Boys on tour! Dutch deal done? Alaba & Callejón heading to Arsenal?

Morning all.

They're off...
They’re off…

I hope Ivan Gazidis has stayed at home with the AFC cheque book at the ready!

One player not on the plane is Yaya Sanogo and according to reports in Holland, he’s heading out on loan to Dutch giants Ajax and the deal should be confirmed by the end of the week. Well Dennis Bergkamp will have his hands full if he’s going to make a striker out of him!

Seriously though, why on earth would a club like Ajax want a striker who had nothing short of a disastrous loan spell at Crystal Palace last season? Beats me but good luck to him and if the Ajax coaching staff can work their magic on him and he has a good season, then who knows what might happen in the future…. I’m not holding my breath though.

Utd stepped up their game yesterday as 4th signing Morgan Schneiderlin completed his medical ahead of a move away from Southampton and I must say, I’m a tad disappointed as I thought he might be heading our way. Clearly Arsene Wenger has either decided he’s not right or good enough for Arsenal, or it was simply a case of the player choosing his own destination and that wasn’t Arsenal.

One can only hope that a player better than Schneiderlin is in the pipeline as relying on Francis Coquelin for an entire season would be foolhardy imo. Yes we have Arteta and Flamini but I don’t think either are the answer to our midfield requirements, not if we really are going to challenge for the league.

As said, Utd are spending, as are Liverpool and having agreed a deal to sell Sterling to City, no doubt Brenda will spend more money in his transfer window sweet shop. And you can bet the dwarf will soon sign a player or two as will Pellegrini and Pochettino.

I know there’s plenty of time left in this transfer window so patience is key I guess….

As we all keep saying, let’s just hope the club have a plan and very soon that plan is revealed…

Gossip pages:

José Callejón is ready to make a move to Arsenal according to Italian website Sports Mediaset. The Spanish winger/striker has an £18 million ‘release clause’ and Arsenal are set to meet it!

According to Bild, Julian Draxler may have to be sold in order to fund other transfer dealings so that automatically means he too is heading our way!

Someone quite naughty has used social media to start a rumour which suggests Arsenal fan David Alaba is ready to leave Bayern and head to Arsenal this summer… Apparently back in 2013 he said that his dream is to one day play for Arsenal.

Finally, we are going to battle it out with Chelsea and Man City for Charles Aranguiz. Alexis wants him at Arsenal apparently…

Enough for today….

 

138 thoughts on “Boys on tour! Dutch deal done? Alaba & Callejón heading to Arsenal?

  1. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Good Morning Lovelies and hunkies.

    Thanks for the post Rico. Sanogo heading on loand to Ajax is good for everyone concerned. All three parties infact. Gnabry, Silva etc will be good to loan out. I hope they get enough play time.

    seems that Ajax are having trouble with income. So why not lend them another player??

    The lot you mentioned above will not head to Arsenal. 17.9 on 29 year old Callejon??? lol.

    Alaba??? lmao.

    Draxler?? maybe.

    YAWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

  2. allezkev says:

    Good post Rico…

    I did read somewhere, that Wenger wants another attacking player, knows who it is, but won’t complete the transfer until Walcott has signed.

    Apparently Theo might not sign if AW brings in another attacker…

    You pays yer money you takes ya choice, blah blah blah….

    Has Jonny Evans signed yet?

  3. allezkev says:

    Yes, I see your point Adam…

    Pep is casting a long shadow over the careers of a lot of current EPL managers.

    Pelligrini, Van Gaal, Rodgers, Mourinho if he upsets Roman – again, McLaren – that ones for Mick, even Arsene I suppose…

    It’s gonna be an interesting 18 months on that front…

  4. rico says:

    Thanks Kev. I like both but Sven is the more defensive isn’t he?

    Wish the club would get a wriggle on with transfers so we know what’s what….

  5. joseph ekuta says:

    That will be a spell of quality in the club. l hope it’s not one of the rumours that have made the rounds this season.

  6. Adam says:

    The idea of Callejon going quiff to quiff with Giroud is positively mouth watering. Together, their barnets almost constitute an extra player. Alaba? Yes please.

  7. rico says:

    He ticks all the right boxes on paper Scott… 😉

    I see he deleted his twitter comment, whatever that was in the first place… lol

    Adam, still living off their past glories eh… 😉

  8. frednerk says:

    Read an article by Andy Dunne.
    Just under 3 years ago,Van Judes walked out
    for £250,000-a-week to the Toilet.
    He reckoned:
    I always listen to the little boy inside of me.

    That boy was screaming for the Manc’s.

    Surely……. ‘that boy’ isn’t now “screaming for”
    ………….Fenerbahce?……..

    Effing Tosser.

  9. allezkev says:

    Effing Tosser is good Fred, I like that turn of phrase, it very much reminds me of Newington Green in the ‘old days’…. 🙂

  10. Hell Raising Devil says:

    I do not think that Ches has any balls to tell AW to sell him. So what does he do??? he smokes in the dressing room after a bad game. he knew his time was up.

    Now AFC have got Cech. And its a fight between him and Ospina for no2. he knows that AFC want him to stay due to his homegrown status and would rather (reluctantly) give Ospina away. So what does he do??? he smokes laughing gas.

    He knows that some things would force AW to sell him. he simply does not fancy a whole season warming the bench.

    carry on Ches. I would rather AW kept hold of Ospina than you

  11. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Kev you will be happy…..

    Hector Bellerin has told the official Arsenal website that he is a player to watch out for this pre-season.

    The Spanish full-back said: “He’s a really big talent. He showed it last year with the under-21s and his technique is really good. He’s a player who likes to have the ball at his feet. He just needs a bit more experience and the tour is going to give him that. He’s definitely a player to look out for.”

  12. Adam says:

    Rico. The footballing landscape changes quickly. Foreign sugar daddy ownership has shifted the sands beneath MU’s feet. I am still of the opinion that the FA allowing Abramovich to buy Chelsea and opening the floodgates has put all PL clubs on a slippery slope of selfish inflation. This totally disrupted the structure where the best teams rose to the top off the back of their quality and building of club and squad rather than rich men who got their money on the backs of others or from something that they found under the ground. Only history will tell. Sterling’s transfer says it all really.
    The new football is creating a new breed of manager and agent too.
    There’s a post in there somewhere. 🙂

  13. tsgh says:

    BobJ- Maybe santa has come early for yanited fans and the media to salivate over…. 😛

    the yanited/RM and Barca ethos is a candid reflection of modern day neoliberalism being played out in front of our eyes in order to condition football fans to believe that so far as there is a revenue stream there is a no ceiling in spending power.

    The whole footballing spending model is a form of speculative totalitarianism .

    The effect of this conditioning, a product of tavistock institute is that, from the age of 9 y.o fans whose parents can’t even afford to heat their homes are led to call for the so- called big clubs they support to spend mega money on over inflated salaries of over rated players.

    Those who may not become football fans become fans of w.a.g. with their sole aspirations of bagging a footballer in one of the northern towns.

    At the same time, Murdoch and the big media corporations line their fat pockets and also hire alcoholic ex-footballers with their bad suits to ill-advice the subscribers paying out a small fortune that could have potentially been used by their parents to pay for additional tuition in order for them to escape their ignorance . 😉

    It is no wonder we had the media bashing AW for attempting to go against the grain by not spending what he did not have…

  14. Adam says:

    Football has changed from when I was a kid. That’s for sure. Some of it has been good but there is the persistent feeling that it has, financially speaking, become a bottomless pit. Fed by dodgy money, oil and TV deals inflated mercilessly.
    Arsene is a link to the past where the ‘game’ came first yet is portrayed as out of touch and naive by moronic journalists. When he goes Arsenal will change again, a lot.
    I completely agree about so many players being over rated too.

  15. Lee says:

    Brudder….
    Was a good break BUT far too hot, Spain is having a mini heat wave the temperature didn’t really drop below 40c last week! I’m back out at the end of the month and will bring back some miel for you.

  16. Lee says:

    Yes Brudder we are very quiet at the moment….
    Far too hot to do anything….27c and a light breeze perfect for me and my flowing locks!

  17. Dublingunner says:

    Afternoon, good post Rico, May I just say, Fair play to Fabian Delph, for turning down man city and good money to stay at villa, rather than warm their bench, just because he,s English. Respect. Apparently, chelsea have an agreement in place with Barcalona already for Pedro, so predictable. If true, So that’s him and Schneiderlin crossed of our list then, Hope it,s a big one, you have up your sleeve, Arsene.

  18. Wath says:

    That Spanish weather enough to send you blonde Lee…………..
    Good excuse to drink though mate…!

  19. Wath says:

    How rude of me… Afternoon all………….

    Am off to check my stash of GG to see if someone has taken out a contract to posion my loot as the Zim $ is about to crash yet again from my factual comment…. 😉 Thanx Ts….

  20. tsgh says:

    😀 Wath

    Did Junker and Christine Lagarde just tip you off with that info over lunch…
    There was me thinking Juncker was a whiskey man… 😉 or is it cognac?

  21. tsgh says:

    There was me thinking there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch… many a man have fallen for having a free drink and woken up where they didn’t expect to be. 😉

  22. andrewh1313 says:

    Afternoon rico, housers. Depressing post, but not your fault 😉
    I really wanted Schneiderlin, no risk buy and just what we needed. Only something big now can move away a feeling that we have been left behind by Man U, just when we had a chance to do something, Again.

  23. potter says:

    Apparently we have signed Carl Jenkinson on a 5 year deal and then loaned him back to West Ham for the season.

  24. allezkev says:

    I think that Lee would look quite dashing with a quiff…
    Coupled with his mince pies, I think he’d definitely be the Romeo of Bishopsgate…

  25. born again goonster says:

    Am not really worried about manure buying all the players around. They can only start 11 right? Look(in arsene’s voice) I don’t see why everyone is getting bent out of shape for. We have a truck load of central midfielders to the point that our player of the season (last season ) could only start on the wings. Am a big fan of lecoq but last season wasn’t just down to him. Santi put on a shift so did ozil! Not to mention the Duracell bunny sanchez. We just need to set up our team according to the opposition and we ll be alright. Arteta to start home games against relegation fodders to give coquelin a breather. We ll be fine people. Let manure spend all their funds on the same type of players. Am not worried. Good post by the way rico.

  26. born again goonster says:

    Thank God the Corporal has been rewarded with A new 5 year deal. Wouldn’t want to loose that kid. Good news on a slow day. Hopefully that ll kick off the week in a positive note. Next stop theo and santi. Make it happen arsene.

  27. born again goonster says:

    News filtering through this morning says monreal is on his way out. That ll actually kill all the MOJO I ve got stored up for the next season. After sanchez santi and coquelin he is the next best performer. Will he gutted to see him leave. Hope it’s all bullshit though.

  28. allezkev says:

    If the term Football Agent equates to Parasite.

    Then a Super Agent must be a Super Parasite….

    Super Agent, huh, what a load of bollocks…

    Jorge Mendez is just a Cnut…

  29. born again goonster says:

    Afternoon kev how’s it going??? Isn’t that the bugger who’s close pal with prick face morono?

  30. allezkev says:

    Ah, do I spy a Born Again Stan…, 🙂

    The New Stan….

    Hiya New Stan, how’s it hanging Stateside?

  31. allezkev says:

    Great news regarding Jenks, really pleased he’s signed for another 5…

    New Stan, I ain’t happy about Monreal, since Adam talked him up to me and I started watching him more closely, he’s become one of my favourite players…

    Maybe, with one year left on his contract, Wenger might guess that Nacho wants to return to Spain and would rather get a return now, than see him walk on a free in 12 months time…

  32. born again goonster says:

    Kev monreal came out a few weeks back to refute rhat. He wants to stay. His family is settled here plus he’s actually wining titles. Why ll he give all that up for bilbao?? Come on now.

  33. allezkev says:

    Yeah, that’s the one New Stan…

    A right pair of Effing Tossers as they say down Balls Pond Road…

  34. allezkev says:

    Then hopefully he’ll sign a new deal and end all this nonsense…

    I really don’t wanna see Monreal leave..

  35. potter says:

    Bad enough me having dyslectic moments without my computer doing it too.

    Maybe it’s the call of the goats cheese and the cidre Goonie.

  36. Dublingunner says:

    Wenger obviously thinks a lot of Jenks, good move going back to West Ham, should learn a lot defensively under Bilic. Sanago tipped to go to Ajax on loan, supposedly had discussions yesterday with De Boer and Overmars. Wenger,s certainly getting his house in order before any purchases.

  37. rico says:

    Leicester have a new manager, Claudio Ranieri.. I’m glad he’s back in the PL, he always seemed a nice guy….

  38. allezkev says:

    Interesting to see that Ipswich want to take another one of our youngsters on loan…

    Hayden?
    Zelalem?
    Iwobi?
    O’Connor?
    Kamara?
    Wellington?

  39. USGooner says:

    I would still like a quality DM the likes of a Pogba or Matuidi. Coquelin is not the answer. Feedback?

  40. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.

    its going to be another super hot day here. we will fry once more.

    Seems that Cech is about to receive the biggest test of his career, while our defence will be tied in knots………

    …………When Gervinho signed for Arsenal in 2011, the Gunners got one of only eight players in Europe’s top leagues to reach double figures for goals and assists the previous season.

    Of those eight, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo directly contributed to more goals in 2011/12.

    He arrived, he wasn’t very good, and he left again. Roma saw the best of Gervinho for a little while before realising he wasn’t really worth all that much and are now looking to sell him after just two years at the club. It is no surprise, as he only managed two goals in Serie A last season.

    All that has led to a rumour that he will land back in the Premier League

    According to Gazzetta dello Sport the winger/forward is under consideration at Watford, who could launch a bid of €14M for the Ivorian. Gervinho managed just nine goals in 46 appearances for a top Premier League team, but maybe being a bigger fish in a smaller pond would suit him better in the most lucrative league in the world.

    Watford are newly-promoted and may be looking for players who have performed at a higher level, but I can’t imagine this deal would work out too well for them. It’s a lot of money for a guy who has already failed once in this country, and there are surely better players out there for that amount?

  41. allezkev says:

    Liverpool have £49 million burning a hole in their pocket…

    They need a high-profile replacement for Stirling.

    Walcott still hasn’t signed his new deal.

    Arsenal have until September 2nd to make a decision on his future.

    Liverpool could offer him a load of dough and a regular place as a striker?

    If Liverpool come in with a £25 million bid, do Arsenal stick or twist?

  42. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Bonjour Kev.

    that is a bit of a bender in that situation. Would AW accept money for Theo?? If it is crazy money I feel the answer would be yes.

    Imo I will ask them for 30,000,001 What do you think???

  43. rico says:

    Welcome US Gooner, and morning to you, Kev, Devil and all…

    A DM is a must imo.

    I wouldn’t sell Theo to the Dippers, no way, stick him up front up there and he’ll destroy sides imo..

    .

  44. Hell Raising Devil says:

    you are right Rico. I would not sell him. but if he does not sign the contract then its better to get money for him instead of letting him play his final year.

    And Scott is right as well………if Stirling goes for 49 than Theo has to go for a much higher fee.

  45. rico says:

    Scott, with only one year left, £75m is way off the mark imo but I get your point..

    I agree Devil but not to the Dippers. I’m hopeful he’ll stay put..

  46. allezkev says:

    Coach, I wouldn’t want to see Arsenal, ever again, do any business with Liverpool tbh…

    But it’s economics, and if Liverpool came in with a £25/£30 mill offer and Theo was dithering, with an eye on a Bosman in 12 months time, then it’s a difficult one to solve…

    Morning Rico
    Morning Scott.

    Not sure I agree USG…
    Coquelin keeps it simple and does his job superbly..,

  47. tsgh says:

    Morning all,

    Interesting comment USgooner; you don’t think Le Coq is the answer at CDM but you think pogba is a DM? hmm…

    lol, a Greek janitor who works in my office lock just made me chuckle; He is wondering how I sussed Tsipras or Cipras wuld end up shafting Stavros the man on the street like all politicians do…

  48. Malaga gooner says:

    Morning Rico and all, i wonder if these carvalho rumours are true. He fits the bill, young, quick and can put a tackle in

  49. Hell Raising Devil says:

    USG…..Pogba a DM??? lol. B2B yes but not a DM.

    A pure DM is one like Coq and Matic. And Krychowiak. People whose job is to protect, break attacks and do the dirty work for the team. Sit in front of the defence and shield it.

    I still laugh out loud when I read that certain players are this and that type when in fact they are not. They harp about AW putting square pegs in round holes when in fact if they had a team they would simply do that.

  50. Hell Raising Devil says:

    The ideal would be for Le Coq to develop a brain like Pirlo/Fabregas and besides being a destroyer would also be a deep lying creator. That is besides breaking up opponents attacks, he would have the vision of the above two. Le Coq does know how to break up the attacks, does have the positional discipline and humility to stay there, but he does not have that brain yet. Will he develop it??? only if he is patient enough to keep it simple. time will tell.

  51. potter says:

    For years Wenger has avoided having that sort of player Dev , he only found it by accident when completely forced against a wall by circumstance. I believe that in his desired system he wants a deep lying playmaker which is why he has re signed Arteta . Imo it’s his biggest tactical failing when it comes to winning a physical game and the reason why the Premier League evades him.

  52. tsgh says:

    Dev- the last of the football’s maestro’ is now in the US of A. When totti and Di Natale retire I think that would be the last of a dying breed.

    I look around and apart from Kroos,Motta Pjanic and maschisio and maybe the schwiensteiger of 3 years ago I do not see any more football brains in European football.

    I guess you could put Cesc and Lahm in that bracket; however likes of Verrati and Ramsey do not curb the instinct of chasing the glowing football will be dead. imho

    I know you say God still makes the footballing greats but its thepoor coaches who destroy them.. hope you are right and the big man up there has not given up football like most people are doing currently.

  53. scottfromoz says:

    Ginge, I see kids at the age of 9 with all the talent in the world.
    Some of them already have a football brain, but they’re very, very rare.
    The brain is born into them, without question, and it can’t be taught.
    What can be taught is tactics and awareness.

  54. tsgh says:

    Potter, I think you are being a bit harsh on AW. I agree AW’s defensive approach to big games has been his Achilles heel though…

    Le Coq up until he left Charlton in January was not even playing as discipline CM. AS AW said in March, Le Coq decided to change his game completely.

    Le Coq said in an interview when he re-joined from Charlton that just before AW called him back he was about to meet with Luzon to trash out how he would fit into his new system as his loan was not working.

    Flamini before he left to join Milan was playing the DM role as good as Gatuso was for Milan.
    Denilson when he was bought was being compared to Dunga for obvious reasons…

    In all cases, AW trying to build a team around Cesc was AW’s undoing…

    imho , Aw’s naivety and the lack of quality players in the past has been what has hamstrung us from winning the EPL. plus the uneven playing field brought about by the oilers…

  55. tsgh says:

    Scott- you are right and you are lucky to still see that where you are.

    Where I am. All I see is dads’ and grandpas’ telling their kids to kick the ball and run after it… lol

    Even my 5 y.o who plays with a local under 7 team has started to complain about his coach because if his team don’t win his coach gets angry.

  56. rico says:

    Potter, I couldn’t agree more. Since the day Gilberto left us, I think AW has just made players fit in and allow them to be far too attacking in the midfield role. Song was a classic example… imo

  57. potter says:

    Coaching Kids at any level is extremely heart rending. They have a natural desire to win matches and to teach them that skill comes before result is sometimes impossible especially when their parents are on the touchline. I once had a right back under me who was 12 years old , I spent nights at training getting his midfield to drop back to receive 5 – 10 yard passes , it worked fine and all seemed set up. Come saturday morning however as soon as his dad was 5 yards away at the side of the pitch :- Whoosh it went over the top of his midfield as he tried to play the killer pass. I had a word at half time with his Dad and was told that it was the forwards fault for not running where the kick was going. …………………………
    Sometimes you can’t win.

  58. tsgh says:

    For the EPL you need a physical CDM but no top team in the EPL has a proper destroyer in front of their back 4.

    Even Fergie won his titles post Butt and Keano without any proper CDM but with Carrick and Scholes and Fat Anderson.

    Makelele was 5’5 and a half and compelled Jose to his titles during his first spell..

    imo, if the 10 outfield players put in a shift like we have been doing since AS17 joined us then we wil be fine…

  59. Hell Raising Devil says:

    When I read comments like yours Ginge, about dads, grandads, mums, partners, coaches (worst of the lot) I just feel sad and feel like I want to cry.

    in all my life I have never put pressure on kids, be they 8 or 19 to win games.

    I do put pressure on them on other matters…..how many times have you done successful take ons? how many successful passes have you made today? how many times have you beat your defender and put in a cross? how many times have you tried a wall pass and succeeded? how many times have you intercepted a move??

    those are the pressures I put on them.

    it reminds me of a situation where once I was coaching 15 year olds and a dad was constantly telling his son what to do. I just told the son that if he listens one more time to his dad instead of me he will come and sit down beside me. that shut the old man up.

    another incident was when I hauled off a sixteen year old……..after just 10 minutes in the game.

    as Scott said…..children are born with a brain. grown ups destroy or stifle it.

  60. scottfromoz says:

    Ginge, my wife took Sean away last week for a tournament.
    7 games were played.
    3 wins, 3 losses and one draw.
    She felt Intimidated by the parents of two sides, as were the match officials….I’m glad I want there lol
    Those two sides made the Grand final.
    6 reports were put in about one of those sides…not bad considering they played 7 teams lol.
    Pushing and shoving was the norm……one of our boys was accused of taking a dive, but naturally, the stud marks down his ankle after the game took the truth.
    Anyway, those kids were also roared at and abused by their captain and the parents when Sean’s side led them 2-0 early on…….they ended up beating our lads 3-2.
    Kids at that age already locked into their position, where our kids rotate every single game…actually, every half.
    Which group do you think will end up the better players at 18?
    It goes without saying.
    Most of those kids will be sick if the game around the age of 1605, I’d suggest.
    As much as I adore the game, at times, Football disgusts me.

  61. tsgh says:

    I think you are spot on Potter.

    The local coach said similar; He said he does try to train the kids under his charge but come Saturday mornings when his team line up against another team it all goes out of the window.

    He invited me to watch their mid week training (I have DBS clearance) and noted he was right on part when he had 5 or 7 of the kids in his team facing each other…

  62. scottfromoz says:

    I should alter that last statement…..what football does to people disgusts me….at times.
    I talk more about Sean’s football with you guys than I do with him.

  63. tsgh says:

    Oh that one, on francetv sports and PortuGoal. If the google translation was right. Lol

    They quoted Jorge as saying no truth in Arsenal links…

    Seriously though the same person who told me Turan was joining Barca a few weeks back when I posted that as a passing comment on here.

    As I said then Lisbon now have the full right to WC but it seems Jorge and AW/AFC still do not have a cordial relationship

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