“So far the transfer market has been very quiet, much more so than expected.”
Not my words, no, but those of Arsène Wenger himself. It has been a quiet summer indeed, a veritable blogging drought.
The boss was speaking at Silverstone, where he made the admission that makes most of the papers this morning – and it’s not that he wants to be a formula one driver.
“We are in the transfer market where you have to let Chelsea make decisions first.”
It’s an outcome we have long suspected, and one which we can do nothing about. When a club is interested in a player, you have to hope that Chelski are not, otherwise that player (and his club) will bide their time and try to get the inevitable inflated salary/transfer fee.
Chelski are ripped off on every transfer they make, but they don’t give a monkey’s ringer as money, to them, is simply not a factor. When their owner recently – a week or so ago – received a dividend of £750m, you can see the scale of the problem. That could buy you Arsenal and still give you change for a couple of other Premier League clubs.
Wenger half admitted he’d like to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips, a rumour that has been in the papers for a while. What he’s suggesting is that he can’t do that until Chelski make their intentions clear.
It’s not as gloomy as all that though. One single club cannot simply hoover up all the best players in the world, as players will start to realise that they might not actually play that much if they move there. The optimist in me would like to think that for every player motivated by the biggest pay cheque (you know who you are), there are others for whom other factors – team spirit, being happy, style of football – are at least as important.
Talk of transfer is still happening in whispers; Baptiste is now reported to have decided to stay in Spain, while this summer’s Vieira Pantomime© has yielded no further hard fact. Will he? Won’t he? Oh yes he will! Oh no he won’t! HE’S BEHIND YOU.
And apparently, Ashley Cole begins training today. Crash bang wallop!
Does anyone know who we will actually get? Does anyone care anymore?
I think we will get some unknown player from Honduras. Then we will all be happy.
Arthur,
I reckon you could be right. I know we got Reyes but just once I wish we could buy a world class talent in the 24-27 year old age bracket.
if Arsene Wenger really really wants to win the title back from chelsea then he wold have made a least 4 signings by now. he’s only made 1! get a move on Arsene the window closes in like 2 weeks.
it doesn’t close until August 31st. Also Wenger said the transfer market was very very quiet, but that he felt it was about to start happening ‘ judging by the heat of my phone ‘. I think the whole world is waiting for Chelsea to do their worst before really making their move. Interesting little message Wenger sent to Wright – Phillips I thought. just in case he didn’t fancy being Duff, Robben and Cole’s back up.
SWP and Baptista and I’d be a happy man!
Has anyone else noticed the pres slove to stir it up ragrding The Arsenal? Why don’t other teams get this negative crap from the press? It is always our players who want to leave or are unhappy.
Yeah the daily mail like “arsenal in crisis” stories – just wait next week there’ll be a load of stuff about player unrest and how reyes, vieira, henry, pires, cole and freddie all want to leave and van persie is off to jail! Remember, good news doesn’t sell newspapers …
As for baptista not signing none of the spanish papers carry the story so I’m not convinced. The english and spanish papers have developed this bad habit of reporting what the other paper said as fact – ie: marca the spanish sports daily says that vieira will leave because the sun says that vieira will leave so it must be true 🙂 Hopefully wenger has a plan B – although last summer when we failed to sign trabelsi he didn’t – how about dirk kuyt of feyenoord if we’re looking for a centre-forward?
As for vieira going to real, real are trying to buy robinho and that will clean them out.
Juventus on the other hand have no money and are in fact trying to sell squad players like appiah and maresca. And vieira has said he doesn’t want to leave so there
People should be patient. There is a transfer budget and I’m sure there are several targets once selling clubs get real prices will be more realistic, AW wants to improve the squad not fill it with players for the sake of it.
Wenger has to sell himself as an improver of players look what he did for Henry, Anelka etc. If I was a young player that would attract me far more than ending up on the bench like Scott Parker.
I can’t see them selling PV unless they need extra funds. I think it might motivate him for the coming season. For all the flack he has got recently remember he arrived at Highbury as a 21 year old and has given 8 years service, for a foreign player that should be admired.
To be honest, unless it is for the cash, I can not see why a player would want to sign for Chelsea now. they have to full squads of international players and you will need to be of Ronaldinho standards to get into the first team. I think if I were any player, Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool would be must more attractive options.
I presume Baptiste might be a target in the mid season window when he will have spanish nationality and still eligable for the Champions League.
Mourinho has called the Charity League the “5th” competition. On that basis well done AW for a 2 trophy season last year.
Hi Fans
My problem is not just with Chelski ruining the whole structure of the Transfer market, but also poor management of our so called hirachy. What other club would allow such players to leave without a ‘good’ fee Ie; Wiltord (worth £7 mill ) Upson, Edu, Pennant. That lot should have been given large contracts 2 years before the end of their final one, and then sold for every penny we could get. They would have raised about £ 20 between them enough to buy SWP.
I think also that our kids have proved many times that we can afford to sell a few top players who were not missed when injured last year. Viera, Freddy & Cygan, would raise at least £25 mill which would buy Trezaguet or Crouch & Diarra (lyon)
Well thats it. Get your fingers out Mr Dein & AW, its time for action & not promises.
Crouch? I don’t think so. No to Trezeguet either. So overrated.
Good morning everybody,
Comments to note:
Baptiste is the deal we want to see happening- but it is looking less likely.
Not much transfer activity happenning elsewhere. Wages too exccesive and most clubs (inc. Chelsea Village) up to the eyeballs in debt.
Clubs are reluctant to buy too early- Why pay players wages in the non- footballing months of June/July?
We have one outstanding sighning on board already -Hleb. And The Alsatian has stated ANOTHER WORLD CLASS PLAYER IS ON THE WAY!
Forget this nonsense PV is going anywhere. ITs the lazy and depicable tabloids talking trash. THe Alsatain wants experience players and the papers are teling us our CAptain is going for a pittance.
The alsatian is in the mood -and has the hunger- to see The Arsenal regain the Premiership 2006.
RElax and marvel at his outstanding poise and management acumen.
Enjoy the weather,
Bongo et al
Crouch? Are you sure?
bongo
you are right
PV leaving? If Arsene were sell him then surely it would have been better to have done so last summer =====> lots more money. I just can’t see Arsene having such a massive change of heart in just 12 months.
Crouch would be sooooo depressing. No chance of that surely.
Trezeguet is a lazy git, statuesque like Kluivert. No chance of Arsene wanting him as he is the antipathy of the kind of player he likes.
Baptisita is surely the other world class player they have been talking about. Fingers crossed. The stuff about the tapping up is a bit worrying but once again can you see DD and AW being so gullible?
Matt
Hi everybody,
I’m hired $5000 a day by Roman Abr. to infiltrate all arsenal bloggers and listen to their secrets. Muahahahaha. Now that we know you want SWP and Baptista, will offer the clubs twice the transfer fee and double player wages, hahahahaha. capitalism wins. All hail roman empire.
If AW & DD were serious about signing Baptista they should have increased their offer and tied the deal up a week ago. It all seems a bit half-heartd to me.
However, although we could do with signing a striker, our need for central defense & goalkeeping cover is more critical. And there haven’t even been any tangible rumours in those areas. Failure to strengthen these areas would concern me more than up front – especially in goal now that Stack & Taylor have left.
The Baptiste signing- or the failure to sign him.- Is still good news- it shows The Alsatian is targetting the right areas. And his eye for a player is still soundly spot- on.
What was it my mother used to say : Theres’ plenty of fish in the sea, Bongo’- and off course she was right!
Regardless;
We will have an exciting centre forward coming in SOON- PATIENCE mis amigoes!
Bongo et al
Bongo i agree with you i still say when new players arrive it will be nobody thats been mentioned and i still think the Baptista saga is not dead dont believe the gutter rags they know no more then the rest of us its all b******s as for PV4 if he goes he goes it makes a change for him to be left swinging instead of the Arse and its Arse mates i for one will be glad to see the back of this bloody caper every year keep the faith.
I have friends who live near Pascal Cygan.
So yesterday -when i spot the Gangly Stopper- me and my Border collie asked him about the PV saga – he laughed!
Mark BONGOS words -PV will be our captain next season.
J. are town- but they want the Midfield Maestro D’artangnuan-(Pires.)
My gut reaction- is The Alsatian still thinks he can lure the mercurial magician SWP. Hoity and Bentley plus the Pires money might just make it a GOER!
Bongo et al
I have a feeling RP7 might be on his way to the old lady or Fred,i have heard OUR SNIVELING left back could be the man but they have Zambrotta so i doubt its him,if it is him good bye to bad rubbish Clichy will grow into becoming a quality left back better then Cole just a personal opinion i just hope if Cole goes it is not on a Bosman two years down the track the thought of him sticking two fingers up at the Arse and then bleating about it in some gutter rag will take some stomaching but enough of him,how confident are you Bongo that PV4 will still be at the Arse next year?
To Unc et al,
Lets look at the evidence. Our magnificent manager is the most organised, focused, thorough manager around.
The scurrilous Hacks are saying that we want to get rid of The AFC captain.
This is an insult to our managers’ intelligence. If, as these hacks are suggesting- that PV is going. Who do they think AFC are going to replace him as captain? Cole? Campbell?
The Alsatian has also stated he wants to purchase Experienced players. So having seen the Elegant EDu depart – the Premierships best manager wants to weaken the midfield area even further. Really?
PV should (arguably) gone last year- when there was serious money being offered. PV- like us – is in for the long haul.
One particular hack- the embittered Ian McGarry is the shit-stirrer. As I suggested before- do not buy The Daily Mail.
The ALsatian has not got where he is today- buying selling his Captain on the Cheap!
bongo et al
I know what your saying but i just think this time he will be on his way AW or DD have not come out and said he is not for sale there silence is deafening last year AW did not stop saying Paddy will stay,maybe the Arse feel its time to cash in,i do agree last year would have been better arguably.Its easy to say the Arse should not sell our best players thats true,but can anybody put hand on heart and say he was one of our best players last season or the season before, forget what he as done in the past just the last two season’s.I am not knocking Paddy he as been a great player but i dont think he as been on his game.
Patrick Vieira will be Arsenal captain this year.
He is focussed, injury-free and in his prime. He will be colossal this season.
He knows Highbury will be witnessing a special season- And he will be integral to that.
bongo et al
PV4 might leave. wenger knows right.
but letting Pires leave will definatelty not be a smart move, im no manager but im tellin u that would be foolish.
plus we should have offered more money for the beast.anyways, we dont really need a striker, whats going on with signing a new keeper?
remember, even though lehmann won us the fa cup, he is still not good enough throughout the season.
To DB10,
Was Jens-good enough in the season when WE WENT UNBEATEN?
Only Petr Cech and David James are better goalies in the Premership.
We do not want Jens UNDERMINED this season. So get off his big back!
AW has just purchased his third choice goalie (500k) from Atlanta.
We will also see an improvement from The Clown (Almunia). He has the talent- but his judgement is dicey!
bongo et al
Jens will do a good job OK i am not his biggest fan but lets be honest the best keepers are not avalible and there aren’t that many who are better.
The cup final was all the evidence that we need to be certain that The Alsatian wants a new, experienced, fast, powerful centreforward. The only other player we currently have who could lead the line in TH14 absence is Jose and he wasn’t even handed the job against Manure. Aliadiere has gone out on loan. He will hopefully come back in a years time with some Big Cup experience and with a season of hard work and toil under his belt and be able to do the business for us. Other than that we are CRYING OUT for a new striker. We need someone who can relive the burden from TH14 more than ever.
The Beast is a flashy signing and I wouldn’t argue with it, but we really need another Campbell when he was in his prime. Last season’s weakness was on D. With Gilberto back and Sendros’ emerging talent Lehman will do very well. We need a big-time center back though, someone to take over for SC. SC is done, he’s toast.
For me the loss of PV4 would not be the end of the world this year as we all thought it would be last, as long as we get an inflated price for him (15-16 Mil +), it would be good business after all he his 29. AW most have someone in his sights cos this has been going on for years now + this press release from Hill-wood would never have got out if there was no plan B.
Uncle fester: as always I’m with on this one with COLE: I really hope he rots in the reserves this year, cos he’s not Man-enough to come-out & make a sincere apology. This I could cope with (although it would be hard to swallow) as we have all made mistakes in our time.
San Francisco: SC probable needs to give-up the England career if WE are ever to see him back to anywhere near the player he was. If he will not make that decision I would look into off-loading him either in the new year window or next year. His problem is his size ok when your young & injury- free but once you hit your 30’s not good.
But if he did decide to retire internationally I think we will have 3 excellent centre-half’s for some years to come three @ least.
stop being tight arse.if you want the beast get him.stop fannying about.