Pizy

Arsenal look like clowns in defense but can take some solace in the fact that their 2 best CB's are out injured and will return soon. Think they'll be a serious title contender once Alexis is back and builds a report with Lacazette.

I wouldn't play him there in his very first start for us. He can fill in there in an emergency.

Surely Azpi will play in Moses's place with Rüdiger at CB?

Bad news continues to pile up. Guess we'll see Bats and Morata up top again together.

Probably realized that no one will come in for him with a mega bid while he's injured.

While I think he's full of shit about there being discontent and having a "mole" in our club, I think there could be big trouble if we have a poor start like we did a couple of years ago.

Yes, I can 100% believe our board thought £15m was fair. They're operating as though this is 2011 or something before the transfer market went insane. We go in and lowball other clubs. Did it with Stones and did it with Lukaku. While I don't think Drinkwater is worth the rumored £30m, this supposed £15m is derisory and insulting. Amateur hour from our board.

This is what I was wondering. The club may feel it's too big of a risk to spend £50m or more on a player who won't be fit any time soon and may not be the same when he is.

It sounds all well and noble but at the rate the market is moving we risk becoming what Arsenal have been over the last decade or so. We risk getting left behind by PSG/City/United/Barca/RM etc. These clubs all go out and throw around £50m, £100m, or even £200m now on single players like its nothing but a drop in the bucket whilst us spending £58m on Morata is a colossal struggle. Im not saying we need to go out and spend like that every window, but when we're coming off such a great season with a manager that finally looks like he could build something special you'd think we can splash out and back him. So far, this is looking like a summer where Mourinho and Pep get nearly every target they want for nearly any price necessary while Conte has to basically beg through the media every other day. Why is that? We're one of the richest clubs in the world and are acting like Arsenal or Tottenham lately.

Do the rules just not apply to PSG? How can they legally spend 400m on just 2 players? Why doesn't Roman just go apeshit and spend for fun if FFP is not going to be enforced? Why are we adhering to this frugal "one in one out" policy when the authorities will do jack shit but maybe a slap on the wrist? What a joke.

I don't speak Spanish here...

I don't think we'll really miss Matic but I definitely think he'll improve United considerably. Honestly, selling him is pretty far down on my list of annoyances this summer. Not immedietly going after and nailing down the managers top targets is number 1. Followed closely by waiting until this late and still not having any depth in several key positions. Their opinions my be just as valid as ours, but in truth it is very difficult to make the case that we've improved our team so far. With Hazard and Bakayoko out along with Diego exiled you'd have to agree that we now enter the new season worse than we ended last.

General consensus amongst pundits and journalists seems to be that we've taken a step back this summer, that we won't really compete for the title, that we made a ridiculous decision to sell Matic to United, and that Conte isn't long for the job. Hard to disagree with any of that, sadly.

Doesn't really have a set position which is surely hurting his chances of a big club coming in for him for a big price. If we played with a central attacking #10 we'd probably have brought him in. In our current formation there isn't really a position for him unless Conte thought of him as a CM.

The difference here is that our club was more than willing to allow Cech to go. Arsenal and Wenger will be desperate to keep Ox. Add to that the inevitable situation where Sanchez ends up at City and if Özil has a great season he'll be able to run his contract down and move for free as well. They won't want to lose so many of their best players in such a short span of time.

Really not even bothered if he goes to United. They already have a solid starting RB so all he does is provide depth. Pretty stupid from his perspective. Wants out at PSG because of competition for his spot but goes to United where they have Valencia. Could've walked straight in our team.

Highly doubt it. Mou just said days ago that they'd sign Bale if he wanted out of Madrid. Doubt Rose would be too expensive at all. All depends on whether he rates Luke Shaw I suppose. Judging by last season he really doesn't.

Like Arsenal, their fans would riot if they sold one of their better players to Chelsea. He'll go to United for £55m or something. Perfect player for us but impossible.

Sources so shit that it may as well be me saying its close. 😂 Anyways, reading around about him it seems like he's similar to the wing backs we have now in that he's great going forward but very suspect defensively.

The thing is, in that 15/16 breakout season his best skill was playing a ball over the top for Vardy to run onto. We already have Cesc who can do just that but even better. So how often would Drinkwater even play as our 4th option in midfield when we'd have Cesc to come on as 3rd choice offering the same things Drinkwater does? Would be strange to pay at least £30m on a player only to use them as often as we did RLC or Chalobah i.e. 5-10 minutes here or there.

I was with you until that last line. What!? Verratti is one of the best midfielders in the world. Kovacic is a very talented player but nowhere near Verratti's level yet.

Don't think many (myself included) are that upset that he was sold, more so that he was sold to a side that will instantly be improved by his joining and has the ability to directly hurt our chances.

It's a bit of both mixed with some obvious behind the scenes tapping up from Mourinho. Conte would've wanted to keep him and we could've because he was under contract. Mourinho (or his people) were in his ear and turned his head. We know first hand how good of a salesman Mou is so he surely sold Matic on how important he'd be there.

Yiiiikes... 100% putting to bed the reports suggesting Conte was fine sending Matic on his way. He wanted to keep him for sure.

Quite a bit of hype around him but I've personally never seen him play.