01 Sep 2017 08:39:15
So, if reports are to be believed.

We could have had Lemar 3 weeks ago, Monaco wanted £50m, but we kept offering stupid money, £30m, £35m and £40m. Monaco weren't interested.

3 weeks later, out of desparation, we offer £92m. Monaco agree, but player say's "No" as he needs more time to think.

Stylish.

1.) 01 Sep 2017
01 Sep 2017 09:14:55
Dags the 92 million bid as the Mbappe link were purely window dressing and never actually on the table. The man was playing at the time so how could he possibly complete a medical let alone sign a contract.
It's the same old tired Arsene charade of we tried, the deal had been doable all summer and all of a sudden we decide to push it through just when it can't possibly be done?
Anyone who falls for that needs to give me a call as I have some lovely victorian chipboard dressing tables for sale, there are only 3 of them in the world I'm knocking them out at £300 each or 5 for £2000.

{Ed001's Note - I'll have 10 please.}

2.) 01 Sep 2017
01 Sep 2017 09:30:10
If you remember Dags that cluster f**k Gazidis said he was doing everything to get the deal over the line whilst the team were in China.

Literally months ago.

The very same halfwit who told Gary Neville that Wenger, having looked at other options and without sentimentality was the right man to take the club forward.

I'm truly done with Wenger, he has no business managing this club. I now actually detest the bloke and that's being polite. Don't want to see him, don't want to hear another pathetic word come out of his mouth.

3.) 01 Sep 2017
01 Sep 2017 09:51:30
I don't believe it was quite as simple as you make out. Three weeks ago Oxlade hadnn't made his final decision to leave nor had we received a satisfactory offer for Sanchez. It was only this week that we received an acceptable offer of £35m, plus £5m add-ons for Oxlade and as late as yesterday morning an offer of £55m, plus £5m add-ons for Sanchez and hence we put forward an offer that was acceptable to Monaco of £92m, presumably the amount we would receive for Oxlade and Sanchez.
Monaco were also playing hardball as they had sold players and had millions in the bank. The timing was then almost impossible as Lemar was on World Cup duty yesterday. In addition the two matches against Stoke and Liverpool may have given Lemar negative thoughts about joining a club in disarray with top players leaving. Indeed, one wonders whether Oxlade and Sanchez would have been as keen to leave if we had won all three of our league matches in style. The criticism I would aim at Arsenal is that sometimes you have to push the boat out in order to make a big difference and if we had gone in hard and early with a high offer for Lemar perhaps we could have signed him and together with say a concerted effort to bring in Van Dyke and N'zonzi, it would have elevated us to serious contenders for the title and turned the heads of the three contract rebels. It would have meant an outlay of close to £200m, but would have turned us from also-rans into contenders. If Wenger had wanted this kind of outlay, Arsenal have funds in hand and I'm almost certain Kroenke and the board would have backed him. The problem is that Wenger has never been that type of manager, he believes in a profit making business model. You only have to look at the funds spent by Guardiola and Mourinho to see the difference it makes and I believe next seasons Champions will come from these two clubs. We have only spent £50m this window and more has been recouped than we spent. We probably spent the least of any of the top clubs and many of the mid to lower table clubs. I predict that when Wenger finally goes the new manager will be backed financially. Indeed Gazidis has almost begged Wenger to spend and a previous director was sacked when he mentioned that we had £100m to spend.

4.) 01 Sep 2017
01 Sep 2017 11:39:09
Fair point RG.

But, why do we have to constantly sell a top player before we buy a top player?

That's not strenghtening, that's stabilising.

5.) 01 Sep 2017
01 Sep 2017 12:23:07
Interesting question Dagenham gunner. Probably as Wenger believes that a football club is a business and has to make a profit. So as an example he sold Oxlade for £35m + add ons and was prepared to sell Sanchez for £55m + add ons and with the funds purchase Lemar for £92m, costing the club nothing. In order to take the next step up we would have had to have signed Lemar £92m, Van Dyke £65m and N'Zonzi £30m and kept Sanchez and Oxlade. This spend of approx £200m could have elevated Arsenal into contention for the title, but alas it's simply not his way, nor has it or will it ever be. Of course when he eventually leaves the manager will have funds at his disposal and things will change, but trophies may not necessarily be easy to come by.

6.) 01 Sep 2017
01 Sep 2017 12:55:05
What's all the fuss bout Nzonzi? Did you rate him at Stoke?