2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Gareth]

It’s worth considering, in a parallel world we’d have been raided for Martinez and Luiz.

The fact that hasn’t happened means this window is a success in my opinion.

Let’s wait till window shut before we celebrate it…Arsenal came for Douglas on last day last year. 

[PaulWinch again]

We really need a couple of additions in.

[paul_e]

We really need a couple of additions in.

As things stand we've got 3 games until the international window and then afterwards we should have JJ, Moreno, Donk, Iroegbunam and Coutinho (I know he's looking like he might go) all back fit. Once we're there I think the squad looks pretty full even with the 2 long-term injuries. I reckon we'll get 1 more and probably replace anyone that leaves but I'd say most of our shopping is done now.

[Sexual Ealing]

Been linked with Ansu Fati from Barcelona this morning.

It's just my own zany, idiosyncratic opinion, and probably no-one will agree, but if we were to sign him I can only see him featuring in the midweek games. Euro one for me, Fati.

[Vegas]

Been linked with Ansu Fati from Barcelona this morning.

It's just my own zany, idiosyncratic opinion, and probably no-one will agree, but if we were to sign him I can only see him featuring in the midweek games. Euro one for me, Fati.

Ansu Fati is an anagram of Faustian. I hope there’s no selling of souls  to the devil required to get him on board

[ozzjim]

Selling the kids for FFP, moving Coutinho on to remove his wages, potentially moving Digne on for his wages to be cleared off, surely this is leading towards us going hard for a couple of Emery's key targets. Maybe a Foyth who he knows, Fati as a forward option, maybe a couple of loans. There's clearly a strategy at play. We might not see it in full until the next couple of windows, but somethings afoot because we're putting ourselves in a strong place with FFP, but walking a tightrope with the squad depth.

[Steve67]

I presume that Zaniolo and Diaby can play the number 10 role, as well as further forward or out wide, but letting Coutinho go does leave us a bit short overall with Luiz, Kamara, McGinn, Ramsey, Dendonker (who Emery made some interesting comments about), Tielemans as mainstay midfield players and then big Tim to cover if he doesn't go back out on loan again.  With some many games to play, we may need another midfielder in too.  Coutinho, Davis, Archer and Bidace going, leaves us with an experienced but lightish squad of only around 21 players if we don't count the likes of Tim and some of the kids.

[ozzjim]

Issue is Traore is made of glass, Buendia is out. Bailey, Ollie and Diaby are the first choice front 3, but behind them now you have Duran who's very raw, Zaniolo who's unknown fitness and readiness wise for the prem, and very little else. Emery likes 2 players in each role, for me we're a winger and a utility forward light, and a defender.

[Steve67]

Traore is in the last year of his contract, which might make him want to earn another contract, although I doubt it.  Bailey is so hit and miss.  I agree that we could do with a right sided winger and another forward, I'd also like another central midfielder to step in for Kamara as Dendonker may also be on his way out.  Right back needed too.  I agree with you Jim.

[paul_e]

Selling the kids for FFP, moving Coutinho on to remove his wages, potentially moving Digne on for his wages to be cleared off, surely this is leading towards us going hard for a couple of Emery's key targets. Maybe a Foyth who he knows, Fati as a forward option, maybe a couple of loans. There's clearly a strategy at play. We might not see it in full until the next couple of windows, but somethings afoot because we're putting ourselves in a strong place with FFP, but walking a tightrope with the squad depth.

Are we? For me we have the strongest squad I can remember right now:

GK: Martinez, Olsen*, Marschall^
RB: Cash, Chambers*
LB: Moreno, Digne
CB: Pau, Carlos, Konsa, Mings!
DM: Kamara, Donk
CM: Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn
AM: Ramsey, Coutinho, Buendia!
W: Bailey, Bertie*
10: Diaby, Zaniolo
St: Watkins, Duran^

That's a 25 man squad. Yes there are a few of potential weak links (*), a couple of injuries (!) and a couple of U21s(^) who don't need to be registered but that's pretty much a premier league squad.

Getting a right back (and moving Chambers to cover at CB until Mings is fit), and getting someone who can cover Buendia but also be competition for Watkins is about all we could do without starting to see a bomb squad form so aside from those 2 we're pretty much 1out, 1in now in terms of depth. I think it's easy to miss that when we currently have 6-8 players out injured (depending on Emi and whether you count Tim) but the depth is there and will be available in 3-4 weeks time.

I think this is why we're seeing links to people like Coutinho (and previously Digne) going out because we need to create space as much as anything. We already have a bit of a problem in that we can only really name 22 players for Europe (of the 4 home grown in club places we can only fill 1) which means we can only add 1 more  before we are looking at leaving people out of that squad. I think this is also why we've got a few players who can do 2-3 different jobs and Emery has experimented with moving people about at times, to give us a bit more depth without creating problems.

[pauliewalnuts]

Duran as the alternative for Watkins is pretty piss poor in terms of a drop off.

That squad is going to have to play up to 70 matches this season.

It looks like a squad strong enough to manage last season.

Take your marked weak links out, and also the long term injured and it doesn't look anything like strong enough for me.

I'm not sure, for example, Chambers as right back option works. If that was going to be how we went into the season, I'd have kept Ashley Young.

[pauliewalnuts]

GK: Martinez, Marschall^
RB: Cash,
LB: Moreno, Digne
CB: Pau, Carlos, Konsa
DM: Kamara, Donk
CM: Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn
AM: Ramsey, Coutinho
W: Bailey
10: Diaby, Zaniolo
St: Watkins, Duran^

That ^^ is the squad minus the long term injured and the weak links, for example. Extremely patchy.

Take Countinho out, if reports tonight are to be believed, and it is even worse.

[ozzjim]

I would argue that Buendia and Mings are out for the season, so their spaces fundamentally need filling if we want to go deep in 2 cups and maintain a top 10 league position. Currently the reality is that should Konsa get injured, you are down to 2 fit centre halves and Chambers covering, and Chambers is one most of us thought would move on this summer. He's become the key backup since Mings got injured. That's a tightrope for me. Likewise, tomorrow Diaby picks up an injury for 5-6 weeks, not unheard of with a player of his pace.

With no Buendia, or Archer, your pace up top has gone, as has much of your creativity because Coutinho isn't there. For me, we're 3 short if Coutinho goes. We're also too heavily reliant on the form and fitness of Bailey, Diaby, Cash and Carlos in the current squad over a sustained period for it to be comfortable. Also keep in mind, Ramsey is still in a boot with his broken foot and Moreno isn't in training yet.

We had a small squad last season and couldn't put a decent bench together at times. We've signed 4, got 2 first teamers out for the season and are in the process of selling more. It's not the end of the world, but for me we're light, and judging on what Monchi said before the sales a couple of weeks back, I think there's some ins to come.

[paul_e]

GK: Martinez, Marschall^
RB: Cash,
LB: Moreno, Digne
CB: Pau, Carlos, Konsa
DM: Kamara, Donk
CM: Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn
AM: Ramsey, Coutinho
W: Bailey
10: Diaby, Zaniolo
St: Watkins, Duran^

That ^^ is the squad minus the long term injured and the weak links, for example. Extremely patchy.

Take Countinho out, if reports tonight are to be believed, and it is even worse.

I know, but just taking them off the list doesn't stop us paying their wages or them being around the squad, that's my point really, the squad (before the injuries) is as big as it should be and we won't make permanent signings to replace Mings or Buendia so we need to move on players we don't think are good enough before we can sign replacements.

Right now keeping Chambers as cover at centre back is clearly a better idea than selling him and bringing someone else in to cover Mings so there's only Olsen and Bert that you could say we should be looking to move on and replace (and for the latter I hate saying that but he's just wildly inconsistent) and I wouldn't be surprised if we are trying but will keep them if we can't find a buyer.

We can use the cover for Mings to sign a RB instead which I said is the clear gap in the squad. Coutinho going out would open up to bring in someone who can cover a few more positions up there a permanent addition and then we can consider a loan to cover Buendia but that's about it, there just isn't space to make more signings than that.

[ozzjim]

There is though. There's 4 spaces, 2 u21s, Mings and Buendia.