The almighty 2016-2017 summer transfer window thread

La Liga is the best League in the World quality-wise imo. Not as entertaining as the Prem but the teams are of a higher standard.

What are you talking about. Real Madrid and Barcelona are Tier 1, and then you have Atletico at Tier 3. The rest is awful quality, including the Europa League winners. The Premier League has few Tier 1 teams (Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea) one Tier 2 team (Arsenal - because of our financials), a few Tier 3 (Liverpool, Spurs), a few Tier 4 (Southampton, Everton, Leicester now, maybe even West Ham), and it goes like that all the way down into relegation places.

The Premier League is light years ahead in quality, competitiveness and entertainment. It has consistent quality across the table. Relegation candidates can easily beat the Tier 1 teams, that's not happening in La Liga. Real Madrid and Barca go virtually unopposed for 35 games each, and despite the mandatory blip here and there do it extremely comfortably.

Simeone will be staying at Atleti for a lengthy period of time

Even if he does, Atletico won't be reaching CL finals for years to come. They are on a short-term high right now, but when the dip eventually comes they don't have the resources (financial or otherwise) to easily rise from that. Tier 1/2 teams will start gutting the team soon enough.

let's not forget he chose Atleti over Arsenal to begin with because of Simeone himself.

News to me. Simeone chose Atletico over Arsenal when?

Arsenal job will be one of the most prestigious and sought after when Wenger decides to call it quits. There's no question about it. Managers will want that job even more than for example United. United is a wounded titan (I love myself for this) and it will take down a lot of managers and quality players with it. Arsenal is stable and set up for success.

Yeah, Sevilla winning the Europa League 3 times on the bounce sure isn't a sign of Spain being a dominant force all round.

And RE: Griezmann http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2792796/antoine-griezmann-reveals-turned-arsenal-approach-order-link-diego-simeone.html

Teams have gutted Atleti & Sevilla every year. They have lost Forlan, Torres, Aguero, Diego Costa yet are still competing for everything. Sevilla lost their two most important players in two seasons (Rakitic & Bacca) yet still managed to conquer Europe again. This isn't just a one off thing. The managers are a level above 95% of the Premier League's and as a result lift their teams a level higher than they should be, and to great success.

And also I agree VA. I think people underestimate our pulling power in terms of a managerial role. Bar money can't buy managers (Simeone), we could easily attract the likes of Tuchel, Emery etc who aren't quite upper tier but pretty fucking close. We probably could've got Pep, Ancelotti or Klopp if we wanted to as well.

Also Ornstein basically saying Xhaka's nearly done. Great stuff. A Gladbach & Arsenal fan reckons Ramsey would be the best partner for Xhaka which would mean Elnenny would basically be Arteta-esque backup and Coquelin would be Flamini-esque back up. The difference is with these two is that they're not complete liabilities and I would be happy for them to play whenever, unlike this season with Mikel and Flam.

RMC & GFFN reporting that Arsenal want to sign Mehdi Benatia from Bayern. 15m euro fee being toted around and regardless of his injury history it would be a quality signing imo.

Proven class, French speaker (born in France) so easy communication with Kos & Cech & cheap. Could really be a great deal if we can get him fit for at least 3/4 of Prem games this season as in terms of back-up; Per, Gabs & Chambers aren't really that bad.

They were supposedly interested in benatia before he went to Bayern. That signing would make me happy.

No it won't because Leicester will fall apart (but they won't win the league nor finish above us) and we'll continue being an elite club which was achieved through this transition period.

Proper banter

Why are you trying to embarrass the infallible one? Don't you realize he's superior in all things football, and completely immune to being called out on how idiotic proclamations?

Little bit niggle

Even the Red Priestess of Light gets her prophecies wrong every now and then

Can i come out of my mossy cave now? We got Xhaka guys! He better emulate Arteta good years.

In before Granit Coq jokes

You've had your 5 minutes in the sun, now go back under the bridge.

Eh...what?

Mario Goetze might be available, any takers?

Mario Goetze might be available, any takers?

Well we are short in CAM, but Gotze might be overkill. Ozil has that position locked down, and unless we suffer some freak injury Gotze will be spending most games on the bench.

Whispers about left-back Ricardo Rodriguez for €25m...not sure left-back is where we should be spending our money at the moment. Still need a marquee striker and backup on the left wing and in CAM.

Gibbs leaving, Nacho's 31 next year, would make sense

Well we are short in CAM, but Gotze might be overkill. Ozil has that position locked down, and unless we suffer some freak injury Gotze will be spending most games on the bench.

True that, besides JW and Rambo want that position desperately. We have CAM role covered.

Lord can we clone Alexis and make him bit taller please..if not find a suitable replacement.

Gibbs leaving, Nacho's 31 next year, would make sense

Who says Gibbs is leaving?

He will be if our interest in Rodriguez is concrete. He has no future as a permanent first teamer at Arsenal, same with Jenkinson

He will be if our interest in Rodriguez is concrete. He has no future as a permanent first teamer at Arsenal, same with Jenkinson

Don't know why, he's a perfectly good second-choice left back and a perfectly fine emergency backup for LW. We can't have world class backups for every position.

All about thinking ahead though. Nacho is 31 in 2017 and can't see him keeping this up for a while.

Ricardo Rodriguez is like 23, already a good player and can be the future of our LB position