Morning, it’s a busy Friday and a very warm Friday here in Dublin. There appears to be some wave of heat, not sure if there’s an official term for that, but it’s gonna get hot today.
Not as hot as Arsenal’s transfer dealings. What a segue! First up, we announced the signing of Brentford’s captain, Christian Norgaard, yesterday. Essentially he comes in to replace Jorginho in the squad, and for £10m I think it’s a decent bit of business. He’s got plenty of experience in the Premier League and at international level, won’t really need to settle in beyond learning how things go at Arsenal, and should be pretty much a plug and play option for Mikel Arteta.
As Martin Zubimendi comes to terms with life in the Premier League, having that experienced alternative – along with Declan Rice as an option too if we need it – rounds out that part of the midfield pretty well. As I said previously, it’s not especially exciting, but foundation pieces aren’t usually those kinds of signings anyway. The player himself spoke nicely about the move he just made late in his career, fulfilling an ambition to play in the Champions League, saying:
I’ve just turned 31 and had signed a new deal with Brentford. Of course, there’s always a little chance that a miracle could happen with Brentford, but it was probably unrealistic to play Champions League with them. Now, I get to hear the anthem and be a part of a Champions League campaign. It’s a childhood dream and something I didn’t think would be possible. So it’s something I’m really, really happy about.
We went far last season, and as Tim points out in his column this week, the bench for the game against PSG left a bit to be desired, so hopefully he can help us do better next time out. For more on the player, you can listen to our new signing podcast exclusive to our Patreon members, and you can check out Phil Costa’s profile piece here.
Then, last night, news emerged that Arsenal and Chelsea have agreed a £52m fee for Noni Madueke, which is not really a surprise given the trajectory of this situation. As of yet, we don’t know the structure of the deal, add-ons, payment schedule etc. I wrote about him yesterday, so I don’t think there’s any need to repeat myself when it comes to my opinion about the player. I will say, however, that while I fully understand disquiet or unhappiness about a signing, the way this one has played out online has been pretty grim in some places.
There’s a way to express some worry about the expenditure on a player who you feel doesn’t merit the price-tag, or doesn’t move the needle sufficiently, without resorting to abuse. I’ve seen it reported Madueke has had to close comments on his Instagram because he was being roundly abused by people objecting to his transfer. Honestly, I know I shouldn’t be shocked by this, and I’m not especially taken aback, but you do have to despair a little at idiots who feel the best form of expression is to direct aggression and hatred towards somebody who hasn’t done anything wrong. I know this is the world we live in, but the world we live in is crap in lots of ways and this, unfortunately, is one of them.
It’s reminiscent of the abuse aimed at Aaron Ramsdale before he signed, and despite the fact that worked out well and he won people over, it was fairly unedifying stuff at the time. I know we can’t judge any large group, i.e Arsenal fans as a whole, by the worst kind of Internet keyboard warriors, but we can call them out for what they are.
The fact this deal has been done before the striker has annoyed some people, and I get that, but the fact is Chelsea – for better or worse – are an easy club to deal with. They stockpile players and literally have to sell, and we seem to be pretty much always willing to help them out with that. The difference between that and Sporting ensuring they get the highest possible price for their best player and someone who scored a mountain of goals for them should be obvious.
I do think Madueke is a gamble, and one that Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta will have to stand over, especially at that price. It’s not cheap, and there are questions over where exactly he’ll play and certain elements of his game. Hopefully though, given the fact he’s only 23, there’s plenty of room for improvement in the years ahead. Whether people like it or not, it looks like he’s going to be an Arsenal player, and it does us all good if he’s a success in red and white. I can’t say I love the deal, but I’m behind the player once he’s wearing the badge.
The other thing to say is that there are still almost 7 weeks until the window closes. I know that the start to the season demands we get our house in order as quickly and efficiently as possible, but there’s even still time to do that too. Madueke feels underwhelming as the first attacking signing in a summer when we’re really hoping to raise the level, but add a striker and another attacker and it looks quite a bit different. The manager and the Sporting Director won’t care about the optics of the signings, only to build the squad the way they have planned, but there are still important pieces missing and that’s the work they have to do next.
Meanwhile, The Times report Leandro Trossard has agreed a three year deal with Fenerbahce, and Arsenal are looking for £20m for the Belgian international. Let’s see how this one plays out. It appears to be based off simultaneous reports in Turkey and Belgium earlier in the week, and if a deal is reached between the clubs, then it leaves plenty of room for another attacking signing.
Fabio Vieira, meanwhile, is being linked with a move to Parma, with a fee of around €20m mooted. I don’t really see a future for him at Arsenal, and the fact Carlos Cuesta – who knows the player well – is the new head coach of the Italian club lends this one a little more credence. Perhaps someone putting 2+2 together etc, but it’d probably suit him more than a move to another Premier League club. One to keep an eye on.
Right, I’ll leave it there for now. I’m going to get a breakfast of ice, and we’ll have an Arsecast for you a bit later on this morning so stand by for that. Until then, have a good one.
