Do we need anyone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - Jan 2026 Transfer Thread

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by chjoak, Oct 17, 2025.

  1. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    Re summer sales:

    There are three players whose contracts expire at the end of next season, Jesus, Trossard, and Norgaard; who may be prime candidates to leave this summer.

    We all assume Jesus will be sold in the summer.

    They didn’t extend Trossard’s contract when they upped his salary, so if they hope to get a fee for him, they will need sell him this summer.

    With respect to Norgaard, they only signed him to a two year contract, so they may be operating on the assumption that any fee they might recover by selling him wouldn’t be significant and they are comfortable with letting him become a free agent at the end of next season.

    Martinelli’s contract also expires at the end of next season, but he apparently has an option year. I’m not sure they sell both Trossard and Martinelli in the same summer making it necessary to bring in two new left wings. It might be wise to keep Martinelli around one more season as a back up who can provide a counter attacking threat when needed late in games.

    The other player most frequently mentioned is White. His contract expires in 2028 but he also has an option year. I made it clear above that I don’t think he’s as crooked as some do. There was a lot of anxiety on this thread and among some of the bloggers that Doku would run riot against us in the league cup final if we didn’t have Timber to shut him down, but I thought White did a more than adequate job of keeping Doku in check.
     
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  2. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    #552 ArsenalMetro, Mar 25, 2026
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2026
    No one’s arguing that he isn’t a good player. But another year of 500 minutes in the league would make his value near zero, so if the club wants to sell him, now is the time.

    We have an awful track record for selling because we hold on to players for too long. Retaining White for next season and trying to sell in 2027 would be another instance of that. No one’s going to spend real money on a 30-year-old fullback who has been a part-time player for 3 years.
     
  3. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    Feel like Norgaard is more likely to contribute at CB than in midfield. He's taken the Elneny safety blanket role, in that Arteta wants him on the roster but doesn't actually want to play him. Maybe Norgaard has an eye towards coaching when he retires.
     
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  4. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    I would only spend that much on a young homegrown midfielder like Anderson or Wharton, definitely not Alvarez.
     
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  5. footykid

    footykid Member+

    Jan 10, 2005
    Mississauga, Ont
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    I think Anderson is what bad faith Actors say Rice is. Wharton is way better on the ball, but his off the ball work is mid at best. Neither is a £100 million player.
     
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  6. 6 ft. Leprechaun

    Dec 9, 2003
    Baltimore, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We'll also be selling Kiwior and Viera.
     
  7. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agree that it is extremely unlikely we move both LW in the same summer, especially without a right-footed Max/Ethan waiting in the wings to be backup.

    Agree that keeping Marti makes 100% more sense..... However, I could envision a scenario where we sign someone big (Barcola, Yildiz, Kvara, Alvarez) to be the starting LW and we opt to sell Marti to reduce net spend (80-100m out, 50m in) and keep Trossard as the backup until his contract expires.

    Reality is we aren't getting much for Trossard given his age and having just 1 yr left on his deal. Think it makes much more logical sense to keep Marti but it may make more financial sense to sell him in order to improve.
     
  8. Pemulis

    Pemulis Member

    Jul 10, 2024
    Catch my drift now?
     
  9. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    Financially your scenario makes sense, but I can also see Trossard sulking on the bench. If Arsenal bring in any of the four players you listed early in the window, I wouldn’t be surprised if Trossard asked to leave.
     
  10. DaPrince84

    DaPrince84 Member+

    Aug 22, 2001
    MD
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
  11. leppercut

    leppercut Member+

    Oct 10, 2006
    SLC and Anchorage
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    that's just footy in 2026 i guess. In the past you'd sell martin and train up ethan but we need profits so both may be gone.
     
  12. leppercut

    leppercut Member+

    Oct 10, 2006
    SLC and Anchorage
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
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  13. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    Mixed feelings, neither has really taken off after showing so much promise last season. Selling them so young comes with risk, they have so much time to improve, but if they don't, getting 100m for them would be a steal. They could have been sold for even more last summer if Arteta thought they weren't going to be good enough. Arteta does a lot of selling low and buying high, which can still work as long as KSE doesn't turn off the money hose.

    The "pure profit" angle is dumb, though. Odegaard and White have been at the club for 5 years, selling them will also count as pure profit as the fees to buy them have already been baked into past seasons books. Plus they are on higher wages than academy kids.
     
  14. NorthBank

    NorthBank Moderator
    Staff Member

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Without actually reading the article (sorry), I'd say:

    Ethan: I'm fine with selling him. Even though he's still reasonably young, I've kinda formed my conclusion that he's not developing fast enough. That said, what do I know about his loan spell, other than I don't think he saw the pitch a ton.

    Myles: I'm not. He's too young to know. Would be a mistake IMO. UNLESS he's really really unhappy about not getting PT and is pushing to leave. Then maybe.
     
  15. Tonerl

    Tonerl Member+

    Arsenal
    May 10, 2006
    Cincinnati, OH
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nwaneri is younger than Lewis-Skelly.
     
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  16. mebeSajid

    mebeSajid Member+

    Feb 16, 2009
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Selling either is deeply unwise. Think I'd be more willing to sell MLS after this season because he's looked bad when he's played, but really don't want to sell either.
     
  17. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In general I would prefer to see the academy guys stick around. Would rather have a successful team built primarily from the academy. That said, I would be ok selling every last guy if we sold like Real (cheaper fee with low buyback).
     
  18. leppercut

    leppercut Member+

    Oct 10, 2006
    SLC and Anchorage
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
  19. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    FB for me likely means Ben White replacement. In theory it could also mean that MLS is no longer in our LB depth and we plan to buy a new 5th FB that can play both side.

    CM is interesting. Likely means that MLS is sold, loaned or is staying at LB permanently. Also means that there are likely atleast 1 player leaving at CM as we currently have 6 (Zubi, Rice, MO, Norgaard, Merino & Eze) with 2 others (Kai & Nwaneri) than could fill in there.

    LW is a no brainer.

    Also interesting that he doesn't believe we go for a young VG understudy.
     
  20. leppercut

    leppercut Member+

    Oct 10, 2006
    SLC and Anchorage
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS and Ethan for Morgan seems like bad business
     
  21. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    Where did he say that? He said Alvarez won't happen unless either Gyokeres or Havertz leaves, which seems obvious.

    Other targets listed were the 3 Newcastle players (Livramento, Tonali and Gordon), plus Celta Vigo fullback Oscar Mingueza who is out of contract in the summer.
     
  22. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #572 chjoak, Apr 9, 2026
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2026
    I didn't read the article. Observation based on the positions we are targeting per the tweet.

    Edit..... Mingueza is interesting. Former Barca academy CB turned attacking WB. He is basically shorter Ben with a little more speed. May be a decent option, especially on a free.
     
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  23. NorthBank

    NorthBank Moderator
    Staff Member

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No shit! Just looked em both up. I thought Myles was 18 tops. He's 19.5, and Ethan just turned 19.

    So by rights I should probably say they're both too young to decide yet. But actually I still have the same feeling about the two of them:

    Ethan I've seen enough of and get the sense of his limited ceiling (could be a harsh judgment though)

    Whereas Myles I feel like hasn't had enough of a chance after an breakout season in 24-25 where he was a surprisingly good last-resort, stop-gap.
     
  24. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    Selling one or both this summer would probably be a mistake. Teenagers breaking into the first team on a regular basis is not at all common. If they aren’t believed to be ready for the first team then give them the Saliba treatment and loan them out. In three years when every other midfielder on the team is 30 or older, they will only be 22 and may have a significant role to play. If both come good that may be £200m Arsenal save on new midfielders.
     
  25. And_ROOS

    And_ROOS Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    Melbourne, Aus
    The issue I have with selling MLS is that he has been forced into LB when he is a midfielder and we haven't seen him in that position. Could easily see us doing something stupid like selling for for 30mil to a club who plays him in the middle and he becomes a 90mil midfielder.

    Until proven otherwise under Berta we are still a horrendously bad selling club.
     
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