Vela returning! Fabregas deal by Friday? Lukas Podolski wants out of tough group….

Morning all.

On this day in 1925, Arsenal appointed Herbert Chapman....
On this day in 1925, Arsenal appointed Herbert Chapman….

First up today, Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has been quoted as telling Spanish radio station Cadena SUR:

Arsenal have informed us that Vela will be with them next season.

So is that our striker situation sorted, our winger situation sorted, or are Arsenal simply resigning Carlos Vela because they can and of course because he’s been playing very well in Spain and his valuation must be quite high by now.

Nothing has been confirmed by Arsenal so until it is, anything could yet happen but if he comes back, I truly hope he’s played in the right way and he succeeds.

Another striker we are apparently in the hunt for is Porto’s Jackson Martinez…..

As for Cesc Fabregas,  well it seems Jose Mourinho has won the battle to sign him and according to reports, the Chelsea manager wants the deal done by Friday.

Well, I say Jose has won the battle, if we are to believe all the stuff written in the stars, sorry, I meant newspapers, no other club wanted him. We reportedly said no, and both clubs in Manchester said the same and as far as I have seen in the press, none of the overseas clubs have shown an interest. So Jose has hardly won this battle has he….

Although I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him back at The Emirates..

I was hoping to hear that we had signed someone by now, not because of the bet I have with Lee and Bt62 of course, but because I think we fans need to hear something good. We need to be reassured that the club are actually working hard on transfers.

Anyway, enough of all that malarkey – the World Cup looms and Lukas Podolski has been talking about how hard it will be for Germany to get out of the group stage:

I think it’s a tough draw because Portugal have Cristiano Ronaldo and other players who can create a lot of chances to score.

United States have a German coach (Jurgen Klinsmann) so it’s a special game for him. And with Ghana, African teams always fight and keep giving 110 per cent.

It’s not easy but I think we have a strong team and we want to get out of this group and play a good World Cup. We want to fight for the title.

It’s not always easy because people think, ‘Germany go to Brazil and win the title’. Everyone thinks it’s done [but] you have a lot of teams who want the same – especially the South American teams, who are strong.

Come on Lukas, Germany will blow the USA away with ease and Ghana. Portugal, well they shouldn’t cause too much of a problem either should they?

No, of course not and Germany don’t get through the group stage, I’ll eat my hat!

That’s it for another day, have a good one….

 

167 thoughts on “Vela returning! Fabregas deal by Friday? Lukas Podolski wants out of tough group….

  1. Scott From Oz says:

    Morning all.
    Germany is my tip.
    England will actually perform better than most think, IMO.
    Arsenal will sign a player one day 🙂

  2. southyorkshiregunner says:

    Morning all.
    Vela returns?
    He was a brilliant finisher.

    Now our midfield supply is ten times better. No Denilson, Song, Eboue nor Diaby. See how he goes.

    It is a win-win situation for Arsenal.

    If it doesn’t work flog him to Athletico Madrid, however it will work.
    1. because our players are better than they were.
    2. Two because he has matured as a player

  3. rico says:

    He’s a very different player now too Syg and at least this time he’ll not be travelling here there and everywhere with Mexico.

  4. Federico says:

    I am not sure that the Vela thing isn’t a ploy. I do see the point of bringing him back – I would think that he is about as good as Remy and a lot cheaper. However, I seriously hope that we do sign a top drawer striker too.

  5. rico says:

    The worrying part of all this is according to the RS president, Carlos Vela doesn’t want to return…

  6. frednerk says:

    Morning All,
    We have been assured by the arsenal chiefs that the ball is rolling regarding transfers..so whats to worry about?

    Vela..is this another Clive Allen,Kenny Samsom affair?

    ………………………A sprat to catch Mackerell..

  7. Scott From Oz says:

    Vela….who knows?
    Fabregas..who knows?
    Every other player we’ve been linked to….who knows?
    Gotta love this time of year /)

  8. southyorkshiregunner says:

    Why would you want to return to a place that you were were deemed ‘no good’?

    With Sociedad, he’s done well – 3rd in their league, I think.

    There is another way of looking at it – Return and show them how good you are and what they’ve missed.

  9. southyorkshiregunner says:

    If you go back to the late sixties – early seventies, summer was referred to as the ‘silly season’.

    The thing is back then – we dithered.

    Martin Chivers, Allan Clarke, Tony Green, Tony Brown ……….

    and contrary to the current love-in on Twitter re: George Armstrong and our ‘love’ of Bob Wilson … Mee wanted them both replacing…

    Peter Shilton was wanted since 1968 ..

    Willie Morgan, Ralph Coates, Peter Marinello ….

    Arsenal Dithered…

  10. rico says:

    No-one Scott… 😉

    There is that side to it but there’s nothing worse than having a player on board who really doesn’t want to be here….

  11. Wath says:

    We signed Song, C**c, Hleb, Van Persie, Eboooooie and Almunia yet…?

    Morning…. Is Kev disrupting London town this morning…. I hope he’s stood on top of his cab in his Arsenal shirt with Bender on the back….

  12. rogerbij says:

    You know, signing both Vela and Remy would be pretty good business – 2 solid players, cheap, and with a bit of speed and who can dribble. It doesnt solve our left winger problem, but Podolski/Cazorla is still not such a bad option if we have more pace upfront… and it would leave more money for a DM and right back, and with the money saved you would think we can buy quality in those positions… argh I dont know, I would prefer Remy/Griezman (using Vela as the bargaining chip) as the affordable front options but hey, 3m for Vela is hard to say no to…

  13. rico says:

    Not yet Wath, but they are close…. 😉

    roger, Remy has apparently agreed a deal with the neighbours…

  14. Nickie says:

    Rico,

    Must be a different atmosphere Vela is walking in to. Who is still there that was there 3 years ago. It’s all new faces, he should be happy to come to a club like Arsenal even if he had a terrible previous time

  15. rico says:

    Very true Nickie, also, not so log ago Vela said he was open to a return.

    Could be the RS president just being a mischief maker…

  16. Steve says:

    Vela to me has similar attributes to Theo, most importantly he’s a clinical finisher and has pace to burn.

    Wenger has already said that he wants more goals from this team and I think he’ll be desperate to get the best out of Ozil. At the price I’d have no hesitation on taking a punt with Vela.

  17. tsgh- The Hidden Hand says:

    Good post Rico…

    Chile is my outside tip; Ghana to qualifier as there won’t be any Suarez to ‘hand ball’ on the line.. 😛

    Syg, you might have forgotten Vela got more chances than most… imo.

    He was the one missing connecting flights back to UK after internationals until saturday morning…
    Forgetting his passport before a UCL game etc…

    He was the one who did not want to play upfront on his own nor wanted to play on the wings but guess where he is playing at RS…

    I guess he might have grown up but still as I posted last week, his agent said AW has given him a guarantee to leave in JAnuary if things don’t go as he wishes…

    Morning Rico,wath, Scott, syg, Roger and all HHers…

  18. tsgh says:

    Ozil will be the new PV next season deployed as a false 9… we ain’t looking at out and outs strikers apparently…

    Allegedly, AW spoke to Loew last week after the cameroon game and to figure out Ozil and false 9 was agreed…

  19. rogerbij says:

    Hey ya tsgh, morning.

    You know Rico, I will go nuts if Arsenal passes up Remy, or worse, drag our feet and miss out and goes to spurs – Good player, great price, possessing needed qualities. We all know we arent likely to spend 30m on a striker (or it wouldve happened long before now) and Remy is the best thing going in this price bracket imo.

  20. Nickie says:

    Well did the words come out of the presidents mouth himself? I heard he said tha Via some bloke called kike or something like that. Seems fishy.

  21. Family Enclosure Man says:

    I have a cunning plan.

    Buy Vela back from Sociedad, then offer him + Cazorla to Atletico in return for Diego Costa.

    Then Buy Fabregas back from Barca to replace Cazorla in midfield.

    How to bugger Chelsea up and inject real quality into our squad at the same time.

    Simples.

  22. tsgh says:

    Cerci is still available… he will be better than Vela or Greizman…
    For those who don’t know him he was the one setting up goals for Immobile (pronounced I-mo-bi-ley)

    Goonie, where are you…

    Do you remember we were talking about Clasie a year or so back… he will be the main DM for the Oranj as De Gruzman is unfit…

  23. tsgh says:

    Lol… like Telegraph maybe Rico…

    Ozil played false 9 for the first time last week so they probably put 2 and 2 together…

  24. allezkev says:

    FEM, that seems a plan…

    Something like that did cross my mind, the only problem is that I don’t think that Wenger/Arsenal are devious enough…

  25. Fatgun-Ug says:

    Hullo all HHers,
    i have been missing on HH. Feels good to be back though…. only that it is silly season, the most annoying time to be a Gooner supporter.

    Hi Rico.

  26. tsgh says:

    Hi FEM, I take it you don’t rate SC19 as highly as others on here?

    I believe there there is a UEFA rule preventing such horse trading… the reason why we could not get Reus when we tried to get him from M’glback…

    Such dealing can be made in January though.. the reason I believe Vela’s agent is trying to get assurance from AW…

  27. Wath says:

    The media really are a circus of stories and make believe eh…. A regurgitation of drivel on a daily basis………….

    Yawn…. Best I get a cab down the pub………… Oh wait a sec they all on strike……..!

    Bollox……………

  28. southyorkshiregunner says:

    I’ve no idea what any of the problems was with Vela, Ginge – apart from the fact we could put it down to the fact that he was a just kid from Mexico… that’s if at all any of that lot was actually true.

    STATS for Ginge … because I know he loves ’em

    As for chances? Vela had 62 games / 11 goals – ratio of 1:563
    How many of those was he actually a starter?

    Gervinho had 63 games / 11 goals – ratio of 1:572
    That clown was generally always a starter

    Interestingly Nicklas Bendtner had a return of 1:357, which is 0.1 below the great Charlie George

    Denilson had 153 games …
    Eboue 214 games
    Almunia 175 games

    SHOCKING !

  29. tsgh says:

    Lol Syg, you are beginning to present stas like a gentleman trying to stand for election in the next ballots… 😉

  30. rogerbij says:

    So FEM youre clearly sharper than whoever is doing our wheeling and dealing 😉 How about a simpler option so that the board can understand?

    Buy Vela (3)
    Buy Fabregas (how much does barca still owe anyone?) Rosicky has one more season I would guess)
    Buy Remy (~9)
    Buy a DM (~15-20)
    Buy a Right back (10-12)
    Buy a keeper (6)
    =43 + fabregas

    Sell noone. Similar outlay to last season + fabregas $

  31. tsgh says:

    Gervinho played 63 games with us with 19 as a substitute… scoring 11 goals… at a ratio of less than 1 goal in every 7 games…

    Yes Gerv was very frustrating but he was only frustrating because Aw bought him to replace Nasri and Cesc…

    In actual fact pound for pound Gerv was better value for us than Nasri was in his first 2 years with us… 🙂

  32. Adam says:

    Vela only has salsa on his burritos when he has scored a goal with his left foot. If it is with his right he has tacos without salsa but with refried beans and if he has an assist he has a quesadilla with guacamole as Lee mentioned. He scores in 100% of the games that he scores a goal in but has an abysmal record of never having scored in 0-0 draw.

  33. rico says:

    Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere is short of form and confidence and will not play any part for England at the World Cup.

    That is the view of Three Lions legend and former Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce.

    Wilshere was seen as the future kingpin of England’s midfield after bursting on to the international scene in 2011, aged just 18, but he has been blighted by injury problems.

    He is back fit after missing the last two months of the Premier League season and featured in the warm-up games against Ecuador and Honduras.

    According to Pearce, however, the 22-year-old is not the player of old and will not be trusted by Roy Hodgson at the World Cup.

    Speaking on the Colin Murray show, Pearce said: “I think there are five players that will not kick a ball at the World Cup. Forster and Foster are the obvious ones and I think Shaw, Smalling and Wilshere will be the others.

    “I think he [Wilshere] is very, very short of form. Watching the last game [against Honduras] I didn’t see a Wilshere that sprung on the scene many months ago.

    “I just think he is very, very short of confidence and I see Lampard, Lallana or Barkley ahead of him now.

    “I just feel his lack of form really [will cost him] and that will be on Roy’s mind. He had a very disappointing last game and he has not shown me the fully fit Wilshere we saw when he came on the scene.”

    Idiot!!!

  34. Wath says:

    Oh lets all hail the legend that is Stu Pearce who loves himself and did what exactly in football management…. Twat…!

  35. Wath says:

    Now it’s 24million for Morata………. lol wasn’t that 8/10million in Jan….? and this world class striker has done exactly what to warrant a fee of that amount………. Ah yes he plays (occassionally) for those self absorbed tossers at Real with even more self absorbed presidents…! laughable…!

  36. Wath says:

    Amazing how all these tossers have an opinion around the time of a big tournament like we actually care what they think..!

    Zero respect for such a twat who couldn’t even run the U21’s properly and got sacked.

  37. Adam says:

    That was the same Stuart Pearce who called Bergkamp’s transfer “stupid” I presume. He should get his brother in as assistant manager and base the club’s stratagies on Germany 1939 as I believe that’s where his brother’s sentiments lie. Allegedly.

  38. potter says:

    He’s got a grudge because he couldn’t get Wilshere to play for him in the under 21’s. I heard his interview yesterday as I was driving , he spent all the time bigging up the players that he had in his squad and kept repeating that there is no substitute for tournament play and that Jack was held back and therefor has not progressed. He totally ignored injury problems. He is a self absorbed non entity only worried about his own reputation and he hasn’t forgotten that Hodgson pulled rank on him over it either. he said that it would have been better for players to go and get 5 more games than sit in the first team squad , train and not play.

  39. Wavy says:

    Pearce the multiple medal failure as manager, coach and player pronounces his judgement on a player he clearly has issues with….,from his U21 days perhaps? Arse….no….NOB!
    Then again I keep on seeing Jack giving it large in TV interviews, it’s because he is so eloquent, you know. Ackcherly he torks more bettah than Peearse!
    Sad gimp!

  40. potter says:

    Rico in your discussions with wordpress can you mention that only on this site I get interrupted about every 20 seconds with :- Exploit fake flash player type 1734 . Each time AVG tells me that it is dealt with and then half a minute later it appears again.
    Then it tells me that I am posting too quickly and then it freezes. If I close the site and open it up again it lets me post occasionally.

  41. Nickie says:

    Jack has looked the most impressive midfielder for England in their last 3 friendlies bar Ox’s 1 game

    Henderson hasn’t done anything great nor has he done anything terrible.

    Gerrard sits deep does what he is supposed to do.

    Lallana some neat touches and flicks.

    Welbeck one dummy other than that awful.

    Lampard shocking against Ecuador.

    Barkley has looked impressive also but a lot of bad decisions, misplaced passes and mistakes (due to inexperience & nerves probably)

  42. rico says:

    Potter, I get all sorts of things showing on hh too. Please bear with it until Aug 1st, should all be resolved by then….

  43. Gonerjoe says:

    Evening Rico
    Loved your description of Pearce ” idiot” 🙂
    I also think we should bring Vela back and if it’s true that At Madrid want him they seem to know a thing or two about acquiring world class strikers.

  44. Gonerjoe says:

    That’s true but they have to buy them first and if they think he can take the place of Costa.
    £3.5m is not a big risk to take also high enough wages should tempt Vela back to Arsenal.

  45. rico says:

    I think Afc would be daft not to sign Vela, not sure even a big wage is needed, guess it depends what he’s on right now. And I haven’t a clue what that is…

  46. allezkev says:

    They must have more money than sense then…

    Already Rooney and Van Judas costs them £500,000 pw in wages.

    I hope it’s true, bang goes their FFP…

  47. rico says:

    Porto striker Jackson Martinez will hold transfer talks with Arsenal this week ahead of a potential £30million summer move.

    Martinez’s representatives have confirmed that they will spend this week in deep discussions with a number of clubs over their client who is almost certain to leave Portugal.

    The 27-year-old pacey forward has scored a whopping 60 goals in just 91 games for Porto and will be hoping to take that form into the World Cup.

    Many see Colombia as dark horses for Brazil but Martinez will have to take over the mantle from injured star striker Radamel Falcao.

    Arsenal, along with Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Valencia are set to open talks with the players’ representatives this week ahead of a summer move.

    “I am waiting for Jackson Martinez’s manager, Henrique Pompeio, to arrive in Italy tonight for a series of transfer meetings we’ll have together,” representative Peppino Tirri told Corriere Giallorosso.

    “It’s true, he will fly in tonight because we have some encounters to evaluate and find the right proposal for Jackson Martinez.

    “We’ve got meetings set up with numerous European clubs, as he is of interest to Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and Valencia, but also important Italian sides.

    “We believe Porto will happily do with a sum between €25m and €30m.”

    Columbia ‘the dark horses’ – that made me chuckle…. 😉

  48. Micko says:

    Can’t believe roy keane has defected from the itv world cup team at this late stage when they needed him most, as some-one on here keeps reminding us, history repeats itself, once a pikey, always a pikey !

  49. allezkev says:

    Jackson Martinez, is really that good???

    His agents seem to have been hawking him around for months…

  50. allezkev says:

    Those rumours about Alvaro Morata’s transfer fee rumoured to be £24million (maybe €24million, who knows?) seems to be completely mental…

    If Morata is that good, then why isn’t he starting instead of Benzema…

  51. Micko says:

    Back home scott, travelled from the top to the bottom of Ireland today, 7 1/2 hours, cream crackered, probably small fry to you.

    Kev 11.31, wolfie was years ahead of his time !
    I always think back to euro 96 when Pearce took that penalty against Spain, I was dancing on top of a table ( I know, a horrible image) at a pub in wembley, next thing I remember is being bundled into a cab, the rest of the night was a blur……he’s gone from hero to zero, not the brightest bulb in the shop.

  52. tsgh says:

    Hey Micko what has Keane done to you now?

    Howdy Micko…

    Kev, I suspect J Martinez’s agent is touting Ath Madrid to come for him like previous Sth American strikers who have gone from Porto to Madrid…

    Typical how many talks… City has managed to wiggle out of their UCL sanctions by having the number of home based players that needed to be registered reduced from 8 to 5…
    Coining Micko saying verbatim..,’ history repeats itself’… lol

  53. Scott From Oz says:

    7 1/2 hours driving is a decent trip in anyone’s language, Micko.
    The only difference is here it gets about a quarter of the way up the country here.
    So we can add Martinez to the list, hey lol

  54. Micko says:

    tsgh, I blame SYG and your good self as well !!!
    I’m with you re chile as an outside bet, didn’t they school England a footballing lesson not so long ago, realistically look no further than Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany, the rest of the 28 are only there to make up the numbers.
    Time for my bunk, back to work tomorrow, laters.

  55. Wavy says:

    Lev, how did your protest against Umbongo go yesterday? Employed 4 of your colleagues yesterday, all very efficient, even tipped two! I told them Arsenal needed Umbongo more than they did!!!

  56. Adam says:

    Morning Brudder. I am heading to Cambridge for a meeting this morning. A blast up the M11 in the old Reliant Robin.

  57. Adam says:

    No, the production facility is on an Industrial estate just north of Cambridge. Good news as parking in the town is shocking.

  58. Adam says:

    A freshley baked onion platzel is a joy. Lob in a filling of your choice and you’re away. Let me look up Mr Sidwell.

  59. Lee says:

    Chopped liver, gefilte fish ,latkes with Smetana , soup with matso balls , challah bread…………..

  60. rico says:

    Have you made bagels or platzel before Adam?

    Richard, that’s not a tough task to complete… 😉

  61. Adam says:

    Rico. I imagine that if you don’t get the bagels right they will be somewhat stodgy. The last one a friend gave me from Tescos was an abomination.

  62. Adam says:

    Lee. You ever been to Shalom in Gants Hill then? Don’t forget the sweet fish balls. Those are their best sellers.
    No Rico. But I am looking forward to trying yours quite soon. 🙂
    Check out the Platzels though. With your baking experience I bet you could make excellent examples.

  63. rico says:

    I think so too Adam, I thought you were going to say you’d made them. I like the American bagels with chive and onion, which is what I’m trying to aim for today…

  64. frednerk says:

    Now your taking adam..Onion Platzel cream cheese,smoked salmon and a slice of gerkin..Heaven.

    Morning All

  65. Adam says:

    Not a great chopped liver fan myself brudder. But Chicken soup (Jewish Penicillin) and potato Latkes are excellent, especially from a proper Jewish kitchen.

  66. Adam says:

    We get a bit foodie when there’s little football stuff to mull over Richard. It’s one of those things that make HH what it is. 🙂

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