The Shop Window is Looking Really Nice- A Review Of Arsenal’s Transfer Targets

By: jg | June 14th, 2011

Hello all, the transfer season is well upon us when we get rumors of Emmanuel Eboue leaving the club. To be quite honest, the Nasri situation (which Homey very eloquently talked about in yesterday’s post), along with the now annual Cesc Fabregas Summer Transfer To Barcelona Media Extravaganza (Now available in Qatar!) dominating the Arsenal-related headlines is not exactly the way I wanted Arsenal’s summer to kick off. Which is why I found it very pleasing to see dead weight like Denilson and Bendtner unequivocally express their desires to leave the club- Lord knows we don’t want a transfer saga regarding the lethargic Brazilian. I also found it a smart move on Wenger and the club’s part on setting a final deadline at the end of June for Nasri and Clichy to make their decisions and either stay or leave the club- it’s obvious that a summer-long transfer saga regarding a player leaving the club is not wanted at all- it would add an air of instability within the club and would make deals regarding incoming players much more difficult. So, whether someone like Nasri goes or stays, it’s good that we get over this quickly, cause boy, Arsenal’s going shopping!

Here is a list of the players we have been realistically linked to signing, and a few other names we could possibly sign. Onwards..

GOALKEEPER: NONE- Arsenal definately improved on two fronts last season. One was Arsene Wenger’s skills on violently throwing a bottle- a little bit more practice and he could get a spot in the World Championships! The other was our goalkeeping situation. What was our most pressing concern a little over a year ago seems to have resolved itself with the emergence of Wojcech Szczesny and the redemption of Lukasz Fabianski. Both had very good seasons between the sticks for Arsenal last season and while it is currently an assumed fact that Wojo is now our pernament #1, Fabianski performed well enough in his appearances that he at least merits a a shout over who should start in goal for us this coming August. While there were reports that Arsene tried and failed in a bid for Aston Villa’s Brad Friedel (who eventually signed for Spurs), I don’t see a need for any incoming GK’s this summer- we have a future World class goalkeeper already and his sturdy and dependable teammate and potential backup. Also, Lehmann could possibly resign for another year and we have Argentinian Emiliano Martinez in the Reserves, who seems to be held in high regard (and got a call-up to the NT for it’s friendlies earlier this month.)

FULLBACKS:

CARL JENKINSON : At the time of writing he is our only signing, a 19 year old right back from Charlton Atheltic, who played in League One. While it seems he will be given a first-team chance (which could mean Eboue may leave the club), this is more of a “one for the future” kind of signing, a very speculative one at that. He’s really unknown and no one seems to think he’ll be a world beater one day. He holds some England and Finland youth caps but it doesn’t look like he’s anything really special. On the plus side, he came at a relatively cheap price (£1 million) and seems to be a big fan of Arsenal, which is always a plus. Hopefully he won’t be as bad as Eboue was last season, and that of course Sagna stays injury free.

All of the following players would only come should Gael Clichy leave. With that in mind, they would all come to play in a starting role in the left-back position.

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LEIGHTON BAINES: The Everton man has just finished a spectacular season with the Toffees, getting 5 league goals and 11 league assists- making him the most productive defender in terms of goals in the EPL this season. His surging runs forward are now his trademark style, and his crossing is top-notch, something that could be very useful for us when we’re trying to get a goal. He has become a cornerstone of the Everton team, and is now a regular in the English NT. Honestly, if Clichy goes, then Baines is the best left-back available we can get (Fabio Coentrao, unfortunately, is too busy flirting with Real Madrid to notice us, or anyone else for that matter). And really, with Baines being worth about £15 million, it would be pretty dumb not to buy him unless we get someone who’s just as good as him, and even better, aside from Liverpool (who might get Clichy anyways), there isn’t really any top club with a pressing need for LB- Man U have Evra, Chelsea have Cashley, and City have Zabaleta/Kolarov. So there really isn’t any competition for his signature in England. Perfect environment for Arsenal to work with, right?

JOSE ENRIQUE: Has played for Newcastle for several seasons now, and was named their best player and included in the team of the year during the 09-10 season- the year they were in the Championship. However, he seems to have progressed in that time as he is held in high regard presently, so much that Liverpool were heavily linked to him after their Andy Carroll splurge. In contrast to a left-back like Baines, Jose Enrique’s main draw is that he is very, very solid defensively- he is good at keeping the ball and very rarely does a winger get past him. Heavily linked to Liverpool in the past, Enrique is thought to be available for £10-15 million and seems to be ready to move to a bigger club- even Barcelona have been linked to him recently. At the very least, he would be a better defender than Clichy, although his apparent lack of attacking prowess could be cumbersome.

BENOIT TREMOULINAS: The previous two players already play in England, and as such their prices are always going to be inflated. Not so with Tremoulinas. The man plays in France for Bordeaux, who have just finished a very disappointing season in Ligue 1, finishing in mid-table, just two years after winning the league itself! Tremoulinas has already showed he is capable of making the step up to a higher level, displaying some decent performances in the 09/10 Champions League and in the Ligue 1 over the last 3 seasons. Tremoulinas is a very modern, attacking left-back, capable of some dangerous forays forward. In all fairness, Tremoulinas would not represent a significant step-up from Clichy (aside from the numerous lapses in concentration), but rather a continuation of having a decent left-back who is good going forward.

CENTER-BACKS: Next to the attacking midfielder position, our most pressing need this summer. Koscielny still needs to improve, Bartley is unproven at this level, Djourou is injury-prone, no one knows if TV5 will return to his previous level pre-injury, and Squillaci just sucks. All this leads to Arsenal needing to sign at least one dependable, GOOD center-back who can provide quality competition for the starting CB role for years to come- no stopgap, cheap veterans, no teenager from some club no one’s heard of who has 16 caps for the Estonian U-14’s, none of that. Wenger needs to sign a center back who has plenty of experience already in his current club and has the ability and skill to effectively come in and start games. While some may say this will take away playing time from Kos or Djourou, who weren’t that bad as our de facto first choice CB pairing last season, we will inevitably have so much injuries and runs of bad form that our new signing will at least get 25-30 games next season. The main question is, who do we get?

Jan-Vertonghen-Arsenal-2011

JAN VERTONGHEN: If I were Wenger, I would be doing my utmost in trying to sign Ajax’s Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian international has just won the Dutch Eredivisie with Ajax and has indicated a desire to move on. Vertonghen displays a very attacking style for a center back, getting a couple of goals in the process (7 last season), similar to our own Verms, who also happens to be Vertonghen’s NT team-mate and best friend (and no signs of a Bridge mishap between the two on the horizon.) He is also left-footed, something we are currently lacking in the CB department (apart from Vermaelen), and hasn’t looked injury-prone in the last couple of seasons. He is already used to playing a highly technical, passing game with Ajax, and can also play as a defensive mid, meaning he could provide cover for Song and Wilshere (and be at least 100 times better than Denilson). In other words, Vertonghen would be very close to a perfect fit for Arsenal. Unfortunately, in recent weeks the talk has shifted to Man City being the leading contenders for his signature, indicating that perhaps Wenger is closer to signing someone like Samba or Cahill, or that he simply can’t match what the Citizens are willing to offer (more on that later.) It would be a shame, because Vertonghen has all the markings of being a very useful and good player at Arsenal

CHRISTOPHER SAMBA: The huge Congolese defender has been linked to us for a year now, and many seem to think he would be a perfect fit for us, given his tall stature which would add “Steel” to our defense. That being said, Samba, while certainly physically able and very good in the air (both offensively and defensively), is not used to Arsenal’s slick passing game and could very well struggle to get used to his surroundings. In addition, Samba’s lack of pace could be suicidal when playing with Arsenal’s traditional high defensive line- I can just imagine Rooney and Man United tearing us apart on the counter-attack and Samba being too far up to get back in time. Getting Samba would not be terrible, but giving the number of options out there, we could do better.

GARY CAHILL: Ah, Cahill. This guy seems to be linked to just about every single top club in England. Why wouldn’t he? He’s English, young, good in the air, English, plays for a decent mid-table side (Bolton), English, and is halfway decent. Did I mention he’s English? As such, he is generally regarded as a good defender who could help Arsenal get rid of their “frilly”, “don’t like them up ‘em” regard to defending. And you know what, I don’t think Cahill would be a bad buy. He’s already acclimated to the EPL and is already used to playing a passing game. However, my main beef with his signing would be the price. His contract runs out the next year and Bolton have set a price of £17m for his signature. I’m sorry but if that’s near the price needed to buy Vertonghen, then I’d rather have Arsenal sign the Belgian. In addition, there is NO way Wenger would spend that much on someone when their contract runs out the next summer. There is just no way. It happened in 09/10 with Chamakh (he could have gotten him for a fee in January, when we had a pressing need for an extra striker), and it’s going to happen this summer with Cahill. Unlikely, unless Bolton lower their price or Wenger gets desperate.

Paris-Mamadou-Sakho_diaporama

MAMADOU SAKHO: If we fail to get Vertonghen, then I want this guy. 21 years old, French, tall, and plays for PSG, one of France’s best clubs. But the big thing about this guy are his leadership qualities. He was the captain in every setup of the French Youth NT he was in, and is currently the vice-captain of PSG, despite being barely old enough to get a drink in the USA. This would be very good, for example, when we are faced with situations like the 4-4 game against Newcastle- somebody like Sakho can take hold of the team and say “all right guys let’s stop the rut and let’s stay afloat.” In addition, he is proficient in the air, also something we have been found lacking in defense the last couple of seasons. The more and more I think about it, the more I think Sakho would be a very good signing for us.

SCOTT DANN: More accurately, any starting Birmingham City defender. Despite being relegated, Brum’s central defenders have a reputation for being decent, no-nonsense, rough, English, worth spending money on, defenders. Although Dann (or Roger Johnson, for that matter) would be available at a cut-price following his team’s descent into the Championship, this would be the signing I would least want. He’d be no better than a back-up to Verms/Kos/Djourou, and would probably stifle Bartley’s or Miquel’s development while not providing much more in terms of quality. Should be nothing more than a last-gasp option if we fail in getting any of the other targets.

CENTER MIDFIELD: Denilson’s leaving, thank heavens. To be honest, I don’t think Center Mid is a position that needs investment, especially compared to more critical areas such as defense and wingers. At the very best, I can see Wenger buying another prospect or someone brought in just to be a backup- which, as Squillaci has shown, isn’t always a good thing. We have Wilshere, who will look to improve on his great breakthrough season, and Songinho, who will be working to perform even better in his currently adapting role as a dynamic, box-to-box guy. Ramsey will get a full pre-season to get even better after getting his leg broken 2 years ago, and Diaby, when he’s not crocked or getting sent off, can actually get the odd good game here or there. Plus, we have Henri Lansbury back from Norwich City, where he had an excellent loan spell and will look to get a shout in the first-team. And we can’t forget Emmanuel Frimpong, who many at the start of last season were predicting he would get his great breakthrough, and is now fit and ready to work up to that challenge. If the club feels that we do need someone new in this area, they could do worse than signing Jan Vertonghen, who has experience already in playing in this position. So forgive me if I think that getting a player in this area isn’t exactly critical- although I certainly welcome any debate on the matter.

ATTACKING MIDFIELD/WINGERS: Obviously, this a position whose signings will be made relative to whether Cesc and Nasri stay or leave the club. For various reasons, I don’t think Cesc will leave (more on that on a later post), but Nasri right now is a wild-card. With that being said, it’s necessary that we still make investments in this area, seeing as how we suffered from effeciency and ruthlessness on the attack last season. We have been most heavily linked to a certain duo from French Champions Lille, who were they again?..

hazard_0

EDEN HAZARD: Probably the #1 transfer target this summer, next to Aguero and Alexis Sanchez. Of course, being a vital part of your team that won it’s first league title in over 50 years and being compared to C.Ronaldo and Messi can do wonders for your reputation. A speedy, intelligent, highly technical attacking midfielder/winger with lots of vision, Hazard was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year for his amazing performances and seems destined to leave the club. While his stats (7 league goals and 10 league assists) aren’t exactly eye-popping, it is his overall link-up play and vision which make up for any goal-scoring deficiency, being regarded as one of the best passers in France. In addition, he has a very cool temper, always a plus when dealing with stars (ahem.. *coughBalotellicough*). Hazard will likely only leave Lille on a big transfer fee, upwards of £20m being a possible value. And with City, Barcelona, and others looking at him, he could be the biggest signing Arsenal could make in years.

GERVINHO: The Ivorian, nicknamed by his ex-Brazilian coach, also played a hugely important part in Lille’s domestic Double last season, getting 14 league goals en route to the title. Has been extensively linked to us and Man City so far this summer, and if he’s going to leave Lille, it’s likely to either Manchester or London. Can play either up front or on the wing, which could potentially solve two problematic areas with just one signing. Has all the makings of a classic Arsenal signing, but this is where City come in- they’re basically willing to offer Gervinho much, much more than Arsenal are willing. We can avoid this problem if City get someone else, like Alexis Sanchez for example. But if they target Gervinho as their #1 transfer target, then unless the player himself has a burning desire to come to Arsenal, then he’s probably going to go Manchester.

ANDRE AYEW: The young Ghanian was perhaps Marsielle’s best player last season, helping them try to retain the title, that, thanks to him, they almost did. Has really come into his own in France, terrorizing defenders from the wing and scoring several crucial goals along the way. (He got 10 in Ligue 1 last season). He has indicated a desire to stay for at least one more season at Marsielle, but if we lose out on any of the two above then I can see Wenger tempting young Andre..

FORWARDS: With Bendtner leaving and Chamakh not really convicing anyone of him being a quality striker after his torrid second half of the season, it’s likely we’ll make an investment in this area. The question remains, should Wenger sign, will he make a signing that looks more to the future or a big-name signing who’ll be coming to play immediately? Support for the former would be RVP’s form that proves him as probably THE best complete forward in England and Walcott’s budding talents as a forward, not as a winger. Of course, we don’t know if RVP will last more than half a season and Walcott is still developing as a striker- indicating that maybe we do need a big-name forward signing.

aptopix-portugal-soccer

FALCAO: The guy is a beast, let me start with that. He absolutely DESTROYED the Europa League, getting 17 goals, the most in the history of that competition. Is very good in the air, plays well with his teammates, and is an excellent finisher. In other words, just what Arsenal need in a striker. Could very well be the big marquee signing Arsenal have been looking for, although the same can be said about Hazard. We’re competing with Spurs for his signature, likely to be around £20m, but I think if we can accommodate him into our system (which would likely mean one of our center mids would be dropped), he could be a very good player for us.

OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN: Definitely a “one for the future” type of signing, although given how easily our forwards get injured, it’s likely Chamberlain would get a fair number of games should he sign. Big for his age and highly regarded in Southampton, his good performances got him into League One’s Team of the Season, with 10 goals and 9 assists. If we get someone like Gervinho, then I wouldn’t mind getting Chamberlain, but his price (around £12 million), does seem kind of high. And if he’s our only offensive signing, he would represent a gamble- he could potentially be another Anelka, or a Vela. Still, one to look out for the coming years.

karim-benzema

BENZEMA: A very good player who’s not getting the respect he deserves at Real Madrid. Had a much maligned debut season and last season, Jose Mourinho publicly criticized him. Still, Benzema started to try and the goals flowed, ending as with 26 in all competitions. Wenger seems to want him, and to be honest Benzema, being French, being an aggressive forward, and being a good finisher, could very well be fantastic for Arsenal and the EPL. And if Aguero does a Judas and moves to Real, then the door could be opened for Karim to leave the club.

Based on their price and versatility, I think Arsenal should sign Vertonghen and Gervinho- Vertonghen can play in defense and as a defensive mid, while Gervinho can play on the wing and up front. After that, there may be something left in the bank for someone like Chamberlain, or Wenger and the club could surprise us all and get that big, star signing- someone like Hazard or Falcao, for example.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and if you think there’s a player out there who could be good for us, then don’t hesitate to point it out in the comments. And who knows, maybe Wenger will shock us all again and get that Estonian kid I was talking about! More on possible departures tomorrow.

Some Related Stories:

Category: Transfer News and Player Movement, Transfers

« They Say Goodbye, We Say Hello… Hello Hello… | Home | You’re Welcome to go Home, but You Can’t Stay Here: Possible Departures from Arsenal. »

brenton

And this: Arsenal are hot on the heels of German whizkid Samed Yesil

And this: Footy Bunker also says Arsenal are “seriously considering” a bid for Samuel Eto’o. In light of Eto’o’s Premier League talk today, and Wenger’s failure to sign Karim Benzema, that would actually make sense, but we’ll await something a little more concrete on that, too.
brenton

And because no one has mentioned him in the comments: I would LOVE to sign Leighton Baines. Quietly became one of the best players in the Premier League last season. Overshadowed by Gareth Bale on the left, Baines was, I think, the best left back in England.
brenton

Arseblog (the Mail) and Goal.com are reporting that we've agreed a 10.6m pound fee with Lille for Gervinho. 18 goals and 10 assists in the French league is like a gazillion in England. Now, nothing's certain, and until I see him in an Arsenal shirt I won't believe it, but I'm hopeful.

Of course, we'll lose him and Chamakh for the African Cup of Nations for a month...
Rickey_banks

Marko Marin of Werder Bremen, Toni Kroos of Bayern, Bojan krkic or however the hell you spell his last name from barca just to name a few.
brenton

Krkic would be too expensive. And there's something about his play that never convinces me. If he were better he would start ahead of Pedro.
Nerazzurro

Hazard has a temper and has shown so multiple times. He was angry when he got subbed off for Dries Mertens against Turkey two weeks ago (he wasn't having a good game)l, didn't shake the coach's hand, got dressed, left the stadium and got himself a burger and ate it outside while talking to fans who noticed he was annoyed.

Of course he's still young, with proper guidance and support he'll learn to control his temper. And he's better than Gervinho, without a doubt. Also, he has expressed his desire to play for Arsenal more than once

(source: I'm Belgian, I read newspapers, I watch Belgium play and I've played against him when we were 14, he owned me :) )
JG

True; then again every player that has been hyped always has an ego. I was referring to his low number of official disciplinary referrals (I believe 9 yellow cards in his career, but I could be wrong). On another subject, how good is Vertonghen, especially in center mid?
Orion

What strikes me is the fact that no one has mentioned Diego Lugano, of Fenerbache. He's strong in the air, quick on the ball and a very good organizer in defense. He was voted as best captain in the World Cup and although we only saw a sample based on a couple of matches, his performances in the WC were brilliant and one of the major highlights of Uruguay's campaign. Moreover, he has some CL experience with the Turkish club. Basically, he could be what Squillaci should have been. He's been there, he's done it. He is a strong, commanding presence and performances to show for it. The only downsides would be lack of PL experience and the fact that he has never shown any sign that he wants to leave the Turkish champions. But I honestly feel we should have a go at trying to sign a brilliant centre-half.
Homey_Mills

Does Blackburn's sale of Jones tend to indicate that a sale of Samba is unlikely? I would think they wouldn't sell both, especially after all the money they just got from Jones. But I dunno.
Orion

Arghh, Disqus gets on my nerves. This is in reply to your comment:

What strikes me is the fact that no one has mentioned Diego Lugano, of Fenerbache. He's strong in the air, quick on the ball and a very good organizer in defense. He was voted as best captain in the World Cup and although we only saw a sample based on a couple of matches, his performances in the WC were brilliant and one of the major highlights of Uruguay's campaign. Moreover, he has some CL experience with the Turkish club. Basically, he could be what Squillaci should have been. He's been there, he's done it. He is a strong, commanding presence and performances to show for it. The only downsides would be lack of PL experience and the fact that he has never shown any sign that he wants to leave the Turkish champions. But I honestly feel we should have a go at trying to sign a brilliant centre-half.
brenton

I think brilliant is overstating it. He had a very good World Cup, and yes I know the Turkish league is pretty good, but is he that great? I would expect we would have heard of more clubs approaching him after the World Cup.
Orion

Well you could be right. But whenever I watch him play; either in internationals or in the Turkish Superlig, he always gives a solid performance. And If I remember correctly, both Roma and Juventus approached him a couple of months ago but both bids were lower than what Fenerbache expected.
Homey_Mills

I accidentally attributed your comment here to Darren earlier. But Lugano is the same guy who nearly broke RvP's legs in a "friendly" about a week ago. It was a very shocking challenge. I dunno how they'd get along on the same team at the moment.
Orion

There were rumors that not all of the Invincible squad went along with each other well. And yet, their results speak for themselves. So we should be looking at the steel he would add to the team, rather than not getting along well with RvP. Then again, he could be a disruptive influence just like Gallas. So, I must admit, he would be a risky bet.
Ajay

Been following Arsenal, offside for ages but don't really comment. I think at a reasonable price Cahill will be good for us. Would love to have a leader like Sakho in our defence though. But the ultimate for me would be to get Hazard or Falcao. That will give us a whole new dimension to our attack
Darren_V

Thanks for commenting Ajay. Feel free to do more so! Bolton are reportedly asking 17mil for Cahill, but he is in his last year of contract with them, so I would be doubtful Arsene takes him for that when he can wait a year and get him on a free.
I have to admit that watching Falcao abit, he looks very intriguing. The only issue is he is a Central striker, as his RVP and Chamakh. I struggle to see how we could fit all three in the squad together as Chamakh and Falcao are strictly strikers, and not much else.
Augustus Jonah

Spot on with that observation. But with the possible exit of Clichy and the possibility of Leighton Baines (Sorry if I got the spelling wrong). Imagine his deliveries getting to someone like Falcao. Anyway we Gooners can dream can't we. Anyway how real is the Gervinho link wouldn't mind having him in our team.
Augustus Jonah

Spot on with that observation. But with the possible exit of Clichy and the possibility of Leighton Baines (Sorry if I got the spelling wrong). Imagine his deliveries getting to someone like Falcao. Anyway we Gooners can dream can't we. Anyway how real is the Gervinho link wouldn't mind having him in our team.
Kelgamunl

To be honest i think Cesc is staying so we will still be building the team
around him.

And I was looking at that interview with Sagna earlier today. Basically, in
my research, I’ve found 3 different categories of “interview” that appear in the
English media, in terms of sourcing:

1) Unsourced (substantial majority of interviews fall into this
category);

2) Sourced, but the source can’t actually be used to verify the accuracy of
the quotes (nearly all of the interviews that ARE sourced fall into this
category); and

3) Sourced, and the source CAN be used to verify the accuracy of the quotes
(the grand total of interviews in this category is somewhere around 5. I’m not
even joking).

The Sagna comments fall into the 2nd category, and are a pretty typical
example of what you find there. A lot of these comments are sourced to
interviews with foreign radio stations, and a lot of them are sourced to live
interviews at public appearances as well.

This is probably the trickiest category in terms of assessing accuracy and
validity, because you can’t attack the article for inadequate sourcing, but at
the same time, you don’t have any way of confirming that the comments are
accurate. With these articles, I think it’s best to just use your common
sense.

And in this case, I don’t think Sagna actually made these statements. First,
it’s worth noting that Arsene Wenger came out just the other day, and stated
categorically that Cesc was NOT going to Barca this summer. I think it’s the 3rd
time this summer that Wenger has said that, so it’s clearly Arsenal’s position
to attempt to quash the transfer rumors rather than keep them going.

Now, I’m not familiar with the PRECISE terms of Sagna’s contract w/ Arsenal,
but I’m guessing that making statements in the press that contradict the club’s
official position is generally frowned upon. In fact, given everything that’s
happened in the past, I would be absolutely shocked if all of Arsenal’s players
weren’t strictly forbidden from even mentioning the word “Barcelona” in the
press.

Also, it’s not as if all this transfer speculation is something that Cesc
particularly enjoys. Sagna’s his teammate, and I don’t know why he would be
fanning the flames and antagonizing Cesc like that. Certainly, I don’t see why
Sagna would be interested in “tapping him up” for Barcelona I
could go on, but you get the idea…

My verdict: Sagna didn’t say it. And if you believe that he did, I have some
lovely ocean front property in Oklahoma that I’d like to sell you for a very
reasonable price
Darren_V

Have you considered writing your own blog? You seriously should. You have alot of good things to say, and you research it. The down side is, people tend to not want to read lengthly comments like this though.
Start a blog, we will plug you for it
GoonerBen

For me it seems more likely that sagna did say something like "cesc wants to go to barcelona" but meaning "one day cesc will end up at barcelona" rather than "cesc is desperate for a move to barcelona right now"... I'm pretty sure even fabregas has publicly said that he wants to end up in barcelona eventually. Not really news worthy stuff but, unfortunately, any sort of quote about fabregas and barcelona is guaranteed to get a double page spread in almost every british tabloid.
Green-Gooner

We need a decent keeper... seriously - am I the only person with this opinion!?

(*Only dictators delete posts on a forum)
Darren_V

I agree that another keeper is needed with Almunia gone, and reports of Mannone looking to leave. A 3rd option would be ideal
Green-Gooner

'What was our most pressing concern a little over a year ago seems to
have resolved itself with the emergence of Wojcech Szczesny and the
redemption of Lukasz Fabianski. Both had very good seasons between the
sticks for Arsenal last season and while it is currently an assumed fact
that Wojo is now our pernament #1, Fabianski performed well enough in
his appearances that he at least merits a a shout over who should start
in goal for us this coming August'.

Please tell me you're joking, between them they cost us the League Cup and I can't remember how many dropped points in the league! I would quite honestly have any keeper in the Prem between the sticks than either, certainly Flapianski anyway. Man U are putting a better keeper out to graze!
brenton

I thought the Carling Cup goal was the defenders fault.
brenton

Sakho looks a good pick-up. I wouldn't mind someone with some fire.
youngbob

Brand new to the blog. Thanks to the new heads of state for picking up the ball. This site has some of the best Gunners discussion on the web.

Cheers.
brenton

And cheers to you. We really hope to maintain the high level that Martin and Sairax established, though it will certainly be a challenge.

For starters, I'll need to brush up on my Kanye quotes.
anggriawan

I think Arsenal really need a DCM, a proper backup for Alex Song.
I'd like to see Arsenal signing Scott Parker, Vertonghen and Falcao.
brenton

And such is the state of our transfer patterns that I would be happy with just one of those. That would be a step up.
Henrytheo14

My goal for this next season is to one-win something god damnit and two- Have our youngsters really mature and play hard to earn games or spots in the first team and really shine like Wilshire so we can show the worth of Arsenal FC and why we dont need to buy Quality present players but quality futuristic players
brenton

Great work, Jose.

I really, really want two big signings. I know we won't get them, but a boy can dream.
Colombian Gunner

Best move definitely has to be keeping Nasri, I just hate the thought of him wanting to play for ManU...what´s with Rosicky´s contract anyway? I love the guy, he was nowhere to be seen last season though. I´ve seen falcao since he won the U20 world cup, not arsenal´s type of player, but maybe that´s the same reason why we should sign "The Tiger".
JG

Rosicky suffered from injuries and just overall poor form last season.
What makes you say Falcao is not Arsenal's type of player? I'm curious.
Colombian Gunner

He´s from my country...take away Valderrama and we just ran out of decent passers. He´s an "area man", finds himself in the right position to just put the ball on the back of the net, and what he does have is an attacking mentality some players at arsenal lack nowadays...i don´t say he wouldnt be a great buy for the team, i just say he would be a different type of player than what arsenal are used to
brenton

Like sticking Ibrahimovic into the Barca side, perhaps. Effective in his own right, and a deadly striker, but perhaps not what the team needs to be built around.
Homey_Mills

Maybe he means that Falcao always works hard and shows a passion for the game. So he's not really our type of player. Oops, that was cynical of me. Sorry.
brenton

Go back to Pittsburgh ya jag-off.
Darren_V

With comments like that, it's a good thing you don't run a blog. It would spell disaster.
Oh wait...
Benjamin Dockter

What hasn't been mentioned that I think we could really use is a left-footed winger (not Downing). A dribbler that can take people on and cross it with accuracy while being able to cut in and score goals. Hleb was never a good goal scorer, but he was amazing at taking the ball to the corner and dragging 2 defenders with him. He could then dribble away (his one great skill) and pass to someone rushing in the box who now had tons of space. Players mentioned like this have been Mata, and Dzsudzsak, but Dzsudzsak just signed for some Russian club. Di Maria would have been awesome to sign...sigh.
perryvs

ummmmmmm.......you are pretty much exactly describing Ryo Miyachi.........i know he's only 18 and will probably go back to Feyenoord for another year, but he tore up the dutch league straight-outta-japanese high school
Bertrand

How about...Hleb?
Homey_Mills

I'd rather start Rosicky. And it pains me to type that.
Benjamin Dockter

Hleb is crazy out of form and I'd rather we buy someone less one-dimensional. I've always liked Rosicky, but he has just sucked the last couple years. You can't knock him for trying, but it might to time for him to move on, like Eduardo last year.
RedCapedWonder

If Hazard comes to Arsenal, I will drive around waving an Arsenal flag and shouting obscenities at everyone.
Bertrand

Gervinho is a better player atm than Hazard.

Hazard is living on his rep atm..good passer, but nowhere near Ronaldo or Messi level just yet.

Gervinho is way more of the finished product than Hazard.
Bertrand

Living on his potential**
KingBurns

Hazard has two times the potential Nasri had when we bought him and they are a similar player as they both control the game while Gervinho who is more of a winger
KingBurns

Apparently according to the Manager or Director of Lille (Not quite sure) Gervinho is flying to London to talk to us for about 12 million. However i disagree that this would be a good signing because were really does he fit into the squad unless he is a replacement for St Nick (which he would be too small to replace) or even Nasri (dosent have the skill). I would prefer to look at Hazard for Nasri and only God knows who for St Nick.

We should also look at Mavuba who would be a great replacement for Denilson and Rosicky in the middle, especially as his club have declared a 13 million pricetag on him. There is also Yohan M'villa but i know very little about him however have heard numerous rumors him in London about it.

Anyway, congrats guys the blog is great and look forward to reading and commenting in the future !
Benjamin Dockter

Gervinho could be a great player for us. It would seem the reason we're buying him is because Hazard is either too expensive or doesn't want to move to Arsenal. Otherwise I would rather buy Hazard over him. I think Chamakh is the replacement for St Nick. With the way Arsenal play, we really only need one good "target man" striker since they both can't play at the same time.
Darren_V

If Gervinho is a straight swap for Bendtner, it would be perfect imo. Bendtner was a central striker, pushed out to the wings more often than not. Gervinho seems to be a powerfully built winger who can play centrally when needed. And with RVP and Chamahk as the first choice strikers, he could play where he can excel, on the wing.
Arsenal need more pace and size, and he brings those.
JG

Thank you for the kind words, and feel free to share your thoughts here!

I think Gervinho, should he sign, would be useful primarily for his ability to play in either the wing or up front- I agree that Hazard is probably the better player, but Gervinho can offer two positions at once, and play effectively in both, something that I think is undervalued nowadays.
KingBurns

I agree that he would make a great winger and I really think as a winger he is underated but if you look at the team in a perfect world (were both Nasri and Fabregas stay) there isnt a place for him unless you want to get rid of Walcott (which in my opinion is a terrible idea as I still think Walcott can come into his own).

Really, I fully agree with Illinois. Chamakh can replace St Nick easily and dosent seem to upset about being a bench warmer. If Gervinho is an intended replacement for Nasri, the club is making a massive mistake and really should reconsider as we dont need speed to replace him we need skill, someone like Hazard or even Van de Vaart. As we really need to shell out some money if Nasri leaves (especially to Man United) to show that it hasnt damaged the team and has only made us stronger.

However he is a great player and I would love to see him in an Arsenal shirt as he would probably be very good and would add a bit more of a Plan B to our game.
Orion

Well done. I'm blown away, really. Very well researched and quite a read. Saying that the article "kept me on the edge of my seat" would be exaggerating it a bit since it's a football article, but it was really really good. You have set the bar high for the other guys. But if the four of you can keep up doing work up to this standard, than I do not see why readership should not only remain stable, but also gradually increase. Well done indeed.
Darren_V

We need another CDM. Surprised you think otherwise.
JG

I'm curious, do you think we need someone like Sissoko or M'vila, someone who's big and tough and will likely replace Song? Or a more play-maker type CM, should Cesc leave?
Darren_V

Quick and mobile is what I desire. I feel Song is too cumbersome at times, and results in stupid fouls. Bastian Schweinsteiger would be my fantasy buy.
Philip Lahm would be my fantasy buy for LB.
From what I remember of Gervinho from the WC (small sample size, not withstanding) I liked his game. Strong, powerful runner, and can play the wing, something I feel we lack.
As for CB, I don't think Sakho is right, since I want experience, not another raw 21yr old. David Luiz would be a dream buy haha
Benjamin Dockter

I'm not sure that we need a new CDM. Coquelin had an excellent season at Lorient and has those qualities. Pre-season should show whether or not he's ready to make the step up. If not I really like M'Vila or Vertonghen. Both are good on the ball going forward in addition to being good defenders, plus with Vertonghen you get the ability to play at CB. Plus with Frimpong fit, we'll have a decent 3rd choice CDM.
Darren_V

I dunno about you, but I am tired of relying on the unproven youngsters to fill important roles in the squad. I want some experience and competition for Song.
If those youngsters are indeed good enough, they will force their way into the squad.
Benjamin Dockter

That's what I'm saying. I've only heard great things about Coquelin's loan spell. If he shows in preseason that he is ready to be our 2nd CDM there's no need to buy a new one, but if he's not ready I think we need to buy. The same thing happened with Jack last year. He had a great loan spell, but no one thought he was ready for the first team yet. He showed in preseason to Wenger that he was ready and just look at him now.
Darren_V

Sure, Coquelin may come good. But then again, he may not as well right? I personally am tired of hoping the youngsters come good. I want Arsenal to be pro-active, and not reactive.
What happens if Coquelin looks good in pre-season and then 10 games into the season we all moan about his crap play, or an injury occurs?
brenton

Agree. I'm sick of hoping that the youngsters step up.
J___V

Frimpong is a certain to make the grade
JG

David Luiz! If only...
I think Lahm would be a fantastic buy, since he can also play at RB, but unfortunately I don't think he would be willing to leave Bayern.
Homey_Mills

Ok, now for my longer explanation of why I want the two players mentioned below. As I saw it, you could easily point to a bunch of points dropped simply due to the dead weight on the team. How many points did we drop due to: Almunia, Squillaci, Diaby, Denilson, Eboue, and Rosicky? Now, I'll call it a fluke that we had two goalies get hurt at the same time, so I don't see a need for a third goalie. But I think we need to do whatever is necessary to ensure some of the others don't see the field. Well, I guess I can live with Eboue as a backup, since Sagna rarely gets injured. So that leaves a need for cover at CD, DM, and at the forward/winger spot. If Bendtner is sold, then there's another hole. I think Vertonghen can hopefully be a regular starter as a CD. But I think he could be no worse than 3rd or 4th in that pecking order, but also no worse than 3rd in the DM pecking order. So in one signing, we can move Squillaci and Diaby down the pecking order, and then sell Denilson. But if we play essentially two DMs in our lineup, we need 3-4 solid options at that spot. Right now we have two, and I'm not sure how to count Ramsey just yet.
At the forward/wing spot, we currently have three decent options, and then Rosicky. So there's a clear need there, even if we keep Nasri. And if Bendtner is sold, we'll need another center forward. As I see it, Falcao could play in either role. So again, we could get cover in two spots with one signing. And with Falcao, I think he's not just cover, but a walk-in starter.
Then with the rest of the squad, I think we could just promote the likes of Frimpong, Bartley, JET, etc.
So there... a way to improve the team but not break the bank either. Wenger should be proud.
JG

I agree with all of this. That's why someone like Vertonghen would be at the top of my list- he can fill two positions well, reducing the need to spend and allowing others to leave.
phelan

Wholeheartedly agree, I know everybody is excited that Gervinho is opening talks with Arsenal, but I'm waiting to see us get in for Vertonghen who has said he is ready to move on. Ver/tonghen/maelen as a CB pairing? Djourou/TV5 and Vertonghen DM to spell Song? The possibilities and the advantages VASTLY outweigh the negatives (read: price).
Homey_Mills

I don't have time to list all my reasons now, but I'd want Falcao and Vertonghen. If we had those two, with their position flexibility, then we wouldn't need any other purchases.
Anyway, again, very nice analysis. Supposedly we're close to getting Gervinho, so we'll see.
Homey_Mills

Very nice work, JG. I'll list this as Exhibit A, as it pertains to blogs I could never write in a million years. Hopefully our readers will have something to chew on for a little while.
JG

Thanks, Homey. I'm really enjoying this so far.