Is it Still “Transfer News” if Nothing is Happening?

By: Martin | June 15th, 2009

This isn’t so much news as it is the old Saturday Night Live Chevy Chase-Garrett Morris “Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead” “non-news” news, but still here goes:

Gael Clichy has come out and said he is not pushing for a move to Real Madrid, saying, “I heard there is an interest from Real Madrid, but I have a contract with Arsenal which I intend to respect unless the club say otherwise. It is great to be linked with Real, but I want to win things with Arsenal.”

While it’s not exactly an impassioned, blood-and-guts refutation of the rumors, it strikes me as a very sensible response. Madrid is a bigger club than Arsenal, one of the most successful clubs in European history, and I think any player would be intrigued by the idea of playing with Ronaldo, Kaka, Casillas, Sergio Ramos, van Nistelrooy, and God knows who else they may bring in in their attempt at forming the “Nuevo Galacticos.” Also, Madrid would not be too shabby of a place to live.

Reading between the lines, I interpret Gael’s statement as being this: “I’m happy at Arsenal, and I’m under contract with Arsenal. However, if Real Madrid come calling and make an offer that matches Arsenal’s valuation of me, I’d also be excited to move on and play at Real Madrid.” Now, look, would I have preferred it if he had said, “I only love Arsenal, I’m going to stop making stupid mistakes so I can win loads and loads of trophies in North London, and I’d never play on the same team as that preening little bitch Ronaldo?” Yes, of course. But he said he’s happy at Arsenal, wants to win at Arsenal, and is not agitating for a move, which I think is the best you can really hope for in this situation. So as long as Madrid doesn’t make Wenger the proverbial offer he can’t refuse, Clichy is not going anywhere this summer.

Elsewhere, the media got started early with its weekly “Cesc Fabregas going to Barcelona” rumors this weekend. Cesc expressed admiration for Guardiola, saying Pep was his favorite player growing up and his footballing idol. The quote in question is as follows:

“It’s very clear that it would be special [to receive an approach from Pep Guardiola], but I’m also very clear that Arsenal have made me captain, and for that I have added responsibility, which ties me more to the club and gives me greater hopes of lifting a title as captain of the Gunners.”

The media, of course, have interpreted this as saying “If Guardiola approached me, I would drop the phone, squeal in delight, immediately tell Wenger and Arsenal to go screw themselves, and hop on the first one-way flight I can find to Barcelona.” Which is funny, of course, because what Cesc said was actually the EXACT OPPOSITE of that, as he said he has repeatedly made it clear that he’s staying at Arsenal. How could so many media outlets make the same mistake? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that they were intentionally taking statements out of context and misinterpreting them just to sell papers and/or get hits on their website….