Re: The Official Winter Transfer Rumours Thread

[VendettaRed07]

But seriously I say we go around serie a and flash around a bunch of money and get the best possible striker. Someone is bound to give us someone pretty good

[Sina]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/f333cac04f27c9b60e32509d92bc8c89/tumblr_mrjmgbOrwJ1sp17zio1_500.jpg

   

[Jay29]

Now there's news that Bendtner is going to fit again in ten days. Provided that's true, we definitely won't be signing a striker this month unless one of our main targets become available all of a sudden.

[lenear1030]

Now there's news that Bendtner is going to fit again in ten days. Provided that's true, we definitely won't be signing a striker this month unless one of our main targets become available all of a sudden.

True, but it's such a stupid approach. It's we always do and we get burned for it. Bendtner comes back and then Giroud goes down long term and Sanogo has a setback and we start slipping down the table. We shouldn't act like we haven't seen this movie before. At the very least someone needs to be loaned in.

[Raptorgunner]

Now there's news that Bendtner is going to fit again in ten days. Provided that's true, we definitely won't be signing a striker this month unless one of our main targets become available all of a sudden.

I hope its true, but I swear I heard earlier today that he might be out longer than one month.  

[Jay29]

Now there's news that Bendtner is going to fit again in ten days. Provided that's true, we definitely won't be signing a striker this month unless one of our main targets become available all of a sudden.

True, but it's such a stupid approach. It's we always do and we get burned for it. Bendtner comes back and then Giroud goes down long term and Sanogo has a setback and we start slipping down the table. We shouldn't act like we haven't seen this movie before. At the very least someone needs to be loaned in.

You can't go round signing players for every potential injury, though. You've got to assume that if you have two fit and available strikers for one position that they'll stay fit and available for the duration of the season unless they're particularly injury prone. Otherwise, you'd just be trying to sign players to account for any potential bad luck you may get, which is impossible.

If Bendtner returns soon, the need for short-term cover is gone.

[Lex]

If Giroud and Bendy are both fit, then where's the problem? Or do people think we're going to sign Ibrahimovich/Suarez/Cavani in the January window?

[MJ]

Giroud/LNoB/Poldi up front

Cazorla/Gnabry/Ox/Rozza/Jack/Ozil capable of playing on the wings.

We've gotten to this point without Podolski, Theo and Ox. Now that we have two of the three suddenly we're desperate for a striker?

I wouldn't say no to a loan but you don't want to be stuck paying Berbatov when his attitude goes to sh*t or with Pato when he spends most of his time on the treatment table. The market for quality strikers opens in the summer. I think we can make it until then.

[Chumlum]

I do think adding a forward this window would be good (if it's the right guy). But a kneejerk signing isn't the way to go. Wenger & co. have to plan things out and I hope they do it well. The best options might be available in the summer, but aren't going to be available this month. That's why the hesitation to spend big now is there. As it should be.

As for loan signings. The question is, are any potential loan players going to be able to settle into the club and perhaps the league (if they're coming from abroad), and also immediately be better than Bendtner/Sanogo/Podolski-up-top? How many players available for loan would satisfy those conditions? That's only partly a rhetorical question. Either way I think we can agree ... slim pickins'.

It's why I keep repeating that, in a tight spot like this, Berbatov on like an 18-month deal wouldn't be a bad idea. He (ideally) replaces Theo as a goalscorer in the squad for the next 5 months. Then next summer, as a seasoned veteran, he essentially becomes our 3rd (maybe 4th) choice striker behind Giroud and whichever badass forward we (hopefully) sign.

(... Twitter tonight is full of rumors, heh. Memphis Depay, Cheikhou Kouyate.)

[Lex]

I Googled Memphis Depay and this is the first image that came up



  

[REWB]

buying someone in jan will give the team another lift, we should just do it. any 15m striker will do, there are lots of them out there.

[Eman]

buying someone in jan will give the team another lift, we should just do it. any 15m striker will do, there are lots of them out there.

What exactly is a 15m striker? 

Spoiler:

I think the main problem is that strikers of that approximate level of quality often flop at top clubs. For example, I consider Benteke as a striker who was probably worth 15mil in the summer (even if Aston Villa wanted more), and he has been incredibly meh for most of this season. A lot of guys in here would have even taken him and of course signings like that can work sometimes but more often than not it seems like they don't - Chamakh is another example. A lot is expected of strikers at top clubs that employ lone strikers, and it's hard for players that aren't the real deal to handle it.

Now that we can afford to get a great striker, the only reason we should do anything other than just that is if Arsene spots a diamond in the rough, and he obviously doesn't have one such player in mind right now.

If we're desperate later in the season, perhaps take Joel Campbell back and play him as a backup striker/RW?

[Wilson37]

yes.. Giroud and Bendtner.. if they can remain fit are potentially enough for the season.. and hope Poldi gets a regular LW spot and can supplement the extra goals that Walcott would have offered.. while we can rotate between Ox, Gnabry and Cazorla as the wingers..

but considering we are top of PL and have a good chance to win it, it is better we gamble upto 10-15m on buying a backup striker or loaning one, even if he becomes deadwood next season.. we dont want to be missing on a trophy just because of this, rt ? so Berba on a 18 month deal offers pretty good cover..

btw, any chance that we can bring Joel back this January.. would be the perfect signing if he can adapt quickly to PL..

[Highburied]

We cannot win the league with Giroud upfront.

Wenger can sign a striker or create a striker from dirt.

[El Gunner]

I get you guys when you say there aren't a lot of players available atm. And with Giroud and Bendtner both fit, the need for a striker isn't that big, but I still think we should add to the team. Thought so 2 months ago, still think so.

[Twoism]

Pretty much everyone agrees we have to get someone somehow so lets get our scout notes out and list realistic options that could do the job. Low risk, emergency back up with reasonable price. For me, these are the only 2 we could get.

1. Pato
2. Berbatov

Underwhelming I know but what could we do in this winter window, in WC year no less.

[urbaNRoots]

It's well known that we need another striker but I'd rather trust Bendtner as our no 2 than the likes of Berbatov or Pato.

We need a lift, a striker who will fight for a starting place, not a party boy with a stinking attitude and a poor mans Diaby injury record or a talented yet careless player who's old, won everything and is on pre retirement mode, trying to earn as much money as possible. Hell I'd even take Benteke for stupid money instead, atleast he's a hard worker, is young enough and still can improve in his game.

[Kaladin]

imo you need costa imo

[urbaNRoots]

I'm sure we'll try to sign Costa/Benzema for A LOT money in the summer which is why I refuse to accept the likes of Pato and Berbatov, who'll end up as deadwood just when we ALMOST sold all of them.

[Jay29]

Chuba Akpom will be going on loan to Brentfrod now, as opposed to after the Coventry game as the BBC originally reported. This is pretty strong indication that news of Bendtner's injury not being as serious as first thought is actually true.

Pretty much everyone agrees we have to get someone somehow so lets get our scout notes out and list realistic options that could do the job. Low risk, emergency back up with reasonable price. For me, these are the only 2 we could get.

1. Pato
2. Berbatov

Underwhelming I know but what could we do in this winter window, in WC year no less.

One player who's talented but has clearly stopped giving a shit and another who's ageing and has always had a low work ethic on the pitch; neither would be suitable signings for Arsenal.

As Urban said, you sign a backup player now he'll just become another Chamakh or Park or six months later when Arsenal start looking at improving the position with a real quality striker, unless you can get them in a loan.

It'd be even worse if we signed a so-called £15mil striker, because those guys would be coming in with the expectation of regular football. We could bring in Burak Yilmaz now, have him and Giroud fight it out for the remainder of the season, but then bring in Diego Costa in the summer. All of the sudden, we've got three quality strikers and one would have to go. You wouldn't be able to keep all of them happy. And for that reason, you could just see Wenger saying that he's got two quality strikers already and doesn't need to another one.

I really feel it would be best to wait until the summer, where we can go for the likes of Diego Costa, Jackson Martinez, Mario Mandzukic, Karim Benzema and even Wayne Rooney and not have the deal dependant on whether we can shift out the deadwood we signed in January.

[Highburied]

I cant believe some people.

Whats the point waiting til summer when we are leading now the table and could even win the league with a boost upfront?

[Jay29]

I cant believe some people.

Whats the point waiting til summer when we are leading now the table and could even win the league with a boost upfront?

Because none of those players mentioned are available this month. Costa and Martinez have release clauses that aren't active until the summer, Bayern won't sell Mandzukic now, any Benzema sale would be dependant on whether Madrid bring in another striker and Rooney's future is dependant on how United finish the season and whether he signs a new deal or not.

Short-term options like Berbatov or Pato are redundant now that Bendtner is close to returning. So that means you're looking at players like Benteke or Burak Yilmaz who are better than Bendtner and aren't upgrades on Giroud but would still cost a fair bit of money. If we're going to spending big on a striker, it may as well be one that's going to improve us and not someone who's going to merely be an alternative first choice.

If there was a top striker available this month I'd be advocating us signing them as much as you are, but the fact is there isn't any.

[MJ]

Exactly, the market for quality forwards is literally non-existent until summer. I'm all for loaning in Morata, young quality forward who we'll only have for 6 months but I doubt Corinthians or Fulham would agree to 6 month deals for Berba or Pato and we do not want them for longer than that. I don't understand who people think is better to sign than Costa or Martinez in the summer because those players, the ones good enough for Arsenal are literally impossible to buy this month.

People are so quick to forget how frustrating it is to be stuck with a player like Chamakh who can't make a difference when subbed and needs a looot of games to get confidence. A player no one wants to buy and has to be loaned out continuously. A lot of people want a Park-signing just for the hell of it when we could have a world class striker in the summer.

[M99]

A Bola reporting Arsenal is ready to trigger the 40 million release clause of 27 yo Jackson Martinez lol.

[Raptorgunner]

Dortmund are after Gnabry?  
------------------------
AS: In the last few weeks, Morata has become very angry at not playing. Madrid prefer Jese. Wants to leave in the past 48 hours, Ancelotti has changed his stance over Morata, and is now prepared to loan out player.
MORATA: Staying in Madrid is very difficult I’ve been at Madrid since I was a kid. But the most important thing for me is relevant role in the team. Moving to the first team is difficult in Madrid.” rumors that fee has been agreed with Madrid personal terms remianing.
Reports are, Morata’s father is in London and is holding talks with Arsenal and Spurs.
-------------------------------------------------
Portugese reports say Jackson Martinez has stopped contract extension talks with Porto due to Arsenal’s interest.
-----------------------------------------------
Marcotti has told ESPN podcast that AFC are looking for a defender this month, in addition to a forward.
-------------------------

[Lex]

Why would you hold contract talks with Spurs?

[Sponsored content]