Random thoughts while watching WC matches..... realize there is a decent bit of poor info flying around but trying to piece together the reasonably sounding rumors and this is my general expectations for the summer...... GK - No changes. Possible Setford on loan. LB - No sales/loans. Add Mbemba (PSG 18yo FA) or similar young option for the future CB - No changes RB - White sold if we can get a reasonable offer (I've read about 2-3 mid table EPL clubs having interest). If White is sold, we add someone that can push Timber and provide starting quality rotation. If White stays, we add a young FB that can play both sides CM - Think we are shifting to a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot. Saw it later in the season and it better fits our MF. Norgaard out. Bouaddi or similar player in that is capable of providing reliable rotation. AM - Switch to 4-2-3-1 is better for Eze and likely unlocks MO. Think these is a chance MO is sold and his replacement is Rogers. Do not believe we pursue Rogers unless MO leaves. If there is no additions, I think we start working Dowman into this role. Think Nwaneri's best chance to make the team will be at RW when we decide to move on from Noni. LW - Looking more likely that both Trossard & Marti are gone. Think we land Tzolis as the backup/rotation option. Think starter ends up someone like Vini (1yr on deal), Raphinha or Nico Williams. RW - Nwaneri goes back on loan. ST - Jesus sold. Would love to see us snag Kroupi but I'm thinking this isn't the window he moves. Think it is more likely that we pursue a young physical ST (Kofane, Pio Esposito).
Im just going to address this part of your post. I think it would be a mistake to sell Odegaard. His skill set, which is different from Eze and Rogers allows us to dominate possession, while they are more direct. There are times when Arsenal are going to want to dominate possession and times when they want to be more direct. It’s beneficial to have players capable of playing in different ways. For example, the Chart from Cannon Stats that you posted three pages ago shows Odegaard as the more progressive passer and ball carrier of the three. In addition he led Eze and Rogers in deep completions and expected assists per 90 minutes. In addition, there has been a lot of talk about the left side of the attack being the weak link in Arsenal’s offense. In reality, the entire offense broke down. In ~3400 combined league minutes Saka and Madueke had 10 goals and 6 assists, while Trossard and Martinelli had 7 goals and 10 assists in ~3100 league minutes. Part of this was the injuries Saka was carrying, but I believe part was also the fact that Odegaard and Saka were rarely on the field at the same time. This season they only played together about 18% of the total minutes available. In the past few seasons the offense revolved around their understanding of one another on the field. If Arsenal can get both healthy again the offense should improve. Arsenal should be able to get Odegaard healthy because most of his time out of the team was due to contact injuries, Saka’s Achilles may be more problematic. Finally I suspect Arteta reverted to the 4-2-3-1 because the offense was struggling and he decided to lock games down. If Arsenal add a couple of offensive pieces and Saka and Odegaard are healthy next season he may go back to a 4-3-3.
There are a variety of players who play in their domestic league in places like in Africa or they are in very small leagues (eastern Europe, Middle East maybe even Japan or Korea) shine in international competition, and get noticed by and sought after by clubs who otherwise wouldn't have. Albeit the smaller clubs but it happens. We were already going to buy Calafiori and Merino in 2024. Merino had already called up but didn't shine till 2024 summer. Calafiori's first summer being called up was 2024 and shined and had we not already in the last stages of buying him its logical to think he (and Merino) could have initiated a bidding war of sorts. Bouaddi is 18 now, he was being tracked at 16, 17, maybe younge but no big club is looking at someone that young to start. Buy him, develop and he's one for the future because its a huge step up. He's definitely not starting for PSG's current midfield, I'd doubt for Liverpool as well if they buy the targets they are after. Starting for Lille in Ligue un, is great, they are a top 5 club there but they are not a top, major club by European standards But with how he's played against a senior Brazilian squad and if he continues to shine, no reason to believe more clubs would start looking at him as a starter when they wouldn't otherwise The WC has elevated how he's viewed and its logical to think if we (and Liverpool) weren't so heavily linked they'd be more big clubs throwing their hat in the ring.
Always felt clubs in the last 10-15 years use the big tournaments for confirmation of scouting elements and not to discover players. So maybe, for example, there's a query on a specific midfielders ability to handle pressure and they play for a smaller team in Ligue One, La Liga, Bundesliga etc, and if they have a big tournament and are a key player in big matches especially late in the tournament then that reevaluates that opinion or confirms it.
I poo poo'd the rumour of Spurs being serious about getting Tonali. What I didn't know till watching a podcast about it is that Tonali and Zerbi are supposedly from the same city in Italy and that connection is supposedly an important factor to Tonali. Doesn't mean he'll go there but it might probably mean he will seriously consider them. If we get Rogers and seem so, I hope Tottenham gets Tonali. If they can keep him out of Liverpool or City's hands then I'll take that. This will sound crazy but I think if Tottenham gets Tonali and their key players (Maddison, Kulusevski, van de Van, Romero, Xavi Simons, Solanke) stay healthy they are a legit Europa qualifying side. There's a decent side in there. On their day they can beat anyone. They have had 'shock' wins over City over the last few years.
I've been hoping for a 3-5-2 for over a year. -------------VG-----Kai---------- ----Eze--------Ode--------Saka ------------Rice-------Zubi -----Cala----Gabriel---Saliba ----------------Raya-------------- Would have liked to have seen it.
Yeah, I don't get the hype either. But there are many people paying attention to him, so I should watch him more closely.
Livromento just got sent back to England from WC with a hamstring injury. I rate the player, but his poor reliability rules him out as a transfer target.
Morgan Rogers Update• Morgan Rogers has given preference to joining the English champions. Other clubs are still actively in the race but acknowledge the player's current preference.• Morgan Rogers has respectfully communicated his desire to leave to senior figures at Villa…— HandofArsenal (@HandofArsenal) June 16, 2026
3 at the back is a dead formation it’s a hybrid system now when players step into midfield like Cala this year and mls last year we will probably see more of the same
We have the players for it. There is no such thing as a “dead” formation. If you have three, mobile defenders shielded by two holding midfielderss, you can make it work well.
Alex Goldberg has been pushing Rogers to Arsenal which kind of carries more weight to me since he is a Chelsea fan. "Barcola and one other player" with Rogers suggests they are being targeted for the same role. I think that's playing on the left wing but drifting more centrally and into the channels rather than wide on the touchline. I assume the other player isn't Tzolis otherwise he would have just said the name. I'm really skeptical of paying 40m for a 24yo stat-padder in a weak league. His upside seems to be a squad player, his downside is he flops in a bigger league. Would rather spend 40m on someone with a higher floor or ceiling. Maybe they just keep Martinelli. I don't think we've talked much about Scott but he's had two significant knee injuries. Being homegrown and at Bournemouth, he's going to cost a lot. Fabrizio Romano's buddy Moretto says Kone is not a target for Arsenal. Larsson seems like a stretch, had a disappointing season and missed the Sweden WC squad.
Im not opposed to bringing in Rogers per se, but I am still very skeptical about bringing him in for LW. Maybe he is our best option this window, IDK. Feels like a move similar to Eze. While Eze did some positive stuff for us, I still don't think he was a good move for the money. Im curious how serious we are on Tzolis or if he is a major distraction/misinformation link? i agree that I would rather keep Marti. He atleast brings something different to the table (counter attack) vs most of the remaining roster. Personally, if we were gonna take a flyer on a lower league option, I would make a runnat Godts.
name one good side in the last 10 years that’s won anything with it it loses control in midfield and doesn’t have the attacking fluidity of other formations 4231 and 433 rule football
You’re moving the goalpost. I said a 3 man defense is not a dead formation. Milan used it last year. ManU did. Crystal Palace did. That’s 3 off the top of my head. Whether it works depends on personnel. A 352 does not lose out in the midfield. If anything, you have a numerical advantage. Anyway, that’s what I would have liked to have seen. I think we had the personnel to make it work and plays to our player’s strengths better than the 433 did.
Well, lets just say you are in the 1% and leave it at that. We all have opinions and sometimes it contradicts general beliefs. I certainly do. If he goes to Tottenham and suck, I'll be happy as pie. If we buy him obviously I want him to be a world beater.
That's an extremely attacking side. If we can keep our defensive shape with that, it would be unstoppable. 3 at the back however leaves gaps. Yes, you dominate the midfield but its vulnerable to a great passer and a great winger.
I'd be surprised if Rogers was brought in for the left wing. My guess is he can play multiple positions and we all know Arteta likes that. We will get an outright winger. I'd be shocked if we didn't. We've seen in many games neither Trossard or Martinelli are on it and we are desperate for a goal. Rogers in there in those times with other players inside on a punt to get an equalizer may be a shout. Its his flexibility and ability to run at and through midfields which has caught Areta's attention. We don't have his type in the squad. Dowman has that ability but not ready yet.
Yeah I don't know that I agree either but LW seems to be the role. 🚨 @FabrizioRomano: “Arsenal want to go for Morgan Rogers, they consider him a top target. Mikel Arteta already mentioned internally that he considers Rogers as the ideal signing & perfect winger. The deal is ON for Morgan Rogers & Arsenal.” ✅🏴 pic.twitter.com/Qd13u4NpLK— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 17, 2026
Apparently Rogers has already spoken with Arteta, if you believe rumours and scuttlebutt, and he is very keen for the role Mikel has laid out.
Scott's analysis of Rogers isn't entirely enthusiastic. A few tidbits: "He’s not a midfielder that will dictate the game or that will go out and attempt 70-80 passes per game. He plays harder passes than most, but he is also quite bad at actually completing them, so that unflattering pass completion percentage is not just about trying harder passes. He is one of the least efficient midfield passers in the Premier League. No player who attempted at least 750 passes last season completed them at a worse rate relative to expectation than Rogers." "Unlike his shooting, where he turns the volume into better than expected goal scoring, on the ball he ends up losing it about as often as the average attacker, and maybe more. His dribble percentage is quite low, and that means that given his volume he will lose the ball often." "The big takeaway is that even with all of the losses, he does add goal threat with his dribbles and carries. You will get frustrated with the turnovers, but if the carrying nets out positive, as a coach or a fan you will live with them for the moments of brilliance he can create." "The defensive section is a story of raw volume sitting on top of below-average per-90 rates, which is a more honest read than simply calling him a good defender." "Aerially he is a non-factor offensively and a slight liability in contests. He contests a fair volume, 2.36 aerial duels per 90 (68th percentile), but he wins only 29.1 percent of them, the 23rd percentile, with 25 won against 61 lost. His aerial duels lost per 90 sit in the 79th percentile, which is to say he gets pulled into a lot of headers he does not win."