If Arsenal Don’t Get Šeško or Gyökeres We Are a Laughing Stock!

We were told on Friday that Zubimendi was in London, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on a deal that was apparently arranged in January.The fact we reached the weekend with still zero confirmed incomings kind of sums up our transfer window so far. Two weeks ago, media in Germany were suggesting it was […] The post If Arsenal Don’t Get Šeško or Gyökeres We Are a Laughing Stock! appeared first on Just Arsenal News.

0 2

If Arsenal Don’t Get Šeško or Gyökeres We Are a Laughing Stock!

We were told on Friday that Zubimendi was in London, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on a deal that was apparently arranged in January.
The fact we reached the weekend with still zero confirmed incomings kind of sums up our transfer window so far.

Two weeks ago, media in Germany were suggesting it was a case of when, not if, Šeško became a Gunner.
Viktor Gyökeres has told everyone from Manchester United to his own family that North London is his chosen destination.
Yet as I write this, Arsenal remain one of only four Premier League clubs not to have made any kind of signing.

It was reported we had a £300 million war chest, which makes sense considering our net spend across the last three windows was approximately £15 million.

Now let me stress, all reports suggest that behind the scenes, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are quite comfortable with how their business is progressing.
They remain in talks with their desired targets and are confident they will get these deals over the line.
While our peers might mock us, there is zero suggestion that our recruitment team is panicking or adopting a scattergun approach.
For whatever reason, there seems to be a lack of urgency in announcing anything to the public. But if we use Zubimendi as an example, it’s clear that if they wanted to, they could have confirmed his transfer a while ago.

Gooner expectations vs Arsenal PR strategy

It’s well documented that I doubt the level of ambition of our owners. Of course, they would love to be champions, but are they willing to go above and beyond?
Are they prepared to take that next step?

In the winter, their own manager said our attack was short and needed help.
Help that never arrived.

Even I thought if there was one summer we would fly out of the blocks, it would be this one.
Even from a PR point of view, I expected a statement signing. Something to get fans excited for the new season, a reason to renew memberships and rush out to buy Adidas’s latest merchandise.

Gooners are instead deflated that Liverpool and Manchester City look stronger, while we again stand still and let everything pass us by.

Yet how do you get someone who doesn’t care to care?

You don’t own the franchises the Kroenke family have in their portfolio without having thick skin.
Most billionaires can take emotion out of their convictions.

It’s worth pointing out that our first friendly on the Asia tour isn’t until July 23rd, another month away.
If a new striker is not on the plane to Singapore, then I think Gooners have every right to question our methods.

As things stand, there’s no real difference between announcing a signing three weeks ago, last week, or next week.
Unless you’re involved in the Club World Cup, all players are on holiday.
So there is actually no reason for Arsenal to rush their schedule. They could have a date circled in the calendar when they plan to unveil their new faces on the website.

Let’s say that day is next Thursday. Fans demanding updates just because they’re bored is not a reason for the club to alter their plans. That would be entitlement from supporters.

What contradicts that is the fact that there is clearly at least one mole at the Emirates leaking the club’s intentions. That is why we so often get these long-running sagas.

We were first linked with Benjamin Šeško and Viktor Gyökeres this time last year.
There are just too many sources to dismiss it.

Our Director of Football’s preference is reportedly Gyökeres, but he respects that Šeško has been long-term scouted, and reports suggest the 22-year-old has a higher ceiling.

The consensus was that both forwards were being negotiated with, to keep our options open. But Šeško has always seemed the more likely, especially with Sporting Lisbon seemingly breaking their promise and essentially pricing Gyökeres out of the move he wants.

The striker saga must end with clarity

So why is the 27-year-old Swede still insisting to those close to him that he’s heading to the English capital?

It could be defiance. An insistence that his employers will eventually honour their verbal agreement.
This is a major sports story in Portugal, and the latest twist is that he’s been invited by the Portuguese champions to a clear-the-air meeting, but has so far refused.

Of course, he can do that in the short term, but not when it’s time to report back to training.

The issue for the player is that it doesn’t matter whether he’s happy with the terms Arsenal are offering. If the two clubs can’t agree a fee, it’s irrelevant.
If it’s true that his bosses have gone back on their word, then while that may not be great morally, without anything in writing they are not obligated to sell for anything less than the figure they decide.

Then the press in Germany threw in a twist, with some outlets reporting that Šeško now wants a release clause included in his Arsenal contract.
If that’s some kind of guarantee that he can leave if a specific team makes a bid, then that’s not the best first impression.

We would be investing a lot in the Slovenian to be our marquee signing. We wouldn’t want him viewing Arsenal as a stepping stone already.

If all of this is true, then there’s a certain irony. Gyökeres clearly has his heart set on playing for us but cannot get Sporting to compromise. Meanwhile, Leipzig are open to talks, but now Šeško wants specific conditions.

I’m not qualified to tell successful businesspeople how to finalise multi-million-pound deals. But if contact was first made this time last year, and in January we declined short-term options because we were waiting on one (or both) of these forwards, surely by now we must have all the information we need?

Surely in the last year we’ve learnt the asking price, whether we agree with the valuation, and whether we have any desire to meet it?

Edu should have left all those facts neatly on his desk for his replacement.

It begs the question. If we’re still haggling and being indecisive in July, what were they doing for the past year?

When they rang Leipzig or emailed Sporting, what exactly were they talking about?

Arteta was asking for firepower in December.
It should have been addressed before then, but at the very least, throughout 2025, getting a striker ready should have been a priority.

I say this often, but that is literally someone’s job. Something they get well paid to do.

For a while now, our transfer policy has looked amateurish. We conduct ourselves in a way that makes us look silly.

Not that those behind the scenes at Arsenal will, or should, care what others think.
The ends justify the means.
As long as new signings are playing against AC Milan in July, it doesn’t matter when they are signed.

Equally, though, the longer this striker drama drags on, the less time there is to address other positions.

After a year, we need to get the choice between Šeško and Viktor Gyökeres right. Because with both players saying come and get me, and Arsenal sitting on so much money, it’s literally our choice not to take that next step.

Get it wrong after a year of talking, and we are a laughing stock.

Not that Stan Kroenke is losing sleep in America.

I bet he couldn’t tell you our first two fixtures or name our best eleven.

How do you make someone care, if they just don’t?

Dan Smith

__________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT

So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….

You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.

CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…