Non-Chelsea Transfer Pub

[Strike 6,961]

44 minutes ago, Jason said:

United’s hopeless pursuit of Jadon Sancho – the real story

https://theathletic.com/2115449/2020/10/06/manchester-united-jadon-sancho-transfer-window/

 

The Athletic carry good info in their stories. Seems like Liverpool wanted to be in the loop, read that one other Spanish club also made an enquiry. I wonder if Chelsea are keeping tabs for a possible future bid

[Tomo 21,681]

9 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

I know its a YouTube video of highlights but I do remember watching the game and thought he was very good. 

Fair enough, either way will be interesting to see how he does outside of Simeone's system, i remember Rodri was deemed the second coming of Jesus and look at him now (although as i said yesterday Partey does have an advantage Rodri didn't in terms of going to a club who play a similar style of football).

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

Fair enough, either way will be interesting to see how he does outside of Simeone's system, i remember Rodri was deemed the second coming of Jesus and look at him now (although as i said yesterday Partey does have an advantage Rodri didn't in terms of going to a club who play a similar style of football).

Fair.

I think Rodri is a decent player anyway but the comparisons to Busquets when he played in Spain were a bit far fetched for me. Busquet’s positioning and quality on the ball is much better and was much more key to that system Pep used at Barca than what Rodri is to City now. Rodri maybe a bit more of a physical player who will win more duels compared to Busquets and as you’ve said going from Atletico to City was always going to be a change for him. If Fernandinho was younger there wouldn’t be a starting place for him in Pep’s team in my opinion. Plus he played in 442 teams predominantly with Villarreal and Atletico than 433. 

For 45m I dont think theres many players as good as Thomas that were available in that sort of position though and felt we maybe missed a trick not considering him as opposed to Declan Rice. I suppose come January or next summer we will be back for him again as it seems to be Frank really wants him and nobody else. 

[communicate 2,703]

17 hours ago, BluesMadLad said:

After yesterday they need an entire new back line, a LB won't help them at all. They need two centre half's above everything eles 

Not sure that was their problem. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

Looks like Bayern found their new Thiago.

[MoroccanBlue 5,199]

Ole and United will undoubtedly resort back to the shitehousery that worked last season. 

[ZAPHOD2319 3,873]

Pretty telling. He is ever the United will do great things.

 

[Atomiswave 6,072]

38 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Pretty telling. He is ever the United will do great things.

 

They spent 200M last season, spent what 70M this window? Still a big amount.

[ZAPHOD2319 3,873]

5 minutes ago, Atomiswave said:

They spent 200M last season, spent what 70M this window? Still a big amount.

I have a friend that has been a life long ManU fan. He feels they did not address the lack of depth that had Ole not changing the starting 11 and not bringing on subs when needed in games. He thinks in this congested format, the players will get beat down, VdB and Telles will help, but the squad overall will be get run into the ground. It doesnt help that McGuire is becoming a head case with the pressure on the pitch and his personal problems.

[NikkiCFC 7,582]

25 minutes ago, Atomiswave said:

They spent 200M last season, spent what 70M this window? Still a big amount.

From the beginning of 2019 summer transfer window UTD have spent around 5m more than us not to mention that we got much more in sales.

And City even more. 

Spurs, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Wolves are also not far behind.

[Atomiswave 6,072]

2 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

I have a friend that has been a life long ManU fan. He feels they did not address the lack of depth that had Ole not changing the starting 11 and not bringing on subs when needed in games. He thinks in this congested format, the players will get beat down, VdB and Telles will help, but the squad overall will be get run into the ground. It doesnt help that McGuire is becoming a head case with the pressure on the pitch and his personal problems.

We will see mate, they have a good enough squad now imo. It wont fight for the title but good enough. Heres hoping they keep Ole at the wheel.

2 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

From the beginning of 2019 summer transfer window UTD have spent around 5m more than us not to mention that we got much more in sales.

And City even more. 

Spurs, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Wolves are also not far behind.

Yeah such facts dont get mentioned often do they....thanks.

[Vesper 27,317]

Transfer window verdict: how every Premier League club fared

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/06/transfer-window-verdict-how-every-premier-league-club-fared

Who got what they wanted and who finished frustrated? Our guide to every top-flight team’s dealings

 

Arsenal

Arsenal know how to leave it late but in adding Thomas Partey to Willian and Gabriel Magalhães they completed a window that will rightly delight Mikel Arteta. The unwanted Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira have been shifted, on loan at least, although their embarrassment of centre-backs remains far from ideal. Signing Houssem Aouar as well would have put them in dreamland but that may be revisited next year. Nick Ames

Key ins Willian (Chelsea, free), Pablo Marí (Flamengo, £14m), Cédric Soares (Southampton, free), Gabriel Magalhães (Lille, £27m), Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid, loan extended), Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson (Dijon, £1.8m), Thomas Partey (Atlético Madrid, £45m)

Key outs Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Roma, free), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa, £20m), Matteo Guendouzi (Hertha Berlin, loan), Lucas Torreira (Atlético Madrid, loan)

Aston Villa

Dean Smith has built on the solid defensive foundations he laid towards the end of last season, adding an excellent goalkeeper and exciting attackers, as Liverpool found out on Sunday. If the newcomers sustain their high performances and the team are spared the kind of injuries that sabotaged them last season, Villa could be heading for a top-half finish. Paul Doyle

Key ins Matty Cash (Nottingham Forest, £16m), Ollie Watkins (Brentford, £28m), Emiliano Martínez (Arsenal, £20m), Bertrand Traoré (Lyon, £17m), Ross Barkley (Chelsea, loan)

Key outs James Chester (Stoke, free), Borja Bastón (Leganés, free), Scott Hogan (Birmingham, £3m), Mbwana Samatta (Fenerbahce, loan)

Brighton

Aside from late moves for the young Polish duo Jakub Moder and Michal Karbownik, who have been loaned back to their clubs, it was a quiet end to the window for Graham Potter’s side. Brighton bought the Swiss striker Andi Zeqiri last week but perhaps their best business was to persuade the defender Ben White to sign a new contract. Ed Aarons

Key ins Adam Lallana (Liverpool, free), Joel Veltman (Ajax, £900,000), Lars Dendoncker (Brugge, undisclosed), Jan Paul van Hecke (NAC Breda, £1.8m), Andi Zeqiri (Lausanne, £4m), Jakub Moder (Lech Poznan, undisclosed), Michal Karbownik (Legia Warsaw, undisclosed)

Key outs Anthony Knockaert (Fulham, £15m), Leon Balogun (Rangers, free), Martín Montoya (Real Betis, £1.8m), Aaron Mooy (Shanghai SIPG, £4m), Glenn Murray (Watford, loan), Shane Duffy (Celtic, loan), Dale Stephens (Burnley, £1m), Jan Paul van Hecke (Heerenveen, loan), Jakub Moder (Lech Poznan, loan), Michal Karbownik (Legia Warsaw, loan)

Burnley

Keeping James Tarkowski amid firm interest from West Ham and Leicester was Burnley’s best move of an otherwise flat and troubling window. Sean Dyche admitted his squad were a few players short regardless of current injury problems, which have contributed to a winless start to the Premier League season, but there would be no late reinforcements. Andy Hunter

Key ins Will Norris (Wolves, undisclosed), Dale Stephens (Brighton, £1m)

Key outs Aaron Lennon (released), Joe Hart (Tottenham, free), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle, free), Ben Gibson (Norwich, loan)

Chelsea

Frank Lampard received huge backing. Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have strengthened the attack and Édouard Mendy, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva are capable of improving Chelsea’s defensive record. A worry, though, is that Chelsea’s squad looks a little bloated after Marcos Alonso, Emerson Palmieri and Antonio Rüdiger were unable to secure moves. Jacob Steinberg

Key ins Hakim Ziyech (Ajax, £33.6m), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig, £47.5m), Ben Chilwell (Leicester, £50m), Malang Sarr (Nice, free), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain, free), Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen, £72m), Édouard Mendy (Rennes, £22m)

Key outs Mario Pasalic (Atalanta, £13.5m), Álvaro Morata (Atlético Madrid, £59.2m), Willian (Arsenal, free), Pedro (Roma, free), Ethan Ampadu (Sheffield United, loan), Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace, loan), Conor Gallagher (West Brom, loan), Davide Zappacosta (Genoa, loan), Ross Barkley (Aston Villa, loan), Tiemoué Bakayoko (Napoli, loan), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Fulham, loan)

Crystal Palace

The lack of late activity surrounding Wilfried Zaha ensured Palace kept their powder dry on deadline day despite monitoring Celtic’s Odsonne Édouard and Saïd Benrahma of Brentford. Late interest in Zaha from Atlético Madrid or Everton failed to materialise, with the Ivorian to remain at Selhurst Park for at least another three months. EA

Key ins Nathan Ferguson (West Brom, free), Eberechi Eze (QPR, £16m), Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea, loan)

Key outs Alexander Sørloth (RB Leipzig, £20m)

Everton

The Premier League table provides an early but accurate gauge of Everton’s business, with the pulling power and heightened ambition of Carlo Ancelotti delivering the most fruitful window of the Farhad Moshiri era. Midfield, so bereft last season, was rebuilt, central defence was reinforced and a goalkeeper eventually arrived following an arduous search. AH

Key ins Niels Nkounkou (Marseille, £240,000), Allan (Napoli, £22.5m), James Rodríguez (Real Madrid, £20m), Abdoulaye Doucouré (Watford, £20m), Ben Godfrey (Norwich, £20m), Robin Olsen (Roma, loan)

Key outs Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax, free), Morgan Schneiderlin (Nice, £2m), Oumar Niasse (released), Moise Kean (PSG, loan), Theo Walcott (Southampton, loan)

Fulham

Tony Khan made good on the promise he made after Fulham’s humbling by Aston Villa last week. Scott Parker wanted centre-backs and Fulham’s head of recruitment delivered on deadline day, landing Lyon’s Joachim Andersen and Manchester City’s Tosin Adarabioyo. The club also added a touch of class in midfield, loaning Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea. JS

Key ins Anthony Knockaert (Brighton, £15m), Antonee Robinson (Wigan, £1.9m), Mario Lemina (Southampton, loan), Harrison Reed (Southampton, £6m), Alphonse Areola (PSG, loan), Kenny Tete (Lyon, £3m), Ola Aina (Torino, loan), Ademola Lookman (RB Leipzig, loan), Joachim Andersen (Lyon, loan), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea, loan), Tosin Adarabioyo (Manchester City, £1.5m)

Key outs Alfie Mawson (Bristol City, loan), Steven Sessegnon (Bristol City, loan), Marcus Bettinelli (Middlesbrough, loan), Cyrus Christie (Nottingham Forest, loan)

Leeds United

Marcelo Bielsa is a famously discerning shopper and he has added quality while increasing competition for places. While Rodrigo adds to the attacking options and the left-footed Raphinha can operate on either wing, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente have reinforced central defence. Ideally Bielsa wanted a midfielder capable of introducing another tactical dimension and he may yet arrive from the Championship – Norwich’s Todd Cantwell anyone? Louise Taylor

Key ins Hélder Costa (Wolves, £16m), Illan Meslier (Lorient, £5m), Jack Harrison (Manchester City, loan extended), Rodrigo (Valencia, £30m), Robin Koch (Freiburg, £12.9m), Diego Llorente (Real Sociedad, £23m), Raphinha (Rennes, £17m)

Key outs None

Leicester

Brendan Rodgers wanted five players; he got three. Timothy Castagne has already shown his worth as a wing-back, making the sale of Ben Chilwell look like good business. Wesley Fofana boosts options in central defence and the winger Cengiz Under may prove more effective than Ayoze Pérez and Demarai Gray have been. A central midfielder would also have been welcome. PD

Key ins Timothy Castagne (Atalanta, £21.5m), Cengiz Under (Roma, loan), Wesley Fofana (Saint-Étienne, £36.5m)

Key outs Ben Chilwell (Chelsea, £50m), Fousseni Diabaté (Trabzonspor, £2.7m), Adrien Silva (Sampdoria, free), Rachid Ghezzal (Besiktas, loan)

Liverpool

Jürgen Klopp cautioned it would be hard to improve the Premier League champions in normal circumstances, harder still with a pandemic impacting on finances, but Liverpool succeeded in the end with Thiago Alcântara embellishing midfield and the surprise signing of Diogo Jota strengthening their attacking options. Not adding central defensive cover looks risky, however. AH

Key ins Kostas Tsimikas (Olympiakos, £11.8m), Thiago Alcântara (Bayern Munich, £27m), Diogo Jota (Wolves, £41m)

Key outs Dejan Lovren (Zenit, £10.9m), Nathaniel Clyne (released), Adam Lallana (Brighton, free), Ki-Jana Hoever (Wolves, £9m), Loris Karius (Union Berlin, loan), Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United, £23.5m)

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s signature signing is the £64.3m centre-back Rúben Dias and with fellow central defender Nathan Aké’s arrival for £41m the manager will hope he has finally addressed a defence that has been vulnerable. The winger Ferran Torres was acquired, too, for £21m but Guardiola was unable to add the left-back he believes is needed. Still, the total spend is more than £125m which should be sufficient, really, for City to seriously compete. Jamie Jackson

Key ins Ferran Torres (Valencia, £21m), Nathan Aké (Bournemouth, £41m), Scott Carson (Derby, loan extended), Rúben Dias (Benfica, £64.3m)

Key outs Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich, £40.9m), Jack Harrison (Leeds, loan extended), Claudio Bravo (Real Betis, free), Angeliño (RB Leipzig, loan extended), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica, £13.6m), Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham, £1.5m)

Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjær landed three major signings: midfielder Donny van de Beek and left-back Alex Telles for about a total £50m, plus Edinson Cavani on a free. Of these only Telles may be a first choice and there is anticlimax after a window-long pursuit for Jadon Sancho came to nothing, with no right winger acquired. Is the manager’s strongest XI stronger? Maybe but by how much is yet to be shown. JJ

Key ins Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, loan extended), Donny van de Beek (Ajax, £34.7m), Alex Telles (Porto, £13.6m), Amad Diallo Traoré (Atalanta, £18.2m), Edinson Cavani (PSG, free), Facundo Pellistri (Atlético Peñarol, £10m)

Key outs Alexis Sánchez (Inter, free), Angel Gomes (Lille, free), Tahith Chong (Werder Bremen, loan), Andreas Pereira (Lazio, loan), Diogo Dalot (Milan, loan), Chris Smalling (Roma, £13.5m)

Newcastle United

For once, Newcastle did their shopping early. Callum Wilson has already started scoring the goals the team lacked last season, Ryan Fraser is a talented winger, Jamal Lewis a promising left-back and Jeff Hendrick a useful midfielder. There are, however, concerns that Steve Bruce could have done with another striker and central defender. LT

Key ins Jeff Hendrick (Burnley, free), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth, £20m), Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth, free), Jamal Lewis (Norwich, £15m)

Key outs Jack Colback (Nottingham Forest, free), Florian Lejeune (Alavés, loan), Yoshinori Muto (Eibar, loan)

Sheffield United

The Blades are stronger than they were, even if results have not yet shown that, but much will depend on Rhian Brewster, the 20-year-old brought in for a record fee to add sharpness to their attack. The goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale should mean Dean Henderson is not missed too badly, while Ethan Ampadu, Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe provide much-needed defensive cover. PD

Key ins Wes Foderingham (Rangers, free), Aaron Ramsdale (Bournemouth, £18.5m), Jayden Bogle (Derby, £7m), Max Lowe (Derby, £4m), Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea, loan), Oliver Burke (West Brom, swap), Rhian Brewster (Liverpool, £23.5m)

Key outs Dean Henderson (Manchester United, loan ended), Callum Robinson (West Brom, swap), Ravel Morrison (Den Haag, free)

Southampton

Much of the focus inevitably surrounded Theo Walcott’s loan return but perhaps the best work was the clutch of deadline-day outgoings, with high earners Guido Carrillo, Sofiane Boufal and Wesley Hoedt following Mario Lemina out. Ralph Hasenhüttl would have liked cover at full-back – they inquired about Brandon Williams – but the permanent arrival of Kyle Walker-Peters looks shrewd and there is hope Ibrahima Diallo will beef up midfield. Ben Fisher

Key ins Kyle Walker-Peters (Tottenham, £12m), Mohamed Salisu (Real Valladolid, £10.9m), Ibrahima Diallo (Brest, £12m), Theo Walcott (Everton, loan)

Key outs Mohamed Elyounoussi (Celtic, loan extended), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham, £15m), Cédric Soares (Arsenal, free), Mario Lemina (Fulham, loan), Harrison Reed (Fulham, £6m), Maya Yoshida (Sampdoria, free), Wesley Hoedt (Lazio, loan), Guido Carrillo (Elche, free), Sofiane Boufal (Angers, free)

Tottenham Hotspur

José Mourinho has the knack of teasing funds out of chairmen and he has excelled himself this summer, getting new full-backs, the defensive midfielder he so badly wanted, a back-up striker and, drum roll, Gareth Bale. The bonus centre-half had not arrived by Monday night’s deadline but this has been a refit to get the fans excited. David Hytner

Key ins Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton, £15m), Joe Hart (Burnley, free), Matt Doherty (Wolves, £14.7m), Sergio Reguilón (Real Madrid, £27.5m), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, loan), Carlos Vinícius (Benfica, loan)

Key outs Victor Wanyama (Montreal Impact, free), Michel Vorm (released), Troy Parrott (Millwall, loan), Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton, £12m), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica, free), Juan Foyth (Villarreal, loan), Ryan Sessegnon (Hoffenheim, loan)

West Bromwich Albion

Slaven Bilic acknowledged his squad required an injection of quality but the prolonged chase for a bona fide striker will run into next week. A modest budget by Premier League standards makes a deal for Huddersfield’s Karlan Grant, thought to be Albion’s top target, tricky but out-of-favour forwards Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore could depart. Matheus Pereira, Grady Diangana and Filip Krovinovic, all influential in winning promotion, returned but Albion remain light at both ends. BF

Key ins Matheus Pereira (Sporting, £9m), Cédric Kipré (Wigan, £1m), Grady Diangana (West Ham, £18m), David Button (Brighton, £1m), Callum Robinson (Sheffield United, swap), Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit, free), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea, loan), Filip Krovinovic (Benfica, loan)

Key outs Nathan Ferguson (Crystal Palace, free), Chris Brunt (Bristol City, free), Oliver Burke (Sheffield United, swap)

West Ham United

West Ham promised that the £18m received for Grady Diangana from West Brom would allow David Moyes to sign some defenders. So far they have brought in only Vladimir Coufal, a right-back, for £5.4m. They failed with bids for several centre-backs – but they do have until 16 October to sign one from the Championship. JS

Key ins Tomas Soucek (Slavia Prague, £19.1m), Vladimir Coufal (Slavia Prague, £5m)

Key outs Carlos Sánchez (released), Pablo Zabaleta (released), Albian Ajeti (Celtic, £4.5m), Jeremy Ngakia (Watford, free), Jordan Hugill (Norwich, £5m), Roberto (Real Valladolid, free), Grady Diangana (West Brom, £18m), Jack Wilshere (released), Josh Cullen (Anderlecht, £800,000)

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Nuno Espírito Santo said he wanted this to be a season of change, with Wolves evolving into a team that dominate matches. They have sold two important players – Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota – and have lost Jonny Castro to injury but they kept Raúl Jiménez and Adama Traoré and have brought in several players with big potential, notably Fabio Silva and Vitinha. PD

Key ins Fabio Silva (Porto, £35m), Marcal (Lyon, £1.8m), Vitinha (Porto, loan), Ki-Jana Hoever (Liverpool, £9m), Nelson Semedo (Barcelona, £27.6m), Rayan Aït Nouri (Angers, loan)

Key outs Hélder Costa (Leeds, £16m), Matt Doherty (Tottenham, £14.7m), Diogo Jota (Liverpool, £41m), Rúben Vinagre (Olympiakos, loan)

[NikkiCFC 7,582]

 

[Vesper 27,317]

How Arsenal ‘went big’ to sign Partey in a deal two years in the making

https://theathletic.com/2116973/2020/10/05/thomas-partey-arsenal-atletico/

Since Arsenal’s interest in Thomas Partey first intensified in 2018, the Ghanaian midfielder has made a habit of regularly tuning into their games from his home in Madrid. He has watched the undulations of the last two years with interest, always hoping the club he was intent on joining would one day come back for him.

On transfer deadline day, Arsenal finally made good on their promise. A message to the Partey camp on Monday morning indicated the club were willing to meet his €50 million release clause. Atletico Madrid, unwilling to let Partey go, have sought to increase the value of the clause several times over the past few seasons. By the time they were aware of Arsenal’s deadline-day operation, the player had been all but snatched away, the whole deal done in Spain. It was La Liga who informed Atletico that Partey’s clause had been triggered, rather than Arsenal themselves. Atletico were left furious at the lack of notice, with one senior source describing Arsenal’s approach as “incredible” and feel the relationship between the two clubs is irreparable.

The discourteous approach is reminiscent of when Arsenal approached Mikel Arteta without first contacting Manchester City. With the clock ticking down, Arsenal will plead that deadline day is no time for courtesy — it is a time to be bold, and this signing is certainly a bold move.

---

Arsenal’s interest in Partey stems back to 2014, when he was stationed on loan with Almeria. At that time, he played as an adventurous midfielder, rather than as a holding player. It was former Arsenal scout Francis Cagigao who first identified him as a good fit for Arsene Wenger’s team, before later proposing his signing to Sven Mislintat and Unai Emery.

Emery, who knew the player well from his time in La Liga, was already an admirer of Partey’s combination of power, technique and intelligence. When Arsenal hosted Napoli in April 2019, Partey’s representatives were present at the Emirates Stadium. Talks with high-level officials were held at the club’s Highbury House and Partey’s demands were made plain: a salary over €250,000 per week with a signing-on fee of €2.5 million, plus the associated agents’ commission.

Along with the €50 million buyout clause, which had to be deposited in a single instalment, it made for an expensive deal. Despite Emery’s admiration for the player, he made clear to the club’s executive committee that his priority was the addition of a winger. That led to Arsenal focusing on the expensive pursuit of Wilfried Zaha and ultimately Nicolas Pepe, rendering Partey unaffordable. Instead, Raul Sanllehi thrashed out a deal to sign Dani Ceballos on loan.

Arsenal’s interest, however, did not end there. Over the course of the following season, Arsenal officials continued to watch Partey and maintain contact with the player’s representatives. It is a tight camp: although he remains close to his own family, Partey left his home in Odumase Krobo, Ghana, at just 10 years old to pursue a professional career. After playing with a second-division youth team in Ghana, he eventually travelled to Madrid as an 18-year-old trialist. It was there that agent Jose Jimenez of JJ Sports took him under his wing, with sources subsequently describing Jimenez and his son as Partey’s “second family”.

Over the last two years, Arsenal scouts had watched Partey on more than 20 separate occasions. When Cagigao presented the dossier of recommendations for the summer 2020 transfer window, Partey was at the very top of their list. It’s notable that in the summer that Arsenal chose to dispense with the vast majority of their network of scouts, their two biggest signings — Partey and centre-half Gabriel — both arrived after recommendations from that department.

Arsenal entered the window knowing their midfield would require significant strengthening. Initially, they set out to acquire players who would provide options at “No 10, No 8 and No 6”. The signing of Willian and a second loan spell for Ceballos went some way towards meeting that goal, but Arsenal continued to consider moves for Partey and Lyon playmaker Houssem Aouar.

When Atletico made it clear they would only contemplate allowing Partey to leave if the release clause was triggered, Arsenal set that deal to one side. They began to explore the potential transfer of Aouar — a player admired by Arteta since his time working alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. As recently as last week, Arsenal were confident they were capable of securing the deal. Technical director Edu instigated talks with compatriot and Lyon sporting director Juninho Pernambucano.

That may, in part, have been Arsenal’s undoing. It is president Jean-Michel Aulas who is the key decision-maker at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. One source privy to Lyon’s internal politics characterised Edu and Juninho’s conversations as “like two kids trying to learn to ride a tricycle” — to do a deal with Lyon, you must get in front of Aulas. Arsenal’s subsequent offers fell considerably short of Lyon’s demand for more than €50 million. Aulas set clear deadlines for the negotiations, but an agreement was not forthcoming. With the player also having second thoughts after overtures from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid about a potential transfer in 2021, the prospect of any deal collapsed.

As the transfer window entered its final weekend, Edu and Arteta’s focus shifted back to acquiring someone capable of operating at the base of midfield — the elusive No 6. With Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira both headed for the exit, Arsenal were in danger of leaving themselves with just Granit Xhaka, Ceballos and Mohamed Elneny as senior options in that area.

Edu and Arteta landed on Chelsea’s Jorginho as a suitable target — another player prized by Arteta during his time at the Etihad. The hope was that if Chelsea’s long-standing interest in Declan Rice solidified, the Brazilian might be deemed surplus to requirements. Chelsea, however, did not aggressively pursue Rice, and consequently informed Arsenal that Jorginho was not for sale.

And so back to Partey. Arsenal sources indicate it was not a case of Partey over Aouar — it was a case of what remained possible in this window. Although deadline day deals are often associated with panic, Arsenal have sought to bring a calm, methodical approach to the market. Those familiar with Arsenal’s transfer strategy have expressed surprise that the club have ultimately opted to proceed with the most expensive deal on their potential list. It is understood that, once salary is accounted for, the total deal for Partey could cost in the region of €100 million.

Having already acquired Gabriel and Willian, staff had been operating under the impression the club needed to sell several players to fund further spending. For Arsenal, this window was always intended to be as much about selling as buying.

That side of things has proved more difficult. In a depressed market, Arsenal have struggled to find takers for the likes of Sokratis, Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi and Guendouzi, although the latter eventually joined Hertha Berlin on loan. Wolverhampton Wanderers were interested in purchasing Ainsley Maitland-Niles, though not at a price Arsenal deemed acceptable. Although there were multiple suitors for Torreira, the player’s determination to join Atletico Madrid meant Arsenal eventually agreed to a loan deal. With the midfielder under Arsenal contract until 2023, they hope a positive spell in La Liga could enable them to attract an attractive price next summer.

Arsenal fans will doubtless have cast envious eyes at Liverpool who, in Rhian Brewster, sold a striker without a Premier League appearance to his name for £23.5 million. Brewster’s nationality and the champions’ celebrated status almost certainly contribute to that hefty price tag, but nevertheless, Liverpool are a club that consistently sell well. As well as obvious instances like Coutinho’s transfer to Barcelona, they also received £15 million for Jordon Ibe, £19 million for Dominic Solanke and £12.5 million for Danny Ward. Earlier this summer, Wolves paid £13.5 million for defender Ki-Jana Hoever. Although Arsenal tend to hold on to players for too long, allowing their value to diminish, Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards has a great instinct for when to sell. It can appear ruthless, but the financial benefit is unquestionable.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have struggled to offload their high-earning fringe players — the intransigence of Mesut Ozil, insistent he will see out the final year of his contract, is a case in point. Arsenal aren’t alone in this — Chelsea have experienced similar issues when it comes to shifting offcuts. The economic crisis has made extracting fees from European clubs more difficult than ever.

The one squad player Arsenal were able to sell for a respectable fee was substitute goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who joined Aston Villa for a fee in the region of £20 million. After his impressive run in the team during Bernd Leno’s absence, Martinez was determined not to return his role as a perennial back-up. Arteta and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, however, were united in regarding Leno as the definitive No 1.

Arsenal intended to replace Martinez with Brentford’s David Raya but the Championship club were unwilling to sell. That led to Arsenal moving for 25-year-old Iceland international Runar Alex Runarsson, another former Cana protege. Arsenal’s interest in Raya, however, remains: although the Spaniard recently signed a new contract seemingly committing him to Brentford until 2024, sources have told The Athletic that the deal includes a minimum fee release clause that comes into action in the summer of 2021.

Part of Raya’s appeal is that having come through Blackburn Rovers’ academy, he qualifies as a homegrown player. Following the closure of the domestic transfer window on October 16, Arsenal will have to register their 25-man squad with the Premier League, in which they are permitted to have no more than 17 non-homegrown players. With the closure of the European window, Arsenal currently have 19 senior professionals in that bracket. It seems Arteta will soon face a formal decision on whom to exclude.

The struggle to move players on means there remains a slightly flabby, imbalanced look to sections of the Arsenal squad. There’s a surfeit of central defenders and arguably still space for another creative midfielder. The overhaul is unfinished.

Perhaps that should come as no great surprise, given the scale of the job at hand. Arsenal also lost head of football and chief negotiator Sanllehi just weeks into the window, placing an enormous and unexpected burden on Edu and contract specialist Huss Fahmy. As one Arsenal staff member at Arsenal put it in the midst of the transfer madness, “Edu’s head is on fire from all the negotiations”. Arsenal’s leadership team of Edu, Arteta and new chief executive Vinai Venkatesham have endured a period of significant instability and still managed to execute something like the plan.

Arsenal, like all Premier League clubs, have also been contending with the economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust estimate that COVID-19 is likely to take Arsenal from a situation where they would have reported a small profit of £4 million for this current season to one of recording a financial loss of over £40 million for 2019-20. If stadiums are empty for the remainder of 2020-21, the AST believes Arsenal could record a loss of a further £80 million — without accounting for that investment in Partey.

Set against that backdrop, the work Arsenal have done this summer is impressive. In Gabriel, they have signed a coveted centre-half who is already adapting well to English football. Willian has brought experience and versatility. Bringing Ceballos back on loan from Madrid was no certainty, but Arsenal beat Real Betis to the punch. The merit of converting loan deals for Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares into permanent signings will be debated, but until both players have made a greater impression on the Arsenal first-team, it is difficult to assess their true quality.

There will be no arguments, however, about the significance of signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to a new deal. Arsenal stretched the limits of their creaking wage budget to tie him into a three-year contract, the terms of which mean he has the potential to become the club’s highest earner. On top of that, they tied down the promising duo of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to long-term contracts. That outlay demonstrated backing for Arteta, and an optimism about what the next few seasons could bring.

The same is true for the signing of Partey. At 27, he is five years older than Arsenal’s other major target, Aouar. However, Arteta has already shown a preference for experience in pivotal positions. In Partey, Arteta believes he is getting a player who is already the finished article. That should enable him to have an instant impact — Fernandinho was already 28 when he arrived at Manchester City, and has proved enormous value. Arsenal want to push on now.

This is not the first time in recent history Arsenal have finished the summer window on a high. The celebrations that greeted transfer deadline day a year ago now serve as a cautionary reminder that spending does not guarantee success. However, Arsenal appear to have emerged from adversity with a more complete squad. The club have sensed an opportunity — stumbling rivals, a team with newfound momentum, a manager on the rise — and have seized it. Arsenal have gone for it.

[lucio 5,395]

Guess James has destroyed potential , Christensen was decent in  midfield for Denmark but still a bit soft , gilmour looked better defensively than jorginho too, but yeah we missed out here

[Atomiswave 6,072]

17 hours ago, lucio said:

Guess James has destroyed potential , Christensen was decent in  midfield for Denmark but still a bit soft , gilmour looked better defensively than jorginho too, but yeah we missed out here

We def did, we cant assume to know what will happen with Kante, if he stays injury free then fair enough but I dont see it. We really could have used Partey now that RB and RLC are out.

Im already sick of my brother and Arsenal fans singing " we got the partey, partey we shall do all night "

[ZAPHOD2319 3,873]

I have an acquaintance that is a Tottenham fan. We were talking and he is saying he is concerned they are betting the team on making top 4. Something to do with the government loan they took and are using it to bring in players. If they don't make top 4, they will not be able to keep the players they have and it could effect their staff also. Is this an exaggeration, or is there truth to this? 

[Fulham Broadway 16,393]

1 hour ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

I have an acquaintance that is a Tottenham fan. We were talking and he is saying he is concerned they are betting the team on making top 4. Something to do with the government loan they took and are using it to bring in players. If they don't make top 4, they will not be able to keep the players they have and it could effect their staff also. Is this an exaggeration, or is there truth to this? 

Yeah apart from furloughing their staff they also got one of those interest free covid loans from the government for 175m They have to pay back loans on their stadium as well. Not supposed to sign any players with that cash , but see theyre trying to sign a Swansea defender. Vile club.