I really hope that Arsene Wenger’s comments the other day about how hard it was to find good quality players available in the January transfer window, at the same time as praising the Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal on his ability to cover at the centre of defence does not mean that us fans are in for more frustration in the transfer market.
Assuming that the manager has not changed his mind, however, and still accepts that the Gunners are dangerously short of defensive options, it will be interesting to see which player, or players, the Frenchman goes for in January to strengthen his squad.
Arsenal have been linked with Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund, which would be great, but he is one of the best defenders in the world and would cost a fortune, if Jurgen Klopp could even be persuaded to sell him halfway through a season.
Then we have been linked to experienced Premier League players like Ron Vlaar and Winston Reid, who both have contracts due to run out next summer. But there is also a theory that Wenger will look to the future and sign a promising young defender and of these, I think Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk seems the most likely.
His manager Ronny Deila, however, knows there is interest in his young centre back and so has warned potential suitors like Arsenal, as reported by Talksport, that the talented young Dutchman will not come easy or cheap.
The Celtic boss said, “It will not be a surprise for me if there is interest in Van Dijk in January, but he will be very expensive.
“Van Dijk is a fantastic player who keeps on improving and I hope he stays with us.”
Apart from Hummels, who we all would love to see at Arsenal, which player do you want and which do you think Wenger will target?
I’m hoping Wenger and his team are targeting a tough tackling DM who can fill in at CB if required a la Javier Mascherano. Preferably someone who is taller than 5′ 6″.
Amazing example used considering Mascherano is 5ft7
Good point. Well made.
no he has to be taller than that. That’s like one inch taller than Messi
That is his actual height. That is the reality of this argument that Arsenal fans have. It is not the principle that is wrong but just the detail.
Let’s face facts, Sanchez could score headers against the majority of teams in this league if that opportunity was presented to him. The point is, it is about quality. Mascherano is just that and his physical frame does not stop him from doing his job.
@RVP
Exactly. Sagna is only 5’9″ but his vertical leap is amazing. Dude rises like a b-ball player.
@Trudeau
Isn’t Makelele around 5’6″ or 7″? Macherano also. Total beasts both of them…
Gary Medel is a 5 foot 7 monster. Mascharano tore his anus making a tackle in a world cup semi. Chile played him in centre back and conceded hardly any headers. Tim Cahill was 5 foot 10 bus destroyed 6 foot 3 defenders.
He needs two strong defenders and two strong DM if not we are not going to make top four or win the league
Let’s not kid ourselves Mr Wenger will not spend big money on Top Quality Players. He will buy Cheap and hope for the best. I love Arsenal but I am now of the opinion that under Wenger Arsenal are an also ran Club. Look at Real Madrid if one season goes bad there is a new Manger the following year. Arsenal have had nearly 10 years of failure under Wenger YET he is still Manager of Arsenal. Why is this, it is because he is racking in the money for the share holders.
I am sorry to say but as long as Mr Wenger is in charge the best we can hope for is the odd Cup
and 4th place in the champions League and get knocked out in the last 16. NO Premiership under Wenger get use to it.
Ozil and Alexis were very cheap. Very contradictory comment. The Real madrid analogy is awful. Pelligrini and Mourinho failed in recent years yet spent a good few years there. 5 million net spend in over 10 years and finishing no lower than 4th is not failure. It’s a success. Our shareholders have barely taken a penny out of the club.
@arsenalman365 I’m so with you after reading about 10-15 posts these last few days. Some don’t get it at all. Our legacy is doing things the right way. Staying within your means to buy players and build the Emirates. Yes we do it right and till we spend more on players for 10 years like MU MC and Chelsea we shouldn’t expect to challenge on all fronts. I’m proud of what the club accomplishes each year while being outspent by even teams lower that the top 4.
I can name so many players that we lost out to wages. The solution is to overpay but our club does not spend over the odds. Nor should any team and FFP should have stopped this long ago. Till that time comes support the team that tries to it it the right way.
@Jim A
Thank you.
What many still do not get it is regardless how influential he is, he is and will still be an employee and can only spend money that is given to him. It is not like money unspent on transfer will go to his personal pocket. To be honest, I do not see that he even had time to spend any of his money at all, he never miss a single Arsenal match day since I start supporting Arsenal
Wenger probably walks outta thrift stores empty handed because the bargains are still not good enough for him.
The only way we will see expensive transfer targets in an Arsenal jersey is in our dreams.
Ironically your name was inspired by cheap 42.5 million Ozil.
Yeah, I know right? Still convinced it’s a dream…
The rarity of signing Ozil and Sanchez is like finding a needle in a haystack. But who knows. Maybe Wenger will spend the money to get the players we need in the the January window. Or maybe he’ll do a repeat with a Kallstrom Part II. But to see “transfer window will cost big money” has no promise to it. Although time will tell.
That’s 2–I repeat, 2–consecutive summers with big money transfer signings. These signings signify a change of course in the transfer market for Arsenal. Now, regardless of the frustrations of not seeing consistent trophies, I think we can all agree that Wenger is a manager with a holistic approach. When we undertook to build and move into the Emirates, Wenger knew what his project would entail. His project being, build a new stadium, move the club in, maintain a winning record, and then get back to being the championship winning club he created. He’s done the first three. And he’s in the later stages of completing the final part of his project. I do think we will see more quality come in the summer, and maybe some defensive reinforcement this winter. Until Wenger has created the depth and quality that he has undertaken to complete at Arsenal, he won’t be retiring. It’s a frustrating process, agreed, but if it comes to fruition, we’ll all be very happy Gooners. #COYG #onestepatatime
We spent about £80m this summer – the most we’ve ever spent. The money is being used, but yes we could and should have spent more on signing defensive players. Still, I’d rather be in our position of needing an extra player or two but having the money to do it, as opposed to Liverpool who have blown over £100m and appear to have nothing to show for it.
Arsenal spent 80m but how much of that did they take in from selling players.
Get of AW back and start to stand up for the gunners
@ezat, for the sake of clarity and authenticity, can you give us a quotes directly from arsene or your so called conspirators to back up your claim cos as far as i am concerned, he never said or promise to spend 100M. Yeah, he failed to sign the needed dm and the extra def which fans have been criticising him for but give non evidencial comments shows how desperate you are.
Arsenal squad last 4 seasons.
GK
Szcz Manone Fabianski
Almunia Viviano Ospina Martinez
RB
Sagna Jenkinson Bellerin Debuchi Chambers
CB
Mertz Koscielny Vermaelen Chambers
Squilacci Miquel Djourou Monreal Sagna.
LB
Monreal Gibbs Santos Vermaelen
DM
Song Diaby Arteta Flamini
Kalstrom Frimpong Coquelin
Midfield /wing
Arshavin Ryo Gnabry Podolski
Benayoun Girvinho Rosicky Denilson
Ramsey Walcott Chamberlain
Wilshere Sanchez Ozil Cazorla
Strikers
RVP Bendtner Vela Park Chamakh
Giroud Sanogo Campbell Wellbeck
you sure you got everybody?
Still dont understand our scouts.if these guys are really working then getting the players(not necessary expensive ones but reliable and effective one) we need shouldnt be difficult. I believe as the year run out, we will get clearer pictures of what our next transfer would be
50 players.
2 top class.
10 potentially very good but inconsistent
15 decent
15 average
8 useless
35 players injury prone.
600 million quid in salaries over 4 years.
One FA cup.
No EPL
ECL a fantasy.
This is what a 4th place franchise outfit looks like.
Is this Arsenal as we want it?
Apparently the majority say yes.
Emm your opinion on those players may not be universally agreed with. The wage bill is over 4 years and proportionate to our previous standing and league positions. Other clubs have spent more on wages with a lower league position. Top 4 was a great achievement over the past 4 years.
@arsenalman365.
“Top 4 was a great achievement over the past 4 years.”
For you, maybe!
Really, @davidnz comment shows that he recognizes that ‘top 4’ satisfies this majority.
I meant 10 yeara and a 5 million net spend on transfers over 10 years is nothing to sniff at.
What I don’t get really is: how can you support (or claim to support) Wenger, and yet -at the same time- have unrealistic expectations of him?
Wenger does not rate the January transfer window. It is proven by his statements and actions over the past couple of years. It really doesn’t matter if he says he’ll “try to look to add in January”, because in the end, he’ll go into negotiations haphazardly and probably end up with a ‘Kim Kallstrom’ if he is forced.
If I am going to fully support Wenger’s philosophy, I will never expect him to do this or that. I’ll accept whatever he does as the best.I guess that is what the term -AKB, really means.
@61 never again, is a good example of a true AKB.
2 top class – Sanchez, Koscielny?
-_-
😉
Yes Twig spot on mate 🙂
“for the future”
I really hope AW has understood by his own experience, that the future can be deceiving, many players bought for the future didnt have the patience to gt to that future, or were too good for other teams to let them see that future at Arsenal, or then when that future came we saw that they were not really that good in the future.
Years ago I said in a fórum that AW should buy players for the present, win a UCL and then he can go on planning for the future.
It took real madrid 1 billion quid and 14 years to win a champions league. It requires loads of luck. I would rather not risk the club going bust than make a big risk on a champions league.
@arsenalman365.
“I would rather not risk the club going bust than make a big risk on a champions league”.
I guess this is what @davidnz means, when he speaks about “the 4th-place sustainable model” that the club has adopted. It is almost risk-free!
Yes. I agree with arsenalman365
in that to win the EPL let alone the
ECL requires massive spending and
there is no guarantee of success eg
Chelsea Liverpool Spurs Man U last term.
Arsenal made the conscious decision years ago
on behalf of everyone not to take that risk.
So thats why we have the 4th place sustainable model.
The trick is to tell the fans publically that your goal is to win
the EPL and ECL every year but privately aim for
top 4 and EPL last 16. It seems to work for the majority.
I don’t like it but grudgingly accept it.
If we genuinely wanted ECL we would
have stumped up the 50 mill for
a Suarez , 40 mill for a Hummells
and 50 mill for a Pogba years ago.
Instead we buy Sanogo Wellbeck,
Arteta Flamini Kalstrom Squilacci and Djourou.
Even Ozil was a net spend 32 mill summer.
This summer was a net spend of 52 mill spread over FIVE players.
Would have been 36 mill if Giroud was not injured.
Compare with Man U
Ander Herrera 29,000,000
Luke Shaw £27,000,000
Andreas Pereira
Marcos Rojo £16,000,000
Angel Di Maria £59,700,000
Daley Blind £13,800,000
Total: £145,500,000 !!!
Arsenal is less than a third of Man U.
yet Arsenal is right on Utd’s tail 🙂
Financially Arsenal is very smart.
Yet United will win the EPL and / or ECL before Arsenal does.
But is it worth it?
Man U think so.
For me? No.
@davidnz.
4th is good for me, thank you Arsene.
4th is good for me, thank you Arsene.
4th is good for me, thank you Arsene.
lol.
Its so hard to say that
and mean it 🙁
“for the future”
That future might see that player in a nother club, or tired and sking himself to go to another club, or here but not as good as that future was hoped for.
I hope AW has realized this over the years and many cases, and that he buys players to win the UCL now, and hen think again about the future.
@davinz whats your own answer to the question? From the little i know the clubs that have been in the mix in the last decade are the big spenders.if chelsea can afford to buy a lot of players only to send them out on loan and even some of the ones they have on ground(salas,zouma, shuller, peter chech etc) dont even get the chance to play week in week out then you should know that it will take occassional scenario for any team to win the league at expense of the big spenders.
Ironically chelsea only have 5 senior defenders (Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Luiz and Ivanovic) compared to our 6, (Gibbs, Monreal, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Chambers, Debuchy). Schurlle, Salah, Cech e.t.c can barely get a game and they play their best team each week.
@arsenalman365.
The problem with your assertion and comparisons is that: unlike us, Chelsea do not have a terrible recent history of injuries. So they can be forgiven for going into a season with about the same number of defenders (add Filipe Luiz) as us.
We on the other hand suffer a peculiar case that the world expects us to learn from, but we fail to. Because of our injury record, common sense dictates that we should rotate playing time more than Chelsea. Because of our injury record, common sense dictates that we can’t afford to gamble on squad size.
@Tope.
I will not attempt that “big spenders argument” right now. However, let us say you are right. Maybe you are right about saying that ” it will take occasional scenario for any team to win the league at expense of the big spenders.” After all, Athletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have done it in recent seasons. Going by the law of probability, the question then is: Why has it not happened in our own case for the last 10 years? Even when we have had opportunities in 07/08 and 13/14 season (when we spent weeks on top far more than any other team in the league)? Clearly, money constraints did not stop us from achieving as much as we did in those seasons (13/14 especially). What then, can you say hindered us from finishing the job? Was there no money to spend? Or did we just decide not to spend?
Whoever want wenger out please be patient, his time won’t be long unless his heart can take it. I think most of you are young so you all should have more time than Wenger so now just lower your expectations, learn to be mid table club fans, if any trophy come along just enjoy. Wenger club will be gone soon, the new arsenal shall rise.
Top four sixteen years and counting is mid-table? Last I checked there were 20 teams in the Premier League.
C’mon! Don’t act like you don’t know what he meant by “mid-table club”.
Let me spell it out for you: “Under-achieving club”. Yes, “Under-achieving” because now the club has the money to strengthen the squad ADEQUATELY. So be used to seeing the expectations of fans get a little bit high.
I myself, think that even though the expectation level is valid, it is has risen a bit too early. However, I am struggling to look for signs and indications that the club and it’s manager will eventually meet these expectation levels when the time is right. But I must confess that its not looking too good at the moment.
Right for me 4th is counted a trophy for a mid table club so I now try to brain wash myself, arsenal is a mid table club so I am very happy we got 4th for so many years, that a very good result. Well done wenger, keep it up more 4th please.
Are the board members in the house?
I think hafiz has the answer to davs question. Hafiz, where are thee? Let me guess what his response could be “spend some money, buy 3worldclass players for each position then get klopp to manage them”. I like to read the guys comments.i observe that sometimer hafiz mean what he said but he sometimes also spite some here that usually say say “buy this, get that”. Hafis, please, i am waiting
It would be wonderful if Henry can end his playing career at Arsenal, just like Giggs did last season in a player-coach capacity. And then have the Arsenal fans give him a final farewell as he lifts the FA cup aloft. Oh my 😮
Wenger shouldn’t buy any players in the January cos if you buy than you show the world that you are wrong about what you preach. Anyway since you know best, you sure can win us the 4th, I am happy with just the 4th.
I wonder why arsenal could not get more profit from selling player these past years, gervinho (7M pounds), vermaelen (10M), djorou (2M). Even they let fabianski, sagna, bendtner free without any cash in. When i saw luiz (45M), Mangala (30M), Lukaku (28M), I was thinking “Did arsenal players really have no good market value so other team could buy them really cheap ?” idk but with taking advantage of this, arsenal could have extra cash beside from sponsorship to sign WC players in certain position. I wonder how much money arsenal can take by selling podolski and campbell in the future. I guess it isnt more than 12 million pounds. Arsenal seriously has bad bargain position on selling players …..
Poldi 10 mill?
Campbell if he does not score
this season mmm 5 mill at most.
All gooners should realise that it is always better to wait for a while for a good player rather than buying someone just out of desperation. Do you all really think that wenger is gonna waste all the money on some deadwood player after all the hard work he has done while he can get someone far better just after a year. Building a club takes time and patience.
Wenger spend it, it is not your money anyway… !