@6 ft. Leprechaun In general, I think your outs are reasonable except I don't see us offloading both Trossard & Marti in the same window. The outs are also reasonable. - Think Seys would be a solid option though we've never been linked (I think?). - I'd bet Samu is more expensive and I think we likely go with a different option. - As mentioned above, I don't see us offloading to LWs. In the odd chance we do, I'd bet Eze, Brandt, Max and/or Ethan (assuming we sign him) end up taking the backup minutes rather than signing 2 new LWs.
Bergvall is more of a b2b player and can backup Rice. While I agree that Odegaard is still a great midfielder, he hasn't been working in Arteta's system for a while. Seys is 5'10" in most sites.
I don't disagree with you on selling both Trossard and Martinelli in one window. I think Trossard is going and , imo, we need to sell Martinelli while he still has value. It's what I think should be done, not what Arteta will do. I also went with both Goreztka and Brandt because, with them being free agents, we get some decent experience and skill at little cost. Samu might cost more than that but his size, speed, aerial ability and technical skill are very tempting.
I wouldn't call last season injury-interrupted. He missed the beginning portion due to an ankle sprain but then played the last handful of months virtually injury-free. This season has been more interrupted. That being said, I could see his lack of production being blamed on rust if he was trying stuff and failing but he's becoming less and less aggressive. If you look at his stats, since 22/23, his # of shots and shots on target are decreasing year by year. Either he's not the player he was or the system has changed enough where it doesn't fit him anymore.
It’s not the system. The league has changed. And the injuries he is piling up shows it. The PL is a lot more physical now than even two seasons ago. I don’t think Odegaard can play a full league season at a high level.
You may be right, WhoScored has him listed as 1.68m (actually 5’6”) while TransferMarkt, which I just checked, lists him at 1.78m (5’10”). Possibly down to a late teenage growth spurt.
Arsenal already have a Rice backup in Merino, in addition if Myles stays, that’s probably where he ends up. Odegaard has been injured for a while, it’s difficult to judge how he fits Arteta’s system when he hasn’t had a significant run of games. He is a higher touch player than Eze and that’s going to be needed against some opponents. You could also argue that Saka’s inconsistent form this season is partially down to missing Odegaard. While the injuries may be a red flag, they may also just be bad luck.
Odegaard was patched together with athletic tape the last several months of the 2024-2025 campaign. He was rushed back from extended injury in Fall '24, and not getting a full recovery before playing negatively impacted his performances. (This is a decent summary of last year's injury-riddled season for him. What's wrong with Martin Odegaard? Why Arsenal captain has suffered his alarming dip | Football | Metro News) recurring injuries this season (shoulder, knee) have also made significant impacts on his availability and the quality of his performances when fit. I love the player, but his injuries have made him a periphery squaddie this season. If he stays he potentially takes minutes from Nwanieri and Dowman. If we decided to sell him, his age and abilities should demand at least an 80M fee, and probably higher than that if he goes to another Prem club. Yanited have already been rumored to be interested, and they arguably have one of the most-creative 10s on the planet right now.
Odegaard's peak TM value was 110m euros and he's down to 65m now. 80m or more would be an easy sell for me. Which would be about 2x the club record fee for a sale.
He is the only guy we have who hasn't physically gotten bigger over the last few seasons. Look at Saka, Martinelli, Saliba, etc. Those are bigger men than they were in 2021. Then you look at Odegaard, and he looks exactly the same as when we signed him.
There is some validity to this. I love MO but I can't help wonder if the ideal path forward isn't VG up top with Kai in a RCM/AM/SS role in a 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid. Kai prefers drifting to the right vs staying central, he has prior chemistry with Saka that should develop further with playing time, he has shown chemistry with VG (possible the most of any other player playing MF), he may be the best "MF" scorer on the team and he is a strong presser.
Merino in midfield has been a disaster, imo. He's not nearly mobile enough. It's yet to be seen how MLS does it midfield, IF he gets moved there. I disagree about MO. His injuries this season don't change that he's been less productive year on year for a handful of years in a row.
Very curious how much the value of Christian Kofane is going up? Doesn't have a ton of goals but his movement, strength and hold up play is phenomenal. He would make a great understudy at ST. And we all know how much Mikel likes players that he has played against.
I think your post above dictates who they go for at striker. If Havertz is an AM/SS he can't also be the main backup at 9, they would have to sign someone that is Gyok-like and who Arteta would trust to play regularly, someone who could take Gyok's job. If it's the same as this season and Havertz/Gyok are sharing the 9 role, then it's probably a young, developmental option to replace Jesus. Kofane might be in between, too good for a 3rd option but not good enough to be the alternative to Gyok.
#1. Why can't Kai play a little 9 if he is also playing AM/SS? We have a number of players that can also play AM/SS or we can switch back to a regular 4-3-3 if he is needed up top. #2. Why does the new ST need to be VG-like? Agree there may be a general type we look for but I'd argue that someone atleast a little different that brings something different can be good if they also fit into the system #3 Why do we need a backup that plays regularly? While I agree that we ideally want rotation and competition, VG is used to playing 3000+ min per season and is physically capable of playing in the EPL. The question with him is whether he can continue to grow/adjust with the team to be more effective. If Arteta thinks he can, then what we need in a backup is an understudy that can push VG now and fully replace him in a couple seasons. 100% think he is too good to be a 3rd option but given where he is at 19, I don't see why he can't be a solid #2 especially with Kai as insurance.
Nah, that's rather dismissive of what happened. He was playing on a not fully healed ankle all season.
That may be true. I'd still look to sell him while he retains some value. I think that's less risky than keeping him in the hopes that he actually produces his form from a few years ago only to see a further drop in production and value.