Morning all. A quick Friday round-up as I have to see a man about a dog. Literally. I have to take Lana to get some x-rays today.
Keep this to yourselves though, but I’m hearing we might be about to sign a Brazilian forward who used to play for Man City. I was sent some pixelated pictures of him wearing the number 9 at the Emirates yesterday and I’m sure nobody else has seen them. Best keep it on the down low for now however, don’t wanna get anyone in trouble.
Person 1: “Hey mate, I’ve got a video of Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal. Whatever you do though, don’t send it to anyone else.”
Person 2: “Of course not. It’s safe with me!”
Person 2: “Hey mate, I’ve got a video of Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal. Whatever you do though, don’t send it to anyone else.”
Person 3: “Of course not. It’s safe with me!”
Person 3: “Hey mate, I’ve got a video of Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal. Whatever you do though, don’t send it to anyone else.”
Person 4: “Of course not. It’s safe with me!”
Person 4: *Sends video to Sunday League football team WhatsApp group*. “Lads, don’t send this on to anyone else.”
Person 1: *checks Twitter* “Oh shit.”
If you need it, I recommend Tim’s latest column on a player he’s been watching for a long time. Good insight into his talent and potential, and how he’s chosen Arsenal at this point of his career. Check it out here.
All the usual stuff will apply when we officially announce the signing, quotes/reaction etc on Arseblog News throughout the day.
Meanwhile, there’s talk of Man Utd being interested in Lisandro Martinez, and I’m sure that will make Arsenal fans anxious. The obvious connection between the player and his former manager could be the difference if he’s torn between destinations. I also think that despite the fact Erik ten Hag is a smart appointment, United won’t be able to shake off their predilection for just lashing out money to make things happen. They will want to recruit well and smartly, for a change, but after a dismal season they’ll still go to ridiculous financial levels to ensure a deal gets done to keep fans onside.
He’s a player I’d like at Arsenal, but it remains to be seen how persuaded he is by us, the project, and all the rest. I do think a signing like Gabriel Jesus makes a bit of a statement, as he’s the highest profile player we’ve brought in since Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, and those transfers go some way to changing the perception of a club. People think ‘Oh, they’re serious’, but whether or not that has any impact on this one I can’t say for sure.
What I would say is that with any deal for any good player, I am hopeful but also prepared for disappointment. The bigger issue for me is how the club react to missing out on key targets. This applies to Raphinha, whose qualities were obvious, so if he was an active priority, what do we do if he goes to another club (hopefully Barcelona because I really want to laugh a bit at Chelsea)?
If Lisandro Martinez chooses United – making the assumption that they have genuine interest and this isn’t just Ajax using another club to squeeze as much money out of us as possible – who is the next player on our list, or what is the alternative option for someone who could, feasibly, have played in three positions for us next season? We do know that Arsenal have lists of targets, so it’s not as if we don’t countenance the idea of a deal not happening, but how fluid that is, whether it’s like for like or an alternative structure, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Elsewhere, I see Sp*rs are signing Richarlison, and to me that feels like a match made in heaven hell. He has the most Sp*rs face of all time, and while I know you shouldn’t judge a book by his cover, he looks like someone who would help an old lady across the road then push her under a bus so he can steal her handbag. With him, Kane, and Son next season, they might win something … assuming that there are points given for artistic merit for all the diving that will go on. Hopefully as they try to outdo each in training to see who can impress Antonio Conte most with a handstand triple-Salchow reverse somersault, they cause each other all kinds of injuries.
Right, I’ll leave it there for now. There’s a brand new Arsecast for you below, chatting to Lewis Ambrose about the big transfer stories, the upcoming Amazon doc and lots more. Happy listening.
