Morning guys and gals..
What a great day yesterday was for British sport. Lewis Hamilton won the GP, Andy Murray won the big trophy at Wimbledon, Gordon Reid won the wheelchair singles final, Britain’s Jordanne Whiley and her partner Yui Kamiji won the wheelchair ladies doubles and to finish it all off, Heather Watson nabbed the mixed doubles trophy together with her partner Henri Kontinen….
Meanwhile, having had a lovely week by the coast in Devon without any internet, getting back to all things Arsenal is pretty frustrating. Other clubs are snapping up players but Arsenal, or more realistically Arsene Wenger, appears to be doing bugger all. From what looked like being a good summer with the early signing of Granit Xhaka, is now looking so familiar to those gone by…
Yes I know there’s a long time to go in this transfer window but the boys are already back in training and the season begins in around four weeks time, new players need time to meet their new team-mates….
At least the Euros is now over after Portugal shocked the footballing world by beating France in the final last night in what has been a truly underwhelming tournament. Wales and Iceland excited many lovers of the game but other than them, no country really played that well. Certain individuals shone admittedly, many of whom will no doubt be transfer targets for Premier League clubs. Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko is sure to be one of them and as much as I’d love to see Paul Pogba in an Arsenal shirt, I would be more than happy to see Sissoko in one as an alternative as let’s face it, Arsenal are never going to pay £100 million for one player which is the amount quoted in the media for Pogba.
Come on Arsene, get a deal done for Sissoko before another Premier League/Champions League club does. Arsene’s been bigging him up in the media, saying his performances have been ‘remarkable’ which to be honest, they pretty much have. Sissoko has said numerous times that Arsenal are his dream club so why not let his dream come true? Staying with Newcastle, Sky Sports are reporting that the deal for Isaac Hayden is only a loan and not a permanent five year deal as first reported, which is good news.
Not such good news was seeing Laurent Koscielny with his knee strapped up last night. If he’s suffered a serious injury then our defence is in a right old pickle, which is why Arsene really has to sign a top centre-back. Maybe even two!
Anyway, fingers crossed Arsene Wenger is now ready to sign a few players to cheer us all up a bit now he isn’t busy talking about them in France…
Transfer gossip:
Mauro Icardi is up for sale apparently. His wife has told calciomercato.com, whoever they are, that he’s on the move from Milan this summer:
From what I can see, Inter have put Icardi up for sale. There are many clubs interested. We will evaluate the situation with all due respect for everyone. Mauro would be very sad to leave Inter, but we’ve understood the club’s economic situation and evidently they cannot hold Icardi back.
There is no release clause in his contract and we hope Inter won’t ask for a sum that is outside the market value, but rather suited to his contract.
There you go Arsene, I’m sure he suit Arsenal quite well……
There’s talk of Ardan Turan coming to Arsenal which I hope isn’t the case. Thankfully The Sun reported that one and we all know how unreliable they are. Finally, the Draxler and Lacazette rumours rumble on….
That’s about it really, shame for Ollie and Koscielny last night but as said earlier, thank gawd it’s over…
Sorry guys, the loan deal news re Hayden is rubbish. Newcastle have just announced a five year deal for the player. Darn!!
Why on earth didn’t Arsenal include Sissoko in the deal??
Isaac Hayden has joined Championship club Newcastle United in a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.
The versatile midfielder who helped Hull City win promotion to the Premier League last season, captained our under-21s as well as featuring twice for the first team – both in the League Cup.
An England under-21 international, Isaac also appeared in the Emirates Cup last year in the victories over Lyon and Wolfsburg.
We thank Isaac for his contribution to the club and wish him well in his future career.
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160711/isaac-hayden-joins-newcastle-united#7J8EhXjZydwxMEd7.99
Thanks Rico……………….glad you had a good break.
You must be reading mine and every other Gooners mind in why was there not a Sissoko/Hayden deal ?
Where about`s in Devon did you go ?
Beggars belief LC. Seemed obvious to me re Sissoko.
Thanks re the hols, I went to Croyde..
One of my old delivery routes !………………………….Lovely beach at Croyde.
http://www.holidaysincroyde.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/329-CROYDE-20-x-30-ring.jpg
Beautiful beach, we overlooked it… Stunning views…
Totts are signing that young Dutch prolific striker….
I should imagine that Sissoko was not included in the deal because old Arsene doesn’t rate him. Another he can say he was offered but declined, in his eagerly awaited autobiography!
🙂 Wavy.. Sad but true…
Jansen? Is he a top, top, top player? Old Arsene doesn’t think so. He’s only a top player, maybe! A one season wonder in the Dutch league of no consequence! No, not for us! Arsene the visionary has seen the future, for him, and it’s not bright! Believe me!
Funny how he didn’t think that about Anelka all though years ago…
Ah, Anelka! He was an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum or should that be an anagram! He had two greedy brothers who were very good at blackmail and extortion? Had it not been for them we wouldn’t have had Henry, who at the time was probably only a top player! Old Arsene turned him into a top, top, top player! It sort of begs a question doesn’t it?
I often think that Arsene just loves playing silly buggers with the press and (through them) the fans, during the close season. I imagine that he adores the ‘will he, won’t he’ bullshit and the transfer speculation that always centres on him. He feeds it, flirts with it and then decides he’ll do what he has always done. Very little. And amidst all this he will steadfastly refuse to strengthen with ambition and courage and do things his way.
Yet, he is amazed that he doesn’t have the full backing of the fans.
There are a couple of surprises just around the corner I think though. Sissoko could be interesting but, even with with our scheduled injury crises this coming season, where would he fit in? Striker and CB? Now that is a different thing altogether.
Turan? Please no.
So now that Ronaldo has done what Messi could not do, I guess that makes him a greater player ?
Hi everyone
I do hope you are right re the couple of surprises Adam…
Not exits though, like Ozil or Alexis…
He didn’t have a lot to do with them winning though Sd.. lol
Good read Rico…
Adam, you and Turan must go way back? 🙂
If Ozil and Sanchez were to leave this window and are not replaced by equally gifted players the club would have a crisis on the same scale, greater than the mid sixties when Wright was totally wrong to sell Baker and Eastham. Actually the only good thing that came from their sale was that he didn’t last too much longer as manager, well a season. We were dire that year, although I was not there to see it having gone on spectator strike until Billy the Idiot left! Thereafter we improved and won a few cups only a couple of years later!
Even I can’t see Wenger letting his big stars, his top, top, top players leave. Well not willingly or without rancour.
If he does I shall be keeping my money in my pocket, again, next season! That’ll show him!
TS. He’s always been one of my favourites. I admire his sense of fair play. And his beard of course. 🙂
Prediction: we will buy Draxler and he will be our new striker. Ok he’s more of a winger, but so was Thierry.
I always used to like Turan, but not these days….
Dick, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we did…
Is Marquinhos any good guys?
Hope Theo isn`t training to take our penalties as his workout reminds me of something !……cant remember, but it will come !.
https://twitter.com/theowalcott/status/752151252067356672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Oh yeah !
Rumour now is that it will take £35M to get Sissoko !………………and I was bigging him up in the January TW for a lot less !……………….If only Wenger had Theo`s speed in transfer dealings !
LC. But this fits in perfectly with Arsene’s never-ending mantra about player’s prices surely. How much would he have been if Arsenal had made an approach a couple of days after their relegation was confirmed?
Hi there my arsenal chums .. Bit of advice from up norf .. Stay away from sissiko .. Don’t waste your cash on the lazy so and so .. Been watching him for a couple of seasons now .. The guy is a fraud .. Got the talent yes .. Got the heart .. No … He will eventually get sick of playing in your great team and blame everyone but himself and move on … But if you want to spend 35mill .be my guest … There would be a long line of toon supporters up here only to happy to pay the plane fare .. Good luck for the season ahead .. Don’t let the mancs get it
On the Monster Player Value Index…………………£10M………….maybe a pound more at a stretch !. 🙂
I think Kos was injury yesterday.
Thuran no, please.
Sissoko yes. We need players with “right foots”!
Afternoon all..
I’m not surprised Sissoko’s valuation has gone up. Really don’t know why AW didn’t sign him up before the euros, if of course he intends to sign a midfielder which I suspect he doesn’t…
Night guys.
Evening All,
Just a brief visit to let you know that tomorrow night Maitlan-Niles is playing for EnglandU19 against France in the Euro u19 Championship.
The match is being shown live on Euro sport 1 with a 6.30 kick off.
Thanx Rick, good man.
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies
Bentornata Boss. I hope you have managed to relax and get ready for pre season. Its tough you know.
Icardi?? Yes please. OVer anyone else. Lacazette included. Maybe not over Higuaín but still….Icardi is only 23 years old and has a strike rate of 1 in 2 games.
Ronaldo has just proved that atm he is the greater footballer between him and Messi. He did what Maraadona managed to do in 1986…….dragged a team of normal players to victory at international level. Messi has not managed to do that. And the latter is surrounded by far better players at international level.
Ronaldo is a leader of men. Messi is where he is simply because he has always been surrounded by great footballers. Would Barca achieve the same without Messi?? You can bet they would….they have Neymar and Suarez as well as Iniesta. Yes Ronaldo has greats at Real as well, but while MEssi has Higuaín, Di Maria etc, Ronaldo does not have players on a level similar to Argentina.
And for those who say Portugal achieved it without Ronaldo I suggest they take a look at the game again. Ronaldo was coaching from the touchline and he was doing a good job. The Portugal coach stood back and let him lead his men to victory. Ronaldo did not undermine the coach simply because the latter accepted it. Ronaldo cajoled and coached his players and there is a good reason that once his playing days are finished he will be rivalling Guardiola and Hosay.
What about Holding??? is he going to be bought??? or has the transfer died a natural death?
According to various sources, especially from the land of pure vino, AW is prepared to swap Ollie plus 50mill for Higuaín. While agreeing that Kev will be a happy chappie I do not see AW agreeing to pay that sort of money and player.
Morning Devil and all..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/07/12/thierry-henry-to-leave-coaching-role-at-arsenal-after-arsene-wen/?
Good old Arsene!!
We might be angry at Arsene for this, but remember that TH14 wanted to keep his job as a pundit. Then again he might have irked AW on something by challenging him and we all know how much AW likes being challenged. As much as Rico likes chicken stew. AW did not find it funny when TH was coaching the kids and criticizing the team on weekends.
AW what a numbskull !! Cannot leave soon enough. Could have got Sissoko cheap if he didn’t piss around. Another player that we could end up playing a lot more for. Mug.
I doubt the club will bother now Mark and if AW was telling the truth and we are only getting two more players max, we need a striker and central defender imo.
A Defender and a striker or winger imo.
but not more.
Then again its AW we are talking about. not anyone who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Morning Rico and all. The whole Thierry thing with regard to his punditry was always going to cause ripples with Wenger. Too many conflicts there for it to work.
Could be both a striker and winger if Alexis leaves Devil.
Morning Adam, agree there…
Alexis will not leave this summer Rico. The club have said so and even the Juve directors have said in the affirmative.
I feel that AW will get Subotic and Draxler. Whether or not a striker comes in depends if the news I read this morning is true…..change Ollie plus money for Higuaín.
I’m not convinced Alexis will stay Devil….
Oops, I have clicked the ‘publish’ button instead of ‘save’ so the new post is up now. A bit early I know… 😉
See you on the new post.
Interesting comments from Andy at 3.30pm.
Morning all.