Arsenal delay to see Chelsea win race for Mustafi?

You never really know what to make of all the Arsenal transfer rumours doing the rounds of the football media, but I tend to keep an open mind and use the old saying about their being no smoke without fire most of the time. Going on that premise it seems likely that the Valencia and Germany international defender Shkodran Mustafi is one of the players that Arsene Wenger is considering for a summer transfer to Arsenal.

The Frenchman has already said that an experienced defender is one of the things he must get done and the German seems a likely choice. However, according to a Daily Mail report the Gunners are yet to make his Spanish club a concrete offer and has merely inquired about the 25-year old. The report goes on to claim that this delay by Wenger could prove to be a disaster, as it has left the door open for our big spending Premier League rivals.

Their new manager Antonio Conte is desperate to add to his own centre back options and has apparently failed in his attempts to sign a couple of big names this summer. If the Italian does make Valencia a decent offer then we will have to match it and we all know that Wenger does not like bidding wars, so has he waited too long? If so, will we have to accept a second rate defender instead of Mustafi?

Bob.

17 Comments

  1. I always find these articles fascinating. If Arsene is going to make a bid, he usually makes one fairly quickly after identifying his target. Most of the late signings we make are domino effects or drawn out negotiating, not because we wanted a player but waited til the last minute to make a move.

    If Arsene is waiting to make an offer he either is looking elsewhere first or isn’t as interested as the rumors suggest.

  2. Don’t be surprised if Wenger gets zero signings from now until last day of transfer window
    Maybe he will get a defender on loan

    Wenger hasn’t learned his lesson from last season it seems

    1. Wenger’s finding lots of excuses for the lack of action in the transfer market. He mentioned that money isn’t a problem and he was looking at sell-on value, improvement and talent. I am sure some of the players who are linked with us tick those three criteria! Seriously?

  3. I was once lucky enough to be invited to a dinner my friends gave were there was an Arsenal insider. Late in the evening and after a fair amount of alcohol he admitted that Wenger drives most of them mad with his dithering. He goes back and forth on targets and has trouble pulling the trigger, and he has final say. Interestingly enough if you believe in star signs Wenger is a Libra who are known for not being able to make decisions.

    I think this is why David Dein was so important, Wenger didn’t have the final say when Dein was at the club and Dein knew how to manage Wenger. Gazidis seems more like a personal secretary.

    Kroenke doesn’t do much either. He is a smart guy and knows he doesn’t understand the game so he completely relies on the management and on Wenger first and foremost. Kroenke doesn’t even set the budgets, he apporves them but they are prepared by Wenger and Gazidas. Or at least this is what the insider told me and it sounds believable particularly if you see how slow we move in the transfer market. That can only be because you can’t be decisive.

    1. I can believe that kroenke does not set the budgets but approves them. However those who prepare the budgets will be working to guidlines set by kroenke. Kroenke has very clear principles about the financial aspects of his sports teams, as he set out at the MIT conference this year.

      In other words, he sets out the principles, those working for him work to those principles, kroenke then approves ( or not) the budget.

  4. btw to me it is the same with Lacazette. If we do want him we should have bought him by now. If Lukaku gets sold to Chelsea for silly money (I have read amounts of 75 million) then Lyon would be crazy to sell Lacazette for 40 million. The longer you wait on landing your target the more things that can happen to interfere. Why does it have to take so long to increase an offer? It’s not like we have to go to the bank and ask for a loan.

  5. U know what?…… I dn’t really care if all our Targets are earmarked and raided by chelski or other teams

    Not while our interest lies elsewhere…..Not while we are not bidding/ underbidding/ penny pinching…..Not while we act like sloths.. dulling & delaying!

    Anybody can sneak in (it’s a free market economy) ….pay the right money and complete the deal…if they find it appealing

    They have my blessing!

  6. When you look at our transfer activity and how we operate in the market you have to admit it is quiet extraordinary.

    No other big team operates the way we do by showing a real reluctance to buy players and spend money. I really don’t understand why we as a fan base a week before the season starts are not thinking about our best 11 and how our new additions are going to stack up.

    When you look at Utd, City, Chelsea, juventus, real m, barca, Bayern Munich to name a few who constantly seek to invest on more often than not already winning teams. Compared to Arsenal who are still putting their hopes In a lot of average/mediocre players, refusing to make significant investment and justifying that with words like solidarity togetherness balance you realise there is something deeply and inherently wrong at the club!

  7. Personally, I don’t really care about the players our rivals are signing, that what they always do..

    Chelsea already have a good team and they only needed a top CB, but they bought Batshuayi, (who is he?)…and the rumors say they want Lukaku…

    ManU, I can’t wait to laugh at them with their foolish spending.
    Liverpool with klopp operates a little like Arsenal in a transfer market, by buying wisely..the jury is on them but I fancy them.

    Spurs unfortuntaely will be strong and I predict they will do well…
    Arsenal on the other hand has a very very good team but to be very sincere, Injury is our major problem,our players can deliver the title IF only we can avoid too much injuries…

    However, a CB and a striker is just what we need, and if we those quality in those positions, we will go all the way….coyg!

    1. Yes we do have the basis of a good team but good doesn’t win you the league I’m afraid better than everyone else does. We have had more or less the same good players for the last three years and have come no closer to winning the league.

      The fact our players are injury prone should be reason enough to invest in the positions that count

      Top clubs and players don’t fear competition for spaces they thrive off it.

  8. I was impressed by bielik yday to the extent u can make any meaningful judgement in a friendly against a first division level side … But an experienced CB is essential and given price is not an issue and resale value is surely this is a no brainer but then again with a management with no football brain u never know what will happen … The other two lessons from yday are we missed santi at end of last season big time …he starts over wilshere and Ramsey always when fit …and we need a quality attacking option … Walcott and Campbell can be sold as their limits in first half when the Norwegians were stronger was obvious … Would keep ox probably but he will be fighting it out with owobi and Adelaide who both looked good when they came on

    1. I think Santi was letting us know he has no intention of losing place to Xhaka anytime soon. Either he plays with him, or Santi starts, was the message.

  9. @rkw…

    Thank you for mentioning Cazorla…For me, Cazorla is our best no.10 whether you like it or not…
    He is so unpredicatable,complete,crazily technical and always a goal threat, all around AMF….

    A true professional that does a job for the team in any position
    without complaints,he doesn’t get enough credit…

    Like I always say, Ozil is good but Cazorla is more complete,direct and penetrating
    Ozil is majorly about that final pass.
    Another bonus for Cazorla is that is sooo entertaining…ooooohhhh Santi Cazorla….#coyg!

  10. “It’s not the prices, it’s the players.”

    brace for it boys….no signings for us as usual

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