09 Aug 2021 02:26:04
Looks like Willock will be moving for around ~22m. Pretty good deal for both sides, don't think he was quite up to the level we needed him to be to take us back to top 4, but I'm rooting for him all the same.

Eddie is also rumoured to be nearing a sale to Brighton for around 20m. I think he will be huge for them, they need a clinical finisher and that's him to a T. Can see him nabbing 15+ easily for them.

Bellerin hopefully soon to follow (I live in hope we see the back of Willian too but at this stage looks like he's going to be ESR's backup) .

1.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 09:59:17
Hey wire, just a couple of observations mate.
I don’t like the Willock sale and I’ll tell you why. He wants to make it at Arsenal. He’s and Arsenal boy. He cares more than any of these so called snr players who allegedly have already made it as regulars putting on the shirt.
Funny thing tho, in his 5mths at Newcastle he has out performed and outscored our so called regulars who play in the same position against the same opposition in the same league. You could actually combine the contribution of ALL our players in CM and they havnt done in 3 seasons what he done under a different coach at a so called lesser club. Yet we’re selling one of our own and persisting with guys who were leaving a couple of weeks ago who have consistently under performed at this level and, unlike Willock, have little or no scope for improvement with time and experience.
We’re selling a guy who has nearly outscored our entire team in the last 7 games of the season and persisting with the dross.
As for Nketiah. If that’s true that he’s off to Brighton and somehow manages 15 league goals, that’ll mean it’s 2 more than our top scorer last season. I can’t see that myself but again it’s selling one of our own who’s invested in the club to persist with others in his position who wouldn’t hesitate to move right now for bigger contracts.
This club is in disarray.

2.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 10:12:20
Despite liking both Willock and Eddie (mainly for being developed at the club) , I can't say i'm overly sad to see them leave. If they were that great we'd have bigger clubs than Newcastle and Brighton (respectively) knocking the door to snap them up. We all yearn for Champions League to return, for that to happen we need to shift on a lot of players and be ruthless. I think this will take the Xmas and next summers window until the squad takes a better shape.

3.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 10:14:07
I'm with you on Willock, Shambo but I think he's a casualty of us not being able to move on Torreira, Gendouzi, Willian, Xhaka and the other dross we have. Hopefully there's a buy back clause but I doubt it.
I don't think Nketiah will score 15 goals a season at Brighton.

4.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 11:03:29
Completely agree Shambo. Stupid decision.

5.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 12:26:12
To me, Arsenal's biggest problem over the last few years has been hanging on to talent for too long and seeing the value plummet. It happened with Ainsley, we were offered 20m by Wolves only to keep him and then barely play him. I have seen a lot of Willock, and I think he's a natural goalscorer, but we need outgoings and some returns on our sales more than we need to keep him.

6.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 12:50:14
It's Arteta decision be it a good or bad one, one things for certain and that's than if Arteta isn't going to play him then it's better for us and Joe he moves on and Arteta buys someone he is going to play.

Arteta is in change and right or wrong he has to either prove himself able or unable to get us into the top 5 minimum.

7.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 12:56:09
You sound like you are teetering between the depression and acceptance stage of grief, g62.

8.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 13:45:13
If selling Willock brings in Maddison/ Silva/ Aouar/ Guimaraes, then i'm all for it. If selling Eddie brings in a new striker then great, but i'm not as confident on this front. Abraham doesn't fill me with excitement but i'm not sure who else they are realistically looking at. Martinez was a dream that was never going to happen. Either way, the club needs to raise funds, but as G62 states, its on Artetas head that he makes the right call. If both are moved on, it has to be for improvements to come in.

9.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 13:54:50
I personally think we take the money. Yes he scored goals for Newcastle but he thrived in a completely different system to the one we want to play. he scored goals mainly coming from counter attacks whereas its clear arteta wants us to dominate possession and pin back teams - in these situations Willock won't have the space and time to score the types of goal he has for Newcastle. I personally don't think he's good enough on the ball/ creative enough to play #10 for us, and equally I don't think he's solid enough defensively to play in the double pivot (would also be a waste of his ability in front of goal) so imo best thing to do is sell him and reinvest that into a midfielder who suits our play style a lot more.

10.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 14:01:24
Hi Wire mate, no depression more grief very thankfully mate, just acceptance of reality.

Arteta as manager calls the shots and that's the way it should be, what comes from his choices and decisions will decide Artetas future, and that too is the way it should be.

If he makes us top 5 I'm happy for him to stay, if he doesn't I'm happy to see him replaced, either way i'm happy mate 😎.

11.) 09 Aug 2021
09 Aug 2021 20:51:59
It’s a sad situation but when you need to raise funds you end up having to sell the China whilst keeping hold of the chipped cups. Willock is being sold purely because he can raise 20m, whereas Xhaka, Torreira, Elneny and many others can’t.