Quantcast

Arsenal told they can sign key transfer target in record £88m deal

By on May 16, 2018

According to a report in the Mirror, Arsenal have been told we can sign Kalidou Koulibaly this summer but only if we pay a club-record £88m to Napoli.

Our problems at the back cost us once again last season as we finished sixth in the Premier League table after conceding a ridiculous 51 goals in our 38 games.

Mikel Arteta is favourite to replace Arsene Wenger and the rookie manager’s first job should be to sort out our leaky back four if we want to be top four contenders next season.

We need to sign at least one new centre-back as Laurent Koscielny has been ruled out for at least six months following surgery on a long-standing Achilles injury while Per Mertesacker has retired.

Despite our lack of clarity in the managers position, reports in the Express earlier this week suggested that Arsenal chiefs are pressing ahead with our transfer business and had identified Koulibaly as a prime target.

The Senegal international has been one of the best central defenders in Italy since joining Napoli four years ago so I think the 6ft 4in beast would be a superb addition to the squad.

The Mirror are now citing a report from local radio station Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli that claims the Serie A giants will only do a deal if a whopping £88m is put on the table this summer.

Their director of sport Cristiano Giuntoli is determined not to lose Koulibaly on the cheap and has slapped the mega valuation on the 26-year-old to try and put-off the likes of Arsenal.

READ: Arsenal in talks to sign £40m Bundesliga star

Let’s face it, it’s probably going to work as it’s highly unlikely that Arsenal will break the clubs transfer record and pay £88m to sign a centre-back this summer.

So unless Napoli revise their asking price to a more realistic level, I don’t think we’ll be seeing Koulibaly arriving in north London any time soon.

3 Comments

  1. KARIM

    May 16, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    Well , what i expect from the Arsenal management for my own let us the new coming coach who will take over from out going coach Arsene Wenger first before talking of purchase players at this time. I think after you have someone who will take care entire team before he in particular will made a demand the type of player he need to add to the one he in place.

  2. Pingback: Mislintat working his magic: Arsenal set to wrap-up £75m triple swoop | Arsenal Station | Arsenal FC News

  3. Omar

    May 17, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    Summer 2017, Wenger was in France in the 11th hour of transfer window attempting to sign Thomas Lemar for £92M so that there Sanchez deal with Man City could have been completed and Lemar eventually did not want to come to Arsenal or that was what the public was given to believe.

    Lamar though during that season had 14 assists and 14 goals as an attacking midfielder, while playing with Mbappe and Lacazette in the team, was not of the same class as Sanchez, thus would have been a poorer replacement as Lemars stats and performances show this season with the absence of Mbappe and Lacazette; they having moved to PSG and Arsenal respectively.

    Wenger was also chasing Virgil Van Dijk who was mooted at £75m but lost out to Liverpool. As Josh Kroenke had clearly reported back to his father Stan Kroenke at the impending volcanic disaster and the diabolical state of affairs that AFC has been reduced to by the Board and the CEO, Ivan Gazidis, who was sanctioning decisions of the now decrepit Wenger with the consequential results of two consecutive seasons without European Champions League and related lack of finances and the collateral damage being regularly and virally caused by the Customer (Fan)base up rioting and causing mayhem, was enough to get Arsene Wenger the Boot ! When In reality Gazidis should also have been Booted out as well.

    As the season 2017/2018 ended with AFC in 6th place, a massive 37 points behind No.1spot occupied by Man.City. and only 30 points above relegation ! Yes Arsenal were closer to relegation than Top Spot ! having conceded 51 goals in the 38 games , only winning one game away the whole season ! of the EPL and out of ECL.

    This is the scenario why the newly appointed head of recruitment should be backed by the board and Gazidis to sign the defensive colossus Kalidou Koulibali for the asking price of £88M. Given Virgil Van Dijk is on a lesser par than Koulibali and Wenger was chasing him at £75M in 2017 !

    Signing of 29 year old Greek Sokaratis Papastahopoulos alone is only plugging the incipient crack of a massive damn about to burst through and explode! To steady the ship and strengthen the AFC spine where every one is a winner will need an injection of £200M minimum venture capital. Around 5 – 8 of the existing dead wood from the squad should be removed beginning with Mesut Ozil who should be sold, Market value £60M . But as Gazidis (CEO) states no one will buy him at his present salary of £350K pw. and his new contract runs till 2021. Guess who sanctioned Wenger and oversaw the signing of this Ozil contract ? None other than Ivan Gazidis CEO. Guess who oversaw and under whose watch Wenger was allowed to run riot with a penny pinching mentality during Wenger last decrepit 10 yrs ? Yes it was none other than the penny pinching , penny wise pound foolish Ivan Gazidis ! Example; .2013, Liverpool wanted to sell Suarez and asked for offers over £40M. Wenger & Gazidis offered &40M+ £1 and lost the deal, with Suarez going to Barcelona for £64M to join Messi and Neymar; todays market value £180M.

    There is a way out. Mesut Ozil can be sold to PSG for £50M but they will not give him more than £200K pw wages. Which means as Ozil has a 3 year contract with aFC at £350K pw, there will be a shortfall of £22M. AFC can give Ozil golden handshake of £20M now and still be £30 M in profit be rid of Ozil have £350K pw in the wages out account !

    This scenario will benefit AFC and every one concerned ! As Del Boy of Only Fools and Horses will say “every ones a winner” !

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *