Arsenal Banter 2

04 Aug 2026 07:39:12
{Ed's Note - Philip_hunter2003 has posted a new article entitled, What United Still Need in the Transfer Window

03 Aug 2026 14:43:35
Afternoon all Ed's and fellow gunners. hope alls well sky sports news reporting bid for Bruno rejected by Newcastle. both clubs now in direct talks. so all the talk last week about £77 million deal all agreed and Bruno having medical Monday was all a load of old cods wallop .

03 Aug 2026 15:34:27
This is Arsenal's first direct contact with Newcastle.

03 Aug 2026 16:22:25
That's rumours for you, Gabi. I never take anything too seriously until it's on the club's own website. It saves on all that disappointment or unnecessary upset, depending on how you personally feel about the player that's being talked about, mate. 👍

03 Aug 2026 16:33:15
I think Newcastle got Bruno out to Spain to see if their new manager could convince him to stay as a last throw of the dice.
What I will say is that, out of all the rumours flying about, Ornstein has said all along that personal terms have been agreed, but no contact has been made between clubs. He also said that Arsenal have a walk away ceiling of around the 80 million mark, and will walk away and concentrate on other targets, which I presume is Alex Scott.

As Arsenal have apparently bid £77 million and Newcastle rejected straight away, we are very close to our walk away figure.
Even though Bruno has said all along he won't throw his toys out of the pram like Isak, I wonder if his attitude could change if he thinks the move is not happening.

03 Aug 2026 17:08:03
Hi Bill, mate, I think it's best to let it all unfold as it will, and just accept the club will do everything within their power to have us in the best shape possible come opening night. 👍

Obviously, for us fans, the fee is irrelevant; we just want the player, but of course the club has to get everything right on and off the pitch to keep us both financially viable and competitive on the pitch.

Can't be easy, mate.

03 Aug 2026 17:13:07
Hi g62, I got suckered in. 🤦🏼‍♂️ I'm always telling my 3 boys, don't believe anything until it's official on club website. Don't know what came over me. Must be all this hot weather warping my little mind. 🤪

03 Aug 2026 18:29:04
Hi Gabi, mate, it's not easy to stay in control of our emotions when we really want something to be true, we all get carried away sometimes, mate.



Who knows, he might still turn up yet, but if not, it's worth remembering "Sometimes, when life doesn't give us what we really want, what it gives us instead turns out to be even better than we ever dreamed possibly." 👍👍👍👍

03 Aug 2026 19:01:19
He's out in Spain to say goodbye to the players and staff medical tomorrow.

03 Aug 2026 19:49:44
The "Don" moves at a snail's pace - not sure how he got that name. I will rename him Brian from Magic Roundabout.

Slow, and goes round in cycles.

Come on, Brian! Formulate a plot.

Success is your only option; failure's not.

So here you go, it's your shot, feet, fail you not.
This may be the only opportunity that you got.

03 Aug 2026 20:46:38
Is it just me or has Sy just rapped? I'm liking it if it is so! COYG. I love this site. 💪 💪

03 Aug 2026 21:26:31
It had a bit more of a grime edge about it for me, Kent. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

04 Aug 2026 11:53:50
87, it's all rap with a capital C to me. But I like the idea of you and Sy being down with the kids. I'll stick to The Jam, Stones and the best band, bar none, live in their pomp, ACDC. COYG

04 Aug 2026 14:03:09
They were fast machine.
They get their motor clean.
They were the best dawn football team.
I've ever seen.

04 Aug 2026 14:40:20
Get in, Bill! 😈 ⚡️ 😈 COYG.

03 Aug 2026 09:03:24
Ed001 wanted to get your opinion. How essential is Vini for the title defence? I really worry about the lack of goals in the team outside of Gyokores ( who I expect to have a big goal scoring season) .

I know people will say Saka but can we really trust him to play enough games to put up big numbers? Do you also see Arteta changing his methods to potentially be a bit more attacking this year or do you think he will double down on the current approach?

{Ed001's Note - I don't think Vini is that essential, I would worry about him rocking the boat too much coming from Madrid, where they molly coddle players. I don't think the issue is the players so much as the style of play in terms of goals. I hope Arteta will want to open up a bit more and go for it now he has broken his league title duck, but I fear it will make him double down on his methods as he had success with them.}

02 Aug 2026 18:42:51
If we don’t get Vini - we can’t settle for Nusa…. We need a solid plan B and get it moving.

Seeing links to Pedro (wouldn’t be a summer without a Chelsea link) but they want to keep this guy do agreeing a new deal. Seeing links for Victor Osimhen.

That would be interesting… If we don’t get Vini then Rashford would be decent along with Victor… Let’s get moving please and strengthen as opposition are adding and as Kai said - we must strengthen to retain and win more! Love that attitude - let’s just get it done.

01 Aug 2026 21:29:01
All the best Christian Norgaard at your new club.
Didn't play much but still a vital member of the squad.
Take care.

02 Aug 2026 10:13:45
Small loss - 3m or 30%. Thought with his experience we could have recovered our fees excluding agent fees. Good luck in your new role.

01 Aug 2026 20:09:22
Christos' very first goal for us. Hope it's the first of many
COYG.

01 Aug 2026 20:45:30
Been a good game, Bill. Dowman looks so much bigger this season.

01 Aug 2026 20:53:28
Hello Sparky, hope you are good.
Defo Max has filled out.

01 Aug 2026 20:54:40
Get in!! Never thought I'd see it in my lifetime! Costa Brava Trophy Champions 2026! It's come home COYG. 🏆🏆🏆

01 Aug 2026 20:58:10
All good here, Bill, enjoying a cold beer in the sun. Hope you are well, mate.

01 Aug 2026 20:59:50
If I was out in Spain, Sussex, straight down to Lloret del Mar and get absolutely bladdered in Maxims disco.

02 Aug 2026 11:42:06
Preferred Calella myself, Bill.

02 Aug 2026 11:56:42
Is that a bit further down, past Malgrat.
Sparky, mate.

02 Aug 2026 12:48:32
Further north, near Playa D'Aro.

02 Aug 2026 16:00:45
I'm giggling to myself at the word disco and also the guy in maroon speedos dipping his shoulder ( not a euphemism) in the Southern Comfort on a sandy beach probably Torrevieja and apparently the spitting image of Ed025! And all this because we are Costa Brava champions! Lovely trophy too COYG Disco 🤣🤣🤣

{Ed025's Note - if he is the spitting image of me SUSSEX...he must have looked like George Clooney mate.. :)

03 Aug 2026 15:15:18
I'm sure he does! Just don't listen to all the other Eds 🤣 COYG

01 Aug 2026 14:57:21
No one appears to be panicking about Saliba being injured, which I think is a fantastic testimony to just how far we've come as both a club and the squad the manager and club have assembled.

A couple of seasons back, just the threat of not having Saliba, Gabriel, Rice and Saka all available would have filled us with fear for our chances of competing at the top, but nowadays we all seem to have far more confidence in our squad players, which can only be a good thing 👍.

01 Aug 2026 16:38:36
If it carries on like this, and we keep winning, we can spend like this every season and only get better players and win the lot.

01 Aug 2026 17:25:53
Hello John and Dublin, hope you are both good.
Definitely a different animal nowadays, aren't we?
Can't put my finger on it; it's not cockiness, it's, to me, that feeling of complete and utter faith in the direction the club is going.
Take care, both of you.

01 Aug 2026 18:19:11
Total domination.

02 Aug 2026 10:23:23
I wouldn't say I'm not concerned about Saliba. The news about the forward line distracts, but hearing we are after a CB so I'm waiting to see who it is.

It would be a disaster if we lost Saka for a whole season, mate, as Noni ain't anywhere near that level. If Gabs missed a season, it would be a disaster too, as the back up isn't as strong & then the next layer? I heard someone say White as CB - LOL, no way can he play there despite being signed as a 50m CB. Timber isn't long term cover, as he needs to play RB without question, plus his injury record isn't great.

I would not want a year without Rice either - that would be a disaster.

No one in that squad can replace his leadership, energy, distance covered & drive forward. Merino can't, Zubi can't, who did you think?.

Sorry, but I would be concerned if any of those were out for a season. There's others I would agree with you on, but not them. Saliba isn't the same without Gabs. No one has Gabs leadership & goals in them except Rice.

Our squad is good, starting 11 needs improving and we are way stronger than we were, but would you want to go into the Champ League final without Gabs and Saka? It was a disaster missing Timber in it last year.

31 Jul 2026 16:26:09
£10 million fine and a 2-year transfer window ban suspended for 2 years.
The authorities really laid it on the line to Chelsea didn't they, e----- joke.

31 Jul 2026 18:09:32
Yep, caught out for the cheats they are, but it's all good, they owned up! Still cheated though! Still, they can pay the £10 mill out of the £17mill they got for Maresca. Manager compensation is almost twice as lucrative as cheating. Lovely! And we are the cheats COYG.

01 Aug 2026 13:05:36
Mudryk returns after less than 2 years out for a 4 year ban.

01 Aug 2026 17:52:13
I have started to believe that the big clubs can get away with financial regulations as the powers don't want to disturb the status quo. City's charges will also come to nothing as compared to what is being rumoured.

31 Jul 2026 11:22:14
That’s one big target signed - now let’s get that LW and striker!

Welcome to the Champions, Bruno! That’s a midfield we have now!

So just the forward line / attack that looks underwhelming compared to the rest of the team to sort. 💪👍

01 Aug 2026 08:14:26
Absolutely! Our defence and midfield look the strongest in a very long time. If we add Vini, we'll have a deadly and balanced team.

30 Jul 2026 11:01:34
If we are really in for Bruno, I hope Eddie Howe's resignation doesn't out a stop to that!

30 Jul 2026 12:22:41
Hope not, or selling Bruno to us may have been the last nail for the Howe-Newcastle relationship?
Feel bad for Howe, he is a good manager, though last season's results were not good, he has done well in all his tenures.
With almost all the top PL clubs changing managers, we have a great chance to retain the title.
Let's hope for the best. 🤞🏻

30 Jul 2026 14:01:51
They got Isak, Bruno, Tonnali, Hall, Livramento, so there's not much wrong in their scouting and acquisition framework. Eddie Howe is a decent manager, but imo a better calibre manager would have achieved more.

30 Jul 2026 14:40:20
Deal should be done by Sunday. Little rumour.

30 Jul 2026 20:51:20
Hi Dublin, hope all's well. My youngest son told me exactly the same thing regarding it being done by Sunday. Fingers crossed, mate.

30 Jul 2026 08:15:22
Morning guys and gals, hope all's well. Watched an interesting interview last night… Arteta claimed he is 100% refreshed for the up and coming season, and all the squad that has returned with an extra bounce about them and are looking hungry for the season ahead. But my absolute favourite comment from Mikel was. Excellence has to be our standard…that six word comment made me smile the biggest smile. Our great club is back at the big boy table and we want to feast. Top four is not our target; we strive for bigger things these days, and so we should… We are the Arsenal. And I want to put last season's Premier League champions campaign into some context. We had the second worst injury list. Only the muppets up the road had more. So imagine what this squad can be capable of if we can keep everyone fit and firing on all cylinders; add to that some top quality and we will be cooking. Just take a minute to think of who was injured for us last season and some were at real key times of the season and some were for big periods. So keeping our players fit will be key, for players playing together and getting that understanding and confidence in each other's strengths and abilities allowing a more fluid cohesive squad.

Sometimes last season some people had a bit of a moan. (myself included) when we didn't kill off the so called lesser opponents. Then when you factor the amount of injuries we had and the fact we just wanted to get that first title over the line in 22 years (the nerves, pressure and injuries, all a big factor) . But we did it. We are the reigning Premier League champions (I know, it sounds absolutely amazing, doesn't it) … Transfer market will shut; I'm sure our club is working hard behind the scenes to push us on to bigger and better things, so we can walk with confidence, we can puff our chests out, we can all be the 12th man, we can sing louder and prouder, back Mikel, his back room team, his squad and our magnificent club the Arsenal each and every day. Never forget that us fans and our contributions are just as important to the players as theirs are to us. Season 26/27 is gonna be one heck of a season, there will be the inevitable bumps in the road on the journey. We are the Arsenal lets rock n roll…victory through harmony come on you Gunners. 🔴⚪️❤️.

30 Jul 2026 17:07:45
Lovely sentiments, Gabi. 😊

30 Jul 2026 17:41:28
Thanks Sal. 😉