How does a move like this make someone like Nketiah feel? Not long signed a bumper contract, no doubt after being told he was in Arteta's plans and would get plenty of game time, then they sign Havertz for about £20m too much?
Summer Transfer Window 23/24
- Thread starter Bigpig
- Start date
No change because havertz isnt a striker
Caporegime
Kovacic is older, not homegrown and they don't want to keep him.
Caporegime
But but, no one thought we’d get top 4 this year?
Same old crap every year, just instantly tipping Arsenal for failure. I don’t see why everyone’s so convinced this years failures are suddenly going to turn things around.
And they did brilliantly. In the same way Leicester did. But I didn't think they would maintain it either. Similar year, lots of teams in transition and no European football of note. It will be great if you repeat it, I just don't see it with the squad and CL football.
Caporegime
I personally can’t see us going far in the CL, so we’ll have a lot of the season with just league football.
I think it's really up in the air at the moment between Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Chelsea and Newcastle. Any three of them (plus City) could get top four.
A midfield of Rice, Havertz and Odegaard is as good as that of any of the other teams in that list, if Arsenal manage to put that together.
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Caporegime
Has @Bigpig hacked @robfosters ?
I think the fact Trossard was preferred up top towards the end of the season already made it clear he's not good enough.No change because havertz isnt a striker
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Soldato
Ok now I might believe this is a goer
Soldato
Bit of a weird one, no? Him and Bruno seem very similar players.
Soldato
Tonali isn't that good in my opinion but Milan are getting Loftus-Cheek so 1 in 1 out.
Ok so now you believe?
My posts of private plane flights and pictures of agent’s in the bushes didn’t do it for yah?
Bruno has a desire to play a more advance role. Switch from an 6 to an 8. It’s actually very hard to place Bruno. His heatmaps are insane.
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Caporegime
If anything it'll be the other way round. Tonali would be the more offensive of the two.
Bruno was the most advance 6 in the PL maybe Europe can’t remember which.
The pair would make a tidy midfield if the move comes off. They can toss a coin before each game
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OK, Centre Forward then? Still must make Eddie a bit frustrated and potentially looking elsewhere? Same thing happened to Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek at Chelsea. Signed their long term deal as a young player and watched as players were bought to play ahead of them.No change because havertz isnt a striker
Havertz: I just don't see him in that left 8 role, too imbalanced. I think he's being brought in as better competition than what we have, in arguably 3 of the 4 attacking positions.
Nketiah: We basically protected value in offering him that contract. He did well stepping in for Lacazette in the latter part of 2021-2022. But he doesn't fit the team structure as it has evolved. Goal threat nosedived after Jesus was injured and Nketiah replaced him, and then was buoyed once Trossard signed. As a poacher, he doesn't have the link up play to get the best out of the other parts of the attack, and in particular Martinelli.
Nketiah: We basically protected value in offering him that contract. He did well stepping in for Lacazette in the latter part of 2021-2022. But he doesn't fit the team structure as it has evolved. Goal threat nosedived after Jesus was injured and Nketiah replaced him, and then was buoyed once Trossard signed. As a poacher, he doesn't have the link up play to get the best out of the other parts of the attack, and in particular Martinelli.
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I'd be staggered if Havertz doesn't spent 80% plus of his playing time as a genuine central midfielder (or at least no more advanced than Odegaard). In possession, the following 3-4-3 looks sensible:
White-Gabriel-Saliba
Zinchenko-Partey/Rice/another
Odegaard-Havertz
Saka-Jesus-Martinelli
Obviously players will get injured, rotated etc, and Havertz's ability to play as a centre forward is useful, but he'll be used behind the front line, essentially taking over Xhaka's role from last season.
Havertz is a more attacking player than Xhaka so Arsenal would be putting more faith in their genuine DM , whoever that ends up being, when they are out of possession, but having a back four and outright DM flanked by two more attack-minded but still hard working midfielders is hardly open.
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