Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Gangsta

tony1kenobi wrote: »

3 years well spent not nurturing the guy so he can fcuk off to Spain or Italy when he peaks.......Hleb rumoured to go to Villa......London life was so awful but Brum is nirvana is it??...good luck to him.......enjoy the roundabouts.

LOL!

premierstone

premierstone wrote: »

Anyone gettin worried that Tony Adams is back on the booze, he's last two interviews Iv seen have been very worrying tbh

i have to admit that i seen a side to tony adams when he became pompey manager that i didnt like. he has almost the same traits as roy keane. its never his fault if the team is doing badly and he took the credit for one of their wins claiming, "i told them at half time to do this". i dont think he'll ever become a good manager.

gosplan

Perez has now revealed that he did speak with Wenger but found him to be totally committed to Arsenal.

"From the beginning we have worked on two possibilities - Wenger and Pellegrini," Perez said in L'Equipe.

"We have always been attracted by the Frenchman and we talked to him several times.

"He didn't come because he feels very responsible about what has happened and what will happen at Arsenal. He didn't want to abandon the club that he has given such a lot to.

"But as (director general Jorge) Valdano said: 'Pellegrini is the Wenger of Spanish football'."

Great to hear. Also gives a big insight into his feelings and comments after the shareholders meeting. He turned down Madrid with a hundred million or so to spend to continue his work at Arsenal. I think he knows how important it is that he steers Arsenal through the next few years and I'm not surprised he was pissed off when his methods were being questioned.

premierstone

gosplan wrote: »

Great to hear. Also gives a big insight into his feelings and comments after the shareholders meeting. He turned down Madrid with a hundred million or so to spend to continue his work at Arsenal. I think he knows how important it is that he steers Arsenal through the next few years and I'm not surprised he was pissed off when his methods were being questioned.

Too feckin true and those who questioned him should hang their heads in shame :mad: and theres been a few on here aswell - you know who you are :rolleyes:

Indie18

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/06/05/gunners-aim-for-8m-dzek-115875-21416242/

Arsenal are favourites to beat Manchester City to the signature of Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko as an £8million replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor.

Bosnian striker Dzeko, 23, hit 26 goals in 32 games in helping fire Wolfsburg to the Bundesliga title and Arsenal have registered their interest with his club.

Gunners coach Boro Primorac has been out to watch the 6ft 3in target man and has given glowing reports to Arsene Wenger.

City boss Mark Hughes has also had Dzeko watched and feels he would be the perfect striker, much cheaper than Carlos Tevez or Samuel Eto'o.

Arsenal will auction off Togo striker Adebayor this summer. He is a target for AC Milan while Chelsea's new boss Carlo Ancelotti is also an admirer.

In the search for a cut-price replacement Wenger rates Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz and Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh. But Dzeko is now top of the list.

Wenger has also been checking on Juventus's Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Scouts have given glowing reports on the Italy international, 24, who can play at left-back or in central defence. Arsenal also want Fulham's Brede Hangeland and Ajax centre-half Thomas Vermaelen.

Among those heading for the exit at City is midfielder Gelson Fernandes. The Swiss star is unhappy at being ignored by Hughes.

premierstone

So basically we'll buy anyone thats for sale ^^ fookin lazy journalism pis*es me off and its still only the first week in June

Pepe LeFrits

http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetbal/4094729/__Arsenal_praat_met_Vermaelen__.html?p=4,1

Says Arsenal agreed a fee with Ajax for Vermaelen and are now negotiating the player's contract.

Pepe LeFrits

Also, local Norwegian papers are speculating that the young Norwegian/Irish keeper we've signed, Sean McDermott, has cost us £4.3m! He says he aims to be Arsenal's #1 by the age of 20.

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetbal/4094729/__Arsenal_praat_met_Vermaelen__.html?p=4,1

Says Arsenal agreed a fee with Ajax for Vermaelen and are now negotiating the player's contract.

same story as before, doesn't seem to be any direct quotes or nothing?

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Also, local Norwegian papers are speculating that the young Norwegian/Irish keeper we've signed, Sean McDermott, has cost us £4.3m! He says he aims to be Arsenal's #1 by the age of 20.

wow. some people are suggesting he's the best goalkeeper in the world for his age bracket. hope he declares for Ireland if that's true

Pepe LeFrits

Plays for the Irish youth teams afaik.

Frisbee

Walcott was hauled off for England at HT last night.
Apart from one decent one he was fairly woeful.

leninbenjamin

Frisbee wrote: »

Walcott was hauled off for England at HT last night.
Apart from one decent one he was fairly woeful.

aye, saw that.

his inconsistency is kinda worrying. he'll do something utterly fantastic in one game and sleep through the next 2 or 3. He's getting better slowly but surely, but his footballing brain is developing slower than i'd like. Don't think he'll ever reach the heights that were predicted for him when he first arrived on the scene.

Mickeroo

did they definitley sign that McDermott lad?

Mac Masters

I've been hearing rumours about Edin Dzeko. And I think he would be a class signing, him and Grafite scored 53 goals together in the league alone this season and their league only has 34 games! He's exactly what we need, a player who is very determined in attack and scores the scappy goals we need, or at least from what I've seen of him in the bundesliga! The problem is that he wants to stay and is in talks over a new contract but then again Arshavin said the same last year and look where he is now!

leninbenjamin

Mac Masters wrote: »

I've been hearing rumours about Edin Dzeko. And I think he would be a class signing, him and Grafite scored 53 goals together in the league alone this season and their league only has 34 games! He's exactly what we need, a player who is very determined in attack and scores the scappy goals we need, or at least from what I've seen of him in the bundesliga! The problem is that he wants to stay and is in talks over a new contract but then again Arshavin said the same last year and look where he is now!

he wont come cheap, despite what the papers are suggesting (8-10mil, lol).

I really know nothing about the guy, but Eduardo was supposed to be that player (the poacher) for us 'til he got injured. Does he have much of a physical presence to replace Ade say?

Pepe LeFrits

Dzeko is massive, as big as Ade.

Re: Walcott, he's wasted on the wing. We should be looking to move him up front whenever possible. He shouldn't necessarily be a starter but he should be playing most of his football up there.

I see Robin was linked to Inter there the other day. I don't believe it but it would be nice. He's stalling on the contract offer which is a bit much considering his fitness record. If we could sell him and Ade and bring in Dzeko I'd be all for it.

Pepe LeFrits

There are Dutch websites running quotes from Vermaelen's agent saying that the club are in talks with him. As said previously, the fee been has agreed, but Vermaelen rejected the first contract offer and talks are ongoing.

Also, some careful inspection of grainy images on google reveals that the lad is a bit taller than wikipedia claims - probably about 6'1". Hurrah!

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Also, some careful inspection of grainy images on google reveals that the lad is a bit taller than wikipedia claims - probably about 6'1". Hurrah!

He's definitely not 6 foot. I have no ideas what pictures you were looking at.

Pepe LeFrits

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Jaap's 6'3 and is stooped in that photo, he looks 6 at best there imo. the others he could be taking a step or what not, you can't tell.

maybe i'm wrong, but none of the stats anywhere have him listed as being above 6, most at 180-182cm (5,10 or 5,11)

Pepe LeFrits

And yet, google searches suggest that the two lads on either side of him are 6'1", and the keeper is 5'11"...

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

And yet, google searches suggest that the two lads on either side of him are 6'1", and the keeper is 5'11"...

well then he's 6.

but my googles returned the lad on his right at being 5-11... go figure

Pepe LeFrits

Well, I think I suggested somewhere that he's short so I withdraw that.

What matters most is if he's the right type of defender. From what I've read he's an organiser and reads the game well, which is what we want. Gallas, Toure and Djourou do better alongside someone like that. He's also Ajax's captain... we could do with more leaders in the team.

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Well, I think I suggested somewhere that he's short so I withdraw that.

What matters most is if he's the right type of defender. From what I've read he's an organiser and reads the game well, which is what we want. Gallas, Toure and Djourou do better alongside someone like that. He's also Ajax's captain... we could do with more leaders in the team.

so does Zapata (except he's not a captain yet). and Zapata's definitely 6+. plus he's a slightly more aggressive player.

sorry, I just love Zapata.

DenMan

Do you think we'll get Zapata Lenin? Be awesome if we do.

Frisbee

Had anyone ever heard of Dzeko before this season.

He's had one good season with Wolfsburg. And the German league is hardly a decent league, I mean even for the European golden boot they have one of the highest multipliers.

I'd rather see if he can do the same next season before buying him.
Remember Ade had a great season last year and now everyone wants him gone?

itsjaybud

Skysports:

Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen has claimed he is poised to complete a move to Arsenal.
With Gunner boss Arsene Wenger admitting he needs to strengthen his defence over the summer, the Belgium international has been tipped as a likely target.
And a switch to Emirates Stadium could be completed before the end of the week, with the 23-year old confirming further discussions are due to take place.
Reports suggest a fee of around £11million has been agreed for Vermaelen, who can operate in the centre of defence or at left-back.
Challenge

Vermaelen told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad: "Moving to Arsenal is the right path for me.
"It is a great sporting challenge and I will also be financially better off. I think everything is going to be OK.
"In the coming days there will be more talks."
But Gunners legend Tony Adams has warned Wenger against splashing out on Vermaelen, who stands at 5ft 11ins.

Small one

Adams fears that the Frenchman's top target lacks the height required to dominate in the Premier League and believes he has been playing at an inferior level.
Adams told the Daily Mirror: "Thomas is a very good player but I don't think he's ready for the Arsenal.
"I don't think the punters at Arsenal would like another small one.
"I have been looking at the Dutch league, but it's been decimated. It's a poor league at the moment, there's one or two players, but they're leaving too early as well."
a.top_betting_link_1 {background-image: url('/Images/skysports/fixturecal/icons/fix-bet.gif');background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:0% 50%;padding-left:18px;}

Link

leninbenjamin

DenMan wrote: »

Do you think we'll get Zapata Lenin? Be awesome if we do.

not a hope in hell tbh. reports suggest we bid for him last season (anywhere between 8-13million) and it was turned down.

Real are supposedly in for him, and his price no doubt will have gone up a fair bit from the €20million quoted for him last summer. can't see Wenger going near him for that price tbh. as much as I like him even i don't think it's worth it.

MBC

The Belgian National Team Site have him at 1.80cm (5'11) and weighing just 73kg........that seems very light if he is to be a central defender in the premiership :eek: esp when you look at Vidic 6'3, Rio 6'3, Hangland 6'5, Richard Dunne 6'1 & half.

Maybe he is the new Cannavaro :rolleyes: although he had Nesta along side him........and he was 6'1 & half.

leninbenjamin

here's something mildly interesting from the gossip site goal (albeit yesterdays hearsay:))

Yaya Toure's future at Barcelona is under increasing doubt, after he rejected the club's latest contract offer.

According to El Mundo Deportivo, negotiations between Barca sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Toure's agent, Dimitre Seluk, have reached a standstill.

Toure currently earns the least among Barca's first team and while the club have offered an improved contract, it has not proved sufficient to reach an agreement.

Yaya Toure's profile has shot up since his move to Barcelona, especially after the vital role he played in their treble winning season. However, while Barca want to reward him for his performances and professionalism, they are not willing to place him among the top earners at the club.

As a result, the interest of Europe's top clubs has heightened in recent weeks.

Arsenal remain desperate to re-unite him with brother Kolo, while Liverpool could seek to include him in any deal for Javier Mascherano, in whom Barca have shown an interest. There are also said to be a number of Italian clubs in the mix.

Toure, however, would not come cheap.

He has a minimum release fee of €90million and his contract does not expire until 2011, giving Barca a clear advantage on the negotiating table.

Royale with Cheese

Sign Yaya, sell Kolo. Give Yaya the no. 5 Jersey and pretend nothing ever happened.

Galvasean

Elvery's have reduced our home shirt from 60 to 40 if anyone is looking for one on the relative cheap.

leninbenjamin

Galvasean wrote: »

Elvery's have reduced our home shirt from 60 to 40 if anyone is looking for one on the relative cheap.

now that i think about it lifestyle in the ilac had it for 30 the other day (last Tuesday it was).

Mickeroo

Looking likely Vermaelen is going to come i think....5 '11 's not that short is it??

I reckon we need him and Zapata, sounds like Zap is out of our price range though. At least it looks like Wenger might actually buy a few players this year after pretty much the same scenario for the last 2 or 3 summers, fans and pundits saying wenger needs to buy 3 or 3 experienced players.....and does nothing.

Gangsta

Mickeroo wrote: »

Looking likely Vermaelen is going to come i think....5 '11 's not that short is it??

I reckon we need him and Zapata, sounds like Zap is out of our price range though. At least it looks like Wenger might actually buy a few players this year after pretty much the same scenario for the last 2 or 3 summers, fans and pundits saying wenger needs to buy 3 or 3 experienced players.....and does nothing.

it is if your marking Drogba

Pepe LeFrits

http://voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=80130 has Vermaelen down as 186cm, and I have eye witness sightings from 6 foot tall dudes who've met him who say he's taller than they are!!111111111

Not that it matters.

We're not going to buy two defenders, especially not at £10m each. Looks like Vermaelen will be the one.

Gangsta

It also says he's 73kg....that's pretty light.

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

http://voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=80130 has Vermaelen down as 186cm, and I have eye witness sightings from 6 foot tall dudes who've met him who say he's taller than they are!!111111111

Not that it matters.

We're not going to buy two defenders, especially not at £10m each. Looks like Vermaelen will be the one.

sure he could have been wearing thick heels. Zapata wouldn't wear thick heels, another reason we should buy him :P

that's enough of that sh*te, i promises. if it's true anyway about Vermaelen it's a good start to the summer.

Royale with Cheese

What's the latest on Senderos? Would Milan be willing to buy him? How much is he worth anyway?

Could be worth a few million for the transfer kitty. Also how much do people reckon Arsenal would have got for Lassana Diara's transfer to Real, if anything?

leninbenjamin

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

What's the latest on Senderos? Would Milan be willing to buy him? How much is he worth anyway?

Could be worth a few million for the transfer kitty.

nothing so far. Can't really see them buying him tho', he missed half the season through injury and even then didn't play much. They'll be looking to replace Maldini so they might yet, although i think they'll be looking for better targets.

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Also how much do people reckon Arsenal would have got for Lassana Diara's transfer to Real, if anything?

there was no mention at the time, and i haven't seen since, though that would be contrary to Wenger's tendency. The sale to Portsmouth was kinda messy though so i'm not confident they would have seen much of it. Afterall the sale was initiated by Diarra which always puts the club in a more weakened position at the negotiating table.

leninbenjamin

morning all,

The Vermaelen story has finally hit the Guardian, nothing we haven't heard before. But what's interesting about the article is they still claim we're in for another defender, namely Hangeland.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jun/08/arsenal-thomas-vermaelen-brede-hangeland

seems kinda odd.

Galvasean

It wouldn't surprise me too much if we picked up two defenders considering we definately could use one more to ad to the current crop. Also, word has it that Gallas is on the way out.

Gangsta

I would prefer Gallas to stay over Toure simply because he's a much better player.

Galvasean

Oh my,

The Guardian wrote:

a quirk of the club's interest in Hangeland, who has two years to run on his contract at Craven Cottage, is that he is represented by Rune Hauge, the Norwegian agent who was involved in the George Graham bungs scandal of the mid-1990s, which led to the manager's sacking by Arsenal.

Stay away! :eek:

leninbenjamin

Gangsta wrote: »

I would prefer Gallas to stay over Toure simply because he's a much better player.

I dunno, it's much of a muchness to me. I know Gallas is a technically better player than Toure, but he just lacks presence or something. Toure (on form at least) throws himself around like a lunatic, gets in forwards faces more and makes up for some of his errors with his pace.

But the other factor is that Toure is Wenger's longest serving player at the moment. I think that experience needs to be held onto a lot more than Gallas marginally better ability.

Been reflecting on the Hangeland thing all morning. He's definitely overpriced, but for his height it might be worth it. Be interesting anyway to see how it pans out.

Royale with Cheese

Gallas is not marginally better than Toure, he's a lot better. Definitely would want to keep him over Kolo. Preferably both though. No point in signing a new centre back just to let another go. Gallas/Kolo not being able to form a partnership was one problem, the other (and far worse problem) was the complete lack of depth at centre back.

Galvasean

Well we definately need one new defender for the sake of depth. That's assuming nobody leaves. If someone does leave, we'll need to bring in two.

premierstone

Think we need two regardless of whether anyone leaves, Kolo will be going to the African Nations thingy in January.

Oh yeah and I agree Gallas is a far more complete player than Kolo

Gangsta

leninbenjamin wrote: »

I dunno, it's much of a muchness to me. I know Gallas is a technically better player than Toure, but he just lacks presence or something. Toure (on form at least) throws himself around like a lunatic, gets in forwards faces more and makes up for some of his errors with his pace.

But the other factor is that Toure is Wenger's longest serving player at the moment. I think that experience needs to be held onto a lot more than Gallas marginally better ability.

Been reflecting on the Hangeland thing all morning. He's definitely overpriced, but for his height it might be worth it. Be interesting anyway to see how it pans out.

I'm sorry I don't agree with anything you're saying.

We're much better defensively with him in the team, he has just as much experience as Toure and scores goals. Just because a fan may like Toure more than Gallas doesn't mean he should stay, provided Gallas keeps playing well.

DenMan

Gibbsie on the score sheet twice last night for England in his debut. Fair play to him.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/gibbs-makes-dream-full-debut-for-england-u21s