Happy Friday for everyone.
Mikel Arteta meets with the press this morning ahead of our game against Everton tomorrow, so we should get an update on team news etc. Training footage was released yesterday, leaving everyone scouring the footage for signs of Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe.
Obviously, the Ghanaian wasn’t showing up, but I thought he saw him lurking somewhere in the background. I hope those ribs feel good for the trip to Goodison Park. There was no sign of ESR though, and my suspicion is that whatever is troubling you is being treated very cautiously. As anxious as I am to see him back, he’s been gone since September, it’s now February, and there’s no point in rushing things. I just noticed that Reiss Nelson is back, which isn’t necessarily the most exciting news, but as we get closer to the second half of the season, we need as many players fit and ready to play as possible, so that’s positive.
There is no doubt that we will get something more from the manager later. Some. Bit.
Q: “Mikel, what’s the latest injury news?”
A: “Well, injuries are things that players have, and some have them right now but others don’t. They range in seriousness from ‘Not so serious’ to ‘Pretty serious’ to ‘We’d better buy a midfielder, quick!’, but I can’t say right now what level of seriousness applies to any of our players. We will evaluate them later and make our decision then.
Q: “What about the player who got cut in half by an elevator cable like that guy in Omen II? Will Everton play?
A: *smiles knowingly* – “I can’t say it. We will evaluate both sides of him in training today.”
Of course, we’ll keep you posted on Arseblog News when we see the press release later. Even Johnny Two-Bits.
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Then again, after reports that he came close to signing a new contract last week, it appears that Gabriel Martinelli has put pen to paper on his new contract.
???? Gabriel Martinelli has now committed his future with Arsenal by signing a new 4.5-year contract. Previous terms expired in 2024 + #AFC had the option to extend for 2 years. New and improved deal keeps the Brazil winger at the Emirates Stadium until 2027 @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/6kyjsCxjTB
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) February 2, 2023
They are two Gabriels tied in the last few months, and there are ongoing discussions with other players. William Saliba is one of the anxiety-inducing ones, but he struck a positive note about how he’s progressing, and the other is Bukayo Saka.
This one is really interesting because I don’t think from a player’s point of view there is any real problem. I don’t think he needs convincing to stay at the club where he grew up, playing alongside some of his friends from the Academy and some of the best young players, for a team that is at the top of the table and with a great opportunity. to achieve something this season. Imagine the commotion he must have for being an Arsenal player right now, in that stadium with the love that the fans have for him and the team. This is a very different scenario than trying to convince one of England’s best players to help us out of a mid-table fight or something.
However, he is one of the best players in England (even if he is not offered the same privileges as others with that distinction), and that is going to be a factor in the negotiations. Salaries, bonuses, all of that should be commensurate with his height in the game right now. It doesn’t matter that he is 21 years old, his package will be compared to other England stars at top clubs.
If X player is paid £X,000,0000 for [Bastard Club]then Bukayo Saka deserves £Y,000,000 from Arsenal [Non-Bastard club]. Simplistic, I know, but that’s how it’s going to be. I’ve also seen a lot of conversations about his agent, and let’s be honest, this guy is a little tough on negotiations. He gets great deals for his customers, just ask Eddie Nketiah.
However, as tough as he is and as he will use every ounce of Saka’s talent and potential to make sure he gets what he wants, he and the club have found ways to make deals for the likes of Eddie, Flo Balogun, Alex Ibowi and others over the years. I think Reiss Nelson used to be with him too. So while it’s bound to be tricky, and the more he plays it the more anxious we’ll all be, he’d be very, very surprised if this didn’t get done.
Now we’re in a strange place where overseas super clubs aren’t as financially strong as before, so the threat they would normally possess isn’t what it was. That leaves the Premier League clubs, and we know there’s a lot of money going around, but then you go back to what the player really wants and I think Saka, for now at least, would be strongly inclined to stay here rather than cross any kind of english division. Rest pretty easy right now.
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Speaking of transfers, we discuss the window in general on today’s podcast and how the domestic market within the Premier League is growing. We also chat about Arsenal’s business and how we’re prepared for the second half of the season, plus get an update on how things went for Arsenal’s women in this window and much more. Tune in to me and Tim below.
Later we will also have our Premier League preview podcast on Patreon. For now, have fun.
