From Rhys Jaggar :
Myles,
Interesting comment you made about ‘Wenger trying to get Alexis to put in a transfer request’.
It begs the obvious question: ‘Why would he want to do that?’
The only answer I can come up with is: ‘He wants to splash the cash on someone else and has been told to balance the books to do so’.
Who would it be worth selling Alexis for?
I can only come up with Lewandowski, Mueller, Griezmann or Aubameyang.
I’m 99% certain Aubameyang is not available short of absolute silly money this late in the window.
Dortmund aren’t Bayern, after all and they might miss out on Champions League if he went without a good replacement.
Mueller’s simply not available.
So the only two that make sense are Lewandowski or Griezmann.
Surely, he’s not so idiotic that he would buy James Rodriguez when he is already overstocked with midfielders??
It simply doesn’t make any sense trying to get Alexis to leave when you have Ramsey, Wilshere, Walcott, Oxlade, Coquelin, Giroud, Sanogo, Campbell, Akpom etc not being touted for sale.
So you have to conclude that this is ‘Alexis out, someone else in.’
Seems like creating media copy for little on-pitch improvement. I might be wrong, but to me that’s nonsense.
But then again, most of what Arsenal has done the past 5 years has been strategic nonsense, hasn’t it??
Based on two games, looks like Arsenal will be fighting Liverpool, Everton and West Ham for 5th spot.
However, like you I wait 10 games to make definitive judgments and the closing of the transfer window for making initial assessments.
Myles says:
August is a month of waiting & guessing for Arsenal fans.
My take: Lewa would not join Arsenal because it would be a big step down. Who has ever left Bayern Munich in his prime to come to the EPL?
In the World Cup summer of 2014 Wenger wanted Griezmann, Sanchez & Debuchy.
He got two of his three targets so that was Wenger’s best summer recently.
An exemplary technician like Antoine Griezmann could fit into Arsenal’s style but he would probably have to wait too long for a pass or a cross.
Aubameyang is a very explosive raider who scores more often than Gareth Bale.
But Aubameyang would be pretty average at Arsenal if Sanchez had left.
August 31st is 8 days away.
Let’s not guess, let’s just wait and see who he signs.
Only one thing is certain: that 8 days passes very,very quickly.