£17 Million for two teenagers, how silly is that?

November 26, 2010

If reports are true, it’s very silly if you ask me, why not just spend the same amount on one player who’s ready to get the shirt on and help make a difference to our current set up.

The two players we have supposedly made an offer for are Sime Vrsaljko and Mateo Kovacic, both of Dinamo Zagreb. The source of this rumour has come from Zagreb themselves. They say Arsenal sent a delegate to Croatia earlier this month in attempt to secure a deal for both players but vice chairman for the club; Zdvravko Mamic has turned down the bid.

Full-back Vrsaljko, 18, is considered one of the best defensive prospects in European football and has most of the Premier League and Europe’s elite chasing him.

16-year-old Kovacic is a highly-rated midfielder, and Dinamo have revealed that Arsenal sent a delegation to Croatia to try and do a deal for the pair earlier this month.

Vice Chairman Mamic said

Here were people from Arsenal and they were ready to pay 20 million Euros for Vrsaljko and Kovacic.
But they are to stay in Dinamo, Arsenal just wanted to buy them for the future. But my answer was sharp, I said ‘no’ in one second.

Mamic admits he is gambling on the pair becoming even more valuable in the future.

While I have space and no problems at our bank account I can take a risk, yes, I know I’m playing with luck but so far I am winning. I believe it will be the same in the future.

So even the players own club admit it’s a bit of a risk keeping them, why would we offer such a vast amount of money for ‘a risk’. We need now, not 6/7 years time. Added to that, if those two players turned out to be great players and we had been successful in our offer, Arsene Wenger won’t be the manager of our club by the time they get to play. Why he thinks so far ahead when we have so many problems right now is beyond me!

Another transfer rumour…

Just when you think our club needs a big strong 6’5” striker up front, you know the one, legs made of steel, head made of cast iron and holds no fear for any defender, the gossip about a new striker being scouted by the club comes about.
He’s Kévin Gameiro, born in May 1987 in Senlis. He currently plays for French club FC Lorient in Ligue 1. He can play as striker but can also be utilized on the wings and in the hole. Gameiro has played for his country at all respective age levels and this year had his first call up for the big boys..

Just what we want…? No, he stands just under 5’ 8” !!!

Earlier this week we saw Henri Lansbury leave on a month’s loan to Norwich City, well yesterday Aaron Ramsey followed in his footsteps and went out on loan. Ramsey has gone to Championship side Nottingham Forest until January. Another player currently on loan is Vito Mannone. He’s at Hull City until January but says he’s enjoying life by the seaside and would consider staying until the summer. He’s played the last two games for Hull, keeping clean sheets in both..

Finally – Other news around is that no-one really seems to know what’s up with Cesc Fabregas and why he keeps suffering injury. Whatever it is, it seems to be worrying the club and no doubt all fans!

That’s it for today….

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Posted by rico

Defender sorted in Jan? Players on the move and the signing we all wanted….

November 12, 2010

It’s Friday and it’s the rumour catch up day.

I’ll start with the defender, Phillipe Mexes. He’s currently at Roma but his contract is up at the end of the season. In January he is free to talk to clubs about a move and Wenger is supposed to be very keen to sort a deal out which will see him join us next summer.
Mexes is just under 6’2” tall and is a player who has been bantered around the Arsenal blogs for many a year, could this finally be the time he makes his move??

Well, the way we going Wenger could need to get his man or another in January but not to join next summer, we need cover now and January can’t come soon enough to sort that out.

Next up is Balázs Dzsudzsák, a 23 year old left-sided winger who plays PSV and Hungary. Dzsudzsák finished the 2009/10 season with 14 goals and 16 assists. In a Europa game against PSV he was shown a straight red card by Mike Dean after he gave him a bit of a shove…

Another one which will be no surprise but Bolton have confirmed the player may have to be sold to help funds at the club. Gary Cahill is suggested to be valued at £15 million and with that kind of price I can’t see Wenger bothering to enter any race to sign him.

Would you pay £15M for him??

Andy Carroll is another player who some think we are going to make a cheeky bid for in January. He could be just what we need up front but there is little to no chance of him heading our way. He’s English and would be overpriced and he’s got a bit of a reputation off the field already and he’s only young. Shame really, I can see him scrabbling around on the ground trying to get to one of Sagna’s crosses ;)

Next up is Barcelona youngster Bojan Krkic – he has allegedly decided that it’s time for him to leave Camp Nou and in the summer he could be on the move to the Premier League. Manchester United, ourselves and Chelsea are all being linked. Basically he has become fed up of waiting for a run in the side in Barcelona and thinks he’d be better off moving. He’s a winger/striker and is 20 years old. This one is definitely a load of tosh.

Ian Wright has told his son Shaun to leave Man City in January so no doubt we will be linked to him again soon and Reina is said to have told Hodgson he wants to quit Liverpool in the same window. I suspect the latter will be heading to Manchester United to replace the OAP there, while Shay Given could also be up for grabs. January could be a busy month in the world of football.

We can be linked to who we like but the one big signing we have made this week is that of  Wojciech Szczesny and this is what he and Arsene Wenger had to say….

Arsène Wenger said:

We are delighted to secure the long-term future of Wojciech, who we regard as a very important part of our Club’s future. We have all seen his huge potential, both in training and in the matches that he has played for us, so we look forward to seeing him develop further in the coming years.

Wojciech Szczesny, well he’s obviously happy too,

It’s a great feeling to sign a new contract with Arsenal and I’m so pleased. The negotiations happened very quickly and it was easy. I’m now looking forward to continuing the hard work on the training pitch and doing my best whenever I have the opportunity to play in the Arsenal first-team.

I would just like to thank everyone that has helped me get this far, especially Liam Brady, Roy Massey and all his staff at the Hale End Academy. Also Neil Banfield, Steve Bould, all the backroom staff, Arsène Wenger, everyone at Brentford that helped me kick-on last season and all my team-mates here at Arsenal and, of course, my family.

Finally, a quick mention for the ladies who thanks to a late late goal from Katie Chapman, secured their place in the Champions League Quarter-Finals yesterday. Arsenal won the second leg 4-1 against Rayo Vallecano despite playing the last ten minutes with  ten players having had Gilly Flaherty sent off!  Well done gals, lets hope the guys can follow your lead!

Well there you go, that’s it for today……

194 Comments | Daily Bits and Bobs, Transfer Rumours | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by rico

One player definately arriving in January as striker, midfielder and defender linked..

November 5, 2010

Well it’s Friday so today we look back on a few rumours that have been around and who we have been linked to. The January Transfer window maybe still be many weeks away but it certainly doesn’t stop clubs, agents and even players trying to set up business for the impending silly month of January.

Of course none of us really expect any of these rumours to become real in January, Arsene Wenger doesn’t do business that way.

First up is Brazilian Welliton, full name is Welliton Soares de Morais, born October 22, 1986 in Conceição do Araguaia, Pará. He is a Brazilian striker who currently plays for Spartak Moscow. He’s just under 5’9” tall and there is absolutely no chance we will buy him. He’s too small and we already have Vela, JET, Chuks, Afobe and a couple of others all waiting in the wings, just ready to take their opportunity.

Next is Borussia Dortmund ace Mario Gotze, he’s just signed a new five-year contract so I’m not going to bother. In any case he’s another midget, another attacking midfielder and we have plenty in that department. He’ll soon be labelled the ‘next Ozil’ no doubt but not by ou fans!

Then we have Eden Hazzard, this story comes around every season and I don’t expect any different outcome at the end of January either. The Belgium attacking midfielder/winger is renown for his speed and great ability and could be just what we need but with our own little Brazillian arriving in January, I can’t see there being much truth in this link either despite strong reports suggesting we are in a three horse race with Manchester United and Liverpool to sign him…

Our own Brazilian is of course Wellington Alves da Silva – he should finally arrive in January and no doubt I am as excited as every other Arsenal fan.

Wellington has already played for us, well the reserves. Once against Manchester United Reserves on the 19 August 2010. He played the whole 90 minutes and managed to get on the score-sheet. Another game was a  January 2010 against English professional team Dagenham and Redbridge. He scored two goals and set up a third.  He’s an exciting prospect…

Next is Sime Vrsaljko, a Croatian right-back who currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia under 19’s. Interesting this one as waiting in the wings is Francis Coquelin who is currently on loan at Lorient. Unless Wenger has different plans for Coquelin then I can’t see this one being of substance!

Another rumour – we are reported to be in pole position for Werder Bremen play maker Marko Marin. This chap is 21yrs old winger/attacking midfielder who already plays for Germany.

And then finally, the rumours wouldn’t be complete without the usual link to Per Mertesacker, reports in Germany suggest we are going to offer £10 million in January 2011 and the player can’t wait to jump at the opportunity….

Well, that’s if we can’t get Jagielka from Everton or Gary Cahill from Bolton….

If I have missed any player out, please feel free to let me know and while living in a fantasy world, who would you pick if you had one choice. Who really would bring a bit more strength and depth to this current side?

That’s if for today folks, tomorrow it’s back to the ‘serious’ stuff as the Geordie Boys are coming to town on Sunday….

120 Comments | Friday Silly Rumour Day | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by rico

New summer signing already sorted? Defender to sign in January?

October 29, 2010

Back in 2008, reports were rife about Giles Grimandi keeping tabs on Blaise Matuidi, a defensive midfielder who plays for St Etienne. The player had three years left to run on his contract back then and his club refused to negotiate a sale.

Matuidi has kept his head down, played his football which has since earned him his first call up for France under Laurent Blanc.

Now, this story has popped up again and again it’s us that Matuidi is being linked to and the player himself says the Premier League is where he wants to move to . He’s also being ‘watched’ by Liverpool, Everton, Juventus and a few other clubs but it’s suggested that he wants to hold out for a move to us.

He has recently had this to say:

‘It is nice to know a club like Juventus is following you or asking about you,’ he said. ‘But the league that would suit me best is the Premier League. ‘This is due to tactical, cultural and physical reasons, and the atmosphere in the stadiums.’

Two years ago reports suggest we were offering £8 million for a player who had three years left on his contact. My maths are not the best but even I can work out that two years later means he now has one year left on the same contract and according to reports he is not open to any discussions about renewing this contract.

So in the summer of next year he could walk for free from St Etienne. Maybe his club will sell him cheaply in January, who knows? We all know the way Arsene Wenger works though and he loves a bargain. I wouldn’t bet against Wenger getting him in the summer of 2011, for nothing, just like Chamakh. One to watch in January?

Another player linked to us this morning is the 22-year-old German defender Benedikt Höwedes who currently plays for FC Schalke 04. He has played for his country at all age groups and rumours are that we are to offer £8 million for him in January. Höwedes plays either full back or Centre Half.

Finally some ‘real’ news, mixed news.

Kieran Gibbs will be out for “a few weeks” with the medial knee ligament injury following Wednesdays game but we should know more today after his scan..

Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie are pencilled in to begin full training by the end of next week but Arsene Wenger has advised fans not to expect too much too soon, especially from Ramsey.

Manuel Almunia, Thomas Vermaelen and Abou Diaby will all miss Saturdays game through injury, Jack Wilshere will also be missing as he sits out the last game of his suspension.

Remind you of anyone, other than Theo of course….

That’s it folks, have a good day.

154 Comments | Transfer Rumours | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by rico

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