SALIBA ULTRA GOOD
Well, good morning, my darlings! I just tried to record a podcast with JC and my brother – it wasn’t happening. I’m away on holiday, the internet is bad, so I apologize to the video friends who have been waiting for podcasts. It’s not happening until I get back on Monday. You’ll just have to enjoy the audio – it’s like video, but with your eyes closed.
Okay, let’s do a quick spin of the gossip today…
Bill Saliba was ultra-good versus the Dutch. He’s been adopting some of that left-sided center-back game for France and has been doing a very fine job. No one gets past the big man. He’s looking every inch a top 3 defender in the world on one of the biggest international stages. I really, really hope Madrid scouts have missed his majesty!
The big PSR firesale we were all expecting at the clubs in deep trouble has materialized into… a bunch of very awkward-looking sales between the clubs in trouble. The trading that’s going on should set alarm bells ringing. DCL is going from Everton to Newcastle. Maatsen has gone from Chelsea to Villa. Omari Kellyman has gone from Villa to Chelsea. Everton has signed Tim Iroegbunam from Aston Villa. Lewis Dobbin to Villa from Everton.
Errrr… what the hell? This does not look like the natural course of action. But, you’d imagine there are no rules against selling players between clubs in trouble to book profit on players to escape the nightmare of points deductions.
One thing we can be assured of - none of this is moving the needle with those clubs. If anything, we’re already seeing what the mega Chelsea splurge has done to them. Michael Olise has apparently opted to move to Bayern Munich. Chelsea is realizing they can’t handle the finances or the disruptions to the 20 or so left-sided players they’ve been hoarding.
Why are they wasting time on him if they are well-stocked?
Shiny object syndrome… if it shines, they buy. Not a sharp strategy.
The two strongest Arsenal rumors at the minute appear to be more needs-driven than concrete links. Nico Williams had a very nice game for Spain, so now every club is being linked with an extraction job, knowing the £58m buyout clause is doable for anyone with Champions League. The player had an exceptional season of output, 8 goals, and 19 assists. I’m just not sure there’s going to be much interest in adding another predominantly left-sided winger to the mix (3 games on the right last season).
Victor Gyokeres is also back on the radar – Sport Witness has led with stories saying that the noise in Portugal is spicy on the player being a top target for Arsenal, though the fee has not been agreed. I’ve seen some publications talking about high 80s for the fee, a slight reduction from the 100m buyout. Is the player interesting? Of course. He’s a Tall Boy Summer with a little umbrella on top. Do I see us dropping Declan money on anyone? Not really. Especially not a 26-year-old. What are you getting with him that you don’t with Toney? Likability? Sure. But it seems to me that Declan Rice likes Ivan Toney quite a bit, and he’s integrating with the England squad quite well.
But… maybe there’s some magic there that makes him worth that sort of cash. 43 goals in any league is hardcore output. I just think we might have more pressing needs this summer – like actual back-up for Saka, a 6 or an 8, and a left-sided center-back.
Ok, not a lot on today. Below is the Thursday Therapy podcast. There will be a members podcast a little bit later with JC and my brother. I’ll be back in America next week and we’ll have some lovely content for you all week long. xxx