Alright, here goes nothing. Buckle up ’cause this might get a bit wild and off the beaten path.
—
Morning folks.
Today I’m diving in without even saying you-know-who from Sweden or that Slovenian dude in Leipzig. Everyone’s chattering about them like they’re the only strikers out there. Are they though?
It’s possible, I think, that Arsenal’s playing this clever game, making us all fixate on those big names while they sneak around in the shadows. It’s not like strikers are pouring out of every nook and cranny when we’re talking real big league names. Ollie Watkins comes up sometimes, and Alexander Isak’s name is being thrown around a lot, but it’s such a tangled web. And Hugo Ekitike? Yeah, that one’s tossed into conversations like confetti but no one seems to latch onto it seriously.
Think back to 2007—Thierry Henry packed his bags for Barcelona. It felt kinda criminal how cheap he went, right? And while we were all eyeing players like Eto’o, Tevez, Anelka, and a whole roll call of stars, they surprised us with Eduardo da Silva from Dinamo Zagreb. Remember the collective, “Who?”? Yeah, he was quietly racking up goals like no one’s business in Croatia before a nasty tackle ruined everything for him. Sad story, but he might have been a solid 20-goal-a-season kinda guy.
Fast forward—nowadays, everything leaks. Everything. A guy whispers a name to someone at a party, and boom, it’s all over Twitter by morning. Back then? Arsenal let the media focus on distractions while they made moves in stealth mode. Different times and all, but there’s a longing for that sneaky strategy.
So, here we are—more talk of adding a mysterious ‘other’ forward this summer. Names bounce around like Williams, Gordon, Gittens, Rodrygo, but pulling off any of those is like trying to hold a soap bar underwater. Williams is pretty much Barcelona-bound, Gordon’s price tag makes you gulp, Gittens has drama in Dortmund, and Rodrygo? Something about him sets off my spidey senses.
Ah, Rodrygo. Real Madrid’s rumored fee made waves, then cooled down pronto. But €90m? For a guy who’s not much of a leap above Gabriel Martinelli, it’s like, huh? The only reason to justify it might be if Arteta sees him as a flexible wingman—covering both flanks, which we need, considering Saka’s heavy lifting last season. If that wonky Saka-reliance lesson doesn’t stick, yikes, someone’s missing the memo.
Still, €90m plus all those extras, it’s more than a bit rich for me, even if it’s not my cash. We pick apart every transfer nowadays, and for some, Rodrygo’s this golden kid. Me? I don’t catch the superstar vibe folks paint him with. But maybe the summer’s litmus test is having someone who tops last season’s Sterling, which Rodrygo could do, but hey, so could half of Europe.
When teams level up, the pool of players who genuinely boost them shrinks. Arsenal going innovative or risky—when’s the last time that happened? Saliba and Martinelli maybe. £32m combined back in 2019, and now they’re crucial players worth way more.
Perhaps we need a fresh young face, a hidden gem kind of thing. Doesn’t happen much with us. Is there a fear of the unknown tied to players like Fabio Vieira? Maybe. Does Andrea Berta have the goods to unearth something fresh and spicy?
People argue this summer’s too critical to gamble. Stakes are high, competition fierce. But always doing the obvious? Sometimes, shaking things up could be the smarter move. Arsenal needs to show depth in recruitment smarts—spotting talents who are still rough around the edges but with potential. Does Arteta dare to leap?
Sure, big signings will likely come from that small goldfish bowl. But if they’re considering a wild card—something edgy and new? I’m totally here for it. Transfers flop all the time, that’s life. But failing to ever roll the dice? That’s arguably worse. We’ll see what shakes out eventually.
Alrighty then, that’s that. There’s a fresh Arsecast Extra down below if you want to give it a whirl. Cheers!
—
Download – iTunes – Spotify – Acast – RSS
