Declan Rice

[FantasyIreland]

£72M, and no-one has forgot about that, believe me! :-(

Apologies,but my point stands.....lets not pretend you are scratching around in the bargain aisle.

 

[M16 citeh]

And you paid 100m for Grealish. We paid half that sum for all of Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard and Trossard.

You paid 100m for Grealish because it was required. If it costs us 90-100m to get Rice, so be it

Fair point i wasn't trying to make a dig. I just think 90m for a defensive player who has never played top European football is a massive gamble and for that price there has to be better alternatives!

 

[GunnerGer]

Apologies,but my point stands.....lets not pretend you are scratching around in the bargain isle.

Oh no, we certainly aren't mate. We're among the biggest net spenders now, because in the past we've recruited poor and sold poor.

Arteta is having to try and rectify those past mistakes, but we are trying to play catch-up in terms of team and squad quality, don't think anyone would deny that.

 

[HumbledGooner]

Apologies,but my point stands.....lets not pretend you are scratching around in the bargain aisle.

Not in the bargain aisle, not at the top either. Mid shelf is were we have been shopping. Of our best players, I would list Odegaard 35m - dirt cheap by modern standards given what he has become. Saka - academy. Martinelli 6m - brilliant signing. Saliba 25m - brilliant signing. Gabriel 25m - very good.

The most expensive players Arteta has signed in order, are White 50m, Jesus, 45m, Partey 45m, Zinchenko 35m. They are decent prices, but its nothing clubs in the lower half of the league table havent been able to meet.

Arteta should be allowed a top of the shelf purchase (80-100m), two infact. Rice should be one, and given potential sales raised he ideally should get another.

I really think this window will be a big one.

 

[rodders]

You say imagine that for a minute, like it’s some wild scenario we need to envisage… except the only difference is, we now have Rice?! Is he replacing Gundo, or Kev or Bernardo? Any of those and it’s a severe drop… imagine that for a minute!

Imagine if we could keep players with us for ever, and live happily ever after, winning loads a trophies every year. Now I think about it, that sounds rather like our last 10 seasons !!!!

Gundo, Bernie are likely to be off, or at least one of them, so a severe drop in quality is going to happen. No imagination needed, it would be reality that we would also address in the most excellent way possible.

So, back in the real world I'd suggest that below is close to if not equal to what we have to choose from now.

---------Eddy----------
Johnny -- Ruben -- Ake
---- Rodders - Rice
Phil---Kev---Jules---Jack
------------Erl------------

Flexible, mobile, scary, damn tough to break down, and we add another top class midfield purchase into the mix.

Rice is quality, Pep will elevate his game higher than anyone else can. I'm not sure that a potential drop quality is as severe as you think. Opinions eh.

 

[chris85mcfc]

Oh no, we certainly aren't mate. We're among the biggest net spenders now, because in the past we've recruited poor and sold poor.

Arteta is having to try and rectify those past mistakes, but we are trying to play catch-up in terms of team and squad quality, don't think anyone would deny that.

So are you saying after all of those years of gloating about winning the net spend trophy, that you've finally realised you can't win that and the Premier league at the same time?

Now you've had a glimpse of success after all those years, it's ironically coincided with you also spending a bit or money.

 

[GunnerGer]

So are you saying after all of those years of gloating about winning the net spend trophy, that you've finally realised you can't win that and the Premier league at the same time?

Now you've had a glimpse of success after all those years, it's ironically coincided with you also spending a bit or money.

I assume when you say you, you mean a collective you? Because i certainly wasn't happy at missing out on the likes of Xavi Alonso, Suarez, Higuain, Kante, Mahrez, Hazard etc because we couldn't stretch more for a few million extra quid.

We've not just spent money after a glimpse of success, we've spent money the past 10 years or so because we've not been as hamstrung with the stadium payments. We've just spent it poorly, and sold poorly. We'll be able to spend a bit more this summer as we'll have Champions League revenue for the first time in 6 years.

It's not exactly rocket science, if we make more money we have ability to spend more money.

 

[Kippax77]

He’s like porridge.
Very samey samey every time I see him play and pretty bland.
Should be a hit with the Arsenal fans then

 

[Dribble]

 

[chris85mcfc]

I assume when you say you, you mean a collective you? Because i certainly wasn't happy at missing out on the likes of Xavi Alonso, Suarez, Higuain, Kante, Mahrez, Hazard etc because we couldn't stretch more for a few million extra quid.

We've not just spent money after a glimpse of success, we've spent money the past 10 years or so because we've not been as hamstrung with the stadium payments. We've just spent it poorly, and sold poorly. We'll be able to spend a bit more this summer as we'll have Champions League revenue for the first time in 6 years.

It's not exactly rocket science, if we make more money we have ability to spend more money.

Certainly a collective point of view, but one that Arsenal fans on the whole have pushed and been proud of over the last 10 years, and has been used as a stick to try and beat us with.

It's good to see that you're agreeing with the fact that you have to spend good money to bring in real quality, but that the money has to be spent well.

Again a collective point of view, but this has always been City fans reply when we've been slated, but ultimately if you get your recruitment right, it is more likely to result in regularly competing for trophies.

No different to any other business I may add.