Omari Hutchinson

[PATRIQT]

Random kid on Twitter said he'd been told the deal was happening. I'll wait for something official.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah this. Also, right wing. Where you'd expect Meite, Ince, Azeez and Halilovic to play. Mqybe Camara. Understand most are ooc, and one quite expensive and recovering from injury... but it's not one of the most obvious positions to make a signing.

Hutchinson can play on either wing, attacking midfield, or left back. He’s probably better than Camara already and could pass Azeez pretty quickly. That leaves Meite, who is one of two senior strikers.

Speaking of Azeez, his younger brother was on loan at Portsmouth earlier in the season. Double raid of Arsenal?

Obvious conclusion is we won’t be keeping some of the OOC players (Halilovic hasn’t really made it an obvious case to extend his deal, Ince has done really well but WCBAP. and if Hutchinson is as good as he looks he’s probably one we need to grab while we have the chance. The thing about ‘not being a priority position’is always a red herring, you can’t make signings in a nice convenient order based on what we might think the priorities are.
Main concern is we’ve borrowed supposed wonder kids before (Sims) and they have looked totally out of their depth in adult football....

Is the reason we keep ending up with an unbalanced squad full of gaps and players who don't combine well.

We just grab whatever shiny is dangled in our face.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Hutchinson can play on either wing, attacking midfield, or left back. He’s probably better than Camara already and could pass Azeez pretty quickly. That leaves Meite, who is one of two senior strikers.

Speaking of Azeez, his younger brother was on loan at Portsmouth earlier in the season. Double raid of Arsenal?

Obvious conclusion is we won’t be keeping some of the OOC players (Halilovic hasn’t really made it an obvious case to extend his deal, Ince has done really well but WCBAP. and if Hutchinson is as good as he looks he’s probably one we need to grab while we have the chance. The thing about ‘not being a priority position’is always a red herring, you can’t make signings in a nice convenient order based on what we might think the priorities are.
Main concern is we’ve borrowed supposed wonder kids before (Sims) and they have looked totally out of their depth in adult football....

Is the reason we keep ending up with an unbalanced squad full of gaps and players who don't combine well.

We just grab whatever shiny is dangled in our face.

So Tyrell Thomas and Brandon Barker fall under that category presumably then?

[Nameless]

Hutchinson can play on either wing, attacking midfield, or left back. He’s probably better than Camara already and could pass Azeez pretty quickly. That leaves Meite, who is one of two senior strikers.

Speaking of Azeez, his younger brother was on loan at Portsmouth earlier in the season. Double raid of Arsenal?

Obvious conclusion is we won’t be keeping some of the OOC players (Halilovic hasn’t really made it an obvious case to extend his deal, Ince has done really well but WCBAP. and if Hutchinson is as good as he looks he’s probably one we need to grab while we have the chance. The thing about ‘not being a priority position’is always a red herring, you can’t make signings in a nice convenient order based on what we might think the priorities are.
Main concern is we’ve borrowed supposed wonder kids before (Sims) and they have looked totally out of their depth in adult football....

Is the reason we keep ending up with an unbalanced squad full of gaps and players who don't combine well.

We just grab whatever shiny is dangled in our face.

No. Not at all.
There is no reason you can’t have a balanced squad whilst not signing the ‘key’ player first.
Not signing the right players is not the same as not signing them in the order some random on the internet thinks you should sign them....
Some deals just take longer than others, some players are harder to find than others..

[Notts Royal]

It’s a sorry state of affairs when we’re more bothered about who the agent is than the actual signing isn’t it

[Zip]

Obvious conclusion is we won’t be keeping some of the OOC players (Halilovic hasn’t really made it an obvious case to extend his deal, Ince has done really well but WCBAP. and if Hutchinson is as good as he looks he’s probably one we need to grab while we have the chance. The thing about ‘not being a priority position’is always a red herring, you can’t make signings in a nice convenient order based on what we might think the priorities are.
Main concern is we’ve borrowed supposed wonder kids before (Sims) and they have looked totally out of their depth in adult football....

Is the reason we keep ending up with an unbalanced squad full of gaps and players who don't combine well.

We just grab whatever shiny is dangled in our face.

No. Not at all.
There is no reason you can’t have a balanced squad whilst not signing the ‘key’ player first.
Not signing the right players is not the same as not signing them in the order some random on the internet thinks you should sign them....
Some deals just take longer than others, some players are harder to find than others..

I’m with Ian on this. We have had huge problems with a lack of balance in the squad. This season has been a good example in which we had two specialist full-backs with incredibly inexperienced back ups. Both were going to be away in January playing in the African Nations Cup. So that left us without a single experienced full back. We had loads of midfielders though.

I never understand what our transfer business is about these days. It’s so adhoc and random. No long term strategy at all.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I think this season has been more difficult particularly when looking to get a cover full back in on either side. It still doesn't explain why we bothered with the Barker and Thomas signings though unless they were for next season in L1.

[Stranded]

Is the reason we keep ending up with an unbalanced squad full of gaps and players who don't combine well.

We just grab whatever shiny is dangled in our face.

No. Not at all.
There is no reason you can’t have a balanced squad whilst not signing the ‘key’ player first.
Not signing the right players is not the same as not signing them in the order some random on the internet thinks you should sign them....
Some deals just take longer than others, some players are harder to find than others..

I’m with Ian on this. We have had huge problems with a lack of balance in the squad. This season has been a good example in which we had two specialist full-backs with incredibly inexperienced back ups. Both were going to be away in January playing in the African Nations Cup. So that left us without a single experienced full back. We had loads of midfielders though.

I never understand what our transfer business is about these days. It’s so adhoc and random. No long term strategy at all.

The problem isn't completing a deal like this, if it happens, ahead of signing say a LB - the issue has to this point been completing too many deals like this. So for example, signing 3 or 4 similar players for similar positions i.e. signing Barker when there was absolutely no need to. We will need a player like Hutchinson as we are likely to have close to zero attacking midfielders in a few weeks time.

We have no idea if there is any truth in this but the club should be making these kinds of enquiries now. The one area where Kia actually has been a benefit is the quality of loan transfers we've managed to make, certainly in the past 2 or 3 years - this could be the next one - I'd be more concerned if/when it becomes clear that any signing has to come through his network.

[Nameless]

Is the reason we keep ending up with an unbalanced squad full of gaps and players who don't combine well.

We just grab whatever shiny is dangled in our face.

No. Not at all.
There is no reason you can’t have a balanced squad whilst not signing the ‘key’ player first.
Not signing the right players is not the same as not signing them in the order some random on the internet thinks you should sign them....
Some deals just take longer than others, some players are harder to find than others..

I’m with Ian on this. We have had huge problems with a lack of balance in the squad. This season has been a good example in which we had two specialist full-backs with incredibly inexperienced back ups. Both were going to be away in January playing in the African Nations Cup. So that left us without a single experienced full back. We had loads of midfielders though.

I never understand what our transfer business is about these days. It’s so adhoc and random. No long term strategy at all.

I don’t think you are with Ian....

I absolutely agree our transfer dealings need to be better targeted. That doesn’t mean we can’t sign a winger UNTIL we have signed a left back. It means we can’t sign a winger INSTEAD of a full back, which is what we have tended to do.

[South Coast Royal]

As with everybody else I have no idea how good this kid is.
What I find encouraging is that young players at clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal are mature for their age, e.g Saka, Smith-Rowe and earlier Reece James and Mount at Chelsea (loans at Wigan and Antwerp).

Halilovic ,Barker and Ince might well not be with us next season and from the little I have seen of Camara and particularly Tetek who might play right-side neither are the flying winger type.
Since Barrow left we have not had real pace out wide so this could be a good move regardless of who fixed it or who is going to manage him.

[URZZZZ]

As with everybody else I have no idea how good this kid is.
What I find encouraging is that young players at clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal are mature for their age, e.g Saka, Smith-Rowe and earlier Reece James and Mount at Chelsea (loans at Wigan and Antwerp).

Halilovic ,Barker and Ince might well not be with us next season and from the little I have seen of Camara and particularly Tetek who might play right-side neither are the flying winger type.
Since Barrow left we have not had real pace out wide so this could be a good move regardless of who fixed it or who is going to manage him.

Ayub Masika?

[Snowflake Royal]

No. Not at all.
There is no reason you can’t have a balanced squad whilst not signing the ‘key’ player first.
Not signing the right players is not the same as not signing them in the order some random on the internet thinks you should sign them....
Some deals just take longer than others, some players are harder to find than others..

I’m with Ian on this. We have had huge problems with a lack of balance in the squad. This season has been a good example in which we had two specialist full-backs with incredibly inexperienced back ups. Both were going to be away in January playing in the African Nations Cup. So that left us without a single experienced full back. We had loads of midfielders though.

I never understand what our transfer business is about these days. It’s so adhoc and random. No long term strategy at all.

The problem isn't completing a deal like this, if it happens, ahead of signing say a LB - the issue has to this point been completing too many deals like this. So for example, signing 3 or 4 similar players for similar positions i.e. signing Barker when there was absolutely no need to. We will need a player like Hutchinson as we are likely to have close to zero attacking midfielders in a few weeks time.

We have no idea if there is any truth in this but the club should be making these kinds of enquiries now. The one area where Kia actually has been a benefit is the quality of loan transfers we've managed to make, certainly in the past 2 or 3 years - this could be the next one - I'd be more concerned if/when it becomes clear that any signing has to come through his network.

It's fine if we know most of Halilovic, Ince, Azeez, Camara, Hoilett, Swift, Ejaria and Meite aren't going to be here. (Given SCIAG says he can play across the pitch). Personally I'd be trying to keep most of them.

If we're trying to extend many of them / keep Meite and Ejaria, it's daft, because we will have bigger problems to fix, with limited resources.

It's got nothing to do with order, Nameless missing the point in relentless defence of the club as always.

It's about targeting resources where they're needed

[Stranded]

I’m with Ian on this. We have had huge problems with a lack of balance in the squad. This season has been a good example in which we had two specialist full-backs with incredibly inexperienced back ups. Both were going to be away in January playing in the African Nations Cup. So that left us without a single experienced full back. We had loads of midfielders though.

I never understand what our transfer business is about these days. It’s so adhoc and random. No long term strategy at all.

The problem isn't completing a deal like this, if it happens, ahead of signing say a LB - the issue has to this point been completing too many deals like this. So for example, signing 3 or 4 similar players for similar positions i.e. signing Barker when there was absolutely no need to. We will need a player like Hutchinson as we are likely to have close to zero attacking midfielders in a few weeks time.

We have no idea if there is any truth in this but the club should be making these kinds of enquiries now. The one area where Kia actually has been a benefit is the quality of loan transfers we've managed to make, certainly in the past 2 or 3 years - this could be the next one - I'd be more concerned if/when it becomes clear that any signing has to come through his network.

It's fine if we know most of Halilovic, Ince, Azeez, Camara, Hoilett, Swift, Ejaria and Meite aren't going to be here. (Given SCIAG says he can play across the pitch). Personally I'd be trying to keep most of them.

If we're trying to extend many of them / keep Meite and Ejaria, it's daft, because we will have bigger problems to fix, with limited resources.

It's got nothing to do with order, Nameless missing the point in relentless defence of the club as always.

It's about targeting resources where they're needed

If, if, if. Only the club will know, a) who they want and b) who is likley to stay. They may also think that Hutchinson is just better.

Of those listed, we can only be certain that 2 of those will be here unless we sell them.

Plus this is a loan of a talented 18 year old. In terms of resources, he won't fill a squad place as he doesn't fit the criteria to do so and, if he is a Kia man that Arsenal want to get games, the hit to the playing budget could be close to zero - Arsenal pay his wages and with no loan fee, with an agreement that he gets a certain number of minutes under his belt when fit.

I would have absolutely no issue with this deal, if it is true - if it is followed by 3 or 4 identical deals, then we have a problem but this is the market we need to work in.

[Nameless]

It's got nothing to do with order, Nameless missing the point in relentless defence of the club as always

Oh dear, Ian in arsehole mode again....
Not even the glimmer of ‘defending the club’.
My point was SPECIFICALLY that people saying we should sign ‘key’ players first is a red herring. Transfers just don’t happen like that.
I also agreed that the balance has to be better so the squad that is assembled works.
But you keep looking to pick fights you Alpha Male you, grrrrrrr

[Sutekh]

Yeah this. Also, right wing. Where you'd expect Meite, Ince, Azeez and Halilovic to play. Mqybe Camara. Understand most are ooc, and one quite expensive and recovering from injury... but it's not one of the most obvious positions to make a signing.

Hutchinson can play on either wing, attacking midfield, or left back. He’s probably better than Camara already and could pass Azeez pretty quickly. That leaves Meite, who is one of two senior strikers.

Speaking of Azeez, his younger brother was on loan at Portsmouth earlier in the season. Double raid of Arsenal?

Obvious conclusion is we won’t be keeping some of the OOC players (Halilovic hasn’t really made it an obvious case to extend his deal, Ince has done really well but WCBAP. and if Hutchinson is as good as he looks he’s probably one we need to grab while we have the chance. The thing about ‘not being a priority position’is always a red herring, you can’t make signings in a nice convenient order based on what we might think the priorities are.
Main concern is we’ve borrowed supposed wonder kids before (Sims) and they have looked totally out of their depth in adult football....

Just for the record, Josh Sims (now 25) was released by Southampton at the end of last season. He signed for Ross County in February 2022, he is still to make an appearance for them.

[Nameless]

The problem isn't completing a deal like this, if it happens, ahead of signing say a LB - the issue has to this point been completing too many deals like this. So for example, signing 3 or 4 similar players for similar positions i.e. signing Barker when there was absolutely no need to. We will need a player like Hutchinson as we are likely to have close to zero attacking midfielders in a few weeks time.

We have no idea if there is any truth in this but the club should be making these kinds of enquiries now. The one area where Kia actually has been a benefit is the quality of loan transfers we've managed to make, certainly in the past 2 or 3 years - this could be the next one - I'd be more concerned if/when it becomes clear that any signing has to come through his network.

It's fine if we know most of Halilovic, Ince, Azeez, Camara, Hoilett, Swift, Ejaria and Meite aren't going to be here. (Given SCIAG says he can play across the pitch). Personally I'd be trying to keep most of them.

If we're trying to extend many of them / keep Meite and Ejaria, it's daft, because we will have bigger problems to fix, with limited resources.

It's got nothing to do with order, Nameless missing the point in relentless defence of the club as always.

It's about targeting resources where they're needed

If, if, if. Only the club will know, a) who they want and b) who is likley to stay. They may also think that Hutchinson is just better.

Of those listed, we can only be certain that 2 of those will be here unless we sell them.

Plus this is a loan of a talented 18 year old. In terms of resources, he won't fill a squad place as he doesn't fit the criteria to do so and, if he is a Kia man that Arsenal want to get games, the hit to the playing budget could be close to zero - Arsenal pay his wages and with no loan fee, with an agreement that he gets a certain number of minutes under his belt when fit.

I would have absolutely no issue with this deal, if it is true - if it is followed by 3 or 4 identical deals, then we have a problem but this is the market we need to work in.

He would count towards our squad numbers. What makes you think he wouldn’t ?
He has a procontract, not an Academy or scholarship one. Any player signed after the EFL decision counts unles they are signed formthe Academy, as a scholar or declared ineligible for the first team.

[Stranded]

They have to have played, poss even started 3 games at Champ level before the season starts.

He hasn't.

[Sutekh]

Random kid on Twitter said he'd been told the deal was happening. I'll wait for something official.

Agree. Until this is official it could be just some random Twitter ramblings.

Seems a reasonable chance to take in some ways but how ready is an 18 year old, who’s only previous first team experience is sitting on the bench watching Arsenal lose to Nottingham Forest, for division 2 level football in a side that’s, let’s face it, is likely to be struggling?

[Nameless]

They have to have played, poss even started 3 games at Champ level before the season starts.

He hasn't.

That’s only part of the eligibility as I read it.
There is clause 1.1 ii which refers to any contract player signed after the date of the agreement. The ‘3games’ rule refers to players who were already at the club when the agreement was implemented, the part ii covers new signings and the only exclusions are Academy players, scholars and other players with specific exclusion from the first team.
We need to consult a lawyer !

[Snowball]

As with everybody else I have no idea how good this kid is.

Very highly rated by Arteta who was keen to tie him down to a long contract. Talk is he might be better than Xaka