How ruthless can Arsenal be this summer?

we have the Athletics David onstein as well as our Arsenal writer art de Ros all right David let's start with you on this um you know the manner of Arsenal's Champion League champions league exit last night did it just highlight some of the shortages of where what this team are lacking especially at the highest level I'm glad we're recording this the day after the game because it's allowed everybody to take a bit of a step back let the dust settle um gain a bit of perspective and discuss it in a calm way and that sort of encapsulates the fact that Arsenal have come far under Mikel artetta in is what 5 years in charge they have progressed they are moving in the right direction there is so much for Arsenal to be pleased about proud about excited about on and off the pitch and they are now competitive again which they weren't for a long time they had been seven years outside the Champions League they'd been 14 years outside of the Champions League quarterfinals and they're now back at the top table and that's a great place to be however it's all relative and so once you get there you want to do well you want to go further you see what Arsenal have done in the Premier League uh for the second consecutive season you know what they're capable of you're aware of their weapons and you're left wondering what might have been in a season where by Munich have really struggled despite the fact it is still Bayern Munich and they were still on home turn Earth last night you look at moments across the two legs the uncharacteristic mistake uh featuring Gabrielle David ryer and Dean rice for The Equalizer at the Emirates Stadium um Arsenal's failure to come out of that tie with uh an advantage a wakeup call that Bayern Munich have some serious threatening players in their own right they gave Arsenal a bigger test really footballing wise than we've seen in months even the Manchester City away game in the Premier League wasn't as tough as that I don't think because they canceled each other out and then when you come to the second leg in the alliance Arena at this level as Michel artetta said the margins are fine you need to take your chances Gabrielle Martinelli didn't um there were moments that Arsenal will look back on such as the Bayo sacker free kick right at the death that he took quickly the corner into the box uh with virt the last kick with everybody inside the area that didn't beat the first man um the referee's decision not to award a corner to Martin odard when his close effort was saved just before that um you'll look at individuals performances that just weren't quite there when it really mattered you look at some of the exhaustion that this squad seems to be experiencing now the way they have stuttered in April um yet again and people have pointed out that that yet happened in the last three seasons under Mikel artetta well I remember it happening under unai emry I remember it happening under arson Wenger this is a trait that needs to be discussed and looked at internally and externally and so Arsenal will come out of it a sense of what if um certainly some regrets and frustration however there is no time to dwell on it and have their heads down they have this within their grasp to bounce back at wolves and sort of regain the Premier League ascendancy with Manchester City not playing in the Premier League this weekend um and stranger things have happened I really didn't like against Aston Villa the way that when Arsenal went a goal down it seemed to knock them for six and they conceded a second and my mind immediately cast back to the final day of last season when Manchester City went 2-0 down at home to Aston Villa and they came out fighting like animals that's what Arsenal needs to do now in the title race leave nothing on the pitch turn over every stone to keep competitive until the end of the season don't let this flit away and then as some people have pointed out they'll win 5- nil against Everton on the final day in the sun everyone will cheer go and have a great summer Arsenal have missed out again now this is all easier said than done there are many factors that we'll come on to talk about um but I don't think it's a time for massive despondency I think think it's a time for Arsenal to um realize how far they've come and now attack the future and start to put this right and they need to put it right in a number of areas yeah um art you know losing to a six-time Champions League winning team who are seasoned in this competition you know I guess there is some comfort in that um and Arsenal not necessarily having those Street smarts and David has just alluded to it you know like first time in this stage in what 14 years or whatever for Arsenal it's massive massive so a lot of learning but also I guess the acceleration of the team as well needs to be thought about here we spoke about Liverpool um you know in a previous pod and you know the loss in Europe denting their hopes if we're talking about progression with this team as Davis also just alluded to you would like to see them bounce back from this and just focus solely on the Premier League yeah I think where I guess the disappointment also comes from uh both from the second half against Aston Villa and um the performance against Bayern Munich is it felt like the the players on the pitch almost taking half measures uh most of the time rather than believing in themselves fully and actually trying to grasp the opportunity that was there um and now when you go back into the Premier League I think that's all you can ask of them to actually take full measures and fully go for it because two points isn't a lot it can be clawed back it is Manchester City who they're um fighting against and with Liverpool too who are also on 71 points but I think now you need to go back into the Premier League and almost prove why you're in the position you are um which again as David said is easier said than done but I think when you perform as you did collectively at Bayern there needs to be a sort of urgency to put that right because it is so unar uncharacteristic and different from What's um happened in the say six seven months before that David you know I'm just thinking about meleta and what what this says about his manager in pros and what he's learning as a manager as well because you know he has to turn his team around very very quickly and as we we've alluded to you know Arsenal going out you know with a whimper in the Premier League Hawks back to last SE you know those ghosts are still looming around Mel aretta needs to find something within himself to get his players ready for the next match against wolves yeah he does and many seem to forget or decline to consider the fact that Mich Etta is still young he's in his first number one managerial job um and he started well by winning the FA Cup in 2020 he has taken players on he's taken the team on he's taken the club and the culture the environment on from where it was before it wasn't so long ago that arsenal were not playing in European football they weren't playing in the Champions League they're now going to have their second consecutive season in that competition but with progress comes shifting expectations around individuals around the collective around the executives and definitely around the manager and Mel Etta will be learning you know I remember perceived mistakes it's easy for us to say but things you could scrutinize when Arsenal went out of the Europa League to un 's Villa roale under Mel Etta and I saw little things that were not too dissimilar this time round and and that will take a strong staff around him um who are prepared to challenge him he's actually got quite a young staff although Albert Stenberg is is a bit older but many of the members of that uh coaching team are young themselves and so it will take edu as sporting director uh Richard garlic as managing director he's replacing Vin van tesam essentially as chief executive um the cronies as owners to make sure they support and and challenge Michel artetta and he will do that more than anybody the introspections really important but as he's grown in power at that club you know it's it's not easy to um to question him internally and so um there will be a bit of that going on he's only under under contract until the summer of 2025 and so that's something that is naturally going to be on the agenda anytime now whether they're going to hold talks whether they've already held talks whether they are going to reach an agreement no doubt other clubs will be looking at him regardless of what happens around his Arsenal status and and that's reflective of the Regard in which he has become held throughout the game um but it is a test of his metal now there's no sort of sympathy there's no rules around age just because I say that he's young and things are still relatively embryonic there you know many clubs will say well joggen klopp had this many years and Pep Guardiola and you know around football um there's Goodwill is in relatively short supply and fan bases are demanding and Arsenal you know risk going another season without a trophy it's not an easy thing to do many others do as well but by their own expectations um yeah he does need to step up and there are certain parts of the team and we'll come on to talk about it that need solving the goal scoring area uh parts of the central Midfield huge uncertainty over so many players in the squad we could see a very different uh group going into next season and and the years ahead there are steps they've taken to sort of upgrade by bringing in the likes of Gabriel jayus and uh Alexander zenchenko from Manchester to City you know seasoned winners very experienced high quality lorded and helped bring Arsenal on but our colleague Jordan Camp Campbell wrote to P the other day sort of asking whether Arsenal have already gone past that stage now and whether players like that need to be moved on and upgrades brought into the club so this is a really critical time for Mikel artetta the competition is going to be more Fierce than ever you've got Manchester City Pep Guardiola is going to be there you know we think until 2025 which is contract States whether he goes beyond that or not we don't know but they'll be at the Forefront Liverpool going to try and fight back with their new manager post klopp Manchester United with their inos ownership whether it's Eric tonog or somebody else they've got to get competitive again Chelsea are going to throw everything at it not least a huge amount of Finance Tottenham are lingering and trying to strive under an Posta cogo you've got new Challengers like Aston Villa as well so Mikel artetta has pressure on him and I don't mean in terms of his job security I just mean in terms of delivering results to keep Arsenal on this positive trajectory um with the support of the club I sense wholeheartedly and the vast majority of the fan base certainly the match-going ones you heard them singing his name uh pre-match in clips that went viral um but you know it's not um it's not a school playground it it's time to deliver it's it's the big boys world and and I think he can do that but some tough decisions need to be made and uh it is time to step up yeah art only last week we were talking about how miketta is building a dynasty right SS Lord they've gone on to lose the two games after that right we cursed it never say that but real talk though David talks about um big decisions needing to be made I guess we look at the defensive solidity he's brought to Arsenal and it's evolved into that um the Midfield seems to be chiming in in a different way um I guess that attacking space is definitely something that's glaring obvious that Arsenal do need reinforcements in but also you know Mikel artetta is not the only manager who's been hit with injuries this season perhaps he needs to trust some of those on the bench as well because you look at the bench yesterday Fabio via zinchenko jayus uh in was there who came on Smith row I mean these are decent players who can do the job yeah I think it goes into a few different factors one being a lot of what meleta has put together is Arsenal being a team that is very much coached in what they do so when you come up against a team who have prepared extremely well like Bayern did and cut off all your Avenues forward then you kind of have to second guess yourself because you're not almost relying on your individuality as a player um you're you're depending on seeing pitches you've seen time and again and they weren't getting those pitches yesterday so when it was time to maybe try something different of course Mel meletta goes to the tried and trusted substitutes which are Leandro trossard and Gabrielle Jesus who both created The Equalizer in the first leg but the issue was they didn't really have I'd say the traits to properly threaten by Munich on the night so you had Gabriel Martinelli who was all Pace basically and replaced by a player who's more I guess looking to get the ball to feet and isn't going to stretch Bayern Munich in behind you have players on the bench who could provide that in ree Nelson and Emil Smith both very quick players but as you mentioned I I think when we talk about Squad management it's not just about bringing a player off the bench in the biggest game of the season but also how do you actually prepare them for that moment because in in recent weeks he's he's rotated as side against Luton uh five changes that night Emil Smith R started and got man of the match um but it almost becomes a token gesture when you do that and then those players don't get any more minutes until this this point so I think one of the really big I guess Evolutions meleta still needs to make is how does he actually use his Squad players at the right moments to get them to a stage both physically and mentally where they're able to have a real impact and where he can trust them to um David just a quick one jayes mclick has dropped a piece on the athletic and um just following on from what Arts just said you know he he made This brilliant comment and he was like the Champions League knockout showed Arsenal for what they are incred well organized robust team who are not blessed with too many Maverick match winners this much we knew and Mikel artetta sort of alluded to that in his post match when he's like we we were missing this magic right it was the magic um do do you do you buy that that actually looking forward if we are to reinforce this team then you need those Maverick players that can you know your your Rodrigo of this world you're v as Juniors of this world that can literally create something out of nothing first thing to say is they're hard to come by and if it was so straightforward then Arsenal would already have them and many other teams as well and that's the skill of Recruitment and Player Development I think Art's observation and his term token gesture is really very interesting um because after that Smith row performance against Lon okay you can say it was only Luton and I don't mean that in a disrespecting way but artetta made the changes and um and it appears it was a one-off but he was Sensational and we know what he can do we know his style of play we don't see him every day on the training ground Mikel ateta does and so we bow to the Judgment of him and his coaches this is a player who pre- injuries you know he helped save Michel artetta I don't mean from his job but from more pressure that was coming on him all those years ago with Baio saaka the song developed around those two and since then their career trajectories have gone in pretty different directions and the fitness issues are a clear concern but he does offer the spark we know what he can do and I'm not saying he'll deliver it at all times he came on against Aston Villa and found himself as the last man trying to defend against OE Watkins that is not ideal but just managing those minutes in preparation for nights like last night if you need them um maybe something that needs to be developed I really don't want to preach towards a coach like michetta but it just seemed that he was a fish out of water when he came on against Villa in a horrible situation and then you don't even see him last night and uh I just love the qualities that he brings and I think it's a player that is most likely to to have to move on he needs to play football and if that's not going to be at Arsenal then it it's going to need to be somewhere else but back to your fundamental question this is why Arsenal are quite likely to look for a number eight or or somebody in that kind of creative role from the transfer window upcoming maybe a new Striker which we talk about so much and and we'll continue to um you know can Ethan nany be developed further I suppose he can and Arsenal will have really high hopes for him because he's just signed his first professional contract um and he showed in a cameo at West Ham this season that he's got a lovely touch and an eye for a pass and let's see him getting some more minutes um what's happened to Fabio Vieira a player who has suffered from some injuries himself this season but does have something a bit different again presumably the coaches don't feel he's ready for a night like last night to to even impact it a number of pieces have been written across the industry today about um Mikel Etta's of rotation the amount of minutes his trusted and relatively small core have accumulated it's quite telling that um he hasn't turned to the bench as much as you might imagine and I was watching last night thinking buto saako is just done here he needs a rest he needs a break we know how influential he's been we know the talent he brings for club and Country he is an absolute phenomenon and will continue to be for many more years but it wasn't so much the sort of Act of that free kick quickly taken or the corner that hit the first man because we don't know if the free kick was taken with more Poise and the corner reached the middle of the box that anything would have happened it was just symbolic of a player who didn't really impact the game had kind of lost his way and yes we know he can produce something out of nothing he's been so dependable but I think most of us all things being equal would say he should have gone off and he should have been replaced by somebody that could be really effective and that will all form part of the introspection that Mikel Etta and everybody involved that Arsenal takes but definitely um somebody that can um produce that moment of magic find a spark thread a pass Martin odard can but he's kind of the only player playing regularly and he looked like he was thing last night as well is he's done a lot of football this season he has played a lot of football I've got to say I thought still thought he was Arsenal's standout performer he does not stop running and trying tries to create relentlessly um and he's always looking for opportunities but but he can't do it on his own and there will be some fatigue there and imagine if you had the second odard in the team you know so the opposition are all looking at Martin odard somebody else pops up and nips the ball through and and you know we constantly seeing links to some of these players and that will come down to the likes of edu and his recruitment Department if they are going to do that if they you know see Dean rice as being a six going forward what happens with georgino and Thomas party if it's an eight they decide they want to go for then they're going to need to uh come up with something make the finances work and and provide Arsenal with that injection that I think many of us can see they need yeah um art I was just I basically was watching both match is back to back yesterday I had my iPad on one side and the TV on the top so I kept my eye on on Manchester City Real Madrid and you know pep guarda takes off Harland he takes off DE bruy are two key players in that Squad and brings on Alvarez and I can't remember who who else he he brought on I mean is this a depth issue you know because you could say odard comes off Fabia Vieira is waiting there you know I mean does he trust his depth I I think that's a bigger question than guess is it just a depth issue um because he was the one he was actually a much more vocal and public fan of Fabio Vieira when he signed than most other signings he's made from my memory um but as David said earlier Fabio viera's had injury issues this season he started the season quite well making cameos Off the Bench and changing games but then when he's come back in recent weeks he he too has struggled to actually get minutes off the bench so would it be a case of meletta looking at the bench and saying oh these guys AR actually aren't prepared enough I did pose the question to him a few weeks back on whether these players would need Rhythm and he gave a very almost strange answer uh it was a good line but I think um he basically said that you only need a second to change the history of a football club and he was talking about ree Nelson's uh goal against Bournemouth um last season but when we look at it in reality I think if you asked ree Nelson or Fabio Vieira they would much prefer say at least 10 more starts in the season um rather than that one moment because they can be more effective on a consistent basis and I think that's the real issue going into next season how you rely on not just 11 12 13 players but closer to 16 and 17 like Pep Guardiola can and I know the caveat there is the quality of players at Pep's disposal is a lot better um but it's all about building that and also building that trust as well yeah um David um I guess we youve sort of alluded to transfer targets and and whatnot but there's an air here that um arteta and edu are willing to be patient they're not just not going to go rush out and buy someone they want someone who comes into this team who's ready to play yeah definitely I think Arsenal's recruitment will be and I'm not just talking immediately but generally and and going forward there will obviously be a focus on the Youth Academy we've talked about that on these podcasts before I think there's going to be some investment to try and bring in better quality players at a younger age and really compete with Rivals like a Chelsea a Tottenham and London in particular um to get hold of some of the country's best talent especially important post brexit where the English Market is being um more fiercely fought over than ever before and then at senior level I do think they're in a phase of their Journey where you're bringing in players to deliver now uh we saw that with Dean rice you don't spend that sort of money on such a quality player um because you want him to develop at your Club solely of course they want him to develop at their Club but they want him to deliver now Gabriel Jus Alexander zenchenko um in most positions you look at David ryer you know it it wasn't oh uh we're going to bring in a Rasmus holand uh who Manchester United despite the price tag bought in as a developmental Striker they also wanted a more senior one and that may come next at Old Trafford they bought in at Arsenal Kai havs to deliver now so I think for the first team that will continue and you know some of the the striker targets we're talking about and we have on this pod before the likes of cesco and gaes yeah they are quite young but they are pretty experienced already for club and an international level too we talked a bit about an Evan Ferguson but yeah he is more developmental um but and I don't think that's one that's going to um materialize for Arsenal at this particular time largely because of the price tag and he's not had a great season but uh if you are going to pay that sort of money even for an Evan Ferguson it's to deliver now and all the other Strikers they've been linked with the same would apply um then you go into that sort of midfielder bracket uh you know somebody I think of off the top of my head that Arsenal and and other clubs really like is Bruno gimar he can play in the eight and the six Newcastle will hope to keep hold of him there is a release Clause though anyone who's going to take him um he's got to deliver straight away um Arsenal may be looking and I think James mcnicholas wrote about this to bring in a left back that left back won't be to um try and be the successor in five years time maybe like they did with Nuno Tavarez although that that didn't really work out or a sambi Lona in central Midfield where it was kind of experimental and if if they do come to the boil fruition um fantastic if they don't we'll look to trade elsewhere with the hope that their valuation has increased um and so I do see that continuing and Arsenal are in a phase now where despite what we saw largely towards the end of the Wenger Reign which was largely related to the finances at his disposal and the stadium move Etc uh that was still a a legacy when it came to the budget and Arsenal's you know um wish that Financial fair play was going to be the solution to cure all ills and it was going to level the playing field now they're kind of in um Here and Now mode the cronies the owners have backed them in the market we've got no evidence to suggest they won't continue to do so yes they have to comply with the PSR rules yes they've been close to the line on that but that's going to be changing from the 25 to 26 Season and that you've got to spend a percentage of your Revenue if Arsenal can continue to up their revenues then they'll be among the clubs that will have some significant resources at their disposal to spend and so I'd be quite excited by that if I was an Arsenal fan because their record in the transfer market of late has been pretty good but it's important for fans all of us the public um nobody seems to like this word to be patient you know they've built progressively quite quite impressively in the market um you can scrutinize each individual or you like but I see an Arsenal that at the moment they bought those in they've contributed there haven't been many failures I think Fabio Vieira is one that hasn't succeeded so far but we know there's a player there and they will like to think they can still get more out of him um and therefore edu and the recruitment team and artetta I think deserve the credit to continue to build these windows but they do need to get it right because I keep coming back to the competition from their Rivals and when I say like a Bruno or um you know uh uh cesco or whoever these are just names that are kind of in the environment um that you're going to be in a fight for them and finances will play a part but Arsenal have done well at delivering the players that are that um the micheletta wants or if they've missed out on their First Choice like they missed out on Leandro Martinez the alternative has been pretty good in the form of zenchenko jurian Timber was a brilliant signing and it was so cruel that he suffered the ACL but there's high hopes that he will come back and deliver so I actually see Arsenal being a a stronger a more mature Squad um but one that will look very different because of the amount of outs that I think need to happen and therefore there will be some ins as well I want to touch on the in just a second but but super quickly in terms of the in art you know I guess bringing people in like Kai H or even Ben White who I think was brought in as a as a center back yeah it's interesting that actually the the positions they're playing now in this squad aren't necessarily the positions that were en they were en visaged to play as well yeah I think there's two main pillars um with Arsenal's recruitment strategy over the past few years the first one David spoke about his age profile which um I think when they started to get that right was when in 2021 they recruited six players under the age of 23 with the view to have them grow with the squad it's worked with some players like uh Martin erard uh takahiro Tommy Yu and Aaron ramsdale it's not worked with the others like Nuno tarz and sambi Lona um then they kind of moved on from that thinking age- wise and went a bit um a bit older say mid 20s with uh Gabriel jayus zenko but not too old to the fact where they couldn't have a proper impact on the team so was mid 20s players who had good experience you saw it again with Declan rice um this summer the other pillar is signing players based off their attributes rather than just a position you know they can play so as you said with Ben White that came in handy because when celba came back from Loan in Marseilles and clicked um with Gabrielle which meleta was actually surprised by um it then became easier to move Ben White to right back where he's been ever since and he's arguably be arguably been one of the best right backs in the Premier League um with Kai havs I think it's a bit more difficult uh because obviously he was brought in as a midfielder that was what Arsenal um almost said he was at the start and that's what Mikela tried to do and it wasn't until um five months into his time at Arsenal that he was being used more often as a center forward and when it clicked I don't think Arsenal can really afford to give players five months to click um and that's where David mentions needing people who are ready to make an impact right now um going forward so I think those two kind of pillars are what will be the main ones they look at going into this summer and if you can find someone like a Juan Timber who can play across the whole backline and do it extremely well if you can find that in areas further forward then you're looking at actually improving the team and the depth that we spoke about before yeah um David let's move on to outgoings and I guess as you touched on it earlier and we we've spoken about the likes of ill Smith rower Eddie and K who's not played much football um this season at all um you know especially from the academy standpoint and you talked about PSR earlier they represent pure profit um do we see any of those players heading out I mean let's not even talk about Aaron ramsdale as well based on what we see what we've seen this season yeah you turning this conversation to outs reminds me that it was also not so long ago the Arsenal were cleaning that dressing room and they took some pain when the likes of Özil and Socrates and mustafi and kinach and later aubameyang you you can debate this freely about whether they should have gone whether Arsenal are weaker without an aubameyang and ö etc etc that's all history now um but their aim was to sort the dressing room out sort the wage bill out and uh when you see everybody's Financial accounts being published recently Arsenal have done good work on the salaries and that should not be sniffed at that's a really important factor in this many people know in football it's not so much about the transfer fees these days it's about the salaries that that really affects your costs um and will be a massive factor in the new Squad cost controls with UEFA and the Premier League uh they also and by the way on on the salaries I think Tottenham overtook them in in the most most recent Financial accounts furthermore on the agents fees paid there are teams that are way above them the likes of Manchester City Chelsea Manchester United Liverpool um so some credit to them on that when it comes to the outs now they really do have an opportunity to raise significant funds now like many clubs they might need to do a bit before June the 30th the deadline for uh the next round of um PSR the cycle three years to June 30th 2024 um and for many clubs that may affect the price if you do need to get somebody out I've talked on other podcasts about like an Aston Villa or Newcastle um Chelsea uh and so we'll have to see with that on Arsenal I don't know how close to the line they are um and then perhaps it will be slightly different after June the 30th when your finances are a little bit more clear in terms of the Personnel maybe we'll start from the back um Aaron Ramsdell I would expect to leave because he needs and wants to be playing football uh it's a real shame but that's how it works out sometimes and David ryer is the clear number one Whatever michar tetta said at the start he wanted to sign ryer before Ramsdell actually came to the club and eventually it came to fruition Arsenal need to turn the ryer transfer permanent um and ramsdale whether he leaves on a permanent basis or on loan um I assume will be heading out to the club and they'll need to bring bring in a backup goalkeeper um there were big question marks over zenchenko purely for the fact that you would normally be negotiating a new contract now uh if you're in his position and I'm not aware of any talks taking place um so that situation will have to be addressed he clearly isn't the regular Starter by virtue of injury and selection that he was when he joined um last summer unexpectedly there was a lot of speculation around Gabrielle and interest from the Saud pro league is something like that going to come again unexpectedly I think Arsenal would hope to keep hold of him um and I don't know of any developing situation right now but I didn't this time last year and if somebody like that left you'd have to look to bring in a replacement um you don't see any other significant movement along the backline and the contractual status is really strong as well there when you move into Midfield there are clear questions that need to be answered around um Thomas party who is approaching the final year of his contract he barely plays for Arsenal anymore he seems to be fit now but he's not really getting on the pitch and he's not influencing we know how good he can be but recent times uh have not worked out how everybody would hope I don't imagine he'll be getting a new contract so do you sell or do you retain him as a player and you see that value in the final year as being better than a transfer fee georgino we know there's an option to extend the deal that expires this summer do Arsenal want to do that I think they probably would from a footballing and Leadership perspective um does he want to do that that's a a really big question you got Dean rice there if they need to bring in the number six arsenal we know really like Martin zubba mendi at real sadad I'm sure other clubs do as well there's a release Clause there is he going to want to leave at all they'll have other options too you move a bit further forward and there are major question questions about the future of Emil Smith row uh if he is to leave it would represent pure profit um the way his trajectory has gone since really signing that new contract and being given the number 10 shirt indicates that um all parties may be open to a move and there will definitely be interest in him what about Fabio Vieira um I think he will stay just because he's newer and there was a significant financial outlay that 35 million-ish pounds that Arenal probably won't make a profit on so perhaps it's better to hold on to him for the PSR reasons that you explain ree Nelson would represent pure profit too uh there's always an element of interest in him he decided to sign a new contract um but if he decides that it's time to go and play regular starting football elsewhere then I could see a move developing and then you come up to the front line uh and that's really interesting because Eddie and ketia I think the minutes that he he's receiving speak volumes um maybe Mikel artetta and Arsenal don't see him as one for them going forward some clubs or managers with them try and play them to put them in the shop window but again another big contract that was signed and um I know of clubs that like him too yet um you know he'll have a decision to make as well as Arsenal and Gabriel Jus has time moved past him at Arsenal because he's been suffering from this recur ing the injury or multiple injuries um his goal output is not what he would expect or Arsenal would expect and we know he's capable of there's those amazing moments like Manchester United at home this season but they've become so infrequent that if Arsenal are going to be bringing in a top level Striker you do imagine that they would have to at least consider any outside interest in Gabriel Jesus even if it doesn't materialize even if you know he gets f and shows his versatility because he can also play wide but these are serious questions that need to be answered and what I've presented there as a whole is a squad that has a lot of value and there is potentially a lot of movement to come I didn't mention Kor he's one who until recently I would have said maybe there could be a move there it hasn't quite worked out yet then he established himself but since that Torrid first half against Bayern Munich maybe there's a bit of reality check there as well so uh Arsenal have to be clearly when you look at all of that one of the busier clubs in this summer transfer window in both the in department and certainly outs yeah I mean spok about Tommy y only signed a two-year deal so you know that's a really fascinating one to keep an eye on um Arts very quickly um Jordan Campbell wrote about the likes of shenko and jayus and and the the Arsenal train moving so fast that if you do suffer with injury and you're not as consistent that actually yeah maybe the train is pulled off and you're most Surplus the requirements but I also look at all those names that David just spoken about Arsenal haven't been that great at making profit from selling players all the players that have gone in terms of you know you look at ö you look at aubameyang I mean there's a termination of contracts to a certain degree as well like you know they haven't made much money so I mean the impetus has to be bringing money in as well definitely when you look at the potential outgoing as well you need to remember they do have players on loan who they couldn't sell permanently last summer so Kieran Tini at Ro sadad Nuno Tavarez at uh notam Forest Albert Sami Lona I fought with Burnley because of um Vincent company but it's Len Town L but I I think all these players as well represent I guess an opportunity to bring money in too because they can't really be forgotten about um yes him too as well um so there is I think a lot of potential there for outgoing but the big thing as well is actually selling them well um I don't think Arsenal as you mentioned I have done that um to a degree of say Chelsea or Manchester City where you see them selling sometimes players who haven't made a first team appearance for almost 20 million pound Arsenal haven't been able to do that really the only example that really Springs to mind is Flo balagan last season who went to Monaco for around 25 to 30 million slur however you want to look at it um so going into this summer I think that is an area where they really need to improve because we talk about I guess increase in revenue and yes transfers are a way to do that but I'd probably say the main way they've done that is through the Emirates open up opening up again um and then also this year the money that has come from getting back into the champions league and before that we have to remember they had a season where they were out of Europe so getting back into the Europa League was actually massive in terms of cloring back some of that Revenue too so I think when you're moving into this summer and Summers beyond that you need to start thinking about it I guess more fully um in terms of the assets you have and David mentioned putting these players in the shop window I think that's also part of that I guess Squad rotation and um giving these players minutes because this season and in season's past they haven't been able to really showcase the clubs what they can do so when it becomes I guess the transfer window clubs may not be willing to go permanently on them on them they go for those loans instead just a tiny point on that really pertinent um and Allied to the fact that there isn't a great deal of money in this PSR influenced Market I could see quite a few of these players going on loan with option or loan with obligation as a as opposed to permanent sales from Arsenal and that effectively does what art says about putting them in the shop window for a season and then the clubs decide okay they're quality we want to make an offer for them and we're in a better PSR position under the new Squad cost control rules um where they've got a little bit more to play with so yeah maybe let's not expect some massive raft of sales that brings in hundreds of millions of pounds but um there will definitely be player movement and you would like to think Revenue coming in for them whether it's now or further down the line in the meantime Arsenal really need to work on their young players coming through as well as are talking about how um tight the group that artetta has been using is and um how little has been used from the bench for example but from the academy you know when you talk to people around the club it's really just Ethan and Miles so Ethan NY and Miles Lewis Skelly um and Ethan NY has had a little bit of Game Time Miles Lewis Skelly hasn't really um and there seems to be a bit of a vacuum which is you know it may just be cyclical it may be to some um deficiencies in Player Development and work in the academy and the same at all clubs um but when you look at a a Liverpool or a Manchester city or a Chelsea or even a Tottenham who are flush with these players some are ready some are not um Arsenal don't really have that in this generation they do you may have noticed have some coming through it an even younger age group and it's not right to Hype up a 14year old but just to say they're are really um positive feelings around somebody like Max Dalman and there's a striker as well um art will remind me of his name who's been um banging in the gos at Youth Level and with what I talked about investment too Arsenal clearly know the value from a footballing and financial perspective if they can increase the amount of players coming through their own system and if you look at the team and much of what we've talked about today yes there's the buo St a exception but that's kind of been it in Mikel letta's nucleus if truth be told and that's something that does need to improve going forward yeah that who the striker up that Striker Cheeto Obi Martin um Danish youth International but when you I think he's still 16 his um birthday is in December um so he turned 17 in December but when you look I guess a little bit above that as well um there are contract situations with uh amario Co du and Ruel Watters who are both very highly rated and helped Arsenal's under 18s get to the fa youth Cup Final last season and their contract situations haven't been resolved yet they they expire in the summer um so that's I guess another part of it where when I mentioned teams or clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City being able to sell players who haven't even made a first team appearance for x million Arsenal aren't in the same position because these guys are now in the last few months of their contracts if they stay that's great but if not you risk losing them for a very small fee mostly compensation um so I think that's another um part of the discussion that needs to be kind of looked at because it's not just about what happens in the first team but the academy as well because that is also um it has been Arsenal's main source of profit I'd say when you look at balagan aobi Joe willik Emmy Martinez as well they've been Arsenal's biggest sales of late and they've all come from the Academy I like that all right let's send it there jensa David art thanks so much for your time you can also catch more reaction to Arsenal's defeat in Munich and what impact it could have on their Premier League hopes over on our dedicated Arsenal podcast hand bre off don't forget to rate and review the podcast that's it for me this week Adam and the team are back tomorrow for weekend preview thank you so much for listening

Channel: The Athletic FC Podcast

Views: 104,050

Keywords: the athletic, David Ornstein, ask ornstein, england, bellingham, premier league, arsenal, man city, united, la liga, jude bellingham, harry kane, bundesliga, bayern, bukayo saka, luka shaw, chelsea, aston villa, west ham, city, pep guadiola, mikel arteta, liverpool, champions league, ucl, epl, football news, football podcasts, AFC, mikel vs bayern, bayern arsenal, arsenal bayenr munich, all, Allianz Arena, bundesliga bayern munich, edu gasper, havertz, declan rice, title race prem

Id: rdPdTLyjjzE

Length: 48min 47sec (2927 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 18 2024