualified to play in the Conference League this season.
Honestly speaking,i hate the transfer window.how i wish players can be bought/sold without all this speculations,rumours,links&lies after lies.just give us the news of the official confirmation of incomings&outgoings,no more speculations.Let the game begin’
Honestly, I can’t believe this story is still doing the rounds. There’s no way Arsenal will pay the figure Leicester want. You’ve seen with Mahrez and Maguire that they don’t want to sell their best players, unless you offer stupid money. It’s not happening.
Dom, I hope you are right, as there is so much better value out there if £60 million is available, particularly in midfielders, to improve the Arsenal squad
Either get it done or move on .
I don’t know what so special about Maddision,there are better and cheaper midfielders out there.
In my opinion, the men behind the recruitment of players are not excusable in terms of who’s responsible for this mess. But Arteta is also partly responsible for the decline in the market value of our players. To be frank, which of our players really improved and has a better under Arteta? No consistency in selection. Look at how he brought in William and benched Pepe in the first half of the season. Please let’s not mention Saka or Tierney, because those guys have great passion and personal drive. For instance, look at Brendan Rogers and see how some players are increasing in stock under him.
I’m getting bored of all this now.
I might have to send a strongly worded email to state “WE HAVE BRENTFORD NEXT WEEK and the team that will be put out is the same team that finished 8th last season except White”
Just get what ever deals that need to be done… DONE!! and stop fannying around.
It’s like watching paint dry… ffs.