31 May 2019 15:34:27
It would be great if you could give us a state of play inrespect to outgoings, including thoughts on Emery/ coaching staff and it they are deemed as being good enough to stay on for next season by the club.
I remember you saying that Emery signed a 2 year contract with an option to extend - personally I'd be shocked if he was there past the end of next season.
{Ed002's Note - Something like this:
Petr Cech (G)
David Ospina (G)
Emi Martinez (G) Arsenal may try to keep him
Carl Jenkinson (RB)
Stephan Lichtsteiner (RB) will leave
Nacho Monreal (LB) time to go
Sead Kolasinac (LB)
Laurent Koscielny (CB) could leave
Shkodran Mustafi (CB)
Callum Chambers (CB/RB)
Mohamed Elneny (DM) will be tough to shift
Aaron Ramsey (CM)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (RM) agent wants big money and has spoken to at least one Chinese side
Mesut Özil (AM) if a deal can be found - which will be tough - if he stays then there will be a significant impact on transfer plans
Danny Welbeck (S)
}
31 May 2019 19:49:56
I'd be happy if we got rid of all of those players, also Ed, is there no interest in Elneny? Or is it the wages that will make him tough to shift?
{Ed002's Note - I really don’t know.}
01 Jun 2019 02:01:26
Ed do you know if Zaha would still be interested in joining us even thought we haven’t got CL football, going with the premise we find the money somewhere to afford him in the first place
Do you think he’d be a good signing?
{Ed002's Note - I think it very unlikely - as I said it would take a serious chunk of the available funds away. He was only one RW option.}
01 Jun 2019 08:053:32
The players Ed mentions are either going or need to go. That only leaves the following players, plus youngsters:
G Leno
RB Maitland-Niles and Bellerin (wont be fit to start the season) - hence Meunier?
LB None!
CB Sokratis, Mavrapanos and Holding
DM Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka
AM Iwobi
A Aubameyang and Lacazette
That makes 12 first team players, plus: Iliev, Medley, Nelson, Willock, Smith-Rowe, Nketiah and possibly a couple of others. So a total of approx 18 players. Assuming we can't or don't reduce the squad by all the players Ed mentions, we appear to need a minimum of 4 players. However, assuming we keep Martinez, we really need a RB, 2 LB's, 2 CB, 3 or 4 midfield players (including a wide attacking player and cover for the strikers ( possibly a player that can play wide or centrally) . It's a daunting task to sign and integrate so many players, but is the surgery to the squad that is essential.