Aubameyang: not your average Arsenal striker

55 comments

1. His stats look v. solid make him the obvious replacement for Alexis.
   With Malcolm presumably lined up to replace Theo, does that make Mkhitaryan an early replacement for Ozil, assuming he leaves in the summer?
   Despite the fact that we’re being forced into action, it’s nevertheless refreshing to see so much activity going on: it seems that the prospect of our two best players being out of contract in the summer is no longer considered ‘ideal’ by the rest of the board and the arrival of the new team signals a resolve to do things differently.
   Hopefully that extends to valuations too, and we’ll manage to get at least two of the deals over the line before Arsene decides they’re too expensive.
   If we get all 3, hope will be duly renewed and Champs league qualification via the Europa or 4th spot a near certainty!

2. I guess you have left the comparison with Laca for another day. When you do, pls also suggest the system that will accommodate the two..

   1. First, it’s not my job to create Arsenal’s formations or train Arsenal’s players, you have me confused for Arsenal management. Second, there isn’t a system that will accommodate them both that I know of. Third, have a great day.

      1. Fact

   2. Yes, hard to envision a system that accommodates both. Laca is known as a poacher as well, I believe. That said, he has shown a willingness to drop back to try and create in the last couple of games. Maybe there’s a symbiosis there? And where do Ozil and Mikhi fit into this? It’s Wenger ball – just score more and figure out the positions and defense later.

      1. Not to shamefully self-promote…but to shamefully self-promote (just a little): I addressed these exact questions at some length near the end of the last comments thread!

         I’m curious what other people think. (Btw, if the other two deals go through, I don’t think we’re getting Malcom, or not until the summer, at best.)

         1. Very briefly: I think both strikers could work together decently well, but the bigger challenge is accommodating both of them and also getting both Ozil and Mikki in the team.

            The problem as I see it isn’t so much putting four attacking-only players in the team (well, it’s a problem, but twas ever thus at Arsenal), but rather that all four want to play, and play best, in central positions. Both Ozil and Mikki could play well in “free” wide roles, but that’s hard to do if your system ALSO involves two forwards playing centrally as a partnership and no one particularly comfortable hanging near the touchline. A traditional front two will clog the spaces in central areas that number 10 types will instinctively want to run into.

            But hey, maybe great players can make it work! We’d certainly have more overall quality in our attack than we’ve had in a very long time.

            1. Mkhitaryan isn’t coming to Arsenal. His agent is Raiola.

            2. You might be right, but why the expression of certainty? There’s a first time for everything, as they say.

               I’ll remind you of this comment if/when the deal goes through 🙂

            3. Please do. I will be frozen along with the rest of hell.

            4. Yes, I’m not convinced Mikhi is coming, either. I would rather have the cash for Sanchez, plus Auba and Malcom or another player more naturally suited to a wide role. Then I can see Auba on the left (with a lot of flexibility to roam), Laca central and Malcom on the right. Ozil a true CAM, 2 midfielders (Still the glaring weakness) and 4 ATB (similar to what you proposed in the previous thread).

            5. If Mhykitaryan isn’t leaving United then safe to say Sanchez is not going that way. League rules are a club cannot increase their salaries by more than £7m per year hence the need to get rid of their biggest wastoid making £200k a week.

               No money for Sanchez means we’re expecting Arsenal to spend earnings from Walcott, Ox and Coquelin on one player who is 29 and probably displaces the guy we spent £50m on just last summer?

               I don’t know. Sounds pretty stupid to me. Buy the Malcom kid and play the kids more. We’re toast this season.

            6. 1. He’s not 29. He’ll be 29 in July. Half a year is something, no? Alexis turned 29 last month and Ozil did so in October, though we’re supposed to believe that them not signing extensions is a huge catastrophe and that all the big clubs around covet them. I’d prefer that he were younger, but it’s not obviously a waste of money, even if it isn’t exactly long term planning. RvP turned 29 the summer he went to ManU and Henry turned 30 the summer he went to Barca.

               2. I agree with you that if we’re buying him with no plan of how he could play alongside Lacazette or with the intention of replacing one with the other, then it’s a stupid move. But presumably that’s not the case, even for a club run like Arsenal.

            7. a 3-5-2 might accommodate both Laca and Auba (assuming he is coming)

3. Why do we need more players from s&%thole countries like Gabon or wherever he’s from? Why can’t we get better behaved players from countries like, I don’t know, how about Norway?

   1. You goofball.

      1. Pål André Helland, OK? STFU.

   2. No room for hatred here

4. In response to Claude from the last thread:
   I don’t think it’s that puzzling that City have chosen not to pursue Alexis now, even supposing that what they’d be spending would be almost the same as what they were prepared to spend on him last summer. They’d be getting one half-season less from a player who’s pushing 30 and therefore has an imminent use-by date (and who’s not in particularly good form this season). Plus, they’ve already shown this season that they’re capable of playing tremendous, dominant football without him (much more so than last year) and they’ve got a lead in the league that *should* make the title a formality.
   In such circumstances, thinking twice about spending such money on an aging, high-maintenance player seems perfectly rational. Obviously, if United end up reeling them in to win the league, it will be seen as a catastrophic error in judgment. And there’s also an argument for thinking they could really use him if they’re serious about winning the CL this season.

   1. Slightly cart before the horse, but reposting, with Tim’s indulgence….
      ___________________

      Viewed completely dispassionately, United are getting a world class forward, premiership tested, in Sanchez. With the exception of Lukaku (and to a lesser extent Rashford, whose minutes have been limited by Martial) their two other forward players, Martial and Lingard have been in sumptuous form. Zlatan is coming back from what is potentially a career-ending injury, and has barely had minutes.

      If you’re Mourinho, especially with Gabriel Jesus out for a while, you have to believe that you can push City with Sanchez in your arsenal (no pun intended). I think the gap is too big and City can’t be caught, but I also believe that the title drama has several more acts. Liverpool showed that Pep is beatable. I wouldn’t underestimate that chipping away of the league leaders’ fear factor. It also sets United up nicely for next year.

      Their problem is that they have bought like drunken sailors these past few years, and will have to trim their squad. And they’re unbalanced. They have tremendous quality at forward and midfield, and precious little at the back.

      I do hope, for the sake of having a competitive league, that they can push City this season. This is not a love letter to Mourinho, whom I dislike as much as a buttock pimple. But he’s pulled off a master stroke here.

      As for City, puzzling. Gary Neville did the math, and there’s virtually no difference between what they were prepared to spend on Sanchez last summer, and what they’d have been required to spend now. There’s more to this than Petroleum City — they of 50m Kyle Walker — suddenly discovering financial frugality. Hopefully it’ll all come out.

   2. We’d have been more than happy for a player “pushing 30” to re-sign , so I don’t see that as much of an issue. I’m puzzled by the false economy. A 35m Alexis Sanchez is great value, even at 29 years old. He’ll be paying 100m for that pedigree in the summer. Cavani is 31 next month, and even with Neymar stealing his thunder, is still a heck of a player. Zlatan was playing well past 34. 30 is not a death sentence.

      Besides, we are ascribing to City, a financial prudence and rationality they’ve not previously shown. There’s more here. As an ex-journo, I can smell it. Let’s hope, for Pep’s sake, Kun, Sterling and Sane stay injury free.

      1. Claude , the simplest answer is probably the most true and it staring you right in a face.
         One, they had a deal with Sanchez agreed upon and Sanchez and his agent went back on it.
         Consider what this would do to City’s future negotiations had they agreed to new conditions presented by Sanchez and his agent.

         Two, City’s wage structure .
         The core of City’s squad are currently on anything from £100k to £170k per week and their best player ,who also happens to be the best in the league, just signed a new deal at £265 K per week.
         How much of a business background does one need to see Sanchez’s £400k per week would present a problem in a near future with other players’ contract renewals.

         Sterling is on £180k, Silva on £160, Sane on £100 and I would take either one of them before I take Sanchez on any money let alone £400k.

         Another thing , you seem extremely confident Sanchez will just pick up where he left off from the seasons past.
         Don’t be so sure this will be the case .
         The new deal will give him some boost but players don’t just turn it on and off at the flick of a switch, and he’s been less than great this season.

         1. I agree with Point 1, Tom.

            On Point 2, you’re having a laugh, mate. Petroleum City and financial rectitude? Not buying. Their salary lines are not going to hold anyway, certainly not for a club willing to pay well over the odds. That is the least convincing part of your argument.

            I don’t know (and you don’t know either), how successful Sanchez will be. But, as I keep saying to you, the market has spoken. Sanchez for 35m, old, young, crippled, hobbled, is outstanding value. Period.

         2. Tom, one of the reasons it’s become more common for players to run their contracts down is they’re in a far stronger negotiating position with the buying club. With less outlay for the club to spend on the transfer fee, players can demand more in wages. Clubs will sometimes offset those demands by paying the player a healthy signing-on fee or doing tricksy things with image rights instead of upsetting their salary structure.

            I mean, that thing where City boo the Champions League anthem? It’s because UEFA said they tried to use image image rights to flaunt FFP rules. So I’d bet City have ways to pay their top guys more than what their weekly salary states.

            We don’t actually know whether they went back on an earlier City agreement. Way too much speculation masquerading as fact going on there. And of those players you’d take before Sanchez, it’s unlikely any will reach the goals+assists tally that an on-form Alexis is capable of. He was a top-5 attacking player in Europe 18 months ago. There’s a reason “less than great” Alexis is still our top scorer and we look like mid-table without him.

         3. As Genuine above points out, there are new wage cap control rules regarding how much a club can raise their overall salary expenditures from 2016-2017 (7m).

            http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/arsenal-transfer-news-summer-sell-out-tie-alexis-sanchez-mesut-ozil-new-contract-a7803741.html

            We’ve done our part to clear salary to sign players; Walcott, Coquelin, Ox, Gabriel. Likely next year we will clear more with Mertesakcer retiring, Mustafi, Perez, Campbell and possibly Bellerin.

            But consider City – they’ve signed Mendy, Walker and Silva and I’m pretty sure they’re making double what the players they let go were making. They probably were able to accommodate Sanchez in the summer if he kept his salary in the 200k range. Now? They can’t do it AND add Jonny Evans. No way. So to get Sanchez in a) they’d have to sell players i.e. someone like Yaya Toure that nobody wants, b) they’d have to deal with deBruyne, Silva, Aguero et al asking why this new player is coming in at twice what they’re making and c) on final analysis is Sanchez worth the trouble? Does he really make City that much more potent? I’d certainly argue not because he’d have to adjust to a team that circulates the ball quicker, wouldn’t be built around him etc.

            I totally get why City dropped out. And I totally understand why United absolutely have to get rid of Mhykitaryan in the deal because they just signed Lukaku and Lindelof this year and there is no way they can add Sanchez’ 400k without jettisoning salary.

            Here’s my odds, to copy another poster;

            Mhykitaryan agrees to a salary reduction at Arsenal with payoff from United, Sanchez goes to United for Mhykitaryan + cash (not 35m though because Mhykitaryan had to be paid off) – 10%
            Arsenal cave an agree to pay Mhykitaryan 200k a week, Sanchez goes to United for Mhykitaryan + 35m cash – 40%
            No deal, Arsenal cannot afford Mhykitaryan (possibly related to our pursuit of Auba) and we have Sanchez until the end of the year – 50%

      2. I’m not sure why we’re all so certain that Alexis isn’t going to City and this isn’t just the dance. I can easily see a scenario where Utd strings us along til late in the window and we panic sell him to City for 20 million quid and all the stuff about their wage structure was just posturing.

         I would rate the Sanchez likeliness scenarios thusly:
         1. Sanchez sold to Utd without a swap, for say 35MM. (50%)
         2. Sanchez sold to City for 20MM. (20%)
         3. Sanchez sold to Chelsea, for some number in between. (15%)
         4. Sanchez stays at Arsenal and sees out his contract. (14%)
         5. Swap for Mhkitaryan. (1%)

         The real question is whether we buy just Aubameyang or also Malcom. I suspect just Aubameyang, and that the total outlay after the Sanchez, Walcott and Coquelin fees, plus the summer still puts us at a profit for the full season transfer dealings because Kroenke and Wenger suck and this club is constantly taking the piss. Happy to be proven wrong, though.

         1. Spoken like a true cynic. I don’t know that it’s going to happen, of course, and I wouldn’t be at all shocked if it doesn’t, but if Sanchez is swapped with Mhkitaryan, I’m going to enjoy reminding all you doubters of your comments, just a wee bit. 🙂

            Oh, and unless something really dramatic happens, Man City are definitely out of the running, at least until the summer.

            1. Spoken like a true follower of Arsenal’s transfer dealings of the past 15 years. Until they prove otherwise, there’s really no reason to be anything other than a cynic.

            2. Fair enough.

      3. “A 35m Sanchez is a great value ”

         This reminds me of this friend of mine who traded in his 2 year old still under warranty 5 series bimmer for an used 575 hp cls amg 63 , and six months later found out that his on board computer and breaks needed replacing at a total cost of $11k.
         But he did get a such good deal on a car 🙂

         180m over four and a half years a great value ?
         🙂

         1. Yes. And if you want to move the goalposts to shore up a bad argument, so be it. If you count wages over 4 years along with transfer fees (something you’re doing only for Sanchez) everyone is paying a lot. But however you choose to slice the pie at any particular time, it’s an interesting argument that a player who is going for a fifth of his transfer market value isn’t good value to the buying club. 😀

            Oh by the way, that a terrible analogy. Tell your friend that there’s something called insurance.

            1. I did. And I believe it’s called an extended warranty which ended up costing him another 6 K
               Ha ha.

            2. I’m a bit fuzzy on how you arrive at your Sanchez valuation claiming he’s being sold for a fifth of his market value.
               Transfermarkt has him at £63m and Arsenal are reportedly asking 35m or equivalent of that.
               Are you suggesting Alexis is worth 175m in transfer fees?

               In any case, I don’t really care where he’s going or for how much.
               The only reason I even began this exchange with you on this subject is because you decided City should’ve paid whatever it took to get him, something I find odd and disingenuous coming from someone who’s been critical of their spending.

               I also find it weird that someone who dislikes Mourinho as much as you claim to , would want him to succeed in the league just to make the title race more competitive.
               You must be the only member of that club , congrats.

               Because if that’s true, then it could only mean that you dislike Pep and City even more that Mourinho( which is fine) ,but then why would you care when and why they decide to let the Sanchez deal go.
               Just weird reasoning on your part, that’s all.

               Also, claiming that Mourinho has pulled off some sort of a masterclass in hijacking the Sanchez deal from City, or whatever term you used, suggests his superior negotiating skills and not simply throwing more money at the problem.
               It seems to me having United blow the City offer out of the water number-wise is a master stroke by Sanchez’s agent while a Mourinho and United probably left some money on the table.
               At least that’s what it’s called in my neck of the woods.
               In any event I think I’m done.
               Peace.

            3. Transfer value as cited by an authoritative source, yes, you are right. That figure you cite was what we would have got had we sold him last summer WITH A YEAR LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT (<< key qualifier).

               But if you want to think that a player who was more offensively effective than Coutinho last season would fetch a third as much without that key qualification (even with the age gap), I'll have what you're having.

               It's a shame that you chose to personalise this, but I'll bite. Disliking Mourinho doesn't mean that I have to disable my critical faculties. Those are two things that you need to be able to separate in making arguments. I can dislike Mourinho and look at a matter involving him dispassionately. You bistle at and vigorously contest any suggestion that Manchester City or Pep aren't anything but great and clever and wise above all others. Look back at your posts. There's a pattern.

               Yes, I don't like City — what with all their immigrant slave labour ties to Dubai. I agree with Arsene that at least United fund themselves out of their own resources. Pep is another story. I admire the guy, but even so can still assert that he's only taken on sure bets in management (something else, incidentally, that sends you round the bend). That's called objectivity.

5. An outstanding buy in today’s market, if 60m is correct. If you get a striker of his quality at that price you HAVE to take your chance. Anything else is transfer malpractice. Honestly, we shouldn’t get too worked up about if he’s strictly like-for-like for Alexis. He’ll bring his own attributes. Alexis wasn’t a strict like-for-like for anyone, and he proved his value.

   My only worry is whether he’s too much like Lacazette, and how they would fit into the same XI. But hey, that’s what elite managers are paid to figure out.

   What I see is a clever, mobile, clinical striker. He’s got good size, and gets a lot of headed goals too. Our forwards (Alexis included, Giroud excluded) are small units, and don’t get that many headed goals. Not even Welbeck, who is a big unit, does (although who can forget THAT headed goal against Leicester).

   Auba also plays well with clever players, and he and Marco Reus seem to been born together. If he IS indeed coming, I can’t wait to see him combine with Ozil and Lacazette.

   1. Yea, I think Laca has just been stifled by our lack of creativity, because he’s generally the only threat to break a back line. Sanchez rarely did this, preferring to make goals off the dribble, or work in tight spaces. The combination of height and speed Auba brings really complicates things for defenses. They obviously have to mark him, but this will open up play for Laca. And Ozil, plus some combination of Xhaka, Ramsey or Jack would have lots of targets. Fun to dream.

      1. Oh, and he’s speedy (as you point out), and an accomplished finisher with either foot. If does not matter if a defender ushers him onto his left or right.

         This prospective buy is the very definition of a no-brainer.

         1. Not too long ago, Madrid had him earmarked as the man to follow Ronaldo. I already feel sick about the prospect of us being gazumped by a competitor.

            If we pull this deal off in our current state, Mislintat deserves a golden bust outside the Emirates.

            1. Yeah, gazumped (my favorite word that one only ever hears used during football transfer season!). I can feel it. My guess is Chelsea or City, probably Chelsea. Even Liverpool? Bloody Bayern?

   2. Agree with Claude. I don’t even want a like-for-like for Alexis. He’s great, he’s a force of nature, but I think he’s one of the reasons we’re unbalanced and we are relying far too much on his output.

      I don’t really know Aubameyang, my only worry from his highlight reel is that he doesn’t create for others, and Dembele and Reus were doing a lot of the work for his goals, so his success or otherwise will depend partly on how he adapts to the league but also on how well the front four bed in.

      On the other hand Tim’s analysis and the videos show that he’s almost custom built for the Arsenal play-through-the middle, key pass, big chance / shots in prime approach. And I like a fast forward.

6. Wenger is a manager out of ideas and grasping at straws in a period he has traditionally abhorred for transfers.
   That there seems to be so much activity now signals that yet again, we are making it up as we along.

   What’s up with PEA anyway? Why so unsettled at at BvB? AW would not have gone in for a player with “issues” like this in the past. SAD.
   (Sorry, I’ve been following too much US political news since the New Year).

7. Lacaz is not a 6 yd box man. That’s his limitation as a striker. He creates space for himself and loves shooting which he is very good at.

   Auba on the other hand is a 6yd box denizen. He is a genius in finding the fleeting pockets of space in the box that cuts the work short for him.

   In other words the two can be complementary as goal scorers. Auba is a replacement for Sanchez as far as poaching goals are concerned, otherwise he is more a replacement for Walcott. The high premium Wenge put on Walcott despite his obvious limitations suggests that he would place a lot of value on Auba. Auba is a more versatile and intelligent Walcott, who can be a wide man or the striker.

   We need not seek a like for like replacement of Sanchez (whose style is very unique). All we need do is replace him with a good goal scorer.

   I prefer to see it as Auba our new point man, Lacaz to replace Sanchez.

   1. I think we are changing our style. Prior to Arsenal, Lacazette only had 1 season as a main striker (which he adapted after half a season).

      Perhaps the EPL is too tough for him as a single striker which is why PEA is brought in so he can play off PEA instead.

8. Lots of good comments above, it’s just a waiting game now to see what transpires. Great to see Mislintant is already having an impact. I think our existing scouting networks were somewhat exhausted and in his first window he seems to have refreshed our list of targets.

   I get the feeling in recent years some of Arsenal’s transfer trepidation has been down to a lack of confidence in the scouting. We’ve always been bold, I’ve never understood those who think we are not, but those bold moves have to be based on confidence. I think when we have firm recommendations from a someone who knows what he’s talking about, we are quite capable of being decisive.

   1. Mavropanos looks like a real player. I think he’ll be in the first team soon.

9. Yeah Auba isn’t the most clinical finisher ever, but he has some good tools we can use. But of course we need to be able to create more chances for him and Lacazette to put away. It still comes down to the midfield providing a secure enough base but, with Ozil and Mkhitaryan, creativity shouldn’t be a problem.

   I get the doubts about us dealing with Raiola, and the misgivings if we do, but I don’t think we purposely freeze out specific agents (except Darren Dein) We just don’t do a deal we don’t think is fair, nor buy a player as a personal favour to them (Raiola was practically begging us to buy Balotelli) Wenger’s even talked about dealing with Mendes, and we hosted Juan Mata’s dad once who is supposed to be another super agent.

   Whatever, it seems the Alexis-Miki swap deal is going to happen, and at this point, I’m happy with that, and hopefully, Auba. It’s an upgrade on our attack which we really need, sort of guards against Ozil’s departure, and hopefully some fresh blood will revitalise the team.

   Also Mavroponos looks like a young Koscielny type, and Wenger’s been impressed enough to change his mind about sending him out on loan. So that seems like a good bit of business too and I think he will play a part this season.

10. Seems like Dortmund are going to play hardball over Aubameyang with their manufactured outrage, but I guess that shows they are willing to do a deal.

    I know he hasn’t officially joined yet, but is Sanhelli involved in negotiations?

11. Also, all this talk of a behind the scenes revamp being done against Wenger’s wishes. I don’t buy it. Yes he guards against what he sees as overreach on the football side of things, and there may be disagreements, but I think he, as much as anyone, would want the club to have a structure in place to survive and thrive after his departure. He’s said it many times throughout his tenure that he wants to leave the club in a position so the next guy can do better than he did, and I really believe he sees it as part of his job.

    Arsenal have in recent years revamped their academy and medical infrastructure, brought in new backroom personnel in all departments (apparently nearly doubling the number of staff), and of course have a new chief scout and contract negotiator in place. All of it happening, is not down to Wenger of course, but it can’t all be without his support, or indeed with him opposed either.

12. Isn’t Auba similar to Lacazette then? Don’t understand why we would go for him when there are such glaring holes elsewhere in the squad (central midfield etc). No point having two finishers on the pitch if there are no chances for them to finish. Otherwise we’ll see both of them dropping into midfield while Ramsey or whoever goal hangs. What a mess.

    1. Let’s see how they perform (if they arrive) before announcing it a mess. Obviously we’ve been a mess so far this season, but whether this leads to more of the same or revitalizes us somewhat is up in the air.

       Two obvious things that Auba has over Laca: blistering pace and height/heading ability. I think we’ll see them play together if Auba comes, and they’ll do grand. Still stumped as to how we expect to get Ozil, Mikki, Auba, and Laca in the same team though…

       These signings aren’t going to solve our deepest problems, far from it, but if they can revitalize our attack, then our problems at the back become a lot less pressing.

13. Nice one Tim.. Do you have any data comparing him to Lacazette’s last season at Lyon?? Essentially I feel like they are adding another striker at Arsenal more than a wide replacement. Also I suspect AW might possible play a style of 4-4-2 even though on team sheet it might be something else..
    You made a good comparison of how AW wanted Theo to be of Auba type.. He might essentially replace Giroud with Auba since Laca can hold up and play up front much better than he though before his arrival..

    1. Dino, because people ask Tim this kind of question a lot (a whole lot) can I suggest having a look through whoscored.com? There’s a history tab on every club’s page and on most player’s pages you can access their stats going back 7 or 8 years. It’s a very well designed site with an easy to use interface and it’s very addictive once you get used to it.

       Also think Auba and Laca would make a killer pair upfront but we have to stop talking about him now because Wenger hurt Dortmund’s feelings.

14. “I wouldn’t like to come out on the numbers because that’s Man United’s problem. I respect Man United because they generate the money they pay with their own resources.”

    — Arsene Wenger, today, asked about the Alexis transfer numbers.

15. Anyone else read the Amy Lawrence piece on Theo? Don’t agree with the comfort zone thing — he was a regular starter and got 19 goals from wide right LAST SEASON, till the witch to back three. But, you know, narratives. Slipping far down the reckoning as he did, isn’t comfortable at all.

    But she’s spot on with this >> “The current team has a bunch who are treading developmental water, maybe even swimming against the tide, in that players such as Héctor Bellerín, Rob Holding and Iwobi look less assured than they did when they broke into the first team”

    … and that’s something that is not right in Wenger’s developmental setup.

16. Give credit where it’s due…we are as we have always been …doing good business for the club. It wouldn’t surprise me if all this was previously planned. We lost nothing but proposed earnings .we got what we paid for plus…….Wenger knows …..some day we might…..

Comments are closed.