From Rhys Jaggar:
Myles
There’s still a lot of old school thinking of ‘We are Arsenal, we can order clubs smaller than Man Utd, Liverpool, Citeh and Chelsea to sell to us’.
That simply isn’t true any more.
Most EPL clubs now have debt really under control or are even debt free.
The TV money is far bigger than their gate receipts and it’s doled out in a socialist manner, so the income is much more even across the league, although of course the clubs with big corporate match day spend and huge commercial revenues are out front.
But Everton have a very manageable debt situation and have clearly got the old Arsenal strategy of ‘buy young skilful players and give them a chance to make a career’.
Those players, once they start to play regularly, won’t want to be squad players anywhere else and will think: ‘for a big move, I want my career to be at the stage where I am a starter at the mega club, not striving to become one’.
They won’t leave too soon. They’ve seen too many whose careers have died (Rodwell, Sinclair, they look at AOC and Chambers at Arsenal etc etc). Everton right now have a fantastic crop of young and hungry players: Galloway at Left Back; Stones at centre back; Coleman at right back; Barkley; Deolofeu in midfield; Lukaku up front. Who wouldn’t want the chance to manage that bunch?
And why wouldn’t that bunch say: ‘let’s give Everton 2 or 3 years as a group and see what we can do!’ They’ll still only be 23 – 26 after that. Plenty of time for a big move. Everton players know that they can become part of that’s club’s history if they win something. No-one’s done that for 20 years. Bill Kenwright’s chairmanship would be complete with a trophy to see him into a contented retirement.
Paradoxically, for Arsenal it’s a better strategy right now to ask: ‘Who’s out of favour at the super-clubs?We could get a star like Alexis or Ozil for £40m who’ll jump at playing every week for us as a superstar.”
They can raid Real, Barca, Bayern, maybe PSG for squad players. Prizing out the jewels of mid-tier EPL sides may make you pay the same price for young potential rather than proven talent.
To date at least, the big purchases have succeeded – Ozil and Alexis both doing the business.
I’m not the master tactician maybe, but you have to say that James Rodriguez must be available to someone for the right price – clearly not in Benitez’ plans/Perez’ galactico strategy, but everyone knows he’s one hell of a player.
Would Thomas Mueller fancy playing with his old friend Mesut? If he did, I doubt even Rummenigge could keep him. He’s won everything in Germany oodles of times, maybe he just needs a new challenge? And his wife would just love competing at Olympia…..
At the next level down: I’ve no idea what Dortmund’s selling strategy is, but Aubameyang is a typical Wenger striker – big, powerful, black African.
And the EPL would love to increase the marketing rights in Gabon, no doubt. No doubt Klopp would fancy having him too! One suspects you are looking at the next level down for defensive midfielders – I guess you could be cheeky and put in a cheeky offer for Loftus-Cheek! But I suspect it would be a continental signing.
On a more conspiratorial level, one does wonder whether there may be a longer-term option to send some young Arsenal players to Valencia if Neville et al end up staying there for longer than 6 months. Wilshere, Oxlade, Chambers?
Valencia have ECL potential and the players could learn what Spanish football is all about, get some sun on their backs and become physically healthy again. Of course, Gary might solely be interested in Utd luvvies, but his links to England will hardly be strengthened if he is too partisan…..if he wants to be England manager, he needs to be above all that. Not to mention proving that he’s a good coach of young English talent capable of beating foreign opposition…..
My view is that Arsenal will need a replacement for Mertesacker over the summer – the German gradually gliding into the goods yard over time or seeking a pension pot move to MLS, China or wherever. They need an additional defensive midfielder. And they need a world class striker. That would complete the spine.
The real question is whether everyone in Europe knows this, and so conspires to ensure that Arsenal never sign what they need.
Or whether Wenger and Gazidis are just cheapskates who won’t pay what it takes to secure top talent.
The Sheikhs have decided to hedge their bets on where the big money will be in football in 20 years time. They are firmly rooted in Europe, the USA and China now. We await the response of the rest with bated breath.