Morning all.
There’s a really good article in The Daily Mail this morning. Mikel Arteta, Hector Bellerin and Gaizka Mendieta discuss how Spanish players have adapted to life in the Premier League, their time in England and where they see themselves in the future. Guillem Balague sat down with the three of them for an exclusive interview.
At the end of the interview, Balague asked both Mikel and Hector:
‘What do you think you’ll be doing when you’re 60’?
MA: ‘I hope I’m doing what I planned to do, to enjoy myself and to have my family close to me, to create a good environment for my kids to grow up in’.
HB: ‘I want to be close to my family – hopefully in a warm, hot place by the sea’.
I’m with young Hector Bellerin there, as I’d love to be in a warm place by the sea. Maybe one day but I hope for the Spaniard, it’s not for a while yet because he’s a super player who is only going to get better. Yes, even under Arsene Wenger because as he and Arteta says in the interview, the Spanish players are very professional and only want to improve themselves. Unlike many young English players..
It’s funny really, I’ve been trying to recall reading any bad press about our young overseas players and Bendtner is the only name which really springs to mind. Yes RvP had a few problems but the allegations made against him were not proved in fact I’d go as far to say they were made up. Giroud found himself in the back pages for all the wrong reasons but he was older, wiser – well, older. But the young English players don’t seem to be so dedicated to the game at an early age. Jack Wilshere has often hit the headlines, JET smashed up his rather expensive Mercedes a few years ago and David Bentley has a huge chip on his shoulder too. Then there was the young Arsenal player who threw his shirt at one of coaches in the dugout after he was subbed, his name escapes me right now. There’s been others, perhaps too many to mention Mr Frimpong….
But it’s not just Arsenal who have seen English/British players in the media for the wrong reasons. Giggs, Rooney, Woodgate, Gerrard, Barton, Pennant, Johnson, Evans, Bowyer…. the list goes on….
A few mature overseas players have also been in trouble with the law over the years but it seems to me that those numbers are less than they are with the British players. I could be totally wrong of course and my mind is playing tricks on me but perhaps there’s a bit of ‘I’ve already made it’ attitude once English players sign for a football club, especially one in the top flight and maybe that contributes to the reason we seldom see young English players coming through the Academy. After all, so many times many of us have thought that the next young gunner was going to make it into the first team, only to see him gone just weeks later, invariably, to a Championship side at best. And it’s not very often we see them back in the Premier League afterwards, if ever. Benik Afobe is an exception, Steve Sidwell is another but I can’t think of anyone else.
Can you?
Transfer gossip:
From The Mirror:
Arsenal are on the verge of finalising a deal for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka, according to a friend of the player. Xhaka’s friend and journalist Arthan Muhaxhiri claims an agreement is close to being struck, and that the midfielder is on his way to London.
Muhaxhiri posted a picture of himself alongside Xhaka, captioning: “Just confirmed. Granit Xhaka is traveling to London to finalise an agreement with Arsenal FC! Congrats Granit!”
Xhaka is valued at £34 million and would become Arsenal’s first outfield summer signing for two years.
Err, not if the reports are true about Arsenal only offering around half the £34 million are true!!
The same paper reports that Arsenal are reportedly set to offer Jack Wilshere a new contract despite the England midfielder’s injury woes.
And lastly:
Arsenal boss Wenger is eyeing Celtic’s teenage left-back Kieran Tierney and has already made a £3 million offer for Bolton’s England Under-21 international defender Rob Holding, writes Mirror Football’s John Cross.
Tierney actually makes sense imo, but it would surely spell the end of Kieran Gibbs Arsenal future and I think that would be a good move for him. He should be playing first team football at his age and he’s too good to be warming the bench at Arsenal but he’s not quite good enough to keep Nacho Monreal out of the first team.
Rob Holding, well I know nothing about him….
That’s your lot for today…..
Michael Carrick is still available…
Loic Remy?
Demba Ba….
Have you toads read the post? 🙂
Good post Rico, Jay Bothroyd threw his shirt in the face of Don Howe.
Tbh, you never hear AOC or Theo or Gibbs or Ramsey or Chambers in the news for the wrong reasons, as for Jack, if he can stay fit then all the rest doesn’t matter…
Didn’t Robin Van Persie have a few issues when he was younger?
Ah yes, that’s him, thanks Kev..
Yes re RvP, he’s mentioned but I do think the young kids think they’ve made it before they have… And perhaps that’s why we don’t see enough coming through…
maybe we look inwards….. Flamini?…greta post Rico.
Nooooooo bondex, he’s a gonner… lol
Alex Fergie did not sign RVP before he joined us because of his issues with feye’; that wa the only reason we managed to get RvP so cheaply…
Good read.
Didn’t stop him signing him later Ts.. 😉
Has Kante got a £20m buy out clause? I’d be all over him like a primark suit!!
Apparently so Lee..
Kante opting to play for France will help his course professionally; he was linked to us when he was at Caen but we wanted Khedira then by the faithful and there was the fear he would opt for Mali…
Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico – Another great article. Unlike in previous transfer windows, especially last summer, let’s hope some of these transfer rumours are true (e.g. Xhaka, Mhkitrayan, etc.) are true. We’ll know soon enough with Xhaka as he wants everything settled before the Euros kickoff. However, due to our experiences in past TW’s, I’m somewhat optimistic but I’m not going to get excited until I see it announced on Arsenal.com.
So far, at least, we are being linked with fewer players than in previous windows, but the ones we are being linked with seem to be more promising/realistic.
Judas had a bit of a reputation when still with Feyenoord of being a bit of a hard head and rebel without a cause/clue.
Afternoon Cg. I hope so too and the sooner the better. Perhaps the Euros will make Arsenal get on with things for a change..
Cg- Guessing from history of transfers during the summers of previous euro’s, one will definitely come in before teams go out to France; otherwise like OG12’s case it will be right after the tournament before the said player goes off on their luxurious 6 weeks break.
Catch up later guys, have things to do…
Ginge – That, to me anyway, is one of the good things about the Euros; it forces some managers/clubs to do business before the players’ prices inflate if they has a good tournament. The flip side of that is they may be injured during the tournament.
I’m sick of Arsene/Arsenal waiting to the eleventh hour to try and negotiate deals in the hopes of squeezing out a lower transfer price. We’ve lost out on too too many opportunities with those sort of tactics. It would be great to have most, if not all, of our transfer business done before the Euros. We supporters can sit back and enjoy the summer stress free; well at least as far as our club is concerned. The team can have a proper preseason, with allowances for the Euros of course.
See ya later Rico….
Ok lads, she’s gone, quick, get the beers out… ?
Beers???? And wine??? why not?
Good Afternoon Lovelies and Hunkies.
Good post boss.
Red wine for me habib
Kev – With all Rico’s talk of cava, I doubt she would object to the lads having a few beers. Make mine a pint of IPA.
Interesting article about Granit Xhaka. Is he the leader the Arsenal team need?
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/granit-xhakas-a-born-leader-and-worth-every-penny-arsenal-pay-for-him-the-german-view-on-gunners-a3252526.html
CG I hope so as we haven’t had one for ages, have we?
Lee – He looks promising. I just hope everything falls into place. If we can tie the Xhaka deal up before the Euros it certainly will be a statement of the club’s intent. If the club can also manage to sign some of the other players [e.g. Kante, Mkhitaryan, young defender(s), etc.] they are regularly being linked to; things will be looking up.
The only position that looks a bit shaky is striker. We are linked with with a number of them, but not with the same regularity or confirmation as we have the midfield candidates. So, I remain CAUTIOUSLY optimistic.
I’m not 100% sold on Morata, seems very expensive to me! That Martial looks like a good bit of business now considering how much all these other players are valued at.
I like Griezmann but he’s got to be North of £60m, lots of goals in him!!
CG, I don’t mind a glass or two of Cava, and then a vape…
Xhaka is having a medical it’s been reported…
Ok, get it done and don’t stand around slapping each other on the back, get straight onto the next one, and then the next and then the next and so on until we have six new signings…
Well, I can dream…
Hi all. Ah transfer news, this window am staying away from it all till they are confirmed.
I think we might finally land Kalou. He’s been a lifetime target 🙂 .
Kev do you think we need a Bender now?
I think Xhaka is better. He’s not only taking Coq’s spot but his jersey too – reportedly.
Apparently got the number 34 tattooed on himself….
Kev – I’ll try the Cava, but you can keep the vape. Keep on dreaming though. Dreaming is a ic necessary function of the human brain. Just don’t, I know you wont, count on all your dreams come true.
I’ll go for the six new signings and also dream of my own private island, large yacht, garage full of class sports cars and the finances to service all that. I too can dream.
Marshall – Although constantly linked with Kalou in the past, I think we can safely say that he is one of those we will, at least I hope so, miss out on. LOL
I don’t think if Arsene signs players early is an indications of the level of activity to come. Last TW they announced Cech on June 29th and nothing afterwards. When you consider that the only prolific striker available (really) is Lewandowski at around 60m why are fans surprise when Arsene says he’s going with Giroud next season — in hope that he can get him 20-25 goals, and also signing a plethora of midfielders hoping he can get 12-15 goals out of one (not realistic but the man invented football). Why spend 50m for Morata when he cannot even get 12 goals in Serie A playing for the best team with better service than Arsenal. For that money, why not throw 25-30m for Vardy and hope LC will sell or 20m for Ighalo. The problem with Arsenal is that we need a team, 11 on the pitch that work together.
Lol CG sports cars in an Island? You’ll race out of land into the sea! Am glad we missed out on Kalou. I don’t know where the media used to get that from. Benzema and Higuain will start soon.
Oh he has it inked on his body lee, I read Coq is more than happy to give it to him. Coq will prolly inherit Flam’s or MA’s. Or double the figure like Lord Bendtner.
A Bender, now you’re talking Lee, I’d bend over backwards for a Bender… ?
Arsenal are close to securing the arrival of Granit Xhaka from Borussia Mönchengladbach as their first major signing of the summer, with the Switzerland international having travelled to London to undertake a medical.
Negotiations with the Bundesliga club have been on-going over the last few weeks with Mönchengladbach having initially hoped to raise as much as £35m through the midfielder’s sale. A compromise has since been reached at what is believed to be an initial £25m, with further fees due in future dependent on honours and appearances.
From the Guardian
Good post rico, hi all.
David Ornstein of BBC who always seems correct on deadline day, saying nothing doing, has said Xhaka deal very close. Look like its actually going through
I’ll believe it when shaker is confirmed by Arsenal.com, as usual! Then I’ll wait until Sept 31st for the rest! I’m not holding my breath though.
Afternoon all still calling from the iPhone booth! Most unsatisfactory!
Boom xhaka laka boom 😀 haha am super chuffed. We ve got him ladies and gentlemen. Granit the motherfucking xhaka is in the house 😀 wenger sign mkhitaryan and a center forward and all will be forgiven. Heck I ll even join in the renditions of “only one arsene wenger ” 😀 afternoon good people. What’s cacky lacking?
Evening all.
Hope these stories are true…
Knowing our luck, AW will sign his older brother…. Lol
Brenda Rodgers is back in management, with Celtic…. Lol
I am happy for little Brenda.
Me too, he might just hand Rangers a title on their return…. Lol
Evening all, first out field player in two years Rico your a hard woman the season not even over a week and your forgetting our players already poor Elneny.
I haven’t a clue what you mean by that comment Joe..
Not sure myself but I am I the only one who reads your posts and I am including you Rico ?
Am l…
I’m still confused Joe… Lol
Evening all.
There will be 100`s….maybe even 1000`s of transfer rumours before we kick off the next campaign and 99.9% will be total bollox, but if Ornstein says it`s happening, then bet your house on it !………Xhaka will be a Gooner !……………….OK, lets have a look on Rightmove to see whether I can actually bet my house !.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36347078
I don’t believe him though LC, he’s got so much wrong over the years….
Oh Rico !!!…..now you tell me !…..too late, I`ve just bet my house !. 😥
I thought his nickname was Oraclestein !………………………I`m sticking with it…………..Boom Xhaka !.
https://twitter.com/bbcsport_david/status/733679704528551936?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
Ha ha, somehow I doubt it LC….
You won’t convince me……
You posted that X bit will be our first out field signing in two years you forgot Elneny in Jan.
Did I Joe?
I think you’ll find that was a quote from The Mirror, not me….
Will this convince ?
http://www.product-reviews.net/wp-content/uploads/xhaka-arsenal-shirt.jpg
Nope 🙂
Well did you ? or I am I being dense
Granit Xhaka to have medical before signing this weekend, according to BBC5Live…
According to Raphael Honigstein he’s very intelligent, is a leader on the pitch, who can think and change things tactically, think on his feet, so to speak.
He said he can play box 2 box and as a holding midfielder and is physically very strong, so he sounds like a more physical version of Arteta to me…
Now, to replace Rosicky and Flamini and also bring in a young left back and a young centre back and finally a fcuk off striker…
It`s no good Kev…………Rico doesn`t believe us !………………………… 😀
You’ve just gotta keep the faith Cocker, but personally if it ain’t in the Metro, I don’t believe it… ?
I`ve even been dipping into Boom Xhaka Laka`s dustbin and found an English to Swiss/German Arsenal gag book about Totnumb !………………and actually heard him singing …………………..” es ist passiert wieder hat es wieder passiert ist, Tottenham Hotspur , hat ich wieder passiert “
Actually, I agree with you Cocker, Ornstein is usually very reliable, and if deals don’t come to fruition it’s probably got less to do with the whispers that Ornstein has heard and more to do with Arsene dithering…
True Kev !………………sometimes even Arsene looks on Ornstein`s Twitter to make sure he is buying someone and that it`s gospel !…………………….actually, without Ornstein we`d probably buy no one !. hahaha
Fingers crossed Kev, LC….
I’m off for the day so night to you both and all….
Vot do you fink of Tottenham?
Scheisse…
Vot do you fink of scheisse?
Tottenham
Dank
Das ist alright.
Ornstein is head of recruitment… Lol
Evening Rico, late one for me, ranking at Victoria ?
And off I go…
Morning all.
Que optima de Tottenham……………………..mierda
Que optima de mierda………………………….Tottenham.
Gracias
Esta Bien.
Lends itself to a lot of languages going to try Klingon or Norwegian
bloody autocorrect optima reads opinas
Morning All
Morning Rico,nhas Granit signed yet?
Good to see Alex Hales settling down at last, there’s a good opener inside that lad.
Jonny Bairstow, what a brilliant player.
And what more can you say about Jimmy A and Broad.
Top performance by the team on a result wicket…
Morning Potter and Kev.
No Granit yet, fingers crossed soon though.
Cricket yesterday was great, shame Hales didn’t get his hundred though, he deserved one…
New post up now…
The poisonous Pygmy to manure? A marriage of unlike minds and actions! They’re welcome to him.
Word of warning, Xhaka will be high on manures list of transfers in! The midget will make him his priority, not because he wants or even likes the player but because it will infuriate Wenger and arsenals rebuilding plans!
Hope I’m wrong but………?
Lovely day here.