CW June 3 transcript

(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)

Hello and welcome to SportsMole's latest episode talking all things Arsenal. My name is Ben Napton and I'm delighted to say that once again we're joined by Arsenal expert Charles Watts. Are you keeping well, Charles? Yeah, I'm not too bad.

Ben, how are you, mate? You good? Yes, not too bad at all, thank you. Don't really know what to do with my weekends right now, now that there's no Arsenal, but while there's no action on the pitch, there's plenty of action off the pitch. We'll talk a lot about transfers in the not-so-distant future, of course, but we can start on a bit of good contract news.

It was claimed last week by, I think, Sammy Mockbell that Gabriel is in advanced talks over a new contract and that an agreement is close. He's still got two years on his deal, but we've seen what happened with Liverpool. You don't want to let it get to those final few months.

The fact that we haven't had an announcement yet, but it's looking very likely it's going to happen. How big a boost is this so early on in the summer as well? It's a massive boost, absolutely huge. A lot of the talk, anyway, is about transfers this summer, but I really think the renewals are just as important as any new signings for Arsenal because of who we need to get renewed.

You're not talking about any old players here. You're talking about the real core group in Gabriel, Saliba, Saka, all those sort of players, two real talented youngsters in Myles and Ethan. So it's a really important summer for renewals and to start it off with Gabriel, who in my view is Arsenal's season despite missing out those last sort of six weeks or so with injuries.

It's a massive boost, huge boost. These talks have been going on for quite a long time now, but I think for Andrea Boerta as well to come in and get them over the line pretty quickly as well to sort of pick up the reins and he's had to build these relationships. You've got to understand that as well.

It's not like Edu before who had relationships with the player, with the agents, with the families, all that sort of stuff. Boerta's come in, had to sort of pick up the pieces and build those relationships, which are really important in these talks, you know. And so for him to come in and get this one over the line, fingers crossed, obviously it's not been announced yet, as you said, but to do that will be a big boost to him.

It'll be a big statement for Arsenal. I think it'll be a big statement for Andrea Boerta as well. And as I said, in a summer weather, some other really, really important renewals coming just to see such an important player sign early on.

I think that sort of snowball effect that it could create, I think could be really, really important. So, yeah, massive news. Yeah, that snowball effect, especially because since Arsenal last had that big space of renewals and I think, you know, the 22, 23 season, they still haven't won a major trophy.

But the fact that, you know, like I say, Boerta's come in, building these relationships, convincing players that this is still the place to be, that's a brilliant sign for the future, even though, like I say, Arsenal haven't won the Premier League or Champions League yet. These players still believe that they can do it here. Yeah, which is obviously a big, big thing.

And I think that was a fear, wasn't it? The longer it goes on without winning a major trophy and you start to worry about is this group going to start to break up? We've seen it before, you know, Tottenham are an example under Pochettino when they got themselves up to second, couldn't quite get themselves over the line. And then the squad started to dismantle and you had to start all over again. You don't want to see something like that happening with Arsenal.

You know, they've worked so hard to get into the position they are. You want to keep these good players and add to them. You don't want to lose those big players, A, because it sends out a bad message and others can start to follow suit.

And then it's more difficult to bring in top players because they're seeing you're already big players are leaving. So it's a really important statement, you know, and I think for someone like William Saliba as well, of course, we know the contract talks are going on with him as well to see his mate, his mentor almost. I mean, you talk to Saliba and when he talks about Gabriel, you can just feel the respect sort of coming out of Saliba when he talks about Gabriel.

He respects him so much as a friend, but as a player as well and his quality to see Gabriel sign that contract, you've got to think will help with Saliba at such an important time of his renewal talks as well. So, yeah, all round, it's a really big thing. Absolutely.

Yeah. And you said there about the other players who need to be renewed. There are so many, probably about six or seven, including like Saliba, Saka, Waneri, Martinelli needs to be sorted out as well.

Also has been reported that Lewis Skelly is in, I'm not sure it's advanced talks, but there are discussions ongoing with him, as you would expect. And there were some pretty sensational claims that Real Madrid are apparently looking at him. I think we'd both be flabbergasted if that deal came off.

It'd be a huge surprise if he did go. But is it maybe not so much of a surprise because he has just been that good for Arsenal over the past six months. So maybe is it not a massive surprise to learn that Real Madrid are apparently keeping an eye on him? No, if you're a good young player, you're going to be wanted by the best clubs in Europe, aren't you? And Lewis Skelly has shown in the last six months, he's one of the best young talents there is in world football right now.

So, no, it wouldn't surprise me if other clubs are looking at him, but it would absolutely surprise me if he ended up going anywhere. You know, he's Arsenal through and through. He's come through.

He's just broken to the first team. He's playing week in, week out. He's got himself in England, set up England's team, in fact, because of what Mikel Arteta has given him since, you know, with the trust that he's shown in him.

I just can't see there's any way. I mean, you can never know in football, obviously. But that one, like you said, I think flabbergasted would be the absolute correct word.

I just couldn't see any reason for him not renewing. You know, as I said, there's just he's an Arsenal boy. He's come through at Hale End.

He's in the team. He's playing. You know, this has been his dream since he first arrived at Hale End as a seven-year-old.

Why would you go anywhere even for a club like Real Madrid at this stage in your career? It just it wouldn't make any sense to me. So I'm sure that deal will get done in the summer. You know, his contract will be renewed.

Him and Ethan both have a year left. So it is pressing. You know, it's something Arsenal got to sort out.

You don't want to lose your best young talents. But, you know, I'd be I'd be absolutely astounded if Mars Lewis Kelly doesn't sign his new contract at some point before, you know, maybe even before the start of preseason, but certainly before the start of the season. Yeah, me and you both.

And, you know, like I was like we were just saying, there are loads of players whose situations need to be sorted out. And you were just saying about Lewis Skelly and Maneri, these young players who think, geez, I don't have a year left. Is that right? And the likes of Saka, Saliba, Martinelli got a couple more years.

So putting you on the spot a little bit here, would you say that Ethan and Miles's contracts need to be a bigger priority after Gabriel? Do they need to be the biggest priority than over the likes of Saka and Saliba's perhaps? I mean, timeline wise, you would say yes, because they've only got a year left. So 12 months less than the rest of them. I think it is very, very important you get you get those ones done because of who they are.

You know, they've come through, they're the Halem boys. They're the kind of you look at them as potential future of this team. So but I think they're all equally as important as each other, because you don't want to let Saka and Saliba get down to that sort of final year, because then you're just in a really difficult situation.

The power's sort of gone from you. The power's with the player. The power's potentially with the clubs who are whispering in those players ears.

So I think all of them are equally as important, which is why I just think this summer, as much as so much focus is on the new signings, I really think the renewals are equal importance, if not more important than the new signings. You know, all of those players you listed need to get sorted ideally before the start of the season, which shows it's a massive job that Andre Berta's got in his hands this summer. It's a hugely important one.

So no time to get your feet under the table, really, when it comes to Arsenal. He's walked in a huge, huge summer for the club. But yeah, I mean, Ethan and Myles, I think Ethan might be more, slightly more difficult just because of his situation.

You know, Myles is absolutely first choice left back now. He knows he's going to be playing next season. Ethan's slightly more, is slightly different because you've got the sort of, where do you play Ethan? He's not, he's not grabbed his place in the team yet, which is fine because he's 18.

You know, it's very rare that that happens. But you do have, in the positions he plays, you've got Pekkai Saka, you've got Martin Odegaard. So it's slightly more difficult, I would suppose, to lay out the pathway in terms of how many minutes you're going to get, how much football you're going to get with him than it would be with Myles.

But I still expect both ultimately to get done. Yeah. So I know Andre Berta's being paid the big buck, but rather him than me in that situation.

And like we said, it's not just the contracts, he's got the transfers to sort out as well. And we are now in the first, what's known as exceptional registration period for the Club World Cup, which lasts until June the 10th. Is it realistic, could we expect any Arsenal signings this early on? Obviously Zoubamendi's quite close maybe, but is the next window more realistic to get those deals over the line, do you think? I'm feeling it's probably the latter.

I think it'll be the, you know, I couldn't see it right now and say they're not going to sign anyone in this window or register anyone in this window, but it's not looking like that's going to happen from the sort of word that I'm getting. Zoubamendi might be a little bit, although we all know that's pretty much done. I think we're going to have to wait a little bit longer.

Obviously he's away with Spain at the moment for the Nations League games as well. But I still think that's going to happen. Even if it doesn't happen in this window, I still think it will happen.

So yeah, I would say right now I'm looking more towards the main transfer window rather than the Club World Cup window for Arsenal to really sort of get their business done. Yeah, absolutely. And Arsenal, unfortunately, do look like, well, maybe not unfortunately, but it seems that we were talking last week about Juan Garcia and the goalkeeper situation.

It seems like he's now made a U-turn and will be going to Barcelona after all. But you were saying how maybe 20, 25 million, that's quite a lot to spend on a keeper who would, you know, almost certainly be back up to David Ryer. And if Karl-Hein is coming back, if he's willing to accept the number two spot for a season, then Arsenal are sorted in that position.

But I was reading a report from James McNicholas this morning saying that Karl-Hein does now want regular first team football, you know, fully fledged international. So say if he's not happy being the number two next season, could that be a bit of a sticky situation or a problem area for Arsenal in the remainder of the window? Yeah, I think we're used to it, though. It seems like it's a problem area every single summer transfer window for Arsenal at the moment.

The goalkeeping situation is just chop and change, chop and change, isn't it? Garcia, I'm not surprised that that's looking like it's going to end up the way it is. I just think it's an incredibly hard sell to bring Garcia to Arsenal, isn't it? When he's basically named goalkeeper of the year in Spain and then what you're going to say to him, come to Arsenal and be number two behind David Ryer. It's just how do you sell that? He's just not going to make that move.

So it doesn't surprise me. It looks like he's going to go to Barcelona and it looks like he's going to be number one there. But that leaves Arsenal with an issue, you know, something they've got to solve.

They just about sold it at the end of the last transfer window, but not in a very, very successful way. You know, Neto came in, did the job, but literally played one game, couldn't play in the Carabao Cup games because they left it so late and he was cup tied already by the time they brought him in. So you want to avoid that sort of situation this time.

You want to be able to give David Ryer a little bit more rest than he got last season. And you want to protect yourself as well, slightly better. You know, if David Ryer, Arsenal are pretty lucky that David Ryer stayed completely injury free last summer.

I think from what we saw from Neto in his one 90 minute appearance for Arsenal, had he been called upon for a six week period, for example, I think Arsenal would have really, really struggled. And so you've got to protect yourself a little bit better than that. So it's a situation they're going to have to deal with.

Ideally, Karl-Heinz would be, for me, I kind of look at that and think that would be perfect for a season. But I can completely understand if he wants to, if he wants to go now and really crack on in his career and play week in week out like he did last season when he's on loan. So yes, it's another problem for Andre Berta to solve.

One he's going to have to get clever with, I think. Yeah, I mean, clever. I mean, obviously Garcia going to Barcelona, like you said, likely first choice.

There is Ter Stegen and Wojciech Szczesny, already a Barcelona. I mean, maybe Szczesny coming back for a year. I mean, that's very fanciful.

But would you take that? Yeah, maybe. I think it looks like the more likely the two to leave would be Ter Stegen rather than Szczesny. It looks like Szczesny is probably going to sign a new deal.

And if they're going to, they might try and move Ter Stegen on. He would come with quite high wages, wouldn't he? And with your number two goalkeeper, do you really want to invest those sort of wages in a player? I'm not sure. I kind of flip-flopped between it too.

It's like, do you want a younger goalkeeper or do you want a kind of experienced Neto-like goalkeeper? It's a tough one. That's why I think it's a real difficult situation for Arsenal to solve. But I remember last year, last summer, I was vouching for Szczesny.

I thought that would be a really sensible move at the end of his time at Juventus before going to Barcelona. So I wouldn't be against it if it happens now. But I do wonder if Szczesny as well, you know, he retired at the end of last season.

The only reason he went to Barcelona was because he was going to be playing, really, because of the injuries, Ter Stegen and all that sort of stuff. Is he really going to want to come and sit on the bench for Arsenal in the final, you know, maybe the final year of his career? I'm not sure. You know, there's that sort of romantic Szczesny return type feel to it.

But when you sort of try and look at it realistically, I'm not sure it's one for club or for the player. Yeah, maybe just one for the vibes, if nothing else. For the vibes.

Do it for the vibes. Absolutely. Definitely so.

And OK, brilliant. So moving on to the other end of the pitch. So we spoke about the left winger situation last week.

I mean, it's a situation that Arsenal do need to sort out. And there have been a few more stories emerging in recent days. So the biggest one, I think, is talks being held with Leroy Sané of Bayern Munich, who, of course, could become a free agent at the end of the month.

But we've seen this a couple of times with Bayern Munich players, the likes of Davies and Kimmich. Looks like they're going to be going somewhere else in a free transfer. Then they just do sign a new deal with Bayern Munich.

I think there are talks ongoing with Sané's camp. But Christian Falk said yesterday that his chances of extending are looking a bit slimmer, actually. So this is one that, you know, if this is an opportunity that Arsenal can pursue, do they need to really attack it in your eyes? Would you really like to see Sané playing for Arsenal? Maybe not starting on that left wing, but just an option on that left wing? No, I don't like this one, I have to say.

It doesn't appeal to me, this one. I think Leroy Sané is a great footballer. He's done damage to Arsenal in the past with Man City, he did damage to Arsenal in the Champions League with Bayern Munich just a couple of years ago when he was very, very good, especially in the game in the Emirates.

But there's just a lot of red flags for me for this one. I don't like it. I've been really excited about what Arsenal are going to do wing-wise going into this summer.

I was really looking forward to seeing what they're going to do. And if they end up with Leroy Sané in a free, for me, I think that would be really disappointing from a club point of view. I just don't think that strengthens massively.

He's a good player, as I said, he can play on the right, he can play on the left, but it would be massive wages, really, really big wages on a player. He's passed his best, let's face it. He's not going to be better than he's been before.

And then is he a massive improvement on Arsenal? No, I don't think he is. So it's just not one that I'd be really blown away by. I'd much rather them go out and really sign a player that they believe is going to be the guy for the next few years.

That's who I think they really should be targeting in this window. We had a poor summer window last summer, attacking-wise. They had an unacceptable window in January, really, attacking-wise.

So to have those sort of two windows, you really expect something big to happen this summer. I feel like Arsenal need that to really inject new blood into this attack. And if you end up by signing Leroy Sane, for me, I just think that's really underwhelming.

And look, I can understand if there's talks going on, and I'd imagine those talks are probably sort of initiated from Sane's camp as well, because that's what he has to do at this stage. He's out of contract, potentially. You go out to the market, you put the feeders out, you see who's interested, you talk to Spurs, you talk to Arsenal, you do all that.

So that's the right thing for them to do. But I would hope that's kind of where Arsenal are at it. I don't know how realistic it is at the moment, or how hard they're actually pushing from their side, as it's for this as an option.

But I would hope it's a real sort of last gasp type option. I'd much rather than see they go out there and sign the Nico Williams you've been after for a while, who could come in and could potentially be the guy for the next five years, or go out there and sign a Semenya or Ineze or someone like that. I feel like that's far more exciting and far more what Arsenal need right now than a Leroy Sane, especially on the back of the season we've seen from Raheem Sterling.

And I'm not saying Sane will be Sterling. I think he's got more to offer at this stage of his career than Sterling has. But but still, you see what I mean in terms of why that would not be a move that I'd be very excited by.

Yeah, because it's not like Arsenal are going to be struggling financially this summer, you know, they're in a really healthy place with that. And you know, for one of their big targets, like you say, to come on a free transfer when they've got this really healthy transfer kitty, that would be a bit underwhelming, as you said. If they if sorry, if they signed, they went out and still signed a Williams or a Semenya or Ineze, but then got Sane as well as a free transfer, then fine, you know, I'd be absolutely happy with that.

It's just if he is the only winger sign in the only sort of wide edition that they look to strengthen the squad, that's where it'd be underwhelming. But yeah, by all means, they go out and sign a striker, but they get two wingers and Sane is one of them. Fine, you know, do that.

But I just don't think he should be the only winger if that wouldn't make sense to me. Yeah, I'm afraid to our viewers, I think we're going to keep going down the the negative path on this because it's also been claimed that Rodrigo wants to stay at Real Madrid, but he needs to prove himself at the Club World Cup for them to, you know, decide that he is worthy of a place at the Bernabeu. And this Club World Cup could go on until mid-July, I think.

So that's, you know, a few weeks into the window. Now, that could be quite a long time to wait to see if Real Madrid do decide that, you know, he's not Galactico quality. Would that be too long for Arsenal to wait? Should they move on from this one if Rodrigo, you know, isn't 100% set on leaving the club? Yeah, it's a tough one.

It's got the ingredients to potentially run into a bit of a saga, doesn't it, that I think it runs on really, really late on in the window and you don't really want that from an Arsenal point of view. But then there's also that sort of balancing act of, well, it is Rodrigo, you know, if you're going to wait for anyone, potentially he could come in and be a bit of a game changer. That would be that exciting signing that would really freshen the attack up.

So it's, yeah, it's a tough balancing act on that one. I feel, yeah, I've said before, I'd love Rodrigo at Arsenal if the opportunity's there. I think you have to at least enter the conversation to try and get that deal done.

But if it's really looking like the signs are suggesting it's either not going to happen or it will happen right at the end, then it'll be a really late decision. I don't think you can afford to wait the whole window for him from an Arsenal point of view, because I think the need to strengthen an attack is just so great that you can't take the risk of ending up scrambling around at the end and signing Raheem Sterling on the last out of window because the player you've really waited for has ended up not arriving. So, yeah, if the signals are and, you know, they'll be doing the groundwork behind the scenes, if the signal does that get and if this happens, it will happen right at the end of the window, I think they probably have to move on from that one.

Yeah, still a bit of uncertainty with that, but it doesn't look like there's much uncertainty with the future of Brentford's Brian Birmo, David Ornstein claiming last night that he has his heart set on joining Manchester United, which is maybe understandable. Obviously, they haven't got European football to offer and Arsenal do, but he functions best on that right hand side, which is Saka's spot, hands down at Arsenal, he could maybe expect more minutes at Man United. So he's a phenomenal player, of course, you know, over 20 goals last season, but given that Arsenal can't guarantee him those starts that Man U maybe can, is it much of a surprise that he's going in that direction? No, no, no, it's tough.

So I'm more surprised he's not going to Newcastle. I really thought he'd end up there. I thought he would be perfect for them.

I think he'd be an improvement on Jacob Murphy on that right hand side, who had a really good season, by the way, but I think it improves him. It just felt like that was where he was going to end up to me. I'm surprised he's ended up.

At United, you know, again, kind of like Juan Garcia, it's an almost impossible sell. If you're talking to Buenos and come to Arsenal, who plays on your right Saka? Well, I'm not going to go. I'm not going to go there, am I? So, again, I don't know how exactly how strong the interest was from Arsenal.

But when I look at it, again, I just don't I don't see this being a window or Arsenal signed two wingers. I see it being a window when you sign one. And for me, it has to be a left winger rather than a right winger.

I'd love to bring in another right hand side player to share the minutes with Bukaya Saka, but I'm not sure realistically that's going to happen in this window when you're also signing a striker. So, yeah, it doesn't surprise me that that it's not Arsenal that he's going to go into. But I was a little bit surprised he picked Manchester United.

I have to say, good deal for them. You know, following on from Matthias Knier, it's two good deals for them. It certainly improves their attack.

But I was a bit surprised he he's gone there. I imagine the money on offer is pretty is pretty decent for him to make that choice. Yeah, they're saving all that money from cutting all those jobs.

They can pay Knier and Birmo these massive wages, can't they? Yeah, exactly. Definitely so. All right, fantastic.

So we'll finish on one more existing Arsenal player. So this is Thomas Partey's situation, which is still uncertain. There are reports that he is now in talks or is campering talks with Barcelona over a free transfer.

And I read in the report that the contract talks with Arsenal, they've been described as slow moving. There's not a lot of progress being made from what you know. Is that accurate? Yeah, I mean, Arsenal have offered him a contract now, which has come fairly recently, that offer, but it hasn't been accepted.

And from my understanding, the most likely scenario still is that he will, there will be an agreement reached because both sides are coming at it from wanting to stay. You know, Arsenal would prefer him to stay and Partey would prefer to stay in London. But again, it's a complicated deal because Arsenal are trying to reduce his wages.

Partey doesn't want to reduce his wages. It's his last big contract and all that sort of stuff. And he has got interest from the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, you know, top clubs in Europe, Saudi Arabia as well.

So it is quite a hard one to get done. I don't know how long it's going to go on for. But again, just my information on it is the most likely scenario is he stays.

But, you know, the longer it goes on, other clubs are absolutely free to speak to him. He's free to speak to them. And if Arsenal can't come to an agreement, then, you know, he'll have to move on.

So, yeah, it's relatively slow moving, but I don't think we'll have to wait too long. You know, one way or the other, a decision will be made fairly quickly because that's just the nature of the beast when it comes to this sort of situation. So we'll have to wait and see on it.

I still think now I'm leaning more towards that he stays, but anything can still happen. Yeah, it's a really tricky moment, partly because Jorginho has left. He's going to Flamengo.

We are bringing in, sorry, Arsenal are bringing in Martins and Mendy. But even then, if you lose Jorginho and Partey, bring in Super Mendy, you are still weaker in that number six position. So if it comes to, say, Arsenal having to keep him on the same wages just so they avoid losing both number sixes in the same summer, in your eyes, would they have to relent and say, OK, we'll keep you on the same money if he's just flat out refusing to accept a lower pay packet? I don't know.

It's tough, isn't it? You know, can you really do that for a 32 year old now? I think it is with the sort of injury record that he had. And I know his injury record was great last season, which was good. It's a tough one because you do have to, if Partey goes, you'd have to go and sign another midfielder.

You can't lose Jorginho and Partey and then only bring in Super Mendy. So probably the wages you'd spend, would that be as much as probably the transfer fee you'd have to spend on bringing in a replacement? Potentially not. So you'd have to consider all those sort of things.

Also, I think the contract they're looking at is potentially a one year plus one with an option. Maybe you can come to some sort of agreement in the end where the first year you pay good wages, the second year, potentially, if you trigger that option, the wages reduce a little bit. Could that be a way of finding an agreement as well? So there's all that sort of thing that needs to be discussed.

But yeah, the fact that Jorginho is going in the same summer, I think makes it doubly important for Arsenal. I think that's why we're seeing them actually change their mind, really, and push for Partey to stay. Whereas a few months ago, I think the general consensus was this was probably going to be his last season in an Arsenal shirt.

Yeah, you just perfectly answered my next question, actually. I was going to say, if Arsenal do lose Partey and Jorginho, but only bring in Super Mendy, do they need, can they get by with the options they have? Because we would expect that Super Mendy would be the main number six next season, even if Partey does stay. But then the alternative, we're looking at maybe dropping Declan Rice back, which isn't ideal.

I mean, we've not seen much of Lewis Skelly in midfield. Ben White even dabbled there for Brighton. I mean, so Arsenal, in your eyes, they can't get by with those set of options if Partey and Jorginho go.

They need to sign somebody else in that scenario. I think you have to. There are options, like you said, you know, Declan Rice is probably the first one, but like you said, Lewis Skelly is another potential option there.

But I just think you're taking a big, big gamble if you're doing that. And we've seen last season, the gambles Arsenal took backfired spectacularly. I don't think you can allow yourself to be put in the same position again.

I think you take so much out your game as well. If Declan Rice is playing constantly at six all the time, when he first arrived, I thought he would be Arsenal six, but he's so good in that left eight role. And I think he's growing season by season as well.

You know, I'm really looking forward to seeing Declan Rice take his game to another level next season in that eight role, the goals and the assists and everything that he's going to bring to the team. And if Partey has one of his seasons where he gets a lot of injuries, which could easily happen, then suddenly you're taking Declan Rice and playing him as number six for long periods. And how much is that impacting you in an attacking sense? So I just don't think you can put yourselves in that position.

You've got to protect yourselves. So if he went there, he'd have to sign a replacement, I think. Yeah, I've actually just had a brainwave and remembered that Albert Sambi-Laconga exists.

I mean, obviously, he's not set the world alight at Arsenal. He had that good brief period, I think, in the 21-22 season where he was starting quite regularly, but then just sort of dropped off after that. He's coming back from what I think has been quite an underwhelming loan at Sevilla.

So I mean, would you give him a shot next season or as an exit you think is the best thing for him? I think an exit. They'll try and get a deal done for him. He wants to move on and play regularly.

They did take up the clause in his contract because he would have been out of contract this summer, but they added an extra 12 months. And I think that's just purely to try and get a deal done for him this summer and make some money back. He's not a six anyway.

He likes to go forward a little bit more than playing as a six, sees himself as an eight. I think he was reading, did a good interview with Simon Collins in the Standard last week, and he was saying he was even playing as a false nine at times for Sevilla. So I certainly wouldn't want him at the base of the midfield for me.

So I think he's like most of the Arsenal loanees last season, the sort of exit door is looming for him. Well, if he's that false nine, could it be Arsenal's new striker? Had enough of midfielders playing as my striker. Thank you very much.

That'd be something. That'd be something. All right.

Brilliant. Well, thank you very much, Charles. That's all the time we have for this week's episode.

Thank you to everyone, as always, for watching and listening. And we'll return at the same time, same place next week, discussing all things Arsenal again. Cheers, mate.

(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)

Written by
Ben Knapton