Bookies really slash the odds for Lacazette to Arsenal

By 1970's Gooner

It's beginning to look like Wenger has got his finger out and really zoomed right on to one of his main targets, Lacazette.

This he has done once he realised that Mbappe would not have joined in a million years. May be he should have realised that at the beginning and saved us and his time.

The bookies have now slashed the odds subsequent to Lyon president's comments: 

“Alexandre should have left for Atletico, but that could not be done,” Aulas said.

“He wants to leave. We will discuss it in the coming weeks. If so, offers will be heard, provided they match the value of the player.

“We have not received any concrete offers for Lacazette up to now but that could happen at any moment.”

As to who might replace Lacazette the Lyon president added: “The case would obviously be the arrival of a player capable of scoring 25 to 30 goals per year. It will be a French international or a player of a very large European club.”

Skybet have now made Arsenal very strong favourites at 4/11 on to sign before the end of the transfer window, he is 11/4 to remain with Lyon.

Dortmund are second favourites behind the Gunners at 12/1, with Liverpool third in the running at 16/1.

Is Wenger going to do a Wenger?

By 1970's Gooner

Pre season begins on the 3rd of July and not all of the first team squad will be there as many have taken part in various tournaments (or are injured).

Nevertheless Arsene Wenger has only signed one player so far (Sead kolasinac), on a free. And he has apparently been busy putting in bids for various players which is a marked improvement on previous seasons where his strategy was to wait till the last throws of the transfer window and try and get some bargains.

However no other tangible movement has taken place yet and this is worrying especially when, in comparison, Manchester City, United and Liverpool have signed and are signing players and Chelsea is getting near too.

We also have to take into account that Wenger has three times as much work to do on the transfer front as other managers which is bound to slow him down even further.

Firstly he has to make sure that Ozil, the Ox and Sanchez's futures are at the Emirates which is by no means an easy feat, especially for the latter player.

Secondly he has to get in players, either to replace any of the above who may be leaving and also bring in  a new centre forward that was so glaringly missing last season. This has to be a marquee signing as it will give the message both to the fans and to other key players that we are back in business.

Thirdly he has to get rid of all the dead wood that is lying around (or players wanting to leave) and eating at the available money left for transfers and salaries. Players like Jenkinson, Debuchy, Ospina, Gibbs and Perez.

So you can see that I am getting worried that Wenger may do a Wenger and try and do everything himself and thus get really bogged down with all these players to shift and bring in.

Don't believe that the recent recruitments on the contractual end will actually be of that much help. He calls the shots, don't be fooled, and more importantly he has to make the decisions on the transfers and only then the support staff will kick into action.

And we all know that decision making on transfers is not his forte and procrastination tends to be the norm. Remember all those signings he has been making on the last day of the windows?

In one occasion it was six players... And do you remember how desperately short we were at the back for the first game of last season? If he had acted quicker and got in reinforcements we may have even got a draw against Liverpool (instead of shipping four) and actually made the top 4.....

This is going to be, probably, the most important transfer window of the last decade as we have to get Arsenal back on track challenging for the title and playing in the CL again thus returning to the elite of the Premier League and European football.