Martín Zubimendi | Having medical at Arsenal (51m fee) | Romano: here we go

I dread to think how much the player himself wants if that's what the agent is demanding
I read Williams is currently on 200k/week. I just don't see any clubs pay him even 300k+/week given his G+A contribution this season.

Zubimendi is a great addition as Jorginho replacement. Zubimendi will reunite with Merino, Odegaard again in the midfield.
 
If Partey extended his deal, he wouldn't displace him in the team.
Probably won't when Arsenal plays against elite teams and need steel in the midfield. Zubimendi and Merino are great options in the squad with so many games to play next season.
 
He is decent, but doesnt really improve the starting eleven by much. Nice to have in the squad though, offers something different, but i dont think he is top class.
 
See I think Partey is generally a better/more progressive player than Zubimendi on the ball and that the midfield of Partey and Rice lacks creativity anyway. I think he'll be a solid squad player but nothing more than that, doesn't really change anything for arsenal and what I'd expect you to do with or without him.

You're already a top team with the best defense in the league looking for how to step up and get over the line, you need more creativity and burst in midfield like one of the PSG midfielders (Neves/Vitinha) to go next to Rice and Odegaard (along with upgrading the LW and CF). Zubimendi isn't that at all imo.

We'll see but I don't think the first part of that is true at all. While I agree we need more creativity that largely needs to come from the attacking additions, plus Rice and Odegaard feeling they can play with more freedom and risk with a DM alongside them that is much better in defensive transitions (which had become a big weakness of Partey's the last two years and has always been a big weakness for Jorginho).
 
Didn’t notice him at all when we played against his team in the EL. Or am I remembering the wrong team?
you’re remembering it right. I was surprised at how little impact he had in that second leg game. However, he was fantastic for Spain in that final against England. Everyone was cheering that Rodri went off at half time but this guy came in and bossed the game.
 
To me he's one of those players who needs to be in a possession focused system to thrive, which Arsenal don't really play.
Seems like some peeps are starting to believe their own banter about Arsenal being the new Stoke. We dominate possession in virtually every game. @ArtetasHair mentioned that we're second only to City for possession (and that's in a season where we finished with 10 men in 16% of our games).
 
Seems like some peeps are starting to believe their own banter about Arsenal being the new Stoke. We dominate possession in virtually every game. @ArtetasHair mentioned that we're second only to City for possession (and that's in a season where we finished with 10 men in 16% of our games).
I take it as a compliment. If Arteta brings in Sesko then Arsenal will be an even bigger threat in set pieces.
 
Seems like some peeps are starting to believe their own banter about Arsenal being the new Stoke. We dominate possession in virtually every game. @ArtetasHair mentioned that we're second only to City for possession (and that's in a season where we finished with 10 men in 16% of our games).

I believe that you are 4th in the league for average possession (behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea), 5th for passes attempted per game (behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea and United) and 4th for passes completed per game (behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea) and across Europe's top 5 leagues, Arsenal would rank 16th, 23rd, 20th for the same categories, respectively. The margins aren't huge, though and the overall point (that Arsenal generally play possession-football) stands.
 
I believe that you are 4th in the league for average possession (behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea), 5th for passes attempted per game (behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea and United) and 4th for passes completed per game (behind City, Liverpool, Chelsea) and across Europe's top 5 leagues, Arsenal would rank 16th, 23rd, 20th for the same categories, respectively. The margins aren't huge, though and the overall point (that Arsenal generally play possession-football) stands.
City lead the stats by 61 percent. Then Chelsea, us and Liverpool all have 57%. One has 57.7 one 57.8 one 57.4. Its not a big difference, if any barely.

This set piece and Stoke stuff is way too overhyped. Last year or so we have scored 120 plus goals, only 22 were from set pieces.
 
City lead the stats by 61 percent. Then Chelsea, us and Liverpool all have 57%. One has 57.7 one 57.8 one 57.4. Its not a big difference, if any barely.

This set piece and Stoke stuff is way too overhyped. Last year or so we have scored 120 plus goals, only 22 were from set pieces.

Get away out of that. We watched ye in the latter stages of the CL and it was pure and unadulterated Pulis.
 
you’re remembering it right. I was surprised at how little impact he had in that second leg game. However, he was fantastic for Spain in that final against England. Everyone was cheering that Rodri went off at half time but this guy came in and bossed the game.

The only half of football he’s ever bossed. When Barcelona or Real Madrid don’t make much of an attempt to sign a player from one of the feeder Spanish teams, it tells you need to know. He’ll be out of the first xi very quickly.
 
The only half of football he’s ever bossed. When Barcelona or Real Madrid don’t make much of an attempt to sign a player from one of the feeder Spanish teams, it tells you need to know. He’ll be out of the first xi very quickly.

Xavi practically begged the Barcelona board to sign Zubimendi as a Busquets replacement when he was manager but they didn't have the money. Now both Bernal and Casado have emerged so the need at the position isn't there. Xabi Alonso is well known to be a huge fan of Zubimendi, who he coached at Real Sociedad B, but its not clear a player like him really fits Real's transfer plans.

But what do Xavi and Xabi Alonso know about midfield play anyway?
 
Xavi practically begged the Barcelona board to sign Zubimendi as a Busquets replacement when he was manager but they didn't have the money. Now both Bernal and Casado have emerged so the need at the position isn't there. Xabi Alonso is well known to be a huge fan of Zubimendi, who he coached at Real Sociedad B, but its not clear a player like him really fits Real's transfer plans.

But what do Xavi and Xabi Alonso know about midfield play anyway?
Potentially as much as Paul Scholes and Lothar Matthaus.
 
Xavi practically begged the Barcelona board to sign Zubimendi as a Busquets replacement when he was manager but they didn't have the money. Now both Bernal and Casado have emerged so the need at the position isn't there. Xabi Alonso is well known to be a huge fan of Zubimendi, who he coached at Real Sociedad B, but its not clear a player like him really fits Real's transfer plans.

But what do Xavi and Xabi Alonso know about midfield play anyway?
Can you show me the article where Xavi practically begged the Barca board?
 
Google Xavi + Zubimendi and you can find a hundred articles talking about how much Xavi wanted him at Barcelona.

One example.

Another.

I don’t see an example of him begging the Board there, but I do note that he spent over €200m euros on players when he was coach. Can’t have wanted him that bad, and if anything, the fact that since Xavi has left Barca have looked significantly better just tells me he may not have the eye for a player. Just because you were a GOAT midfielder, doesn’t mean you can identify a future one that easily. I’ve watched zubimendi live several times and full games maybe 15-20, he is most certainly not a PL level player. You can quote me on that
 
I don’t see an example of him begging the Board there, but I do note that he spent over €200m euros on players when he was coach. Can’t have wanted him that bad, and if anything, the fact that since Xavi has left Barca have looked significantly better just tells me he may not have the eye for a player. Just because you were a GOAT midfielder, doesn’t mean you can identify a future one that easily. I’ve watched zubimendi live several times and full games maybe 15-20, he is most certainly not a PL level player. You can quote me on that

Xavi wanted him badly to replace Busquets in the summer of 2023 but Barcelona signed nobody because they were completely broke. Everyone knows this who follows the club.

In the end, I will have to trust the opinion of Xavi (who wanted him badly), Xabi Alonso (who has called him a player every manager would want), Mikel Arteta (who has chased him for years), Arne Slot (who tried hard to sign him last summer), and Luis de la Fuente (who has called him the second best holding player in the world, after Rodri) over Mr. Fried Clams, despite you having watched him live several times.
 
Xavi wanted him badly to replace Busquets in the summer of 2023 but Barcelona signed nobody because they were completely broke. Everyone knows this who follows the club.

In the end, I will have to trust the opinion of Xavi (who wanted him badly), Xabi Alonso (who has called him a player every manager would want), Mikel Arteta (who has chased him for years), Arne Slot (who tried hard to sign him last summer), and Luis de la Fuente (who has called him the second best holding player in the world, after Rodri) over Mr. Fried Clams, despite you having watched him live several times.

So long as we are both comfortable admitting the truth of the outcome.
 
Xavi wanted him badly to replace Busquets in the summer of 2023 but Barcelona signed nobody because they were completely broke. Everyone knows this who follows the club.

In the end, I will have to trust the opinion of Xavi (who wanted him badly), Xabi Alonso (who has called him a player every manager would want), Mikel Arteta (who has chased him for years), Arne Slot (who tried hard to sign him last summer), and Luis de la Fuente (who has called him the second best holding player in the world, after Rodri) over Mr. Fried Clams, despite you having watched him live several times.
He is one of those midfielders who doesn't do anything substantial. The kind of midfielder that would go back to La Liga after making no impact in one season at Brighton.
 
Definitely a great option given Nico William's agent asked for 400k/week. A striker, Zubimendi and a back up goal will cost over 130M already.

Do you not think you need two strikers in an ideal world? Feels like there’s an awful lot of eggs in one basket otherwise I feel like with both Jesus and Saka (I’m aware Saka isn’t a striker but he contributes there), it seems nailed on that both will get a medium term injury at some point in the season.
 
Do you not think you need two strikers in an ideal world? Feels like there’s an awful lot of eggs in one basket otherwise I feel like with both Jesus and Saka (I’m aware Saka isn’t a striker but he contributes there), it seems nailed on that both will get a medium term injury at some point in the season.
We haven't replaced Eddie Nketiah in the squad, his minutes were not huge but not insignificant either. So ideally, we do need two strikers but one of them would need to be happy with a limited role.
 
Do you not think you need two strikers in an ideal world? Feels like there’s an awful lot of eggs in one basket otherwise I feel like with both Jesus and Saka (I’m aware Saka isn’t a striker but he contributes there), it seems nailed on that both will get a medium term injury at some point in the season.
In an ideal world yes, in reality probably no with Jesus still in the team. I don't see Arsenal will have a negative net spend over 120M in summer and the money will go to DM, FC, and a backup goalie first. May be a loan for Rashford or free transfer for Leroy Sane at the end of the transfer window.
 
We haven't replaced Eddie Nketiah in the squad, his minutes were not huge but not insignificant either. So ideally, we do need two strikers but one of them would need to be happy with a limited role.

Yep, I agree. One would likely be a youngster, unless you’ve anyone special coming through the ranks?
I do think this would be the perfect time for Arsenal to spend. City aren’t great. Liverpool have done a great job of getting results in a league where there are a lot of middle ranked teams playing really well. But beyond that, the other big 6 (or 7, or whatever) clubs are not looking very strong. 85 points might be enough again next year.
 
In an ideal world yes, in reality probably no with Jesus still in the team. I don't see Arsenal will have a negative net spend over 120M in summer and the money will go to DM, FC, and a backup goalie first. May be a loan for Rashford or free transfer for Leroy Sane at the end of the transfer window.

FC? What position is that?
But yeah, if you can get Zubi with Jorginho or Partey rotating in, freeing Rice and Odegaard, I think you’d be pretty set in the middle.