Will Edu serve Rice at his Summer 2023 Transfer Window BBQ?

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by CarlosKaiser, Feb 3, 2023.

  1. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed. Think the ins are 100% spot on. The outs I think are a bit more complicated. A lot of guys currently out on loan (Mari, AMN, Cedric, Pepe, etc...) need to be moved as well and I think there is a very good chance that we could cash out on atleast a 1-2 more current 1st team guys (Holding most likely and Partey & Eddie as possibilities).
     
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  2. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    Sambi needs a really good loan spell at Palace to be sold this summer at a good price. I think more likely he needs another season on loan to build his value up to where it should be.

    There are rumors about a new contract for Xhaka, enough that Arteta was asked about it. He shot those rumors down, no surprise, but talks could still be happening. Xhaka, Elneny, and 2 new CM signings means one of Partey or Jorginho should be leaving because you don't need 6 for 2 positions (not even including Sambi, Patino, Vieira, ESR, Zinny).

    Partey is arguable the best midfielder in the league, but he has 2 years left on his contract, he's entering the wrong side of 30, he has potential legal issues, and he can't stay healthy playing once a week, let alone twice if the club are in the CL next season. It would be bold, but it wouldn't shock me if Arteta moves on from him in the summer. Especially with how well Jorginho has filled in.

    Rice, Zubimendi (at a lower cost than Caicedo), Xhaka, Jorginho/Partey, plus Elneny is a deep, solid midfield.
     
  3. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree with this. Given the other guys we have that could be used to raise some transfer funds, I would rather loan him for a full season and hopefully raise his value for a bigger sale the following summer.

    I'd be ok extending Xhaka. He has good leadership qualities and plays hard every time he is on the field. I expect that he likely gets replaced as starting LCM at some point next season but he has qualities that make him an excellent #2 for a CL level squad.

    We seem dead set on bringing in Rice. Based on his stats, I see Rice at much more of a Partey replacement than most on this board. If Mikel agrees, I highly doubt he is brought in to be the backup. That scenario also make significant more sense to move Partey.

    If Bellingham goes to Real, I would make a big push for Camavinga as well. He seems to be the odd man out and adding Bellingham isn't going to fix that even with Kroos & Modric moving on (assuming they do). And supposedly we made a loan offer for hi in Jan so it appears that there is atleast some interest. Think he has potential to play in either the Partey or Xhaka role and excel.
     
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  4. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    I don't know, the strong pursuit of Caicedo and rumors that it wouldn't prevent Rice in the summer makes me think Arteta sees Rice, at least initially and primarily, as a Xhaka replacement.

    Feels like I'm always seeing Madrid fans gushing on Twitter about Camavinga's awesomeness. Recently they've deployed him as a Zinchenko-style LB, I think he played there as well in the WC final for France. Would love to see him in an Arsenal shirt if Madrid are dumb enough to let him go. Sadly, doesn't seem like Arsenal are on Bellingham's radar.
     
  5. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've also seen claims that Caicedo was viewed as a "prospect" that could be molded into either the Partey or Xhaka roles. According to Who scored he has played more games as a CM (15) than DM (10) this season. And if you compare fbref per90 numbers, Rice is a much closer match to Partey than Xhaka. Caicedo's numbers look like a prospect. Slightly more defensive but overall not really ready to step up.

    Either way, I'm not sure we really know how Mikel sees any of them because he doesn't talk about player publicly until the deal is done.
     
  6. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For comparison sake...

    upload_2023-3-1_9-52-33.png

    Realize Rice is running in a different system and there could be little nuances to his game that project differently to Mikel, however, the above basic comparison screams Partey replacement to me.
     
  7. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    The Kulusevski obligation to buy isn't triggered unless Spurs make the CL IIRC. That'd be terrific.
     
  8. TitoTata

    TitoTata Member+

    Jun 26, 2014
    Bladdy Chelsea trying to ditch Sterling on Arsenal !!


    He’s not nearly good enough for the current Arsenal squad
     
  9. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    I’ll wager that two years ago the top third of Xhaka scouting report would have looked very similar to the top third of the Rice and Partey scouting reports. Since that’s the only significant difference between the three I don’t think you can arrive at any conclusions about how Arteta would use Rice based on the data. Arteta could see Rice as a significantly more mobile left 8 than Xhaka.
     
  10. thebigman

    thebigman Member+

    May 25, 2006
    Birmingham
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Rice is a cm in a 4231

    I don’t think he’s a good enough footballer to play 8 and seems limited as a single pivot

    I would rather look elsewhere
     
  11. CarlosKaiser

    CarlosKaiser Member+

    Arsenal
    United States
    Jul 30, 2018
    Kansas City
    I guess I see it the opposite way, that Rice is a really good player and versatile enough to play as a 6 or as a 8.
     
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  12. chjoak

    chjoak Member+

    Jun 17, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    supposedly tier 2 chelski source...

     
  13. TitoTata

    TitoTata Member+

    Jun 26, 2014
    Agreed … he’s a flat track bully imho .

    I’ve not seen him play well against a good team’s midfield and I felt he went MIA again last night against ManU
     
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  14. TitoTata

    TitoTata Member+

    Jun 26, 2014
    Bit Xhaka fits into the current system perfectly.. Rice couldn’t improve on the current Xhaka in that midfield imho
     
  15. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    Xhaka has fit into the left 8 nicely, but hardly perfectly. A quicker player with quicker feet could generate more end product. There have been several instances in recent weeks when another half step might have resulted in a goal or assist for Xhaka. In addition quicker recovery speed by the left 8 could solidify the defense even more.

    Re Rice, if the rumors are true and Arsenal really are interested in signing him, you can bet your last dollar that Arteta sees something in Rice’s game that he believes he can use.
     
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  16. TitoTata

    TitoTata Member+

    Jun 26, 2014
    Really ?

    A lot of the beautiful football played by Arsenal has been unbelievable and Xhaka has been paramount a lot of their success

    Rice is captaining his team into the Championship.

    Anyways, hopefully they are just rumours hopefully as is the one that Arteta wants Sterling etc
     
  17. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Ramsdale was the goalkeeper on two consecutive relegated teams, Saliba's St-Etienne finished 17th, White's Brighton finished 16th, Tomiyasu had never finished in the top half of a first division.

    Rice is a good player on a mediocre team. Not his fault Jarrod Bowen and the rest of West Ham's attacking mids are shitty finishers.
     
  18. Serengeti_Boy

    Serengeti_Boy Member+

    Sep 15, 2009
    Serengeti, East Africa
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Tanzania
    He's finished at top level too. He had began to lose form and was not a Pep Untouchable anymore the last two years. This wreaks of Willian. He also stays on the ball too long.

    Maybe Mikel is keen on him because of their history at City. Whatever he decides I trust Mikel.
     
  19. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    He’s had some injury problems, but ironically with 4 goals league goals he is Chelsea’s second leading scorer and his two assists are tied for the team lead, Chelsea’s problems are a lot deeper than Sterling’s form. They don’t have a striker and they don’t have a legitimate playmaker. I don’t know whether or not a Sterling is done at the top level, but his failure to put up big numbers at Chelsea is not an indicator he is done.
     
  20. And_ROOS

    And_ROOS Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    Melbourne, Aus
    Chelsea going for someone Arsenal are interested in? No way, thats totally unlike them.
     
  21. thebigman

    thebigman Member+

    May 25, 2006
    Birmingham
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Sterling isn’t a good enough passer in the wide position for me and is suited to run into open space

    we should be spending on guys like the kid at Napoli or an elite dribbler who can chip in with goals and assists

    trossard and martinelli is fine there but Saka doesn’t have a high level back up unless we use Jesus there and balogan comes into the fore
     
  22. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I want him to come just to see how you decide to spell his name
     
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  23. And_ROOS

    And_ROOS Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    Melbourne, Aus
    Aussie Ham.
     
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  24. thebigman

    thebigman Member+

    May 25, 2006
    Birmingham
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Double k is his name fam
     
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  25. ThreeUpTop

    ThreeUpTop Member

    Feb 16, 2011
    Valley Forge
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    This. It’s almost as if Arteta values resiliency and character. Weird.
     
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