Morning all,
If you believe what you read, which is always a dangerous approach to take, then Arsenal have been offered the opportunity to take highly-rated forward Jese off Real Madrid’s hands in the January transfer window.
Spanish magazine Don Balon – not a publication we peruse that often either – have suggested that a deal could be struck in the New Year, and the British press are falling over themselves to report that a big-money agreement will be pushed through.
Real, allegedly, believe that they could generate anything up to £20 million for a product of their famed academy system – which would represent quite some business for them, given that he cost them nothing.
In the grand scheme of things, and if those figures are correct – with it possible that there may be a bit of wiggle room in there to get Florentino Perez to lower his demands – then a move may make sense for all parties.
Jessie quite clearly needs to get himself out of the Santiago Bernabeu if he is to flourish and fulfil potential that has been discussed at great length since he made the step up onto the senior stage.
More of a forward than an out-and-out striker, competing with Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish capital – not to mention the likes of Isco, James Rodriguez and Denis Cheryshev – is always going to leave him on the fringes of things.
The same argument could be offered at the Emirates, with Arsenal’s ranks loaded with creative, attack-minded talent.
The problem for the Gunners is that keeping all, or most, of those figures fit for any prolonged period of time is proving to be a thankless task, with the recent loss of Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla to three-month stints on the sidelines leaving Wenger rather light at the business end of the field.
Jese could be the answer.
He is only 22 years of age, so fits the mould of buying for the present and future, and should be expected to slot straight into the side as an energetic and tireless worker, and one who would be relatively fresh given his lack of regular game time in Madrid.
Wenger can be reluctant to spend at the best of times, and the January sales have rarely figured on his radar in years gone by.
He may also look at Jese and question why, if he is as good as everyone says he is, has he not been given more opportunities, and why has he been unable to open his goal account among the cream of Europe in the Champions League?
It must also be noted that he suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury in March 2014, keeping him out for the best part of nine months, and the last thing the Gunners need right now is another forward who could break down.
These are the questions which need to be asked in the coming weeks, the pros and cons assessed before a decision is taken on whether £20 million is a fair price for a man on the periphery of things in La Liga and one who would need to hit the ground running in the unforgiving surrounds of the Premier League.
Match preview will be later….
Meaning all.
Wath, good to see you’re alive buddy 🙂
Morning all, also lol.
Bloody IPad.
Always blame the tools Scott… 😉
Is this Jese guy any good…?
Jese is a interesting player
In what way Jm?
Alive Scott, just about….. and meaning 2u2 lol
Cheeky bastard hahahahaha
How’s things, mate??
No to bad mate just busy..! Even Grey Goose contacted me the weekend and asked why sales are down…!
I saw their shares prices halved in the last week or so 🙂
Good to see your busy.
Looks ike we are to lose Brian McDermott from the scouting team. He’s heading back to Reading as manager…
Morning Rico and all. Trawling through the sports pages I see that Wenger claims that Arsenal have been “unlucky” in the CL. That’s a dangerous sign from a manger for me. Blaming your own incompetence on bad luck suggests a degree of denial. No doubt we’ll hear the same from LVG and the Portuguese Prick quite soon.
Morning Adam..
I haven’t see his comments about being unlucky.. Amazed if he thinks that….
Looks to be a verbatim comment to me Rico. “Every game we have been a little bit unlucky”. I imagine that most teams are a little bit unlucky but it really deflects from what seems to be the truth of the matter. We were shockingly bad in the first two group games, played well in the third and got ‘lucky’, dreadful in the fourth and coasted the fifth.
Still, Giroud is giving it large about tonight so you never know.
No need to make excuses.
We all know what the issues are, and we all know why those issues are indeed issues.
I wasn’t doubting you Adam. A quite typical view by our dear manager.
Flamini is giving it large too. Hope both walk the walk instead of just talking…
Exactly Scott. Bad luck really isn’t one, not in the CL this season….
Scott, you gooner welcome the Arsenal with a rendition of you playing with ya didgery doo when they arrive..?
Good read.
Another recycled news perharps ….
When British press were reporting that we were after Morata 2 or 3 years back before he joined the Old lady’ of Turin, there were reports RM wanted to flog him to us but Aw was worried he will block Ox’s chances..
In my view Jesse was always way better than morata but he was not and out and out forward;
Dev and i use to debate about Jesse or Morata in the past…
I can’t wait for Micko’s views on AW implyin we have been unlucky… 🙂
That’s my ‘terms and conditions’ done…
New post up now…..
Of course, Wath…goes without saying 🙂
Perhaps*
Wath- I also read GG sales was down there was me thinking you had switched allegiance to the Russian Standard. 😉
Ts, Go wash your mouth out this instant and stand in the corner and repeat 1,000 times…. I shall not play with my umbrella in public places….
How dare you insinuate I change from my beloved GG………
It’s not a star but I think he has quality, fight for the ball and shot!
Morning All…
Missed your piece on Wenger Scott…great read, I must tell ya.
A bit unlucky? This season I’d say Wenger has been a bit careless…he lost first two matches trying to prove he has a competent squad.
Today is a tall order. We’ve lost all past three visits to Olympiacos, won only 11 times out of 82 by a two goal margin in our travels in Europe…but what is history if not a piece of paper work?
Without Sanchez, Carzola…the only certain starters missing, we can’t say we don’t have enough healthy players to score two and concede none. Time for Wenger and his team to prove Arsenal is not the lightweight many erroneously think they are this season.
😀 Wath. Before I stand in the corner and face the wall… may I explain myself and say stranger things have happened… like giving up a daily habit of bacon sarnie… 😉
Good piece of history Tai.
Hopefully history does not repeat itself…
Tai- talking about Scott’swonderful piece a few days back…as an AW apologist is it naive to say AW is will be the greatest if he spent like other monopoly FM15 type managers?
Rick posted an interesting stat yesterday showing we had taken the most points this calendar year. If you consider 2 years ago we took the most points as well but then we struggled last year.
It does not explain why we are only 4 points better off at this stage of the season as compared to last season even though in most peoples minds we were attrotious last season before Le coq re-joined us.
Conversely it could be argued that maybe the chavs and shitty of this world had not improved or they have regressed.
Still I am happy for the tinkerman…