Re: The Official Summer Transfer Rumours Thread

[McAgger]

Would you guys take Balo?

[Sina]

it best not be higuain all over again   
although in that case i wasnt bothered at all   

[RealGunner]

I hate when these types of things are used as rumors because they typically mean nothing

but

Alexis Sanchez's agent Fernando Felicevich went on an Arsenal Twitter follow spree following Giroud, Cazorla, Arteta, Özil and the Arsenal official account.

He also follows Benzema, Pirlo, Zlatan, RVP, Chicharito, Man United and some others but he followed those five accounts all in one bout recently.



So for whatever that's worth

Ozil, Cazorla and Arteta all speak Spanish

[McAgger]

And Giroud............well, he's human. And check this out.....check this out.......so is Alexis

Mind=blown.

It all makes sense.




















































I'll get me coat  

[RealGunner]

Arsenal are understood to have a deal agreed in principle with Sánchez. Although Barcelona are eager for him to move to Liverpool to speed up the Suárez negotiations, there is no guarantee Sánchez will agree to such a switch as he considers his options.

Sánchez could be trying to play Liverpool and Arsenal off against one another but, as of Thursday night, the sense in Spain was still that he favours a move to London.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10944834/Arsenal-believe-they-can-beat-Liverpool-in-race-to-sign-Barcelona-and-Chile-forward-Alexis-Sanchez.html

[MJ]

Rumors that Suarez to Barca done for £71m which would exclude Sanchez going by the looks of it since that's what his release clause is.

[Jay29]

It certainly wouldn't be £71mil + Sanchez.

Falls in line with last night's reports that any Sanchez deal would be independent of the Suarez deal. Basically comes to down to us and Liverpool to fight over him.

[Sina]

yep they buy suarez then sit there and see us and Lfc battling it so they get as much as possible for him rather than including him as a part of a deal
makes sense

just do it Arsene

[MJ]

This would be incredibly if it doesn't happen now lol

Spoiler:

Plus he favorited this tweet.

Spoiler:

[RealGunner]

The instagram account is run by a fan and is not his.

I don't think he realised what he favourited imo.

[Peccadillo]

El Mundo Deportivo report that we have made a £23.8mil bid for Sami Khedira.

I think this rumour is plausible.
a) If RM get Gustavo, Khedira will fall truly out of favour and RM will happily let him go for that kind of money.
b) Ozil is genuinely close to him + strong German contingent.
c) Salary is OK, he currently on roughly the equivalent of £80k a week, based on the tax savings he will make switching to the UK, we wouldn't need to offer him much more if any.
d) We have been linked with Khedira for years, wenger has never ruled it out and has also spokn highly of him.

I don't know why people wouldn't be happy with Khedira, he will improve our squad.

[Mr Nick09]

we will happily sell him for that kind of money before finding a replacement 1st lol

[RealGunner]

Thing with Khedira is that he isn't a DM and will suck in the Arteta role. His best performances for both Madrid and Germany have come when he was used as a B2B, in the Ramsey role. Of course he isn't as good as Ramsey going forward but I don't know if limiting Khedira to just a DM would work.

He is a workhorse though and will add physicality in midfield but I just don't rate him as a DM. Maybe we can change our system and play something like Germany where no one really sits and pressing ensures midfield solidarity.

[Chumlum]

I like Khedira as a player and if he ends up at Arsenal, welcome! I'll sincerely hope he does a great job and proves himself big time.

But I listed my own reservations earlier as to whether he's the right signing for the squad at this moment ... in other words, I kind of agree with RG above.

[Arsenalfaithfull]

You guys remember Sahin? Liverpool are the biggest cock blockers. I wont celebrate just yet. Things are  indeed looking good for us thought arnt they?

Btw Vidal, Khedira as DM? Hell no! Not vidal, because he will cost an arm and a leg , and does not really play the position.

Not Kadira because there are plenty of better  /cheaper options out there.

Why are we not going after players like Morgan Schneiderlin,  or Maxime Gonalons, Roman Neustadter???? All  are moderately young,  actually play DM, wont cost a great deal, and have nearly 7-8 years left in the tank

Above all, they are all and better options (and cheaper) than freakin Khedira. I mean no offence to Sami Khedira fans out there.

[Mr Nick09]

why not schneiderlin, neustadter or gonalons? maybe it has to do with the fact that champions breed champions. In that, players like Khedira who have bathed in highly competitive games like clasicos and CL semi finals, in club or NT level, guys that are used to deal with that kind of expectation and pressure, will always be infinitely more valuable than players like Schneiderlin or the lads you mentioned. Valuable in an emotional way, because at the end of the day, big games are won with players that can control their emotions and get the job done, technique and all that stuff go out of the window, and the more mentally ready overcome the other team.

[Arsenalfaithfull]

why not schneiderlin, neustadter or gonalons? maybe it has to do with the fact that champions breed champions. In that, players like Khedira who have bathed in highly competitive games like clasicos and CL semi finals, in club or NT level, guys that are used to deal with that kind of expectation and pressure, will always be infinitely more valuable than players like Schneiderlin or the lads you mentioned. Valuable in an emotional way, because at the end of the day, big games are won with players that can control their emotions and get the job done, technique and all that stuff go out of the window, and the more mentally ready overcome the other team.

But Khedira, is he really a player who will fit the DM role for us? I am not questioning his "big game" mentality. Afterall, he was a fav of Mourinho (that in itself is saying a lot) But to me it makes no sense for us to buy a box to box player, when what we really need is a proactive DM. And most definitely not for 20+ million.

[Peccadillo]

a) What do you mean by proactive DM?

b) I don't see why he can't fit into our system... I wouldn't call Khedira a strict b2b midfielder.. In fact I think it's fair to call Khedira Carrick 2.0. Granted he might get forward a little more than Carrick, but he's experienced enough to understand and accept instructions to sit deeper.

c) Big game mentality is what we need, everyone's been moaning about our performances against top teams (rightly so) and in the CL, yet signing a big game player at the heart of the side is somehow not important enough?

d) Price.. Again, everyone has been moaning about how transfer deals *allegedly* fall through because "Arsene" is too tight ass to pay the extra few million quid to get it done.. I agree that I would feel happier at around 16-18mil though... Anyway, reported figures cant always be trusted.. for example apparently we are "readying a 20mil bid for Schneiderlin too".. I'd be surprised if anyone would take Schneid for 20mil over Khedira for 24mil.

[Sri]

El Mundo Deportivo report that we have made a £23.8mil bid for Sami Khedira.

I think this rumour is plausible.
a) If RM get Gustavo, Khedira will fall truly out of favour and RM will happily let him go for that kind of money.
b) Ozil is genuinely close to him + strong German contingent.
c) Salary is OK, he currently on roughly the equivalent of £80k a week, based on the tax savings he will make switching to the UK, we wouldn't need to offer him much more if any.
d) We have been linked with Khedira for years, wenger has never ruled it out and has also spokn highly of him.

I don't know why people wouldn't be happy with Khedira, he will improve our squad.

I am beginning to like how Madrid and Barcelona moving for other players leads to us signing WC players in their prime.

I would take Sami in a heartbeat. He'd fit perfectly into the Arteta role, which mind you, is not a pure DM role, but a more link from back to advanced mid.

You guys should read the Tim Stillman coulmn in Arseblog on what we need. Part 1 was on backline and Part 2 on middfield.

[Sri]

a) What do you mean by proactive DM?

b) I don't see why he can't fit into our system... I wouldn't call Khedira a strict b2b midfielder.. In fact I think it's fair to call Khedira Carrick 2.0. Granted he might get forward a little more than Carrick, but he's experienced enough to understand and accept instructions to sit deeper.

c) Big game mentality is what we need, everyone's been moaning about our performances against top teams (rightly so) and in the CL, yet signing a big game player at the heart of the side is somehow not important enough?

d) Price.. Again, everyone has been moaning about how transfer deals *allegedly* fall through because "Arsene" is too tight ass to pay the extra few million quid to get it done.. I agree that I would feel happier at around 16-18mil though... Anyway, reported figures cant always be trusted.. for example apparently we are "readying a 20mil bid for Schneiderlin too".. I'd be surprised if anyone would take Schneid for 20mil over Khedira for 24mil.

Spot on.

Btw, I don't get it. We have not had a 'Pure DM' since Gilberto or something. It is not a question of what position the player is listed as in FIFA 2014 or something (just saying). What matters in midfield is the nuance of how the guys on the pitch work together and link up and cover up for each other.

I don't know how many of you remember the rotating midfield days before Fabregas was sold. Him, Ramsey/Wilshere and Song took turns sitting back and marauding forward. It caused havoc in the opponent's midfield and defense when it worked, which unfortunately and logically, was not all the time.

I personally think a Khedira-Ramsey would work if that's how Wenger sees it.

[urbaNRoots]

Khedira could be available for as little as £16m and we're interested according to El Confidencial. Article says Di Maria could be sold for £40m too.

http://www.elconfidencial.com/deportes/futbol/liga/2014-07-04/florentino-perez-quiere-sacar-100-millones-de-euros-por-di-maria-khedira-y-morata_156315/

[Sri]

Gustavo and Hames to Madrid?

[Chumlum]

I don't recall Song marauding forward that much in the Cesc era. I thought that was something that became a much bigger part of his game in his last season, which is also when Arteta came in and surprised everyone by permanently sitting deeper than Song sometime in the middle of the 11/12 season.

Plus, in the Cesc days, there was Denilson, who wasn't a big bruiser of a DM or anything, but who tended to sit deep, attempted to keep passes calm and metronomic, and who popped in with a long shot every now and then.

If someone like Khedira comes in, a guy who is definitely a good player but not strictly a "DM," then if the system is still balanced and works out, great. I won't be butthurt at all if things do click and yet there isn't a natural defensive midfielder sitting deep. The only concern I have is not whether a player is natural, but whether a role is being filled properly - and if not, can we do well without it? Arteta wasn't a natural DM but he ended up slotting into that deep, calming role in the back and it has been a very, very underrated part of our midfield the last few seasons IMO. (He's struggling in it these days though, of course.)

You guys remember Sahin? Liverpool are the biggest cock blockers. I wont celebrate just yet. Things are  indeed looking good for us thought arnt they?

Wasn't it Wenger who actually decided to pass on Sahin at the last minute? My understanding was that we weren't cock-blocked there, Wenger was just slightly unconvinced and didn't pull the trigger. At the time, it was sad, but in retrospect it doesn't look like such a bad move.

Why are we not going after players like Morgan Schneiderlin,  or Maxime Gonalons, Roman Neustadter???? All  are moderately young,  actually play DM, wont cost a great deal, and have nearly 7-8 years left in the tank

Gonalons, FWIW, just committed his future to Lyon. If journalists are to believed at all, Schneiderlin is under consideration ... but there are reports that Southampton want to try to keep hold of as many players as they have left, since they've already lost Shaw, Lallana, Lambert. I mentioned Neustadter as an under the radar option a couple pages back ... who knows, maybe he is a back-up option for the scouts, and it just hasn't been picked up (or manufactured) by reporters yet?

[Chumlum]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2014/07/04/4935144/arsenal-weigh-up-30m-double-swoop-for-lovren-and

That paragon of reliability, Wayne Veysey, recycles some stuff about Sanchez, Lovren, Schneiderlin, and mentions that Vermaelen won't be allowed to leave until a replacement comes in (presumably Lovren, according to this write-up) ... plus he also says this:

Goal understands that Wenger is also preparing to promote 17-year-old Spaniard Julio Pleguezelo to the first-team squad next season.

The plan is for the teenage defender, who only signed his first professional contract in April, to effectively fill the fourth centre-back position at the club.

[Chumlum]

You know, one player I'm surprised hasn't been linked more with Arsenal in this window is Lacazette - whose agent says that he will only move to a CL club, if he moves at all.

[Sri]

Why do you guys even read lol.com?

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