Arsenal are about to AXE seven players and that should fund a ‘huge’ spending spree. Will it be William Saliba? Not quite…
The not-so-magnificent SEVEN
‘Mikel Arteta to offload seven Arsenal players to fund huge summer spending spree – Paper Talk’ was a Sky Sports headline that made Mediawatch sit up in its chair this morning.
This is big news. And they would need to be big-money exits to ‘fund a huge spending spree’. Maybe Gabriel Martinelli. Surely not William Saliba? But you can’t make an omelette without cracking an egg, right?
So to The Sun we go, and the capitals have been utilised, so we know this is big:
Mikel Arteta to axe SEVEN Arsenal players to fund summer transfer spending spree for new striker
With supposed top target Alexander Isak priced at £150m (though he may move elsewhere), there will need to be some major money incoming.
‘Arteta has sanctioned the departure of seven first-team stars in order to facilitate a spree, according to The Mirror.
‘For starters, loanee Raheem Sterling is set to return to Chelsea…’
For starters, that’s no incoming money. As starters go, that’s down there with melon.
There will be major surgery in midfield with Thomas Partey and Jorginho out of contract in the summer.
Hmmmm. We’re starting to have doubts about that ‘huge summer spending spree’…
Meanwhile, left-back Kieran Tierney will likely rejoin Celtic on a free transfer and Arsenal will likely be open to offers for centre-back Jakub Kiwior.
Ah, some money at last. Exit No. 5 is potentially Kiwior and Arsenal are expecting to raise upwards of £20m for his departure. That could buy Isak’s (left) leg.
And Oleksandr Zinchenko looks poised to pursue a transfer due to his lack of minutes this season.
And that’s another £20m or so and we reach SIX. The only way they get to £150m now is to throw in the name of Saliba…
Veteran loanee Neto – who was signed as a stopgap – is due to return to Bournemouth.
Oh. So two returning loanees, three free transfers and two £20m-rated fringe players. That huge spending spree might have to be downgraded to ‘meagre’.
Are Arsenal at all interested in Joshua Zirkzee?
MORE ARSENAL COVERAGE ON F365…
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What’s Mateta, you?
The January transfer window has closed, so the challenge is on for the football media: how to maintain interest in football news when the only real news is the actual football? With sh*t like this in the Mirror, basically:
Man Utd discover Jean-Philippe Mateta asking price after Ruben Amorim told to sign star
And how have they ‘discovered’ the asking price for a player they may or may not want to sign? By reading The Sun, apparently. Which is how all football clubs discover the asking price of a player they may or may not want to sign.
Manchester United would have to stump up around £50million if they want to sign Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to reports.
That’s one big ‘if’. And as far as we are aware, Manchester United are not shaping their entire transfer strategy around what Paul Merson has ‘told’ Ruben Amorim via the medium of Sky Sports.
Mind you, it might be better than shaping their entire strategy around a list entitled ‘Dutchmen I like’ by Erik ten Hag.
Going digital
Over at the Daily Star, they are demonstrating how six ‘likes’ on an Instagram post can actually be news:
Bruno Fernandes and Man Utd team-mates make their feelings on Marcus Rashford clear
‘Marcus Rashford got some digital love’, apparently. Lucky Marcus Rashford.
Aviso!
We’re not saying that Mirror football’s entire post-window plan is to crowbar Man Utd into every headline but…
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou sends warning to Ruben Amorim ahead of Man Utd clash
What Postecoglou actually said: “Come Tuesday, we should have three or four who have been missing. We can give them a full week of training rather than just throwing them in. By the time we get to the end of the week we will have something resembling a squad of players to prepare for a big game.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is ‘a warning to Ruben Amorim ahead of Man Utd clash’ that sounds suspiciously like Tottenham team news. Remember when that was a thing?
How will Liverpool possibly triumph over Everton?
Mediawatch admires The Sun‘s attempt to make forays into the tactical side of the game. It’s sweet.
‘How Liverpool’s genius offside-buster and decision to drop trademark Klopp move gives them HUGE edge over Everton’
But we can’t help thinking that the HUGE edge they have over Everton is that they are a really f***ing good football team and Everton are not.
Thankfully, they have dropped the ‘trademark Klopp move’ (on further inspection, this is ‘pressing’) that saw him lose just twice in 19 clashes with Everton. Brighter times are indeed ahead…
