The two major obstacles in the way of Arsene Wenger completing the transfer of the Leicester City and Algeria international star Riyad Mahrez have been removed this week according to reports in the football press. Hopefully the other one, namely the manager himself and what can appear to be almost criminal dithering, will not stop the Gunners adding this brilliant and Premier League proven player to the ranks of the Arsenal squad this summer.
The first problem was about whether Mahrez would choose to remain at the club that helped him to win the PFA Player of the Year award to go with his EPL winners medal but The Guardian has reported that unlike his team mate Jamie Vardy, the Algerian attacking star has turned down the offer of a new and improved contract with the champions.
It is thought that the Foxes will not stand in his way if they get the right offer and the transfer of their France international midfielder N´Golo Kante to Chelsea this week certainly supports that theory.
The next big problem for Arsenal were the rumours that Spain´s La Liga champions Barcelona were also in the running for the talented and effective 25-year old, but The Mirror is reporting that the Catalan club have ruled themselves out of the race.
Arsenal are not the only club being linked with Mahrez, with Premier League rivals Man City and Chelsea also mentioned, but the Gunners can offer him a guaranteed place in the Champions League group stage and also a much better chance of being a regular first team starter.
The prices being talked about are a £35 million transfer fee and wages of around £120,000 a week, which is well within our capabilities, so is this the Arsenal striker signing we have been waiting for?
Bob.
We are our own worst fears and nightmares!
With the right money, proper Dialogue, power of Conviction, the willingness and seriousness in the transfer window, we can sign any player we want!
Nobody’s Leaving anything clear, they just aren’t interested…..but wait till they are interested or submit a Bid……then u’d know what stuff we are made of….my best guess…..wooL!!!
wenger will offer 25 Leicester will say no then chelsea an others will offer 35 plus an get him.
he would be a tremendous signing for us but i have no faith in this at all
we have been cleared to sign hundreds of players, its pointless.
what im more interested with is the excuses that will be used this season by his biggest supporters, every year its something new and colourful…
@muff………..
Hahaha…they are slowly running out of colours…. Probably all they’d be left with going into next season is “Black or Blur”
Arsenal are the architects of their own shortcomings.
As Arsenal FC is nothing without the fans, I would correct that Wenger & Co. are the architects of OUR club’s shortcomings..
To sign someone Wenger has to want sign someone. At this moment we hav no evidence of this other than gossip. Wenger is playing a dangerous game, if he fails to sign TOP quality, he risks a backlash far far bigger than last season. Take a look at only last year he signed Elneny and now all the Arsenal fans wouldn’t have him in the starting line up. That’s Wenger he has his favourites and then he fills the squad with decent back ups, then we have injuries and the cycle returns. This club can compete with city and Chelsea but its chooses a different path. I understand that we have to sustain however to continue making the same mistakes is destroying the club we all love. Arsenal is bigger than Wenger and if as predicted Wenger doesn’t sign Top quality Sanchez will not continue to pay for a team that does not have the same ambition as he does, I also doubt Ozil will continue, the team of invicables who feared NO ONE look how far we have fallen.
Mr Wenger is playing games with the Fans. Unrealistic offers for Quality Players this ius so he can come up with the usual lip service I tried but it didn’t happen. I am sick to death listing to this same Cxxx every transfer window. Arsenal need a change in Direction if they want to be win the Premiership and get pass the last 16 in the Champions League. Every other Club is strengthening their squads for the coming season, while Mr Wenger sleeps.
Biggest obstacles: ARSENE!!! We got no chances, Cheslea will take 2 days to make the purchase, we take 2 years to make any purchase!!! FRUSTRATIONS!!!
Would prefer Draxler, Aubemeyang BUT would still be thrilled with Mahrez
Mahrez is a proven PL winger, scores a lot of goals fo a non-striker
Mahrez would be awesome for Arsenal
Wenger just pay the £35 mil and £120,000 per week
We wont become bankrupt and without top players we wont win the PL or come close to it.
and sometimes i think
it’s pointless having one of the best stadiums in Europe (sorry Brexit L()L) with no new worldclass players (I know u gonna mention Ozil, sanchez etc) to ply their trade there!
I dont know whether Wenger wants to sign Higuain or Icardi ? One day he is close to signing Higuain and the other Mahrez is close to Arsenal move. It seems that Wenger has lost the plot. With no additional help from the club or his instructions being followed by the club he clearly can’t convince anybody to make move. Every major transfer have been phone called by Wenger personally which is shown.
If Chelsea are after him then we can forget about Mahrez.
Icardi is supposedly coming to Arsenal for talks next week, we are running out of linked players. ??
Icardi’s wife / agent is set to hold talks with Arsenal on Monday,
meaning he’ll have signed for Man City or Chelsea by Friday
L()L
i think wenger will sign icardi and higuain.
Unless sky has become as reliable as the independent and the mirror
Can’t help but laugh,players only come to arsenal these days because of bigger pay cheque and to improve themselves,then they move to ambitious clubs. Nobody,managers,pundits,not even the fans are regarding arsenal as a title contender. The state that Kronke and his servant Wenger put us in.
Icardi’s stats are very close to Giroud’s
Maybe in the long term he will improve but i don”t see him being a huge improvement over giroud
Last 4 seasons Giroud scored 82 goals, Icardi scored 51
Last season Icardi scored 16 League Goals (from 33 apps) to Giroud’s 16 PL goals (from 38 app)
Icardi is only 23 years young though and Giroud is 29 years young (30 in September)
So plenty of time for Icardi to improve
The 40 or 50 million for Icardi (quoted in the press sounds BS) looks more like a 15 Mn striker
Oh to be a fly on the wall at arsenal. Icardi?? What happened to higuain and plan b lacazette? I say again mahrez/draxler and chicarito and a cb. That’s 4 players in a window not happening! Get the cheque book out arsene and make our day 🙂
Probable lineup against Liverpool
___________Campbell
_____Iwobi Ramsey Walcott
________Xhaka Wilshere
Monreal Gabriel Mertesacker Bellerin
____________Cech
Bench: OX, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Chambers, Asano, Cazorla, Adelaide, Zelalem
Not sure why you’re getting thumbed down twig. With most of our stars on holiday this is the best we have available for selection right now. Unless we sign some others, this is who we will be going into the season with.