Author: jamesgillesp

Nasri on his way to the Arse for £13 million?

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers

More and more speculation in the papers about who we’re going to sign. Nasri is a name which is coming up quite a lot.

Nasri is 20 and won the Young Player of the Season Award last year in Ligue 1. He has a buy-out clause of €17m (£13.5m).

Apparently representatives of Arsenal and Marseilles have been talking and it’s likely that he will join us. Nasri did say that on Saturday he might have played his last game for Marseilles.

He is our sort of player, fast, agile with good passing skills, he could replace Hleb. The only problem is that he isn’t that experienced, and is a little weak. But when has that stopped Wenger before!

Two which I don’t think will happen are Frey and Aquilani, these are both just randoms I guess. Aquilani isn’t a likely target, and Wenger won’t be signing a keeper I don’t think.

UEFA Cup for Flamini and Diarra

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal2 Comments

Mathieu Flamini left Arsenal for Milan because they are a big club, and they are paying him loads of money. He won’t be in the Champions League next season though!

If anything though he seems to have taken a step back right now. He is not guaranteed first team football there, Gattuso the fans’ favourite plays the same role, and when Fiorentina won 1-0 they sealed fourth place, leaving Milan in fifth.

This means that next year the ‘big club’ will be playing in Europe’s second tier. Who would you rather play for, the third placed team in England, with a young squad full of hope, or an aging fifth placed Italian team?

Diarra, another ex-Arsenal central midfielder will also be playing UEFA Cup football next season with Pompey after winning the FA Cup.

There’s no doubt this guy has talent, but he has to be one of the most obnoxious players to have ever played for us.

He is already looking to use Pompey as a stepping stone after leaving Chelsea and Arsenal because the competition for places was too intense.

Tony Adams had this to say:

“I know why Arsène let him go but I’m not going to say, have you asked Lassana?”

“You have to think outside the box”

This suggests that there were other reasons for Diarra’s departure other than a lack of games, maybe the fact he is a bit of a shit-stirrer. Good riddance Arsene!

Flamini, parting shots

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers4 Comments

Flamini says that Arsenal could have kept him if we had offered him a new contract earlier.

“Last July I told Arsenal I wanted to extend my contract so, of course, I would have signed if they had offered me a deal – but they didn’t.

It all comes down to the fact that he was basically a fringe player till this season. Le Boss was going to offload him, he stayed, but we didn’t offer him a new contract in the summer, because we wanted him ‘to prove himself’.

Basically we didn’t believe in him, and at the time that seemed to make sense. Now at the end of the season Mathieu has made his point.

If we had had a little more belief we would still have him, but when a big club like Milan comes calling with sacks of money, you don’t turn it down. Especially if you feeling a little more than unappreciated by the club you’re at.

We used him, and now he has used us.

Wenger must be feeling a little stung after the happenings this season. Flamini left, and Diarra went, leaving us bare in central midfield. No real likely candidates within the sqaud to take the role on a long term basis. Gilberto will still be here, and theres Diaby, but I think we will see a new face for that position.

Song, A fantastic CB for next season?

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal1 Comment

Will Alex Song be a regular next season?

That is a question on many fans lips as Wenger praised the player. The amount of bad press this guy got when he joined was incredible.

Wenger said:

“I believe he is a remarkable player and I was one of the very, very few who believed in Alexandre Song,”

“I can show you articles in newspapers which said that [he] was the worst buy I have made but you will see in one or two years that he will be a great player for Arsenal.”

All this season and last, a fat bald guy in the row in front of me has slagged this guy off at every opportunity (along with half the team). I can’t see why though. He played very well in the run he got at the end of the season, and was impressive at the ANC. Wenger followed on:

“When I put a player somewhere, I know why I do. If I play Song at centre back it is because I believe he will be a great centre back for Arsenal Football Club.

“In Song’s case, he can play in central midfield. But can he play 60 games there? I am not convinced.”

So basically Le Boss is suggesting that Song can’t hack the intensity of midfield, which is true, he is good going forward, but he looks a little sluggish, more suited to a role in central defence. He won’t be replacing Flamini.

Wenger will keep him at centre back next season, and personally I am a big fan of the guy. Maybe just because he gets so much stick, but you have to admit he has talent. He won’t be first choice, but excellent back-up.

Forget Dunne, all we want is Song!

Arsenal transfer update: In for Nasri or Ben Arfa?

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers2 Comments

Arsenal are rumoured to be making a move for 21 year old French International Samir Nasri.

He has just signed a new long-term contract at Marseille, but apparently that the deal was only made to settle a transfer protocol.

Now there doesn’t seem to be much substance to this, I think Ben Arfa is more likely to come in. The rumour mill seems to have gone into overdrive.

His agent said:

“As soon as the season is over, we will discuss with Samir, about his future, and we will plan all the solutions,”

“There are offers, that is the truth, but for the moment nothing is decided.”

He is a player I would like to see at Arsenal, but I think it is unlikely. Nevertheless it a possibility, Goonertalk says here that the player may have played his last match at Marseilles, so he is going somewhere!

Fabregas’ new contract – The result of Flamini’s move?

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers1 Comment

Fabregas is likely to sign a new contract at Arsenal after the problems we’ve had this year with Flamini and Hleb.

Cesc already earns about £60 000 a week, but to keep him at the club it looks like Wenger will have to be a bit more competitive and may offer up to £100 000 a week.

Sagna has been offered a new contract, and Clichy just signed a two year extension, he had this to say:

“We’re at the end of our discussions. Everything’s going well because my intention is clear: I want to stay at Arsenal.

“I would love to have a career here like Patrick Vieira or Thierry Henry, to stay many years at Arsenal and leave my mark on the club.

It seems that Wenger has realised that to keep the best players at the club we need to have them on contracts which rival other big clubs, but we don’t necessarily have to blow our wage structure in doing so.

We have great players, who on the most part realise that what we have at Arsenal is quite special, and that Wenger can bring the best out of a squad, but when big offers come, such as Milan’s for Flamini, they may be tempted.

I would say though that the Flamini situation was exceptional, in that he was a fringe player for 3 years, and was going to leave in the summer.

That was why his contract was not renewed, and then when he played so well this season Milan were able to pull him away with a hefty wage packet, and a chance he couldn’t have dreamed of last summer, when it looked like he was joining Birmingham!

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New Mexican signing – Vela!

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Carlos Vela, a player who everyone has been talking about all season is on his way to Arsenal. The 19 year-old Mexican has been on loan at Osasuna this season, and we have just applied for a work permit to allow him to play in England. He should recieve a Spanish passport soon, which will mean he won’t need the work permit.

When he gets the permit/passport, he will be like a new signing for us. He has played on the left wing all season, but Wenger has said that Vela will get a chance up front next year:

“We have applied for a work permit for him now, and he will be involved with the first-team next season.

“He has played the whole season at Osasuna on the left wing and he had to work hard there. But for me it is not his position he is a central striker, an Eduardo type.”

Just as Eduardo was going to be like a new signing for us in January this season, so will Vela next year. He will have a chance to fit into the hole left after Eduardo’s injury.

You can keep up with the latest on Vela at Carlos Vela News, a wonderful blog dedicated entirely to him!

He is an excellent prospect for the future. But I think the expectations might be a little high.

Wenger wants two or three new signings

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers17 Comments

Arsene our beloved manager wants to bring in two or three high quality players:

“I think a huge player is better than a huge name,”

“You have huge names who produce very little at the moment.

“There is plenty of demand from players who want to join us and what we need next year is two or three maybe.”

He’s made the point that big signings often fail. That is true and it epitomises Arsene’s transfer policy. He will bring in players who are not that well known, but perfectly suited to Arsenal.

Last summer he brought in two fantastic players, Sagna and Eduardo. They were brilliant, and Sagna has been especially impressive.

Expect a midfielder or two, and a defender, I reckon.

Vieira talks about Arsenal’s captaincy

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Patrick Vieira wants Gallas to be our captain next season according to http://www.feelfootball.com. There has been speculation over his postion after our loss of form coinciding with Gallas’ sit down at the Birmingham match. Vieira, one of the greatest Arsenal captains had this to say:

“I think it has been difficult for him. I have been talking to him and he has been hurt by the criticism he has received,”

“I hope he stays as captain. I think he is a leader of the team. He has experience. I think he has the full support of the players.

“It would have a bad effect on him and everybody else in the team as well. If you had the captaincy taken off you after a year it would be difficult psychologically to start the next season not as captain.

I can’t see Gallas satying at Arsenal if he isn’t captain next season. It would be very hard for him to take.

I can’t see Gallas leaving either, so that leaves one option; he will be captain next season.

Gallas has come in for some bad press recently, and maybe sometimes deservedly, but I think he’s being turned into a scapegoat.

At the beginning of the season it seemed a crazy decision, but it looked to be paying off when we did so well until February right? I don’t think the loss of form was Gallas’ fault. Remember that he has been responsible for the team who have lost less games than the champions, and who have made huge progress over last year.

Arsenal did fail in the competitions this season, but I think Gallas should be given at least another year to show what he’s made of. A great player will improve after criticism, and Gallas is a great player.

Now he needs to show he is a leader.