Gallowgate Toon

I think an aggressive rebuild is needed this year, tbh. Think we need to go higher risk/reward to best set foundations for the next few seasons. Normally, I'm of the Wenger opinion that you want to only add a few per window but this feels different. Mind, if we were doing this to scale every year then I'd have a problem with that.

Hackney isn't particularly defensive, is he?

If Longstaff had put that season's work in then fans would've been going off it Maybe tactical/coaching to a degree or whatever, but Tonali was just about our worst possession midfielder last season. Bruno, Ramsey, and a fully-fit Miley all seemed to often be able to keep the ball fine when pressed without consistently playing stupid blind passes or taking horrendous touches. Not saying they were perfect by any stretch, but levels above Tonali in this regard. It was noted before he got here that Tonali isn't a great passer, they were never his best stats or traits. It's weird because he does have some fantastic striking technique and can use both feet really well in the right situations, but just seems to lack the brains or touch in tighter spots. He also does have a good first time pass in his locker with play ahead of him but rarely used it. Just not worth the effort to keep, for me - off-the-field problems, daft agent stuff, a bit position-less, doesn't seem to want to be here.

Feels weird in that he's not exactly a great fit for RDZ's style? His agent's comments in the spring weren't good at all. CBA with that circus going on for a player who has just put in a bit of a stinker of a season not long after sitting a year out for being a bloody dafty

Wait, Nickson stayed around for a decade of the Ashley era?

Presumably, Vlach is gone too which will generate more £££s. He's just not a Howe 'keeper.

Brexit Eddie fuming. Will only call him Ewan Jones.

Wasn't Arteta absolutely fizzing with us a few years back when we did some dark arts at their place? I'm presuming Arsenal's team cost more and has similar-ish wages to PSG? Pretty embarrassing imo that they had 1 shot on target considering the investment + their supposedly elite coach.

Big challenge for Iraola. He can't do the no days off thing with Liverpool. Interesting that a CL club has rejected a possession manager to want to go back to a high pressing transition team too.

I think it's pretty good value for us but I do also agree that he'll simultaneously do really well there in Flick's system + the environment which might make him look a bit cheap in hindsight. We probably could've got a bit more out of them but I think the time benefit to us getting on with it this window is potentially worth a lot more than the extra £10m we might've been able to squeeze.

Elanga-Anderson swap deal. Everyone's happy.

PSG have done alright since sacking Neymar & others off. Enrique's blueprint is a good shout for us. Lots of similarities with what Howe wants from his teams, but they have the fairly massive benefit of being able to play a third XI in the league while still winning.

Excellent deal and absolutely crucial we get it done early imo. He'll have a good first season imo. He's good when he has a point to prove.

Also, can we please do some fucking transfer business early for once? Every year, we say get as many in as possible before preseason. It feels like it never materialises. The league could be wide open next season - small gains like that could be really big for us.

He was never bought with value in mind so let's not piss about. Hopefully, he scores a few in the WC to soften the blow.