saka has done more than enough to keep that shirt. if vini ever joins, he can make another number iconic. legends create the shirt, not the other way around.
🗣️Paul Merson says #Arsenal are being played by Vinícius Junior: “Vinicius Jr is just looking for a new contract at Real Madrid. Vinícius is playing Arsenal. But this is where Arsenal are now. This is the market they’re in. Arsenal are looking to buy someone from Real Madrid, one of the top players. It just shows you where Arsenal are in the market.
“It’s a big worry for all the other teams in the league, in my opinion. If Arsenal don’t get Vinicius, then they have to get Bradley Barcola. They have to get a left winger in, especially now Leandro Trossard has left. They left themselves very short in that position.”
🚨 INSIDE THE EDDIE HOWE EXIT DRAMA!
Growing belief emerges that Eddie Howe’s departure from Newcastle was partly triggered by fears that Bruno Guimarães is heading out next!
Key figures close to Howe believe there is a "strong possibility" the Brazilian midfielder leaves before the deadline.
ℹ️ [@FabrizioRomano via @AFCI4I]
The idea sounds smart on paper, but Arsenal would be creating a problem that doesn't need to exist.
Saka has earned the No 7. It's more than just a shirt number now, it's part of his identity at Arsenal. Taking it away to hand it to a new signing, no matter how big, sends the wrong message to the dressing room and the fanbase. Remember Saka is the face of the club.
And it's not even as if Vinícius' personal brand depends on wearing No 7 shirt. Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic CR7, Vinícius is globally known simply as Vini Jr. His brand is built around his name, not his shirt number.
Gyökeres is already wearing Arsenal's iconic 14, a shirt with its own legendary history and I'm sure Gyokeres will want to keep that too, so there's no need to reshuffle that either.
➡️ Saka keeps 7.
➡️ Gyökeres keeps 14.
➡️ If Vinícius ever arrives, he picks another number and creates his own Arsenal legacy.
Big clubs protect the players who've built the culture. New stars should add to that culture, not rewrite it before kicking a ball.
At Arsenal, Saka should remain No 7. End of discussion.
🚨🇪🇸 Mikel Arteta on daily standards for Arsenal’s season ahead:
🗣️ “My ambition is that daily we nail the standards and the requirements of the day so we can be better the following day. That’s the thing we have to control.”
🗣️ “Maintaining that ambition, that discipline, that commitment and that positive energy through eleven months, that’s the responsibility we all have. If we all achieve that, we are going to be in a really strong position in May”