I wish we wouldn't bother with these older players that will probably just need replacing again in a year or two, leaving us in the exact same spot we are in now. Thiago Silva is an anomaly, I highly doubt the likes of Auba and Koulibaly will be playing at the same level in two years time. Koulibaly was already struggling with the pace of the league in his first game. He pulled up twice with cramp and had to come off.

If we had signed these players 5 years ago, when we were originally interested in them, we would now be talking about looking for their replacements.

So often it feels like we are patching the squad instead of properly building a squad that will last years. It would be nice to get into a position where we have a squad that feels complete and only needs minor additions to keep things fresh, but it constantly feels like we trying to build a team. It will likely be the same next year if Jorginho and Kante leave without signing new contracts.

5 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

I wish we wouldn't bother with these older players that will probably just need replacing again in a year or two, leaving us in the exact same spot we are in now. Thiago Silva is an anomaly, I highly doubt the likes of Auba and Koulibaly will be playing at the same level in two years time. Koulibaly was already struggling with the pace of the league in his first game. He pulled up twice with cramp and had to come off.

If we had signed these players 5 years ago, when we were originally interested in them, we would now be talking about looking for their replacements.

So often it feels like we are patching the squad instead of properly building a squad that will last years. It would be nice to get into a position where we have a squad that feels complete and only needs minor additions to keep things fresh, but it constantly feels like we trying to build a team. It will likely be the same next year if Jorginho and Kante leave without signing new contracts.

Koulibaly joined us late in pre-season so I am hoping his cramp is more of a sign that he is still not at full fitness. But I get your general point. Signing older players is fine to fill gaps in some cases (e.g. if we have young talent coming through that needs some mentoring), but in these cases we let some of our talent go (e.g. Guehi) in favour of signing older players. I am OK with Aubayemang as a short term option but only if he doesn't block Broja's progress, or even cause him to leave.

Short term fix, but could see the logic behind it. Missing out on top 4 the implication be huge, it's a fine balance between now and the future. Having 3 strikers is minimum, realistically if Borja is our only other striker we are in trouble. we certainly don't want see Pullisic as the false or real 9 again.

I think short term fixes are more needed up front. More acceptable. it’s a short term solution and to long term problem. Buys us time. 
 

Mad that Barca only signed him in January though!

8 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I wish we wouldn't bother with these older players that will probably just need replacing again in a year or two, leaving us in the exact same spot we are in now. Thiago Silva is an anomaly, I highly doubt the likes of Auba and Koulibaly will be playing at the same level in two years time. Koulibaly was already struggling with the pace of the league in his first game. He pulled up twice with cramp and had to come off.

If we had signed these players 5 years ago, when we were originally interested in them, we would now be talking about looking for their replacements.

So often it feels like we are patching the squad instead of properly building a squad that will last years. It would be nice to get into a position where we have a squad that feels complete and only needs minor additions to keep things fresh, but it constantly feels like we trying to build a team. It will likely be the same next year if Jorginho and Kante leave without signing new contracts.

I am tenuously clinging to the hope that the recent shopping spree of 18-20 year old players that we are amassing is a strategic plan to build a strong underbelly for the future and what we are seeing now are shorter term players being bought that can deliver whilst these exciting kids develop. The alternative is that the youth set up is shot to bits now with us nearly getting relegated so we are blindly gathering all the kids in the hope it repairs the problems we have.

Please let there be a plan rather than hit and hope.

9 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I wish we wouldn't bother with these older players that will probably just need replacing again in a year or two, leaving us in the exact same spot we are in now. Thiago Silva is an anomaly, I highly doubt the likes of Auba and Koulibaly will be playing at the same level in two years time. Koulibaly was already struggling with the pace of the league in his first game. He pulled up twice with cramp and had to come off.

If we had signed these players 5 years ago, when we were originally interested in them, we would now be talking about looking for their replacements.

So often it feels like we are patching the squad instead of properly building a squad that will last years. It would be nice to get into a position where we have a squad that feels complete and only needs minor additions to keep things fresh, but it constantly feels like we trying to build a team. It will likely be the same next year if Jorginho and Kante leave without signing new contracts.

This.

Today is likely decision day for Barca players with agents and talks in town. Watching with interest. 

Nothing wrong with a bit of experience in the short term.

Don't forget we have Slonina (from January - 18), James (22), Ampadu (21), Chalobah (23), Cucurrella (24), Gallagher (22), Mount (23), Chukwuemeka (18), Broja (20), Havertz (23), CHO (21), Pulisic (23)

That's half the squad under the age of 25, plus we are trying to bring in Fofana (21), De Jong (25) ... and Chilwell (25), RLC (26) and Sterling (27) are hardly old ... we have enough young legs to carry a few 30+ players.

 

Coming round to the idea of Aubameyang, and hoping if he comes he'll be Giroud v2 as an ex-Arsenal man playing better than ever in his middle 30s and winning loads of trophies that he had no chance of winning in North London 🙂 

I wasn't keen on this signing, but must admit that I just like the likelihood that Aubameyang will really have something to prove to both Arsenal (Arteta) and Barcelona.  Lets hope that he signs and gets a hatful against these sh*te clubs

Apparently Auba stays at Barca and Depay is dither going to Juve or to a PL side. 

So we can consider this one closed according to the same media that started it in the first place.

49 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Apparently Auba stays at Barca and Depay is dither going to Juve or to a PL side. 

So we can consider this one closed according to the same media that started it in the first place.

Regarding Depay:

"He wants to come to the Premier League and I've been told a club in London have got in touch with Barcelona to say they want to sign him and they're prepared to make him their highest paid player, willing to offer Depay a contract of around £200,000 a week." 

My guess is that would not be us, as I am pretty sure we have players earning more than that? Maybe West Ham?

Leaked video footage of Aubameyang on his way here.  

19 minutes ago, forbzy said:

Regarding Depay:

"He wants to come to the Premier League and I've been told a club in London have got in touch with Barcelona to say they want to sign him and they're prepared to make him their highest paid player, willing to offer Depay a contract of around £200,000 a week." 

My guess is that would not be us, as I am pretty sure we have players earning more than that? Maybe West Ham?

Kane has to earn more than that so probably not Spurs. Arsenal likely have higher earners too so aye probably west ham.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would prefer to stay at Barcelona than join Chelsea.

which is what he should do. Because we don't want him. cos he is sh1t

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyangadingdong - Barcelona could sell him, perhaps to a Saudi club like Al Nassr in Riyad or to a Qatar-based club. During discussions over other players, Barcelona has offered him to sides such as Chelsea and Manchester United - but he would be no more than a short-term deal for either but he provides the striker both are searching for - although both clubs have other targets. The BIG issue surrounds the level of wages he is being paid. Barcelona are keen to sell as they could get a small return on the sale and a significant saving in wages in order to help fund their plans for a younger team.

Rather just give Broja more game time. 

43 minutes ago, TheCeleryKing said:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would prefer to stay at Barcelona than join Chelsea.

which is what he should do. Because we don't want him. cos he is sh1t

 

Player X would rather stay at/Join/Rejoin Barcelona than stay at/join/Rejoin Chelsea.

Same old story different player.

3 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Rather just give Broja more game time. 

Same. Give him a shot and see what we have. He’s got all the raw attributes of a modern striker. Get a director in to make some long term plans for the forward positions. Unlike Fofana, we’ve not been linked to any forward recently that seem to be of the required level/worthy of the investment 

5 hours ago, TheCeleryKing said:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would prefer to stay at Barcelona than join Chelsea.

which is what he should do. Because we don't want him. cos he is sh1t

 

The main reason I don't want him here is that I keep having to check how to spell his name. That's time I'd rather waste on looking up how to spell Chukwuemeka.

18 minutes ago, Valerie said:

The main reason I don't want him here is that I keep having to check how to spell his name. That's time I'd rather waste on looking up how to spell Chukwuemeka.

And the youth in here will call him Pea, I mean, come on!

 

 I think they can keep him and FDJ. That would be the best for us in the long-term. Come the next transfer window or next summer, we can take what we want from the carcass formerly known as Barcelona.

 

I don't think that we should be helping them stay afloat at this point.  The wages of FDJ and Auba are crippling Barca. Well, maybe they should be crippled. . . for the sins they did in a former life?  [Glenn Hoddle says].

I mean if anyone just seen the all or nothing episode with the falling out of Auba and Mikel, massive indicator why we should walk away. 

Ego the size of Lukaku.

6 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Ego the size of Lukaku.

That's why  Pep from Wish will never make a decent manager.

What senior big name player has Arteta not managed to fall out with?

4 hours ago, RMH said:

And the youth in here will call him Pea, I mean, come on!

I say ‘Pea off’

3 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I mean if anyone just seen the all or nothing episode with the falling out of Auba and Mikel, massive indicator why we should walk away. 

Ego the size of Lukaku.

Thomas Tuchel on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's attitude issues at Arsenal being a concern: "No, because I experienced none of this. I will not comment on the situation [at Arsenal] out of respect. In Dortmund, it was never an issue."

Thomas Tuchel on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: "I enjoyed working with him a lot, it was a pleasure. Some players stay your players, as you are very close. Auba is one of them players. Even when we played Arsenal, straight away it was a close bond."