Bissouma

For me our MF options are still average at best.

We’ve all been saying this since the middle of last season. Instead we spent £50m on Ben White, resigned Xhaka, and before that we were trying to get Ruben Neves instead of Bissouma despite the fact that the latter is clearly the better player.

Utterly clueless.

Xhaka, lokongo, Partey, Odegaard, Elneny

Slight improvement on last season but still very average

Selling Xhaka would've been like a new signing

comment by TheFoxOutsideTheBox (U20459)
posted 1 hour, 42 minutes ago
comment by ubad9jagooner .Ramsey : don't get the hype ! (U7978)
posted 41 minutes ago
comment by TheSkins (U3865)
posted 1 minute ago
Cos we spent months trying to shift Xhaka and couldn’t quite get the money we wanted so instead gave him a contract extension. F*cking Arsenal logic.
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We can’t get top four with Elneny and Xhaka. Not going to happen.
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You need to think about top 6 before top 4. You're quite some way off all of last year's top 4 and Leicester as well.

OP is right, it's not like you were shy of spending money this summer but I don't think any of your signings really get you any closer to those teams. There isn't a single Arsenal player that I'd put in United's starting 11 and I don't imagine Chelsea, Liverpool or City are any different. I think top 6 is a real scrap for you this season and wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you finish around 8th again, it's about where your squad is at.

Brighton may have had clubs enquire and be told absolutely not, not this summer, especially after letting White go. Or they quoted a silly price and people have decided to leave it for a year.
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Brighton will take £40 million for Bissouma. He is an Arsenal fan too and will push for the move.

Maybe we will get Bisouma in January who knows.

Unfortunately I think Bissouma will now end up at one of City, United or Liverpool.

Missed our chance.

comment by RonAlvinho (U6117)
posted 11 minutes ago
Unfortunately I think Bissouma will now end up at one of City, United or Liverpool.

Missed our chance.
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And good for him, too. Seems like a great guy and he deserves to play at a well run, elite club that knows what it’s doing, not a clueless sinking ship like us.

It’s such an obvious buy! I rewatched the preseason game against Chelsea; leading up to their first goal when they broke on us, you could see Elneny struggling to make up the ground to cut out the certain pass from Werner to Havert. His recovery pace failed him and we conceded. A more dynamic player gets to that ball. Ives for sure would have eaten up the ground.
Even as back-up Elneny is not good enough, yet Arteta retains him in the team while telling Torriera he has no future in Arsenal.
It does necessarily have to be Bissouma; Bruno Guimaraes is another option. The bottom line is that our middle options as presently constituted is not top four quality.

comment by TheSkins (U3865)
posted 17 hours, 22 minutes ago
Cos we spent months trying to shift Xhaka and couldn’t quite get the money we wanted so instead gave him a contract extension. F*cking Arsenal logic.
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We didn't try to shift him. He wanted to go. Arteta loves Xhaka so as soon as he changed his mind he was welcomed back.

https://arseblog.news/2021/08/arteta-theres-no-doubting-xhakas-importance/