Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017 *Warnings see OP-updated 09/05/17*

Arne_Saknussem

Rafinha who Barca are supposedly hawking around for 30m euro, is he any good?

Wonda-Boy

Would they be "offering" him if he was!

CatInABox

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Would they be "offering" him if he was!

Well, in fairness, they previously offered us some no-body called Alexis Sanchez, so.....

Arne_Saknussem

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Would they be "offering" him if he was!

Did a small bit of reading up on him, people referring to him as the 'Brazilian Jack Wilshere'.

highbury1913

He did well on loan at Celta a few years back when Luis Enrique was manager there.

He hasn't done much since then and although he has quality, I would much rather other areas strengthened. A GK to push Cech, CB, wide player and if we are to buy a midfielder I think someone with more presence is needed like William Carvalho who I see is linked again today with us in the Portuguese press.

I don't know what to make of these rumours with Elneny and Leicester and us accepting a bid only for him to turn down the move. Whether they're true or not, it's obvious Wenger isn't convinced by him and Coquelin isn't up to it either.

x PyRo

https://twitter.com/NickVann1987/status/889127793220608000

Irish Gunner

Anyone in the Dublin area the Dublin Arsenal Supporters club are open again for membership and we are having our AGM this Sat 29th July 3pm  before the Emirates Cup in the Mercantile Pub Dame Street Dublin. Complimentary drink on the day and membership forms been collected (bring a photo)

More details on www.irishgunners.com or on our Facebook page

FixitFelix

Reading the Perez interview, he was badly treated at Arsenal and not really given a chance. Seems a bit weird when they have undying faith in Walcott and ox. Also taking the number 9 off him without even telling him is just wrong and lacking class

wandatowell

FixitFelix wrote: »

Also taking the number 9 off him without even telling him is just wrong and lacking class

Very un-Arsene. Thought he was all about harmony.

Quazzie

wandatowell wrote: »

Very un-Arsene. Thought he was all about harmony.

He has a habit of stalling careers of players he just doesn't take a liking to. It's happened to a LOT of players over the years.

Mickeroo

wandatowell wrote: »

Very un-Arsene. Thought he was all about harmony.

Quazzie wrote: »

He has a habit of stalling careers of players he just doesn't take a liking to. It's happened to a LOT of players over the years.

Park and Campbell being the others, Park in particular. I wonder if Park and Perez were signed over his head and he froze them out as a result? Nearly every time Perez played last season he put forward a good case for getting a proper run in the team ahead of a few who were starting every week.

keano_afc

Mickeroo wrote: »

Park and Campbell being the others, Park in particular. I wonder if Park and Perez were signed over his head and he froze them out as a result? Nearly every time Perez played last season he put forward a good case for getting a proper run in the team ahead of a few who were starting every week.

Park was ****e though. Perez at least looked half decent any time I saw him play for us.

Soups123

Mickeroo wrote: »

Park and Campbell being the others, Park in particular. I wonder if Park and Perez were signed over his head and he froze them out as a result? Nearly every time Perez played last season he put forward a good case for getting a proper run in the team ahead of a few who were starting every week.

I don't fully understand the Perez situation and it's very hard as an outsider to understand why things aren't working

What I do doubt is Wenger just turns on these players for no reason, there must be some very good reasons why a man with morals, trust and honesty would randomly go against his normal character.

I also akin these scenarios to those of Andy Reid and Hoolihan for Ireland, were some fans magnify the possible impact on what really are no more than good squad players (not that you are doing here)

Sanogo. Wenger can be completely blind when it suits

tayto lover

Joel Campbell always put in a shift but was overlooked for players who didn't seem to care less.

Skylinehead

tayto lover wrote: »

Joel Campbell always put in a shift but was overlooked for players who didn't seem to care less.

I just think he's a limited player. "Putting in a shift" isn't good enough for a team that wants to challenge.

Wonda-Boy

Sure thats all Wenger has been doing for years now "putting in a shift"

tayto lover

Skylinehead wrote: »

I just think he's a limited player. "Putting in a shift" isn't good enough for a team that wants to challenge.

I know that but he was miles better than Walcott and Ox who were playing regularly and not putting in a shift and we weren't challenging at the time either.

Skylinehead

tayto lover wrote: »

I know that but he was miles better than Walcott and Ox who were playing regularly and not putting in a shift and we weren't challenging at the time either.

Walcott's limited and I'm no fan, but he's miles better than Joel Campbell ever was.

tayto lover

Skylinehead wrote: »

Walcott's limited and I'm no fan, but he's miles better than Joel Campbell ever was.

He wasn't showing it back then though or since imo.

Skylinehead

tayto lover wrote: »

He wasn't showing it back then though or since imo.

What has Campbell ever really achieved? Walcott, like I said, is limited, but he does score goals. And quite regularly, big goals. I don't get the fawning over not-good-enough players. I'd probably include Walcott in that too btw

Soups123

tayto lover wrote: »

I know that but he was miles better than Walcott and Ox who were playing regularly and not putting in a shift and we weren't challenging at the time either.

Have to be honest Tayto, he was never better than either of those two but at a time of frustration he was an easy stick to beat Arsene with

Chelsea, City and Liverpool all interested in Ox. Walcott would easily find a top 6 club interested. Campbell hasn't exactly attracted much interest, there's a lot to be said about that.

I get Theo is frustrating and I think he is the type of person that represents the culture we all want out of Arsenal but he is miles better than Campbell

I thought Campbell was fantastic at the world cup in all fairness.

Soups123

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I thought Campbell was fantastic at the world cup in all fairness.

He sure did, and he had some good games for us but he's nowhere near a starting 11 level for a top club.

I've seen Gary Breen have a great World Cup

Skylinehead

Skylinehead wrote: »

I just think he's a limited player. "Putting in a shift" isn't good enough for a team that wants to challenge.

Some players were neither technically good or putting in a shift though and some of these have been there since 2006

tayto lover

Nobody said that Campbell was a first 11 player.
Neither is Walcott on his performances for Arsenal. More cold than hot and only getting a run as a substitute most days. No top 6 club would want him imo except to have as cover. Not good enough and a touch yellow.

farna_boy

tayto lover wrote: »

Nobody said that Campbell was a first 11 player.
Neither is Walcott on his performances for Arsenal. More cold than hot and only getting a run as a substitute most days. No top 6 club would want him imo except to have as cover. Not good enough and a touch yellow.

Speaking of which, I remember watching the cup final and thinking it was great to see the three lads throw themselves in front of the shot at one stage and thought "at least Tayto should be happy with that"

http://arsenalist.com/f/2016-17/arsenal-vs-chelsea-fa-cup/huge-block-by-arsenal-to-deny-goal.html

tayto lover

farna_boy wrote: »

Speaking of which, I remember watching the cup final and thinking it was great to see the three lads throw themselves in front of the shot at one stage and thought "at least Tayto should be happy with that"

http://arsenalist.com/f/2016-17/arsenal-vs-chelsea-fa-cup/huge-block-by-arsenal-to-deny-goal.html

If only every match was an FA Cup final

jonneymendoza

im still angry at arsenal football club. Time off not thinking about it has not helped.

Anyone still would have liked wenger to go?

Things will never change under wenger and the current board members.

jonneymendoza

jonneymendoza wrote: »

im still angry at arsenal football club. Time off not thinking about it has not helped.

Anyone still would have liked wenger to go?

Things will never change under wenger and the current board members.

Personally i think it will be more of the same mediocrity. Sure they'll play well in a cup final or the odd game in the Premier league here or there but for every good performance, there is 3 or 4 woeful ones.

It will be the same next season and the one after that and if he stays beyond 2 years then probably the one after that also. We are going nowhere fast with him even with the signing of Lacazette.

I wish it wasnt the case but that is where we are at. He has his 'philosophy' on naive wishy-washy football and the Arsenal fans who pay through the nose for tickets will suffer on

Quazzie

Deleted User wrote: »

Personally i think it will be more of the same mediocrity. Sure they'll play well in a cup final or the odd game in the Premier league here or there but for every good performance, there is 3 or 4 woeful ones.

It will be the same next season and the one after that and if he stays beyond 2 years then probably the one after that also. We are going nowhere fast with him even with the signing of Lacazette.

I wish it wasnt the case but that is where we are at. He has his 'philosophy' on naive wishy-washy football and the Arsenal fans who pay through the nose for tickets will suffer on

I still want him gone, but it's not happening anytime soon, so Im throwing my support behind the team. I've no delusions of grandeur tho. We'll win nothing, and seriously struggle for top 4.

Quazzie

Quazzie wrote: »

I still want him gone, but it's not happening anytime soon, so Im throwing my support behind the team. I've no delusions of grandeur tho. We'll win nothing, and seriously struggle for top 4.

And alas that's where we're at now. We'll do well to get top 4 next season. It's a sad ****ing indictment of the club.

highbury1913

That's why you see more unrest with Arsenal fans than any other of the top clubs in England. It's the lack of accountability and acceptance that no matter what happens in the next few months, it's irrelevant in the context of Wenger's future who will be there for the next two years regardless.

At least in the case of clubs elsewhere, they know a manager will be removed if standards aren't maintained and it keeps fans on side knowing this to be the case. We don't have that at Arsenal and I think that's where we get the extra anger from anytime Arsenal get a run of bad results.

Kroenke is the perfect owner for Wenger.

All the other clubs will going into the season with optimism, I don't see that same vibe with Arsenal fans. It's the least looking forward to a season ever for me and it's all down to the staleness of Wenger and Arsenal and knowing what to expect.

I read Arsenal want to do a clear out of players and are having problems. I have no sympathy for them, Wenger bought the players having full power to do so. Go through his record since 2010, Squillaci, Chamakh, Park, Gervinho, Benayoun, Podolski, Santos, Chambers, Debuchy, Gabriel, Perez, Sanogo, Elneny, etc. Even Mustafi hasn't convinced at times. Over £60m on Mustafi, Gabriel, and Chambers and we still probably need a centre back. Giving Walcott £140,000 pw.

The more I look at it, Wenger is more like Benitez at Liverpool in the transfer market as the years went on. Benitez had a largely poor record in that area considering the outlay he made.

highbury1913

highbury1913 wrote: »

That's why you see more unrest with Arsenal fans than any other of the top clubs in England. It's the lack of accountability and acceptance that no matter what happens in the next few months, it's irrelevant in the context of Wenger's future who will be there for the next two years regardless.

At least in the case of clubs elsewhere, they know a manager will be removed if standards aren't maintained and it keeps fans on side knowing this to be the case. We don't have that at Arsenal and I think that's where we get the extra anger from anytime Arsenal get a run of bad results.

Kroenke is the perfect owner for Wenger.

All the other clubs will going into the season with optimism, I don't see that same vibe with Arsenal fans. It's the least looking forward to a season ever for me and it's all down to the staleness of Wenger and Arsenal and knowing what to expect.

I read Arsenal want to do a clear out of players and are having problems. I have no sympathy for them, Wenger bought the players having full power to do so. Go through his record since 2010, Squillaci, Chamakh, Park, Gervinho, Benayoun, Podolski, Santos, Chambers, Debuchy, Gabriel, Perez, Sanogo, Elneny, etc. Even Mustafi hasn't convinced at times. Over £60m on Mustafi, Gabriel, and Chambers and we still probably need a centre back. Giving Walcott £140,000 pw.

The more I look at it, Wenger is more like Benitez at Liverpool in the transfer market as the years went on. Benitez had a largely poor record in that area considering the outlay he made.

There is a few names in there of players that were not utilised to their full potential by Wenger at Arsenal. Benayoun was a loanee and actually done quite well for us i feel. Podolski had a 1 in 3 record for us and he was played out wide. I was impressed with Elneny any time i seen him but he has rotted on the bench and seems to be rusty as a result. Gabriel is capable of having a good game. Done ok right back last year. Wasnt a marauder on the wing but was steady. Might suit him better to play in a back three. Chambers is still young and i think he should be given a further go. Mustafi started well but suffered as the season wore on. Jogi Low is no fool though and you can guarantee that Mustafi will be on the plane to Russia next year. And i think Perez needed more time to settle. He hasnt been that bad. Looks comfortable on the ball. The rest i agree with though.

In a way we are set up to fail. Our attackers dawdle, give opposition loads of time to retain possession and then that high line we play in defence leaves us a mile open.

highbury1913

Deleted User wrote: »

There is a few names in there of players that were not utilised to their full potential by Wenger at Arsenal. Benayoun was a loanee and actually done quite well for us i feel. Podolski had a 1 in 3 record for us and he was played out wide. I was impressed with Elneny any time i seen him but he has rotted on the bench and seems to be rusty as a result. Gabriel is capable of having a good game. Done ok right back last year. Wasnt a marauder on the wing but was steady. Might suit him better to play in a back three. Chambers is still young and i think he should be given a further go. Mustafi started well but suffered as the season wore on. Jogi Low is no fool though and you can guarantee that Mustafi will be on the plane to Russia next year. And i think Perez needed more time to settle. He hasnt been that bad. Looks comfortable on the ball. The rest i agree with though.

In a way we are set up to fail. Our attackers dawdle, give opposition loads of time to retain possession and then that high line we play in defence leaves us a mile open.

Agree about the high line. No pressure on the ball high up the pitch which you can't do if you want to defend like that.

We're judging Arsenal to the standard of trying to win the league

Podolski was decent for a goal but did little in the way of offer width. He rarely went on the outside of a full back with the ball. I much rather footballers on the wing in the shape of Nasri where we got more fluency and rhythm to our game. He was never going to take us to the next level and Bayern don't get rid of players for the good of their health.

That we're saying Benayoun was a success is testament that we accept mediocrity. A few good games in the second half of the season where he largely did nothing in the first half of it is not what I deem a success. Chelsea didn't want him. He was such a success at us that they moved him on straightaway when he returned. A very good loan spell would mean he somehow proved Chelsea wrong in the first place for letting him go. Fact of the matter we only signed him because Wenger made a mess of replacing Cesc and Nasri that summer and left the squad short on numbers. Not one Arsenal fan that summer would have accepted him as a signing and then just a handful of good games to go with it.

With Elneny fair enough point you make, I think he is a decent player. I just don't think he's good enough as a regular for a side that has supposed ambitions to be challenging for the title. He was linked with Leicester and I do think he would excel for a side lower down the league playing regularly for them. I think we can and should get better.

Gabriel outside of the City game did little last season. Inconsistent, erratic defending and that Preston game stands out in particular. Nowhere near good enough. I watched his last game at Villareal and Nayim who regular works on Spanish football was on Sky got it right, he was nowhere near good enough and couldn't believe Arsenal were signing him. Villarreal had a better defender in Mussachio and got a better replacement in Bailly. They got the better of the deal. Who can forget Gabriel in that Bayern hammering in the group stages or that United away game when Rashford scored.

Chambers since the Swansea game hasn't developed for us. Dare I say even at Boro he had his poor games too, eg: City and Spurs away. See him for Selke's goal in the U-21s when he got done by great movement. Not to mention that Liverpool game.

Mustafi had a decent first half of the season and from around the Bournemouth way game onwards it can't be denied he has been poor at times. I expected more and what's worrying is his lack of pace and being susceptible on the turn. So far he hasn't done it.

I watch plenty of Spanish football and would have had the opinion as I still do now that Perez is better than Deportivo but at the same time someway off of what elite clubs want in a striker. Remember as well, Wenger turned down the chance to sign him earlier that summer and wasn't interested. Only with nowhere to go did he go back to sign him. It's obvious he wasn't convinced by him.

Players have to be judged to a certain standard and we can't say we want to challenge for the league and then say the above players and their performances are of an acceptable standard.

I would also add in Jenkinson and Flamini to that list. I will give Flamini the 07/08 season but other than that I have never understood where he got his reputation as player. Since joining us in '04 and playing for Milan and Palace, he only really had that one good season in his career and was consistently overlooked at international level. Yet we get him on a free and it's OK because it's on a free and it's a another number in the squad. It wasn't another number, he played quite a lot. And Keane, Dixon and Neville in particular one Monday Night Football analysing the game against Liverpool from the day before were right, he was a commentator in games, barking orders, waving his hands while not concentrating and doing the job that he was supposed to do on the pitch. It sums it up when he had a go at Ozil against Bayern when he was at fault himself for leaving the space for Kroos to score.

I'm not even going to talk about the Kallstrom signing.

Not directing this at yourself or anywhere on here but this is something I see elsewhere with Arsenal fans, a few good games with players and Arsenal fans go overboard. It was the same with Vermaelen and the "Verminator" label. He had eye catching moments and even before that injury, Barca, United, Chelsea, pens against Burnley and West Ham, his defending was found wanting yet he was adored by fans.

Talk of Mbappe off to Madrid for £161m.... Its quite simply insane stuff if true but that is modern day football for you. Anything north of 100m....hell even 50m for a chap who is only 18 is utterly insane.

Financial fair play....what a joke that was

Wonda-Boy

Just as well really that we dont have the money, we would buy him now and by the time he was really good 5yrs+ plus we would end up selling him ffs.

TBH, Neymar for 232m is even worse. Really starting to give my arse a headache all this mayweather merrygoround.

Wonda-Boy

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Just as well really that we dont have the money, we would buy him now and by the time he was really good 5yrs+ plus we would end up selling him ffs.

TBH, Neymar for 232m is even worse. Really starting to give my arse a headache all this mayweather merrygoround.

What a badly divided world we live in though. Poverty stricken in alot of parts but then we have advertisers falling over themselves to pay $200m or thereabouts in advertising and tv for that Maygregor farce or a club wiling to part with the equivalent of a small nations GDP for the services of a footballer.

Surely football is reaching saturation point? We say it for years but Im really firmly asking myself now how can this insanity continue to sustain itself?

2nd Row Donkey

Remember when Newcastle signed Shearer for 16m and we all near lost our minds.

2nd Row Donkey

2nd Row Donkey wrote: »

Remember when Newcastle signed Shearer for 16m and we all near lost our minds.

16m for a proven striker in 1996 though is nowhere near smashing the world transfer record to bits by paying double the previous record for a teenager. This kid could flop. Shearer was guaranteed to score goals at the very least

emmetlego

Deleted User wrote: »

16m for a proven striker in 1996 though is nowhere near smashing the world transfer record to bits by paying double the previous record for a teenager. This kid could flop. Shearer was guaranteed to score goals at the very least

I remember being absolutely baffled by Madrid paying us 23 million for the incredible sulk after we bought him for 500k. Man that was mad!

highbury1913

Deleted User wrote: »

What a badly divided world we live in though. Poverty stricken in alot of parts but then we have advertisers falling over themselves to pay $200m or thereabouts in advertising and tv for that Maygregor farce or a club wiling to part with the equivalent of a small nations GDP for the services of a footballer.

Surely football is reaching saturation point? We say it for years but Im really firmly asking myself now how can this insanity continue to sustain itself?

Mourinho was actually right last summer. Pogba in years to come will look cheap.

Wonda-Boy

Can you imagine the Agent fees alone if Neymar deal goes through....it would most likely pay for the Lemar transfer ffs! And us flopping around not paying the 50m asking price......slowly increasing in increments until the window shuts or someone buys him.

Shame you cant buy MANAGERS!!!!

highbury1913

highbury1913 wrote: »

Mourinho was actually right last summer. Pogba in years to come will look cheap.

What an amazing prophecy. It's like he expects the fees paid for players to go up over time or something.

Wonda-Boy

Hernandez to West Ham for 15.8m is a STEAL i reckon. Very good player!

highbury1913

Basil3 wrote: »

What an amazing prophecy. It's like he expects the fees paid for players to go up over time or something.

It was obvious someone like Mbappe was going to be worth £160m and Walker £53m. All in a years time.

This summer is gone crazier than any other.

sonic85

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What a badly divided world we live in though. Poverty stricken in alot of parts but then we have advertisers falling over themselves to pay $200m or thereabouts in advertising and tv for that Maygregor farce or a club wiling to part with the equivalent of a small nations GDP for the services of a footballer.

Surely football is reaching saturation point? We say it for years but Im really firmly asking myself now how can this insanity continue to sustain itself?

Thank God somebody has asked this because most people don't seem bothered by it. The fees paid in the window so far and the fees being mooted for the likes of Neymar turn my stomach. This is the first season I can remember where I honestly have no interest in football.

The whole thing will have to come crashing down at some stage.

highbury1913

highbury1913 wrote: »

It was obvious someone like Mbappe was going to be worth £160m and Walker £53m. All in a years time.

This summer is gone crazier than any other.

Ah yeah, but decent midfielders need to be regularly moving for over £100m before Pogba looks cheap.

emmetlego

Back on the Gunners, John Cross insisting his Arsenal sources are saying that Alexis is being sold this window, just to figure the highest bidder. But he's really out on his own. Ornstein and most of the reliable chaps on twitter are saying he's (and Ozil are both) staying and some saying he's (both) agreed to a new contract to be signed before Christmas. I'd love to believe that's true.

Lot's of unreliable sources stating Lemar deal has been agreed for £45m and will be announced by next week. You're right, I don't believe it either!

No interest in Walcott or Jenks either.

Alfred Borden

Annoying that we havent shifted any of the deadwood yet. At least 6 to go.