Arsenal Transfer News: Senderos could stay, Matuidi linked – One week to go

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Injuries, Transfers3 Comments

Arsene Wenger yesterday hinted that Senderos may have a future at Arsenal this season. Spending last season on loan at AC Milan, he has been suggested as Everton’s replacement for Joleon Lescott, and hasn’t been part of the team sheet so far this season. Wenger commented:

“There is no change with Senderos. If he has not moved before the deadline then he will be considered as any other player in the squad.”

This suggests that he still has a place in the squad if he decides to stay.

Wenger has also stated that we have not placed bids for any players, with just a week to go until the close of the transfer window.

“I have not bid for Matuidi. The only thing I can tell you is that at the moment we are not close to signing anybody. We have still one week.”

We have again been linked with Matuidi, whether there is any truth in these rumours is doubtful, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Wenger has his eye on at least one target to bring in before the week is out.

In other news Lescott has finally signed for Citeh for £22m, taking their spending to over £120m this summer. That’s about a third of all the Premier League spending, which shows how heavily they are investing. That may push Everton to now place a bid for Senderos.

Ex-Gunner Sol Campbell has also signed on at Notts County, seemingly lured by the long term project at the League Two club, and the presence of ex-England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson. The move surprised Wenger, as it is a step down from Premier League football, but Campbell has the chance to play for several more years, and help the club progress.

In any case Arsenal look strong, but like the past two seasons, when injuries strike: we will suffer. The team needs more depth if we really want to be strong contenders for trophies.

4-3-3 is the way forward, plus another Gooner signs for Citeh

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Injuries, Transfers4 Comments

The aftermath of the first home game of the season seems to be positive. A 4-1 victory over Portsmouth highlighted the flexibility of the 4-3-3 formation, which has brought us 12 goals in 3 games so far.

The goals are coming from all over the park which is good, as in the past we have suffered from a lack of goals from midfield. Our top scorers in all competitions are now Gallas – 3, Cesc – 2, and Diaby – 2. The strikers we have are proven goalscorers too, the likes of RvP and Eduardo for example.

Defence also seems strong, with new signing Vermaelen looking particuarly solid in the air and on the ground on Saturday.

The 4-3-3 formation looks solid, allowing midfielders to get forward, and the likes of Eduardo and Arshavin to be creative in attack.

Song, Cesc, Arshavin and Wenger all discussed the new system in the Portsmouth matchday programme, and emphasized the redefined roles they will play. They also pointed out that we can switch back to a 4-4-2 when needed.

I think the formation also suits our players, as we have many attack minded midfielders, and a fluid style of passing and movement. The new formation allows us to keep balance in the team, not too defensive, but not leaving the defence exposed either.

On the transfer front things are still pretty quite for Arsenal, but I expect we might see one more face come in the next week or so.

City have signed Silvinho from Barca, increasing their numbers of ex-Arsenal men. I don’t blame him for taking the opportunity, his playing days are nearing an end and he will most likely be on generous wages.

Joleon Lecott is also set to sign for City today, becoming the 3rd most expensive defender on record. I wouldn’t say he was worth £20m plus, but if they have the money then why not.

Thats all for today, should have more stories and a Celtic preview tomorrow. check out Untold Arsenal for a great review of Premier League club debt, makes interesting reading as always.

Is Arshavin the man to hand Arsenal European glory?

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal6 Comments

One of the most frustrating aspects of last season was Andrey Arshavin’s lack of involvement in the Champions League. Despite signing for Arsenal in January, the Russian was unable to take part in European games because of his involvement for Zenit St. Petersburg in the group stages of the Champions League.

This season though, Arshavin is available to help Arsenal’s European bid and Arsene Wenger believes this could be crucial to the team’s chances of success and just what they need to upset the odds. The Gunners boss says that the 28-year-old can ‘make the difference’ for Arsenal in Europe.

As we all know, Arshavin has been very impressive since joining the club with many predicting that the current campaign will be a hugely successful one for the former Zenit man. Can this conclude with Arshavin lifting the Champions League trophy though?

Well, much could be decided after tonight’s game with Celtic. Arshavin is set to start for Arsenal at Celtic Park in the first-leg of the Champions League qualifier, a game where many expect his quality to shine through.

Wenger himself admits that Arshavin ‘can turn up at any moment’ and make something significant happen. In fact, he could end up being one of the main differences between Arsenal and Celtic. The Scottish club don’t have anyone with Arshavin’s quality and Wenger knows it.

It seems as though Celtic manager Tony Mowbray knows it as well. The Bhoys boss describes Arshavin as a ‘typical Arsenal footballer’ who is ‘very gifted, bright and intelligent’. Mowbray went on to admit that he ‘sat in awe’ of the Russian while watching his four goals at Anfield last season.

Arsenal are by no means a one man team though and Wenger was keen to point this out. He finished by saying that the target is to ‘develop the team play and not focus too much on individuals’.

Regardless of this though, considering the views on both managers, it seems as though all eyes will be on Arshavin this evening as Arsenal head to Celtic Park.

By Thomas Rooney

Parlour praises Arsenal youngster

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Just to clarify, this article about Ray Parlour isn’t about him rejoining Arsenal to play alongside Patrick Vieira. It has been a strange summer of transfer activity and rumours for the Gunners, but it hasn’t quite gone that far!

Instead, the former Arsenal midfielder has been giving his opinion on one of Arsene Wenger’s most promising young talents, Jack Wilshere.

In a time when many people’s quest for success is centred around spending ridiculous money on players from around Europe, Arsenal are still trying to produce young talent and Wilshere is a great example of this.

How highly does Parlour rate the midfielder though? Well, very highly it seems. He says that Wilshere was a ‘different class’ during the Emirates Cup, during which he picked up two Man of the Match awards and notched a couple of goals.

Parlour was so impressed with Wilshere’s performances that he believes the 17-year-old can ‘act as a benchmark’ for the rest of the young players at Arsenal. This is a big statement to make about a player so young, but it shows that Wilshere has ability and maturity beyond his years according to some.

Another point that Parlour made was that Wilshere’s involvement in Arsenal’s pre-season has proved that if you are good enough to get in the side, you will do – regardless of your age. This isn’t the case at a lot of clubs, so the youngsters at Arsenal should really push themselves to make an impact as early as possible.

Overall, Parlour wants the youth team players at the club to ‘take confidence’ by seeing how well Wilshere is doing. There are a ‘lot of good players’ at reserve and youth team level, so perhaps a bit of belief is all they need to ensure that they start knocking on the first team door.

By Thomas Rooney

Toure is gone – We now need reinvestment in players

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers15 Comments

Emotional attachment aside, if it goes ahead then the sale of Kolo Toure to Man City is a good piece of business. £16 million for a player whose best years are behind them and who struggled to perform last season (a very low rank on OPTA stats) suggests that Arsene knows what he is doing.

Toure is set for a medical today at Eastlands and the deal seems likely to be finalised.

It is a blow for the club in terms of experience, but judging  on Wenger’s comments after the Haladas game he sees the sale as necessary. Toure wanted out in January and we have 7 central defenders already on the books. It looks like it will be Vermaelen and Gallas as our first choice, leaving Djourou, Senderos, Silvestre and possibly Song for cover. The cover isn’t top quality, and Vermaelen is new to the Premiership,  but it could work out.

Wenger has some money to play with now, although we may not necessarily see new faces at the club. It would be a confidence boost, for the fans and players, but Wenger seems to want to stick with the current squad.

Bar a Flamini style transformation, Denilson, Song and Diaby are not quite good enough to warrant first choice in central midfield with Cesc. That in my opinion is the only area that needs strengthening in the squad. The profits from our sales leave us with up to £30 mill to spend (or £15 mill if you count Arshavin’s fee). That needs to be reinvested in at least one player.

Wenger is remodelling this team to challenge for honours, but our weakness over the last two years has been a lack of strength in depth and experience. I’m fine with Wenger selling players on, we make a profit, and generally he knows the right time to sell, but these players must be replaced.

Kolo’s departure may prove to be a good piece of business, but the squad still needs some additions.

Arsenal 5 – 0 Szombathelyi Haladas. Highlights and Eduardo Interview

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Highlights, Interviews4 Comments

First Half: Mannone Eboue Traore Toure Djourou Denilson Ramsey Song Wilshere Eduardo Bendtner

Second Half: Szczesny Sagna Silvestre Vermaelen Gallas Senderos Ramsey Van Persie Wilshere Eduardo Arshavin

Thanks to the brilliant Arsenalist for the highlights.

Arsenal won 5-0 yesterday against the Hungarians Szombathelyi Haladas, with Bendtner and  Eduardo grabbing two goals each and Van Persie finishing up with a penalty.

The win was straightforward with good performances from Bendtner and Wilshere. It was interesting to see Traore playing, he is another quality left sided player.

The other interesting development is whether Toure will play a part in the next few games, as there are reports that he will sign for Man City by this weekend.

Eduardo gave an interview after the game where he seemed in high spirits, and denied that he has been injured in pre-season. It would be good to see him come into form this season and fulfil his potential now that Ade is gone.

All in all looking at the line-up it seems our team is stronger than we think, seeing as top quality players such as Cesc, Rosicky, Walcott, Clichy, Nasri and Almunia did not play. Even if Toure is leaving there is still quality in the squad which can come to the fore. This season has to be the one where our young talent matures.

Manchester City are in town again, this time after Kolo Toure

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers26 Comments

Fresh from signing Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal, Mark Hughes and Manchester City are apparently sniffing around another one of Arsene Wenger’s first-team regulars. Several reports are suggesting that they are set to step up their interest in Kolo Toure after missing out on John Terry.

The defender only has one-year remaining on his contract at Arsenal and this means that an offer of around £15m could be enough to tempt Wenger to sell. Considering that he would be offered around £120,000 per week at Eastlands, it seems likely that Toure would agree to the move.

In fact, you get the feeling that that Toure would jump at the chance to join Adebayor at Manchester City. Not only would he be doubling his Arsenal salary, but it would represent a new challenge for him.

Toure requested to be placed on the transfer list back in January after a fall-out with team-mate William Gallas, after all. This request was rejected by the club, but it did indicate that Toure was open to the idea of leaving Arsenal.

For Arsenal fans, this is a slightly worrying trend. Players seem to be considering moves away from the club far more often than they should be. The Gunners are in danger of turning into a selling club with the likes of Hleb, Flamini, Henry and Adebayor moving on in recent times.

What do we think about the future of Toure though? Is he integral to Arsenal’s future or should he be allowed to talk to Manchester City if these reports turn out to be true? Personally, I think it all depends on the feelings of the player.

If Toure has put aside his differences with Gallas and is keen to start the season as an Arsenal player, any Manchester City offer should be rejected without a second thought. Toure is a major part of the Arsenal first-team and Wenger could do without another player to replace.

If the Ivory Coast international is unhappy at the club though, then perhaps Wenger should listen to what Manchester City have to say. Nobody wants players who are not committed to the cause. Hopefully Toure is, but after his request in January who knows what his feelings are?

The final question I want to put out there is – are you worried by the players being sold by Arsenal? Big names at the Emirates are constantly linked with moves away with world-class players rarely being linked with a move to Arsenal. Is this a concern?

By Thomas Rooney

Was Man City Adebayor’s first choice? Loyalties exposed by Sir Alex

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers14 Comments

Player loyalty is a quality which is not always apparent in football today. The case of Emmanuel Adebayor, one good season, hold the club to ransom, and then leave whilst blaming the manager and fans is a brilliant example of what fans don’t want to see.

According to Fergie who has been sniping at City for the last few weeks, Adebayor stooped even lower while in negotiations with Man City; trying to get offers from Man Utd and Chelsea.

“At the last minute, from what I can gather, either Emmanuel Adebayor or his agent phoned us after they had agreed a deal with City and then did the same with Chelsea. He was desperate to get to either Chelsea or us.”

“When someone offers you that kind of money, it’s a big attraction to people nowadays. That is the reason they have gone there.”

If this is true it shows you the lack of loyalty Ade has for any club. Man City offered a lot of cash so he went, no more reason than that. I’m sure he would have much rather joined a club which will be playing European football next season. Personally I think £25 million is a great price for him, as long as the money is reinvested in the team.

The fact is that we have several very good forwards at Arsenal, the best of which is Robin Van Persie, if he can stay fit, then he has plenty of options to partner him, Bendtner, Arshavin, Eduardo being first in line. Adebayor wasn’t our best striker, his departure should benefit the club. Ferguson’s comments have only exposed him for what he is.

The big question – will Arsenal miss Adebayor?

On By thomasrooneyIn Arsenal, Transfers13 Comments

Whether you are happy with it or not, there is no getting away from the fact that Emmanuel Adebayor’s transfer to Manchester City is the main talking point as far as Arsenal news goes right now.

The Togo striker completed his £25m switch to Eastlands over the weekend to leave some Arsenal fans wondering why Arsene Wenger has chosen to sell one of his top players under a month from the start of the season.

What is the general consensus though? What do Arsenal fans think about the sale of Adebayor? How will Arsenal respond to his absence? Will Wenger look to bring in a replacement?

Basically, there are two sides of the fence to sit on. First up, you can argue that Adebayor was far from his best last season, meaning that his transfer is no great loss at all. During the 2008/2009 campaign, Adeabyor’s commitment was questioned and he only managed 16 goals in all competitions.

Nevertheless, these are 16 goals that Arsenal will have to find elsewhere in the coming months and this will form the basis of the ‘What is Wenger doing?’ argument. Regardless of commitment issues, Adebayor was still one of Arsenal’s biggest players who – on his day – could win a game for the Gunners.

Therefore, the fact that he has joined fellow influential players Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini – who left the Emirates last summer – out of the club could potentially be seen as a bad move. Arsenal missed the presence of these two last season and they it is entirely possible that they will miss Adebayor this season.

What side of the fence are you on? Personally, I think that it could end up being a good thing for Arsenal. The fact that he agreed to move to Manchester City suggests that he wasn’t 100% loyal to Arsenal and if this was the case, then the squad is better without him.

Nobody wants a player that doesn’t want to play for the club as it can be extremely disruptive. Perhaps Wenger agreed with this and made a decision some time ago that Adebayor would leave. Then, to get £25m to make this happen, makes the deal even more sensible.

The only issue is whether Arsenal will replace him and if so – who with? Arshavin, van Persie, Eduardo, Bendtner and Walcott provide Wenger with plenty of attacking options, but perhaps something extra is needed.

What do we think Arsenal fans? Can Arsenal benefit form Adebayor’s sale?

Can Arsenal win the Premier League with the current squad?

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal12 Comments

Arsenal will go into next season believing they can win the Premier League. This has to be the case. They are a huge club who have won the title before, so why shouldn’t they aim for the highest prize possible in English football?

The reality though, is that no trophy has been won in four years. With this in mind, have Arsene Wenger’s current squad got a Premier League title in them? Can they overcome the power of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea and win the league?

Before we answer this ourselves, it is worth highlighting the views of Manuel Almunia. This is because the Arsenal keeper has revealed that ‘youth doesn’t give you titles’, suggesting that Arsenal’s youngsters cannot win the league this year.

The Spaniard then went on to say that in order to go ‘a step further’ and win the Premier League, the squad needs to be ‘braver in big games’ and that the club needs to ‘make extra effort’ to make the team more competitive. Basically, he thinks that youth on its own isn’t quite the answer.

To be honest, I can see what Almunia is saying here. He believes that Arsenal can’t keep using the youth tag as an excuse for failing to achieve major honours. Yes, Wenger has a young squad, but they need to stand up and be counted. They need to show that they are wise beyond their years.

Cesc Fabregas is a classic example of what young players at Arsenal should aim for. At just 22-years-old, he has become one of the main leaders of this Arsenal team and acts like one of the most experienced members of the squad.

He thrives on responsibility and he loves to lead by example. For someone of his age, this is quite extraordinary and extremely valuable to the Gunners. What Wenger needs next season though is for more players to take on this role.

Theo Walcott, Denilson, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner and Gael Clichy are all young players, but they need to start maturing beyond their years if Arsenal are to win the Premier League. They need to realise that they are not only at Arsenal to develop as a footballer, but to win trophies for the club.

As for the answer to the initial question – Can Arsenal win the Premier League with the current squad? – it is yes. As long as a couple of key individuals raise their game and take on that extra piece of responsibility, there is no reason why Arsenal can’t go on a good run and conquer all.

What are your thoughts on this and Almunia’s comments? Can Arsenal’s youngsters win the league next year or is it going to be another season of development?

By Thomas Rooney