DEC OR GLORY?
The transfer window has served up a right old tug o’war. Arsenal or Manchester City? Mikel Arteta’s brave young Gunners or Pep Guardiola’s masters of the universe? This always seemed likely on the Prague night that Declan Rice, in tears, held aloft Tin Pot having inspired the Hammers to victory as captain, leader, legend, cashable asset. Deja vu for Arsenal, then? Just when a prize is within their fingers, in sail City to pluck it away? The word is that Dec previously had his heart set on being a Gunner. Not that the three-cap Republic O’Ireland/43-cap England international is given to changing his mind. Last season, a £100m asking price was thrown liberally around at the Hammerdome to just about anyone who asked, co-owner David Sullivan admitting in the aftermath of Tin Pot glory that “[Dec] set his heart on going”.
In what those earnest types on Sky Sports News call a “developing situation”, City have offered £80m plus £10m in add-ons, as compared to Arsenal’s £75m plus £15m in add-ons. West Ham are unhappy with both, even with extras that may or may not include Dec headlining the West Holts stage at Glastonbury by 2027 and/or winning Ken Bruce’s new PopMaster TV series. The price, as David Moyes and Sully kept trying to tell you, is £100m, then talk.
At Arsenal, there is an obvious gap to fill. With Granit Xhaka being shelled to the Bundesliga and Thomas Partey another mainstay identified as replaceable, Rice can pop straight in, even if Kai Havertz also arrives. There, in the midfield engine room, he can be the inspirational, box-to-box midfielder behind a first title win for 20 years, a club legend forever. Indeed, they don’t forget at the Arsenal. The weekend just gone saw Edu, an Invincible of 2004, mobbed in Cricklewood when collecting some barbecue equipment. Those who posed for selfies and charcoal briquettes with the former schemer will also have been aware that he is now a club suit with responsibility for transfers, Dec doubtless one of the names on their lips.
But what happens if City find the money? Does Surrey-boy Dec head to the Cheshire football belt, to learn at the foot of the game’s supreme midfield whisperer? There is no guarantee Pep Guardiola sees him as a box-to-box man; there’s always the possibility the Catalan genius’s mind-map curates him into an inverted, free-jazz full-back rather than Ilkay Gündogan’s natural replacement. And then there’s suspicion that, in choosing City, young Dec would be pushing the cheat-mode button to add further trophies to that oh-so-sweet Tin Pot. Even worse, some would tell you City are now so dominant they’ve taken to stockpiling players so nobody else can have them. Kalvin Phillips? Exactly.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The three consortium members are excited about developing a community asset in the borough that gave them their own opportunities. They hope to take the entire community on this exciting journey with them” – a statement from AFC Croydon Athletic, confirming that Stormzy, Wilfried Zaha and former Crystal Palace head of care, Danny Young, are to become joint owners of the ninth-tier club.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Reading yesterday’s Football Daily, I clicked on the Mark Lawrenson link to read through that 2011 version of Small Talk. Anyway, I read his interview and had completely forgotten that he once managed Oxford United. I recall very well the day that he resigned from this position – he was being hounded by the press for soundbites as he walked along a busy street, and had quite clearly had enough. He then promptly decided to avoid them by entering a large glass door into a building – only to find out that it was locked! He had to about-turn and face the music again. It was a comedy classic moment that I have remembered for so long. Surely a reader can dig up a link to this event (I tried but failed)?” – Marc Meldrum.
Re: Rod de Lisle and valuable shirts (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). We were holidaying in the Republic O’Ireland in 2002, the year of Roy Keane’s row with Mick McCarthy. Passing a sports shop in Clifden, Co Galway, I noticed a Roy Keane-named shirt in the shop window; there was a hastily scrawled sign underneath, bearing the legend: ‘Collector’s item’. I had a smile and walked on, leaving the shirt where it was. I’m not smiling now” – James Treacy.
I am absolutely certain that there will be hundreds of other pedants pointing out that England U-21s’ game against Germany is the third game in the group stage and not the quarter-final (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). Having already won the group, their quarter-final will be on Sunday at 5pm BST against opposition as yet unknown” – John Delucchi (and 1,056 others).
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our letter o’ the day is … James Treacy, who bags a copy of Against All Odds: the Greatest World Cup Upsets. We’ve one more to give away so get typing.
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