Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, our 2018/19 golden boot winning striker turned 30 this week. There have been rumours that Man Utd are considering making a £70m bid for him. If we accepted such a bid, we would make a nett profit of around £14m, so not a massive return on our investment on the surface. But, in these times of austerity and with a rumoured transfer budget of a paltry £40m … what could we do with that extra £70m? … or even a £100m+ if we sell Xhaka as well. Seal a leaky defence? Buy a midfield maestro to replace Ramsey? Bring in proper wide attacking players? Maybe all of the those options?
This question was posed by blogger LBG a few days ago …
So let’s heat things up!
If we get an offer of 70m for a 30 year old Aubameyang from Manure, and an offer of 35m for Xhaka, I say sell them both and use the 100m to fill the gaps we actually have.
These are some of the responses it has drawn …
From Sue …
Atletico want Xhaka (you’re having a giraffe, right?!) albeit I’d quite happily drive him to the airport & bundle Mustafi in the car too & tell them it’s a bogof deal… oh happy days 😝
This from Els …
LBG – too risky for me to sell Auba and Xhaka. We already have too much business to do and too many first teamers to replace. We need to keep as much consistency as possible now. Other than that £105m for those too would be nice. I’d want to replace with a good few academy promotions and then some free transfers. Then we give all that money to Ramsey see if he’ll come back.
RC78 posted this …
I am happy to let both El Neny and Xhaka go but I d like to keep Auba unless we have an offer exceeding 50 Mln pounds for him.
From GoonerB …
LBG in answer to your question, if we were to get £35m for Xhaka and £70m+ for Auba I would take it. I love Auba but at 30 years old those figures are tempting and those funds could secure a key but expensive option elsewhere.
Aaron’s thoughts …
Sell Auba and Xhaka for $100+ million, in a New York second. I will be encouraged if we buy some CB’s and another strong DM. We do not want any injury prone hail mary’s or 35 year old cast off’s. Bring up someone exceptional, a 20-25 year gem that actually has a body that can take the EPL punishment.
It would appear from the above that there is an acceptance amongst some of the fanbase that we may have to do a ‘Liverpool’ and sell one gem (or maybe two) to buy different gems that could plug some gaping holes in the team … or do you think otherwise?
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Morning. I like posts that encourage conversation.
It looks like I was in the minority of not wantimg to sell. If we did sell, who would we attract. We aren’t in the champions league so wouldn’t be able to attract the calibre that Liverpool did with the Coutinho money. If we did go for a star we’d end up spending more than we should on them as compensation for the Europa league. We’d not get better than Aubamayang. Certainly not established.
There’s too much business to do in my eyes. Especially as the management team are all dropping like flies.
Morning Peaches, and thank you for the Post. 😁
Selling Auba is not my preferred option but if we get a mega offer, we need to cash in…
Selling Mustafi, Xhaka – great 👍
Firstly, Only a desperate psychologically deranged, gambler/investor would even consider those odds/returns on not just the initial £56m, but also the wages and other expenses incurred.
To take the argument further, consider this analogy; A man has a leaking roof at the back of the house and he finds on examination that one of the tiles is cracked and is leaking rain water in. Hmmm… he has a brilliant idea, why not remove a “good tile from the front of the house to replace the cracked one at the rear of the house”
Arsenal clearly ned to sign a “Samuel Umtiti”, “Thomas Meunear”, a”Hakim Ziyech” Minimum for now if they are even thinking of “top 4” in the new season and how they fund it is not by weakening the Attack Force which will also weaken the Defence further by letting the offences attack to run riot at Arsenal’s defence as the offensive team knows their defence will not be being attacked; No Aubameyang and Lacazette combination.
Wow selling one of our players for 70m (bang hit the deck!!) that’s a lot of money, to us anyway…. I just can’t help but think I’d rather it wasn’t to the Mancs… meh… them of all people.. it broke my heart seeing RVP (🐍) and Sanchez scoring against us – brought tears to my eyes… not sure I could cope with Auba doing it too, along with a lil front flip & that black panther mask….. 😔 nooooo!!!
My feeling is that in general terms, its not good to keep a player who no longer wants to be at the club. It seems possible that Torreira could come into that category.
Aubameyang has made some noises that suggest he might be up for a move if the right suitor comes in. Equally he has talked about playing for Arsenal next season, so it looks like he’s keeping his options open. Would he want to go to the car crash that is man utd for another £100k a week? Who knows.
I’ve heard from bloggers on here that Emery is not good at recognising and bringing through new talent, but he’s a very good tactical coach. Well we now have the backroom staff to fulfil the finding and development side, so Unai can concentrate on what he does best.
If Auba wants to go, bearing in mind that in 2-3 years time his value may have halved, then I would put my trust in the new management team to spend the money on the right players, younger players to improve the squad.
That also applies to Torreira. It’s different with the other players that many fans want to be sold. First there has to be a buyer who wants them (Mustafi, Elneny etc). I would say as a general policy, see how much money we can raise by selling players not favoured by Emery and then decide if we need to sell any of the better players if those players want away.
I agree with Omar. Khadine @ June 20, 2019 at 9:42 am
First teamers going
Ramsey
Wellbeck
Cech
First teamers possibly going
Elneny (good chance)
Torreira (could be absolute rubbish)
Mustafi (surely a good chance)
Koscielny (don’t want to talk about it)
Monreal (if we are after a left back is there space)
Mhikitarian (likely wage cut candidate – not sure on how much truth)
Aubamayang (I can’t see it)
Yikes! We aren’t the fastest at getting deals over the line. I’ve probably missed some off the list.
Hi Els,
I do not think selling PEA was necessarily intended to replace him, but was a recognition that we have limited transfer funds, if the rumours about only £40m to spend are to be believed.
So the funds released by selling Auba might be used to fund defensive purchases for example.
From my perspective, as I have often said, the fans have been so brainwashed over the funds available for transfers, that we accept it, without argument, and start to rationalise by making suggestions as to how to free up money from disposing of assets (players) we already have on our books.
I for one, do not accept this situation (altho realistically I am aware the management could not give a stuff about what I think – or a million more who have similar views).
A club who are worth up to £2bn [ £2,000,000,000 that’s an awful lot of zeros] if it was sold, should be able to budget for at least £200,000,000 (one tenth of the club’s worth) each year.
That money, if spent wisely/knowledgeably, is not going to be poured down a black hole, as some would have it, but the evidence of buying quality players each year, and releasing them the next year, if they do not suit the team (recovering the funds spent on them – (quality players do not lose money and may bring in a bonus over the original cost) and reinvesting is ancillary to the increased commercial sponsorship money from increased success, and also from TV competition sponsorship.
The evidence? Going back to the start of the Premier League and the inevitable influx of serious money from wealthy buyers/owners, the teams who have taken the entrepreneurship route mentioned above like Man Utd, Chelsea, and Man City have reaped huge rewards both for the fans watching top class players each week, and those clubs’ financial success in a virtuous cycle.
Coming full circle, we should not have to sell our best players to raise some money to buy other lesser players, but, in the case of Aubameyang for instance, he should only be sold to buy younger and/or better players as he is now in the ageing 30s, where his value will rapidly start to fall.
So a ‘yes or no question’ as to selling Auba, is intrinsically wrapped up in the management philosophy of the club – which in my opinion is suspect, and has been so for many years, since we were falsely told the opening of the Emirates would enable us to compete for the best players with all the other top teams in the EPL.
I would hate to see Auba score goals for utd, whatever money we get for him. He is one of the few players that I enjoy watching week in week out (especially his relationship with Laca on and off the pitch) and to have that joy taken away from me, in a time where we won’t have much else to enjoy, will hurt very much.
He still has a couple of good seasons in him, let’s use his remaining talent for US, not someone else. At least not this season anyway. I don’t want another RVP in years to come where we cannot even bear to mention his name – he (and we) deserve more than that.
I say no deal.
Hi RA
I should have been more specific. I wasn’t thinking a like for like replacement. In my head I’m thinking that the team needs X amount of established players. I think we are quite low on players that have won things and players that can pass on experience.
Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham mentioned on those PR clips we are looking to develop players mixed with experience. It looks like we are about to promote a decent mount of academy players and sell a few first teamers. This surely means we need established players as well as youth this summer. If we sell Auba, we’ve got to get someone similarly experienced? That same player would cost a champions league club less than it would a Europa league club. This includes everything to get the deal over the line: signing fee, agents, wages, transfer fee and what not.
Regarding finances, when you look at the figures we SHOULD be able to make money available. However we do not know what else they include in the expenses list. Certainly their own wages.
For Auba, I wouldn’t sell him to any club in the EPl. Only to clubs outside the EPl. In any case, our best option is to keep him 😉
Sell Ospina, Mustafi, Jenkinson, Kos, Montreal, Xhaka, El Neny, Ozil, Asano, Bielik, all other loaned out players except SR and RN.
What happened to Zelalem by the way?
Buy for first team a – CB, DM, CM, FW
Buy for squad – GK, RB, LB, ST
For the squad, let s buy smart: Schubert, Valencia, Tierney, Mitrovic
For the first team – let s spend the dosh available… Thiago Silva (he s cheap actually), Gueye or Pulgar or Capoue or Ndijdi, Doucoure or Vidal, Pepe or Neres or Ziyech
Leno – Bello, Silva, Sok, Kola – LT, Ndidi, Vidal – Neres, Auba – Laca
Schubert – Valencia, Holding, Mavro, Tierney – AMN, Chambers, Douzi – RN, Iwobi – Mitrovic
Plus – Martinez, Willock, Mikhy, Saka
Els,
A fair point, and I think we have used different terminology to come to the same conclusion, but I do not think we should sell Auba just to raise the transfer pot, for the reasons I gave.
Leaving aside my anger at the piss-poor way in which the club is being run, which will inevitably result in us slipping lower and lower in the league, if things do not change, even if Unai gives the youngsters a chance and they succeed.
So I suspect that if the club were offered a lot of money for Auba, regardless of what any of us think, they will probably do so, I’m afraid.
There have been lists of players produced on AA and elsewhere that could help to make that unnecessary, and even tho it will be difficult to sell the players concerned, every one has a price, and if it is low enough Arsenal could sell Mihki, Xhaka, Kozzer (who wants to go) Torreira, Kolasinac (sorry Sue) and even some of the kids, if they are not promised and given a run in the team.
What a way to run a business whose life blood is the buying and selling of assets (players) in order to make the club successful on the field and financially, and not doing so because they have run out of money.
Bah, Humbug!!
Happy Birthday Kolasinac, you sexy beast 🥰
Hi RA
I think we are on the same page. They would accept offers for most players. I’d guess we don’t have too many untouchable players at the moment. That’s possibly a good thing. But it makes me hope that Emery is given time as it would be a massive shame to rip apart a good bunch of technical players, only for the managers vision to go. We’ve been in transition for 10 years!
RC78, that looks to me like that list of signings would take far more money than we have, even with the sale of some big players.
First of all thank you to the new contributors for keeping the site going which I read each morning, Peaches, welcome back!
Re. Auba: we have to get used to selling players at their peak in order to get to where Liverpool etc are as nobody’s putting in to our pot of cash it seems. However, I’m sure if the rumour is true that Manure are looking at us as a potential threat and can afford to weaken us substantially in order to boost their chances!on that basis I’d keep him until another club come along with a similar fee and means of replacing his goals.
Like you all, I’d rather see the ‘lose’ list sold off to generate some fund to boost our wealth and inertia first!
Excellent comments, love Pete’s roof tile analogy.
Sell Auba? Mah, believe it when I see it.
Scoring goals is quite handy in football, so, with Ramsey and Welbeck gone, and Giroud having been ‘exchanged’ for Aubi not that long ago, who is going to do it next season?
Sell Auba? Mah…. 🙂
No deal!
As I said this morning, if Lukaku is sold for £75m, we sell Aubang for his market value ……£120m, then sure sell him. Goals for Manure will stick in the craw, but I want changes( big) if we can afford them to defence and midfield for our Club. What’s certain is Aubang wont win the League for Manure.
PS Sell Xhaka for anything better than £20m and a lolly stick!
This decision currently rests on the trio of Sanllehi, Venkatesham & Emery. They need to decide if Aubameyang is a valuable player to keep and willing to extend his contract with us beyond summer 2021.
If selling Aubameyang guarantees getting Nicolas Pépé (a quality winger-forward), then yes.
If we had no other business to do then selling players for good profit I’d expect the club to do. As some people have said that’s probably going to be part of the MO of our new system.
I totally agree with you LBG if Manure can value Lukaku at £120 then Aubamayang is worth more than that. If we could get £120 for him then I’d say let’s do it. But only if we would have a player signed already to go and ALL money was being reinvested.
To me we are going to have to get a wriggle on as there’s so much to get done. It normally takes a full summer for us to sign one player. Actually it takes us half a summer to identify a player no one else wants and then half a summer to do the deal.
JM
What about a double bid for Pepe and/or Mbappe?
LBG,
Mbappe is beyond our financial and footballing reach. We have no champions league football. His preference is Real Madrid (and even then, Real had rather spent £272+million for 5 new players for the new season instead of buying him alone). PSG’s minimum negotiating price is at least £200million and they do not wish to sell him currently.
Besides, Stan & Josh Kroenke shall not sanction such a bid for 1 player.
So it is back to a “sell” Aubameyang for “buy” Nicolas Pépé sort of question for the club management to ponder.
I can’t see us signing a players of Mbappe’s calibre any time soon.
We’ll just make players of that calibre instead.
Why haven’t we secured Bergkamp yet? That would be my ideal signing for next season.
I really don’t like the idea of selling Aubamayang ……….. he and Lacazette have so much to offer as a partnership and I feel we’re just missing players to provide good service for them either individually or as a front two later on in games.
If we got £120m for him we wouldn’t be shopping for a top tier striker to replace him and as others have said we need too many other positions filled to make selling him worthwhile.
Fred if you’re watching, you’ve put your comments on yesterday’s post.
I think we all agree that the best option is to keep Auba. It seems we also agree that we should sell Xhaka.
Seems the deadwood players that need to be moved on are identified
Seems there is a debate about Ozil and Mikhy and Monreal
Seems there is also a debate about what to do with Willock, ESR and Nketiah in terms of loaning or keeping
Also a debate about Bielik while the majority wants to keep Chambers
Let s c what happens
Auba may be 30 but he is still a class act, is a top goal-scorer and imho is reaching his zenith/apex in the EPL. We probably have 2 more good seasons we can get with him, and with all the new talent coming up, his presence will be invaluable to inspire them. Xhaka is one of the most underappreciated and under-rated Gunners on he pitch. Yes he makes mistakes but he is a formidable passer when teamed with Torreira. I say keep them both and bring through people like Bielik to learn from them. I saw him play for the under 21’s and he is a strong, very tall and powerful defender who reminds me a little of Viera in his prime.
Are polls possible on here? I’d say it looks quite even on the Aubamayang situation.
RC78 – I’d keep Xhaka. Again there’s too many deals to be done for me. We need a little consistency and he appears to be committed.
Out ot Ozil, Mikhy and Monreal… I’d want to keep Monreal the most. I still think he’s a 7 out of 10 every game.
For me I’d keep Bielik too. I think he’s what we need. He’s a monster and built for the EPL. I’m more excited about him than Chambers in that position.
What central midfielders are we going to have at the start of next season do people think? Not necessarily names of signings, just who will be sold, kept and promoted?
Hi Els, yes, we can put a poll into a post.
Just seen a picture on Instagram of Bellerin modelling in Paris today, not sold on the pink outfit he had on – surely RA would have looked better in it 😉😝
I really hope we don’t sell Bielik – if we were to, that’ll be as bad (for me) as when we sold Gnabry! Bielik has been on fire lately for Charlton & Poland… surely it’s about time he had a chance!
Agreed Sue – surely they are going big on academy promotions this window. I’ll be devastated if he doesn’t make it.
I think Freddie will have a lot to do with that, Els… which really is a good thing! Now all we need is what you said earlier – Beavis (😁) oops I mean Bergkamp 😄
who brought this kind of sheet!! Arsenal should not sell any player at this moment just add some orther players. our squard is too small to compete with the likes man city and loserpool, why should sell xhaka ?? we need him more than those you think we have he is a good player talented stronger than any body in our midlefield
Aubameyang has two years left on his contract, if he doesn’t extend it then selling him has to be an option in order to protect his value to the club.
Glad to have stimulated some footie discussion ( instead of flirting) and from a good range of ” new” bloggers. Welcome all to the best blog site, on the best football Club in the World.
Yaaay — Rasp and his Poll are back!!! 🤪
Hold on — isn’t a poll a cow without horns?
Oh, who cares — I hope you are well Rasper? 😁
Mike M – I’ve just pinched your comment to maybe use in a headline post tomorrow
Sue that would be Freddie, Pires, Bouldy, Edu and Bergkamp at the club. Not to be sniffed at.
Does Pires have an actual role at the club ……….. I thought he just used us as a gym 🙂 Although it must be amazing for younger players to train with him.
Sue,
I had no idea you had seen my special pink Frou Frou. 😳
In addition I have borrowed Belli’s high heels – he has proportionately got very big feet.
I heard one of the Arsenal tea lady’s singing to him;
Who’s that walkin’ round here? Mercy
Sounds like baby patter, baby elephant patter, that’s what I call it
Say up in Harlem at a table for two
There were four of us, me, your big feet and you
From your ankles up, I’d say you sure look sweet
From there down there’s just too much feet
Yes, your feet’s too big
Don’t want ya ’cause ya feet’s too big
Can’t use ya ’cause ya feet’s too big
I really hate ya ’cause ya feet’s too big
So I asked him if I could have his big shoes — perfect fit.
What an image that would be – I hope your hair’s in a bun too 😜
That’s actually a very funny idea: Pires just rocks up every morning to use the gym, probably has been doing so for years and no one says a word.
Bon jour Monsieur Pires comment ca va aujourd’hui?
Pas mal comme d’habitude
Jesse Lingard says he wants to punch Piss mOrgan.
Get in line Jesse!
🙂 LB ……………….. what’s his role then?
OK, he doesn’t just use the gym, I’ve seen him in kit training with the players but why?
Haha LBG, knew you’d say that!!
I want to punch Jesse Lingard – especially when he does the milly rock!
Peaches.. that is an interesting question.. I thought he was turned down to be a coach, as we had Bould? Is he a club ambassador or something? Is his son still in the academy?
Sue – I don’t mind him being there, I’m sure its pretty awesome having him around the place but Els included him in a list of experienced older players at the club ……….. I just wondered what his role is, does he get paid? Or does he just use the training facilities?
Well Peaches.. I found a piece saying he “works” for Arsenal as a club ambassador.. maybe, with the club being as tight as they are, they’ve offered him use of all the facilities whenever he wishes… that sounds about right 😆
Instead of wages!!
I agree with you Peaches, it’s funny but makes complete sense that Pires just turns up every day and does, err well, what ever he wants really and no one bats an eyelid.
If Robert Pires is eager to train your players you let him. I’d guess. Got to be in my top ten.
Anyone fancy a top ten player poll? Is that possible Rasp. Just each user of the blog vote for their top ten players. Vote from an agreed season?? Or I could shut up. Haha.
Thanks peaches
Was responded to sues comment from yesterday
Lol
Cavani kick a man in the box and VAR gives a pen
https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/20/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-arsenal-unai-emery-puppet-10021968/
So, fun stuff these management decisions.
Sell Auba and others, yes, Auba to manure, not in my lifetime again, unless Aubu’s scoring is going to turn to sanchez’s. Still got burned by getting Miki, but that is another point entirely.
Aubu’s production, say 20 goals net to manure or anyone in EPL, would move a team up, especially manure, and would have taken them 3rd this year. No more rvP’s!
Sell him at his “apex” and solidify the defense. The Arsenal do not have any defense, and for that kind of money we could get some. It could be close to a wash, especially if the Arsenal can get another 10-15 goals from others, and tighten up the defense by 10-15, win some away games and get top 4 for goodness sake.
The Arsenal are not getting production from Bel or Holding early, and they will both need to get back on pace, if they are able to ever.
Like pools play with coutinho, such a smart sale, and Van tightened up there D to very competitive levels. They have had 2 wonderful years in a row because of that sale, and might win it next year.
The Arsenal on the other hand, if they only sell to add to stan the man’s coffers, highly probable, and do not spend ALL that money on players who can make our team better then why even bother following the club?
If you ponder that question, then you will understand my harsh feeling towards his ownership of any club.
Wont make any difference as he is still pocketing money from even a currently poor recent set of seasons, but #KroenkeOut is my shout to start the season.
Give Dick a proper chance to use and prove we have the youth to go forward positively, but kick the leech back over the Pond, please.
Morning all. Cricket and U21 footie to enjoy today.
Els,
AA are the kings of Polling bloggers on all matters Arsenal, and I am not sure who Rash is (sounds nasty) but Rasp has organised more of them than you can shake a stick at.
Maybe one today? — Peaches hinted as much yesterday.
I have been swayed by the don’t sell Auba arguments. Keeping him and Laca will probably be important and it will be hard to replace his goal scoring prowess with anything this side of £100m.
Maybe if we are looking at a home sick Torreira then this is where we could make some funds up, and I think we will find it easier to cover this CM position. Today’s market is high though so we should hold out for a significant fee.
Well put, Don. Just a few lines of common sense and the issue is settled. 🙂
Morning all
We have a New Post
John Edrich 82 today. Surrey and England, and the quite, gentle one in the Edrich/Boycott opening pair. And Matt Kuchar 41, one of the few American golfers I have bet on and won consistently on! Happy Birthday.