I know that Arsenal fans have had our problems with La Liga’s Barcelona at times, sometimes on the pitch with our meetings in the Champions League and sometimes off the pitch as they have poached a few big players off us, especially when Arsene Wenger was working on a very tight budget and unable to fight off transfer interest in his best players. After getting Alexis Sanchez off them last summer, however, I feel a bit better about our relationship.
So maybe the Arsenal fans will also feel a bit better disposed to their midfielder Sergio Busquets, who has often been the target of anger due to his perceived play acting to win free kicks. The question is, would we like him at the heart of our team?
The reason I ask is that the 26-year old has suggested that he could be ready to make a new start after playing in Spain for Barcelona throughout his career, as a Metro report reveals. Busquets went further as well by claiming that England would be his destination of choice were he to leave the Catalan club.
He said, “Perhaps when you play the same style of football for many years you can tire of it and the football in England is very different.
“I envy everything. I admire the Premier League for the quality and style of football.
“I can’t say I’ll definitely play there because things change and I’ve always said I want to stay here for many years, but I’d like the experience.”
In my opinion the Spanish international is the perfect midfield player for Arsene Wenger, with the passing and vision of Mikel Arteta combined with a fantastic work rate, defensive ability and bundles of experience at the very top level. Here’s a little stat comparison from Squawka.com between him, Matic, Schneiderlin and Pirlo of Juventus.
He is also a pretty good player going forward but at Barcelona tends to leave that to the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. So should Wenger react to Busquets words and try to sign him for Arsenal?
So, a very important fact that the article leaves out is whether Busquets is going to be a free agent in the summer. If not, then Barca has a transfer ban and this story, well, it would have no legs to it.
I heard something along the lines of FIFA lifting the transfer ban, but not allowing Barca to register any new players to play for them. In other words, they can sell but can’t buy. Not sure if that has any truth in it, but there’s still the question of if you can’t buy, why sell anyone?
Of course, I do think the ban should only be to the effect that the CANNOT BUY. It will be absurd if it hinders them from selling.
So, if, for instance, they have a player that’s highly sought for but the player has just a year left on his contract and has refused renewing: THEY SHOULD LET HIM GO FOR FREE???
Barcelona’s lost is our gain in alexis sanchez! Oh my! What a gain and revelation he has been for arsenal fc! Coyg!
Alexis isn’t just an amazing player, he was an absolute bargain at £35m too. He’s proven much better value for money than Di Maria at £60m, who’s been pretty invisible since November.
To be fair, Sanchez hasn’t been as dazzling as he was up until xmas-times either. But i completely agree with you!
We don’t want Bosquets,he and Arteta are similar.He lacks defensive ability i think he could be just another CM rather than a DM.
if he can strengthen the team why not??
signing Boquests can provide competition and depth for the team..
Did you just say that of Busquets ???
Only thing about him is his drama. Otherwise, he’s a better player, compared to Arteta.
Its lucky we never play Barca for the last few years…..
Sanchez, Fab, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro etc….
we will be hammered very badly if we were to play them previously…
we played barca when they were being called the best club team in history…guess what -we beat them, with players like bendtner leading the line.
get your tongue out of there buttocks, they had to cheat with a cheap red card for rvp to knock us out.
yes they are better, always have been, but so what- with heart and determination we can win against anyone…ivan drago got beaten in russia
Are you implying that they are over rated and not good enough??
Muff is implying that you are not smart enough….
When you have players capable of individual brilliance you always have a chance. Just look at what Thierry did in the Bernabeu in ’06. I think Alexis is the type of player that could pull a goal out of nowhere.
I like Biscuits, especially chocolate digestives
I’d much rather have Busquets’ fellow countryman Javi Martinez, if he has recovered from his CL injury by the summer that is. Otherwise I’d go for Lars Bender or Krychowiak.
totally agree…Javi Martinez is world class…
warming the bench regularly at Bayern will do him no good…
we need a replacement for Diaby at the medical centre as well…
Who is Diaby?
Apparently di maria isnt fitting in well in the man u system! More headaches for LVG, he better start keeping a bottle bayer handy!
this guy would be an awesome addition!!!!
If we sell arteta and flamini n release diaby. Then yah but @ the moment coquelin :-)…..hez backed by chambers n beilik for cdm…..
Coquelin is not good enough….
Chambers is not a DM and not proven and experience enough as a RB and CB…..
Beilik is not good enough and inexperience…..
we still need 2 proper DM to provide competition and backup…..
Off Topic: am I the only one who thinks Özil has been playing great since returning from injury? Not just the fact that he’s got his goals and some assists, but he’s noticeably stronger on the ball. By no means a Yaya Toure, but much improved on how he was. I’ve also noticed him defending more, and he seems to have a lot more desire in his game too. Of course the passing has been fantastic as well, but it always has been. There’s still much room for improvement, but he’s been playing a lot better than before his injury.
I think Ozil realise the physical side of EPL. He is clearly changing his style of play as well, before he is always trying to play as if he was in Madrid. Playing long amazing passes to the flank. At arsenal, its more of a pass to the box style. Ozil will improve if he learns to play as a CM, like Cazorla, Rosicky. Those players have succesfully turn from AMC/wingers to world class CM
Come on man, busquets is not coming to Arsenal not because we can’t get him but because he’s not a free agent. The only player i can see leaving barca is pedro but we’re stacked in that part of the field.
It’s great that we are getting players from Barcelona and Madrid (Ozil, Sanchez) instead of selling our best players (ie Henry, Fabregas etc.) We went several years in nowheresville.
My Wish list:
1. Top Striker: Lacazette (scores almost every game- future Balon d’Or winner)
2. Forward: Reus (Not needed but useful. Can play on either wing and cam if needed)
3. DM: Schneiderlin or Kondogbia
4. Box2Box: Vidal or Gundogan or Pogba (1st and last unlikely but could use one as Ramsey gets injured quite often and Wilshere isn’t improving)
5. Defender: Godin or Thiago Silva or Ramos
6. Goalkeeper: (again not needed unless Szczesny leaves): Cech, ochoa, bravo or Lloris