Blog

Welcome to this weeks blog, and firstly, I want to congratulate the club on Making the Hall of Fame in Show Racism the Red Card. The club does some fantastic work in the Community and projects in London, so it’s really great to see the club get this accolade.

The transfer window is officially open, albeit for a few days and the meltdowns have already started for some of the Gunners faithful.

Well, they have if you sometimes dip into the world of social media.

So I’ve being doing some research on our new Director of football and from the media reports I’ve read and I have been watching, Andrea Berta is supposedly a very shrewd operator. Keeping in constant contact with various teams and players representatives across Europe, collecting all the data, all the details before striking at the perfect time for the best deal he can get for the club he is working for.

This week, lets take a look at some of the candidates the ITK’s and transfer gurus have been linking us to and which seemingly the club are now narrowing down in there search to bolster Mikels squad.

Benjamin Sesko

Lets start with Benjamin Sesko. Reports out this week are now suggesting that Arsenal are in direct contact with Leipzig and his representatives, so one to keep an eye on, though this not one I expect to be rushed within this mini window which is due to close in the next week for players to be registered for the Club World Cup. This one will be a few weeks more before it’s progressed to a signature.

At 22 years of age, this very much looks like the chips on the table going in on the striker who has considerable amount of years ahead of him, like Newcastle pulling the trigger on Isak in 2022, with a possible return at the end of it.

Sesko being the option by all reports over the other target Berta and the club have looked at in Viktor Gyokeres, a player who would be asked to make returns instantly with very little value at the end of his contract.

Time will tell whether the club has made the right choice if the deal goes through but that’s the beauty of sport, you just never know until the action starts. Having watched some of his highlights I can see why his numbers are not prolific yet, he drops deep, on the half turn and accelerates away, manufacturing many scoring opportunities himself with the way Leipzig have set up.

Perhaps with the Gunners, he will be on the end of more chances, through balls from Odegaard and those floated crosses to the back post by Bukayo, the possibilities to grow as a player are there for the 6 ft 5 striker, who does have a look of the Zlatans about him.

Martin Zubimendi

Now, Martin Zubimendi. Some chatter and an interview this week from Spain suggested that he was undecided although credible reports have also come out that the ink is currently drying and a medical awaits, with Sociedad wanting the deal to be confirmed in July for their accounts.

Yep we’re in silly season time, where conflicting reports seem to drop hourly.

So to those on social media I say this, lets all just chill. He is currently competing with Spain this weekend in the Nations League, then after a long season, a summer break will be needed by the player. Zubimendi should be through the door for Arsenals first friendly and tour in Asia versus AC Milan on the 23rd of July, it’s only June and I think the news leaking in January has flattened the atmosphere around the signing a touch.

The player himself, looks the perfect platform to free up the likes of Rice to bomb forward with that powerful stride and Odegaard to float around that right hand side of the pitch linking with the wingers and full backs.

A low centre of gravity, great in the tackle, especially in block tackles and striding away, then giving the ball to creative players on his team. Now this is me being captain obvious but with that Spanish coaching he has had and style, he is comfortable in his final third, picking the ball up deep with progressive passing between the lines and across the pitch when needed.

I think this elevates the teams ability to get out, adding another dimension, where at times, like the PSG first leg, that ultra press put on by Enriques side made it difficult to build out from the back, oh and the ref blowing his whistle every 15 seconds didn’t help but don’t get me started on that.

So that’s the Jorginho gap filled in the squad with the club agreeing to end his contract with immediate effect. The player joining Flamengo ahead of the Club World Cup which starts next week.

Farewell Jorginho

And a mention to Jorginho, what a great club man and signing he has been since signing from Chelsea in January 2023. Jorginho has won everything there is pretty much in the game, no arrogance, no moaning, he has just been a positive energy around a young squad trying to go to the next level passing on some wisdom and professionality which hopefully rubs off on the squad. Plus a very intelligent player every time he was on the pitch, keeping the tempo ticking in midfield. All the best to him and his family for his next venture in Brazil.

Rodrygo, the number 1 target on the left?

And finally this week. Seemingly Rodrygo from Real Madrid is the number one target at left wing by reports this week.

Therefore, I’ve drilled down into the data from his last few seasons in Madrid, the Brazilian attacker has not been as prolific as others out there in that position but from what I see, he has some individual talent that can’t be coached, some flair and creativity.

I would it call it ‘chaos’, and every team across Europe needs some chaos in attack. This was raised by the guys on the Arsenal Vision podcast this week, teams are now coached to the finest detail, positioning where to be, patterns of play and most teams without the ball settling to low blocks, apart from Ange that time with 9 men against Chelsea.

Back to Rodrygo, I do see an Alexis Sanchez type signing here, a promising player in La Liga, surrounded by other stars needing a break out and then being the main man somewhere else. This could be the chance for him and hopefully if he does make the move, Mikel lets the man play. Because, chaos is sometimes a good thing and is definitely needed in this Arsenal side. Against those pesky low blocks, you need something different and someone else to take away defenders who double up on Bukayo on the right.

Lets just hope if Rodrygo does arrive at the Emirates, he doesn’t spend a few seasons here and then leaves to a team from the North west unveiling him playing a piano in three and half seasons, hopefully them days are long gone for the club.

And, finally, just a quick note on the news regarding Kepa from Chelsea which broke late on Friday, he looks to of grown into a solid Premier League level keeper and for £5 million, it looks a no brainer to me, I’ll discuss more if that deal goes through in the coming weeks.

Anyways, thanks for reading, until the next one, have a great week all.