Arsenal round-up: Saka Ballon d'Or, Ramsdale vs. Raya, transfer window

Hello guys, hope you're really well. I'm going to be taking advantage this week of the international break to have a domestic holiday by the seaside in Devon. Before I do that I wanted to record a quick video rounding up the latest news from Arsenal. We'll be talking about three things today. One is award nominations, one is the goalkeeper battle and one is what remains of the summer transfer window, not in England but elsewhere. So starting off, some amazing news for Bukayo Saka. He turned 22 this week. He has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or award. Extraordinary and we should say as well congratulations also to two of the Arsenal women who've been nominated, Casey McCabe and Amanda Illestead, which is an extraordinary achievement in itself. We're going to be concentrating on Saka though because to reach that level as a Ballon d'Or nominee at the age he's done is remarkable. For an Arsenal academy product, a player who's come through our youth system, a Hale End boy, to be given that honour is amazing and a credit to everyone who's worked so hard on his development. This list has been heavily influenced by the Winter World Cup and let's not forget Bukayo Saka was one of the most impressive performers at the Winter World Cup, probably England's best player in that tournament and consequently he's been recognised by being named England's Now the picture that this is building here is of a guy who is approaching the top of his game and it's interesting that it comes at a time where I've seen a lot of Arsenal fans actually questioning his Premier League form. What I'd say is Bukayo Saka is reaching the level where even when he's not at his best, he is delivering match-winning contributions. Even on Sunday against Manchester United, not his best game, missed a brilliant opportunity but how do we get the crucial goal? A Bukayo Saka corner swung to the far post. Whenever you look back at an Arsenal win, inevitably it's got his fingerprints all over it. As for the Ballon d'Or nomination, wow, he must be absolutely over the moon. I think it'll do wonders for his confidence. Let's hope England don't use him too much over the next couple of games during this international break but as I say, he is England's arguably best player, one of their most important players, probably the first name on the team sheet after that of Harry Kane. For him to be doing all that at age just 22, it is amazing and I think sometimes because we're accustomed to watching Saka, we're used to watching him week in week out and he's played so much football of late, maybe we sometimes take him slightly, not him for granted but maybe the level of his talent for granted. What I always think about academy players is what if we'd signed them, how would we regard them? I think there's almost no amount of money that we could have paid for Saka that we wouldn't be feeling right now, look to appropriate investment because he absolutely has the potential to be one of the top players in the world and this Ballon d'Or nomination is recognition of that. Congratulations also to Aaron Ramsdale who was nominated for the Yashin Award, kind of the equivalent award for the world's best goalkeeper. There were 10 nominees there and he was in that list alongside Thibaut Courtois and Andrea Nanna and others. If you told him he'd be on that list when he was relegated for two years in succession with Bournemouth and then Sheffield United, he probably wouldn't have believed you so big congratulations to him, it's the culmination of a lot of hard work. It's interesting because the nomination comes at a time where his first team role at Arsenal is being debated. There were some stories over the last 24-48 hours about Mikl Arteta being in a frame of mind to give David Riya a chance in the coming weeks. I think we can say that with certainty, I mean David Riya is definitely going to get his chance in the coming weeks. He's been granted permission to play against Brentford in the League Cup and when Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign at the Emirates Stadium against, I think it's PSV but it might be you'll know, I think it could very well be David Riya in the sticks for that competition as well. Do I think that means that Aaron Ramsdale's Premier League place is under immediate threat? It depends what you mean by threat I guess, I mean definitely there's increased competition but I'm not sure I see Arteta being quite as ruthless with Ramsdale as he was with Bernd Leno. I'm not sure I see him making that change fully. I don't necessarily sense that there's a great rush for it. Do I think Riya has a great chance of being the number one at Arsenal? Absolutely. He's a guy who's been brought in, there's a big fee attached to him if and when Arsenal make that deal permanent, most likely when. He's got a lot of Premier League pedigree, he's away with the Spain squad at the present point in time. He's a goalkeeper of enormous talent and so given that, given his relationship with the goalkeeper coach, their history together, his style of play, there's a lot of things going for David Riya in this situation. I think even language is one, I mean David Riya speaks brilliant English but I don't think the same can necessarily be said for the goalkeeper coach Iñaki Kania. He's been in England for some time but I'd say his language is not his strongest suit. So even the kind of instant connection and understanding that Iñaki and Riya will have by both being native Spanish speakers, bodes well for David Riya. If you were a betting man, you might bet on David Riya in this position. I have to say that there is just part of me that's nagging me that's saying, don't count Aaron Ramsdale out. And this award nomination, whether you feel it's deserved or whether you don't, the fact that he's even in that conversation, given what's happened to him earlier in his career, is quite remarkable and I think speaks to a resilience that shouldn't be discounted. I genuinely don't know who's going to win this battle and I think it's going to be really fascinating. The one thing I do hope is it doesn't overshadow Arsenal's season. I hope it's not something that becomes disruptive, destructive, negative. Right now everything feels quite positive, everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction. Hopefully it can stay that way. One thing I have heard is that Riya's arrival has really lifted the standard, the intensity of goalkeeper training and I think everybody associated with the club and at the training ground feels like it's been a real positive in that respect. It's bringing the best out of Riya, it's bringing the best out of Ramsdale, long may it continue. And for Karl-Hein, who's with that group, still with that group, I think it's going to be a really interesting learning experience watching these two guys go head-to-head. Karl-Hein is still there, Arthur Cromquay has gone out and joined Rexham on loan. We are into the final stages of the transfer window. I think I'm going to upload this video Thursday morning. Well, as far as I'm aware, this is the last day that players can be registered for the Saudi Pro League. Now, Arsenal have got a few they would like to move on. I mean, crucially Nicola Pepe, who's still with the club. Cedric Suarez is one who could go but I've always said I've got this nagging feeling he'll end up being here once all the various windows are slammed shut. The Turkish window is still open for another 10 days or so. That could be a potential destination, one that's been mooted for Pepe. He is the one I think that Arsenal need to move on because it's a big salary and I think they'll be very keen to get that off the books. He plays in a position where Arsenal have numbers, have options. We saw Reece Nelson come on to good effect against Manchester United. So my feeling is that if Arsenal can find a way to move Pepe on, they will absolutely take it. Let's see. Let's see what the next 24 hours brings in terms of Saudi Arabia. I'll be glad to see that window shut and be put to bed. The idea that Gabriel Magalhaes could be prized away. I think we know he's not going anywhere now, thankfully, but it will be reassuring when we know that absolutely when the Saudi window shuts. We'll leave it there for now. As I say, not a great deal of news. It is the international break, but I'm conscious I'm going to be away for a few days and wanted to check in with you guys. Thanks for the support and thanks for it. I'm glad you all enjoyed the Manchester United on the whistle. Kiss and all. Thanks for watching and sharing and engaging with that. Much appreciated. I'm going to leave it there. Congratulations again to Arsenal's nominees across the various awards. As fans, we're all very, very proud to see that. I think it tells you a lot about where Arsenal are at as a club right now that their players are being recognised. I think that's a really positive development. I'll speak to you all soon. Belated happy birthday to Makai Saka.