Arteta said that while we still need to nurture and grow our current crop of players, we need to recruit to improve our team to reach the necessary level required to win the league. Amen to that…but where shall we strengthen and who could join us according to the current reports?

A) Goalkeeper

By activating the purchasing clause for Raya, we are definitely saying good-bye to unsung hero Ramsdale. We will need to replace him and it seems we are going for Justin Bijlow from Feyenoord.

B) Defenders.

White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber as our starting back four

Cedric and Tavares leaving, Tomyasu and Zinchenko to stay while Kiwior could be let go…The rumours have us linked with Calafiori. He would definitely be a good addition to the squad so we could have Tomy, Kiwior, Calafiori, Zinchenko as our back-up back four…can’t complain although I still think we can do better than Kiwior as a back-up.

C) Midfielders

El Neny is gone, Lokonga too…We are left with

• DM/CM: Jorginho, Partey, Rice
• CAM: Ode, ESR, F.Vieira

Seems that we may have to say good-bye to either ESR or Vieira and it also seems that we are interested to get Mikel Merino from Spain with Douglas Luiz leaving for Juve. I think there are better options than Merino but Arteta seems to rate him so…Partey may be extended and kept but he won’t be starting it seems.

D) Forwards

Nketiah, RN, Marquinhos all touted to leave…

Saka, Havertz, Jesus, Martinelli, Trossard to be our main attackers but we need to add at leas 1 back-up winger and 1 Center-Forward…Williams would have been a good option but it seems he will end up in Barcelona and Toney wants to join Utd…Let us see who we can bring…

Ultimately, we are getting 1 player per line and except in the middle of the pitch, it seems we are adding quality squad players rather than starters…We hence need diversity in the profiles and impact players.

Who do you think we should recruit? Are you sad to see Ramsdale and potentially ESR, RN and Nketiah leave?

The annoying Spanish team will take on the disappointing French team tomorrow evening while England will face the resurgent Dutch on Wednesday evening.

Spain has been the dominant team in this Euro, playing an attractive brand of football with great wingers in Yamal and Williams and a solid midfield spearheaded by Rodri, well accompanied by Ruiz and now Olmo (Pedri is out). Overall, Spain is the favourite to win the tournament but the good news for the rest of the pack, and especially France, is that Spain concedes chances so it is a matter of putting these chances away when you get them. So France will not only need to block the Spanish team ability to create chances but also have to do something they have not done so far, which is to score from open play….Given the above, I think that it will not be a bad idea to change our shape again OR to drop Griezmann and eventually Mbappe to the bench and bring in Barcola instead:

• Maignan – Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez – Ngolo, Tchouameni, Rabiot (or Camavinga) – Kolo Muani, Mbappe, Barcola OR
• Maignan – Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez – Kolo Muani, Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Camavinga – Mbappe

The idea is to block Yamal (Camavinga, Hernandez), Williams (Ngolo, Kounde) and to put some pressure on their right back and Laporte…Let us see

The other semi final will see the Three Lions take on the Oranje! The English should have enough to beat the Dutch. The Dutch main danger man has been Gakpo so it will be interesting to see how England blocks that Dutch’s left wing and they have also been dangerous through the middle with bursting runs from deep but I think that England is just the better team overall and is more solid. This England team really reminds me France 98, with the quality, belief and also even the way they are qualifying:

• France 98: Hard extra-time game against Paraguay to qualify for the quarters, then beat Italy on penalties…
• England 24: Hard extra-time game against Slovakia to qualify for the quarters, then beat Switzerland on penalties…

In a perfect world, England would face France in the final but it seems that we are heading towards a Spain-England and I am really joping for an England win, especially for our Starboy and Rice-Rice baby…

Allez les Bleus! Come on England!