Journalists put forward Arsenal's Chambers as the next transfer target

Seems to have lost his way a bit but still young, versatile and English. Would be an upgrade on Holgate who seems determined to Mr Bean his way out of the club.

A fringe, low-cost player who seems unlikely to have his contract extended. Brands is really showing his worth.

I really rated him when he went to Arsenal, seems to have lost his way a bit. Falls in the category of "could be good, but probably won't be" ... but we can afford him and we need a right-back.

Played well at Fulham in defensive midfield (albeit when they went down). Strikes me as a Holgate alternative if Mason is off in January (can play RB, CB & CDM).

Einsteins theory of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Iwobi, Iwobi, Iwobi.

Could be another Stephen Hughes …

I seem to remember this lad being a decent player and he is an upgrade on what we currently have in terms of depth on the right.

It's no use bemoaning every potential signing for not being a Lionel Messi. We aren't shopping at Harrod's anymore. All we can hope is we spend the right amount on players who give us something we currently lack. The summer signings fell into that category and so far have proved to be money well spent (or, in some cases, not spent).

Just because this lad comes from Arsenal doesn't mean he is a signing like Iwobi.

John #5,

Different money, different position. I think it makes sense and, if it happens, I will not be slagging him off before he's had the chance to play.

I'm reading good things about the lad Mazauori at Ajax and Patterson may still be an option.

Chambers is too full of mistakes and lack of concentration. We cannot keep being linked with failures despite the lack of spending power.

If there's anything in this, it's obviously the reality of where we can deal at this point in time.

In the early summer, the long-linked Aarons never materialised and we couldn't raise the £20M+ to compete for Denzil Dumfries. It's where we are for now.

I feel for Kenny. Behind Coleman and 2 centre-backs in the pecking order and the club are linked with another pair of back-up right-backs. I'm not saying he's good enough (sadly), but he must be kicking his heels. I guess we couldn't get any takers.

The reporting is consistent that we're priortising the other Arsenal player over Chambers. So back-up to a back-up to a back-up.

No denying the physical talent there... I'd say that for 5 million he's very much worth the gamble.

Jay # 8

Mazraoui is also out of contract at the end of the season - with a much better pedigree than almost all other RBs we're linked with. He'd probably be a very good signing but will have quite a few options (one of which might be Newcastle).

Not sure Chambers is really any better than Holgate.

Expecting us to sign Maitland-Niles though, who is out of contract in 2023.

How about £10M + Kenny for Patterson?

Or is it like playing for Celtic means Rangers will not want you? But I think Kenny was decent up in Scotland.

Yes to each please, especially if they're mates and have comradery.

Funny old life, we seem to have right-backs who aren't up to it while Arsenal have too many for them all to get a game.

Robert,

I see Maitland-Niles as a decent squad player but not an outstanding right-back. I believe we have under-estimated Coleman's contribution to the cause and, if we weaken that position by not getting a good quality replacement, it will set us back enormously.

Full-back or wing-back has become one of the most important positions in the modern game IMO.

I also believe that Chambers should not even be in the conversation.

We need squad depth and £5M doesn't seem like a gamble if the lad is in good mental space to realize the situation. Maitland-Niles dropped off for some reason and there is a good footballer to be had should we get him.

Tomayisu will not be easily displaced and I think Maitland-Niles is one of those hard-luck Premier League stories of players getting underused by a coaching carousel, which affected development.

And by the way, playing next to David Luiz would not help anyone's development at centre-back or right-back. He has been out a lot so it could be a Delph thing but, at 26, I think he could add to the squad more than the injured list.

If we have ambition to stay bottom of mid-table, then yes, go and get him. If we have ambition to break the Top 6 don't, buy him. He isn't very good.

We will be linked with Phil Jones next.

Arsenal rejects again.

Dale Self – is he the Italian bloke? 🤔

I watched Wales - Belgium yesterday and Neco Williams was very good. Pity he is with the shite.

Jay @ 15, it's hard to tell with Maitland-Niles. He's a good footballer and would be coming for the opportunity to progress his career. So a bit like Gray, Townsend and many of the signings under Moyes.

Whether he'll ever offer as much as Coleman in his prime, only time will tell.

But, due to his contract situation, he'll be decent value compared with, say, Aarons – has much more experience than Patterson and Premier League experience at that (compared to, say, Celik). So a decent signing on paper at least.

Hey Mike 19, trying to figure out if you mean Tomayisu or Luiz. Maybe I'm going 0 for 2 there.

Is he any better than Jonjoe Kenny?

Because his playing starts don't suggest he is...

Chambers is not an upgrade on what we already have. I can't see it.

I think Benitez and Brands will be after a couple of loans or loan with options to buy in January and they'll be trying to go under the radar.

Van de Beek keeps getting mentioned; it would be good to get him on loan with an option. Talk of Arsenal's Pepe as well, loan to buy. Diaz of Porto still being rumoured.

I wouldn't mind Maitland-Niles, also Patterson looks a real proposition. The latter would be a gamble but could become a crowd favourite, he gets involved and looks aggressive. A natural successor for Seamus.

Also, reports a Turkish club wants Rondon in January. Benitez should cut his losses if true and let him go, rethink the reserve forward or promote Ellis Simms for the job.

By his own estimation, Maitland-Niles is not a full-back. I do not think he is going to sign for a club whose chief ambition is to play him as a full-back or wing-back. He can play there – much like Milner can play as a full-back on either flank, or Victor Moses can play right-wingback – but he is a central midfielder.

I reckon he could be a very good squad member for us, as we have no decent depth in all of the positions he can play. I think, with a fair wind and considering how limited we will be in terms of transfer business, he'd be starting the majority of games if he signed for us – mainly in midfield, as after Allan (who may be looking to leave) and Doucouré he'd be our next best option to start.

It's a No for me on Chambers. Again, he's not a full-back, and was only played there by Arsenal out of desperation. He's a centre-half, and not one we should be looking to sign; I reckon Branthwaite shows greater promise at centre-half, and whoever we sign as a right-back should be a specialist and a genuine first-choice starter.

Tony @24 & Andrew @25

I agree. He seems just like another "body," and one who couldn't master his own centre-back role, much less right-back. I feel even at a low price he'd be soon categorized as "deadwood."

Mike, Dale, had a reading up on Mazraoui earlier. He's Moroccan, but was born and grew up in Holland. Eventually came through the Ajax academy, played for Jong Ajax (or Ajax 2) who play alongside Alkmaar 2, PSV Eindhoven 2 and FC Utrecht 2, with 16 other Dutch senior teams that make up the 2nd tier of the Dutch football pyramid. He's been at Ajax all his career.

I'm going down the B Team rabbit hole, so I'll stop!!!

Andrew, I got confused reading about Maitland-Niles. He's described as a right-back and a left wing-back?? So your point about where he considers his best position could be accurate.

Given this is paper talk, maybe he was a target before we signed Gray and Townsend? So now it could be Chambers we're going after?

I'm falling into the trap of trying to put sense to rumours. Again, I'll just stop.

Jonjoe Kenny saw Maitland-Niles off at every level with regards to getting selected for England, but the kid has stagnated over the last couple of seasons, because he hasn't really been wanted.

But still the club refused to sell him to Burnley, even though we were in breach of FFP, and this has therefore ended up costing us at least £5 million (plus 18 months wages, unless Celtic paid his full wages for 6 months).

The only ambition for the next couple of years will be to have a squad that can reasonably comfortably stay in the Premier League. There is no chance of so-called Top 6 players signing for us. But there never has been.

FFP has scuppered us but, then again, our inept recruitment did the bulk of the work. Loan signings at best for the foreseeable until we sell Richarlison and/or Calvert-Lewin, then we have to spend wisely. No great confidence in that.

We saw the accuracy with which multiple "journalists" got our last summer acquisitions right, when all along, it was more a case of a Liam ("there's no money left") Byrne.

I have tended to find that some of our 'in the know' TW contributors are more reliable than the twaddle generally churned out by the newspaper community.

Danny, thanks. I think maybe Mike was talking about him.

I have not checked him out and have not seen him play. I wouldn't bet against anyone Robert considers a decent prospect, just thought that Chambers may be worth the punt at £5M.

And if I read the scattershot right, it seems taking Callum would improve our chances of getting Maitland-Niles but not sure if that is an Arsenal two for one or if Maitland-Niles would be more likely to accept a loan to us on that condition.

Tony (28),

Sorry but that's just not true; Kenny was generally competing with Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Connolly for the right-back and/or left-back position (all of them played both at different times).

Maitland-Niles was always playing in midfield, so was mostly up against Ryan Ledson, Jordan Rossiter, Lewis Cook, Josh Onomah and Ovie Ejaria (amongst others) from Under-17s to Under-20s.

If anything, Maitland-Niles started off as an attacking midfielder, and latterly settled into a central midfield role – but he was never a right-back at junior international level.

Mike #19.

Unless Dale has ever watched a particular episode of Only Fools and Horses, then I doubt very much he will understand what you mean by "Is he the Italian bloke"?

Looking it up now, thanks Rob.

Ahh, it all makes sense now. I did spell it 'comradery' though. Well done Mike even if I was too thick to get it.

Chambers is a very good and long-standing Dictionary. I don't know, but I doubt whether Calum fits anywhere in their Family Tree or Chain... but, if he can provide as many answers as that particular reference book, then, he will do for me.

This time next year, Rodney! :-)

In true Everton style, we'll probably piss around all January in the transfer market and will end up with Coleman as our only rigth-back.

I reckon Nathan Patterson will follow Stevie Gee La to Aston Villa.

Mick,

We have Jonjoe Kenny as good cover for Coleman. He might not be the answer but he is a full-back that has been pretty unlucky in not getting a run in the team.

We don't have any cover whatsoever for Digne!

Nico Williams would be a better option for me,can cover at L.B too,am sure Klippity would play hardball with us over the fee but the lad would START games here!.

Can't think of the last time we bought anyone half decent from Arsenal, Spurs, even West Ham.

Danny Williamson
Stephen Hughes
Vinny Samways
Alex Iwobi
Theo Walcott
Philippe Senderos
Richard Wright
Simon Davies
Espen Baardsen

Its like a Who's Who of Rubbish. If they can't make it there, how are they going to do better at our place??? AVOID.

Absolutely, Ian, what a painful list.

And I hate to have to say this but you missed:

Enner Valencia
Aaron Lennon

Maybe Lennon wasn't quite as bad as the rest... and there have been some (extremely rare) good uns, to be fair.

Sick note Bilic

The reason a lot of those signings were unsuccessful was because they were free or weird or desperate. We have been in a right old state for much of the past 30 years after all.

I wouldn't put Maitland-Niles in quite that category. Chambers possibly.

But Maitland-Niles is (flattering a bit here) more your Arteta, Pienaar type - being a player with talent who has lost his way a bit and needs a break.

Also now looking at Pepe by all accounts who possibly sits in that category too. There's a good player in there who needs a clear role in a side that plays to his strengths.

These are not ideal signings by any stretch - with a decent risk they don't work out. But they do at least represent reasonable value for that risk.

Chambers is on £2.6M a year, they want £5M. So let's say he's crap, does nothing over a 3-year deal and leaves for free. That's £12.5M up the wall on someone who has already failed at Arsenal.

Patterson from Rangers seems a better bet. It can't be that hard to find someone, we've only been looking for 5 years...

Dale Self,

It was a reference to Only Fools and Horses – Del showing a childhood photo of theirs, and Trigger asked if Camaraderie was the Italian kid... 😳

I like it Mike. I've not done the required research to be an Anglophile but I love these references. By the way, when looking up the show I noticed a Zoot Money at Klooks Kleek video that I couldn't resist and that was a nice addon to the lesson.

I thought I played the unknowing Yank role rather well, thank you very much.

Dale and Rob,

I saw the post and it came to me straight away.

As for Everton, we've got to get it right somewhere along the line. 30 years and got to be over a billion spent and absolutely nothing to show for it?

Dale and all non Anglophiles – in my defence, it's hard to tell who's from where unless they say so... So apologies there.

As long as you've got a good line to offer, it's always worth the risk of typing it up here, Mike. We have to keep the show going, you know.

Chambers looked a promising young centre-back at Southampton but failed to kick on at Arsenal. He's not a full-back and is mistake-prone.

I know we are potless but he is not going to take us to the next level and we may end up with another bench warmer down the track.

Ditto with Maitland-Niles, he is not a defender but is quite pacy and may be able to contribute in midfield or attack.

All-in-all... underwhelming!

Ian (39),

Anders Limpar was probably an exception to the rule..but yeah most of the cast offs from Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham were gash.