Re: The Official Summer Transfer Rumours Thread

[Raptorgunner]

Geoff's reliable. Hasn't said anything this summer that's changed that.

I know but I dont trust anyone anymore, when it comes to Arsenal rumors.

Not even Wenger  

Especially Wengee.

[VendettaRed07]

-------------------Szczesny-----------------------
Sagna---------Mertesacker-----Koscielny------Gibbs
------------Gustavo------Arteta/Ramsey------------
Walcott--------------Wilshere--------------Cazorla
------------------Suarez--------------------------

How does this team look?

Great!

But something must be done about the bench it's our biggest weakness

[Chumlum]

At this point I'll just stump for replacing Suarez as the target with Jackson Martinez - as long as he's willing to come he'll cost no more than his release clause, which is like £35 mil. (Wenger please!) It will look sad if the club weren't willing to pay slightly less for Higuain, but will be far preferable to not having any really quality striker come in.

Depth is an issue. But if Gustavo comes, if Wenger gets someone like Martinez, a CB (Williams?), and maybe one or two more younger signings for depth on the first team (Vadillo? Perez?) ... that would be a very good end to the transfer window that would see the team leaned out and strengthened.

[RealGunner]

Luiz Gustavo: "I believe that the English Premier League is of top quality and Arsenal definitely stand out" [Bayerischer Rundfunk Radio]

Luiz Gustavo: "I love their [Arsenal's] style of play and I have been watching them for some time now" [Bayerischer Rundfunk Radio]

[SamuelJayC]

Think quotes are fake RG

[SamuelJayC]

Wayne Veysey: Hearing Arsenal are big in for a central midfielder. Not Fellaini. Not Fabregas.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

-------------------Szczesny-----------------------
Sagna---------Mertesacker-----Koscielny------Gibbs
------------Gustavo------Arteta/Ramsey------------
Walcott--------------Wilshere--------------Cazorla
------------------Suarez--------------------------

How does this team look?

More chance of winning the league than any team with Cesc in it

[RealGunner]

Think quotes are fake RG

[RealGunner]

Wayne Veysey: Hearing Arsenal are big in for a central midfielder. Not Fellaini. Not Fabregas.

Probably Gustavo

[Amar]

What an embarrassing summer this has been.

I'm glad the players are on some sort of high cause fans all around are pretty frustrated...this was the perfect year to make a move as a title contender with some signings.

I'm praying we can snatch Suarez and Gustavo, but I'm not getting my hopes up

[VendettaRed07]

I believe we will sign Gustavo.

No idea what we are going to do after that though.

[Jay29]

At this point I'll just stump for replacing Suarez as the target with Jackson Martinez - as long as he's willing to come he'll cost no more than his release clause, which is like £35 mil. (Wenger please!) It will look sad if the club weren't willing to pay slightly less for Higuain, but will be far preferable to not having any really quality striker come in.

Depth is an issue. But if Gustavo comes, if Wenger gets someone like Martinez, a CB (Williams?), and maybe one or two more younger signings for depth on the first team (Vadillo? Perez?) ... that would be a very good end to the transfer window that would see the team leaned out and strengthened.

I haven't seen a lot of Martinez, but isn't he more in the "Higuain" mould of strikers?

For me, with our system, we need a striker who can move out into the channels, drop deep and get involved in the build-up. Getting an out-and-out goalscorer who prefers to occupy the centre backs and play off the shoulder would be fine if we had midfielders who liked to play close to the striker and support him, but we don't. So I worry that if Martinez is more of a goalscorer, he won't help improve our ability to create chance - not that his ability to finish the chance we do make isn't useful, of course.


As far as depth goes, we definitely need a defender and midfielder, possibly two.

Szczesny/Fabianski

Sagna/Jenkinson - Mertesacker/Vermaelen - Koscielny/? - Gibbs/Monreal

Arteta/? - Ramsey/Diaby?/?

Walcott/Chamberlain - Wilshere/Rosicky - Cazorla/Podolski

?/Giroud/Sanogo

Gustavo would actually tick the defender and midfielder boxes. We probably wouldn't need to sign another centre back if we signed him, since he and Sagna should be adequate enough cover. I'd be very happy with the squad if we signed him and a better striker.

I feel we could do with a player to provide competition for Ramsey, though. It's not a priority but if we want to have proper depth all across the pitch then I feel we would need one or another attacking midfielder/winger so Chamberlain or Wilshere can play the role and not leave us short else where.

[urbaNRoots]

Jeremy Wilson says we're in for Rooney

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/wayne-rooney/10234621/Wayne-Rooney-ready-for-England-as-Arsenal-rejoin-hunt-for-striker.htm

Also some Wenger quotes on Suarez:

“If it will be done, it will be done in a respectful and amicable way with Liverpool,” said Wenger.

“I didn’t read [Henry’s] statements but we’ll be faithful to the way we want to behave. To make a transfer happen, you need the agreement of three parties – the buyer, the seller and the player.

“We know what we want to do. The player, if I look at the statements [does] as well. Liverpool at the moment do not agree. If they change their minds or not, I don’t know. We’ll respect that.

"We are looking at possibilities to strengthen our squad. Suárez is one of the targets. If he’s not for sale, he’s not for sale. Every club has its own way of dealing with things.”

[RealGunner]

Imagine if Rooney is our AM

-------------------Szczesny-----------------------
Sagna---------Mertesacker-----Koscielny------Gibbs
------------Gustavo------Wilshere------------
Walcott--------------Rooney--------------Cazorla
------------------Suarez--------------------------

[EL Patron]

thats a step too far RG  

[The_Badger]

I believe we will sign Gustavo.

No idea what we are going to do after that though.

Gustavo would be great for Arsenal, but how many perfect players have slipped through Wenger's fingers? M'Vila? Higuain? Mata? David Silva?

[VendettaRed07]

Mata is really the only player we should loose any sleep over.

Actually, maybe Jovetic as well. I can't believe we let City get him for 22m...

Mvila, Silva, and Higuain weren't the best fits for us.

[Chumlum]

Please let Gustavo happen.

Luis Gustavo Best Of Video:

[furiouswindbottom]

You know who I like this morning?

Luis Muriel from Udinese. He looks a good striker to me. I think he scored 11 in 15 starts for Udinese.

I may change my mind by tomorrow, so get in there quickly Arsene.

Seriously though...I wouldn't cry if he arrived. Although Man Utd are rumoured to be sniffing around him.

[RealGunner]

Mentioned him few weeks back. I'd love him at Arsenal although he is kinda raw.

[EL Patron]

Talksport thinks he is rubbish

Talksport  

[Wilson37]

[Wilson37]

[Chumlum]

If Rooney goes to Chelsea ... will Arsenal end up bidding for Torres for like £20 million?  

[Chumlum]

At this point I'll just stump for replacing Suarez as the target with Jackson Martinez - as long as he's willing to come he'll cost no more than his release clause, which is like £35 mil. (Wenger please!) It will look sad if the club weren't willing to pay slightly less for Higuain, but will be far preferable to not having any really quality striker come in.

Depth is an issue. But if Gustavo comes, if Wenger gets someone like Martinez, a CB (Williams?), and maybe one or two more younger signings for depth on the first team (Vadillo? Perez?) ... that would be a very good end to the transfer window that would see the team leaned out and strengthened.

I haven't seen a lot of Martinez, but isn't he more in the "Higuain" mould of strikers?

For me, with our system, we need a striker who can move out into the channels, drop deep and get involved in the build-up.

I do agree overall, but who else is left to do something like this - both available on the transfer market, and good enough to really improve the squad? (Not a rhetorical question, I'm open to suggestions.) As a workable back-up option, tactically, spending big on a really strong finisher seems useful to me. I'm not an expert on Martinez or anything, I've just seen him here and there after his move to Porto. But in the absence of a forward who has movement and helps build attack, an out-and-out striker who is a versatile finisher - err, a dreaded "fox in the box" type? - is really helpful. Like even this current match against Man City, we see again how Podolski (a good player of course) often just can't really cut it up top. A lot of Arsenal's forwards need things a certain way to perform - it has to be on the left foot, or it helps Walcott when he's able to cut in from the right and run past defense. Basically, what a Higuain/Martinez-type finisher will do is help plug in some of those gaps and finish chances that otherwise go missing.

This analysis of Martinez from a year ago is worth perusing - http://paisleygates.com/?p=7826 ... he's a guy who is able to score with his head and both feet and he's good in the box. I don't think he's a perfect choice necessarily, and like I said, I'm not an expert on the guy. I know he can also do some facepalm-worthy things in front of goal. But his goal-every-two-games career average (even better than that for Porto last year) makes him a really worthy option for Plan B in my opinion.

[JGUNZ]

Espn reporting that bayern have accepted a bid of 14M£ for Gustavo from arsenal, personal terms might be tricky

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