We have been hearing all sorts of things in the Arsenal transfer rumours flying around about the potential pursuit of the German international defender Shkodran Mustafi, with rumours of fake agents, meetings and all sorts of things.
Valencia have said that he is not for sale and that the reason he has been training alone and not featuring in their pre-season games is because of fitness issues, although a lot of people are a bit suspicious of these claims. This week it has been reported that the Spanish club have hiked up the price of their player, probably after the Gabriel injury blow left Arsene Wenger even more desperate for cover at the back.
There have been some suggestions that Valencia were not in a strong bargaining position themselves, though, because of their financial situation and now Metro has reported that one of the club’s chiefs has admitted this and prepared their fans for the departure of at least one of their players in order to comply with the FFP rules.
Garcia Pitarch said, ‘We’re above the FFP guidelines, that’s the reality, and as of today, the four players we’ve signed cannot be registered, meaning we need to reduce the cost in a significant manner to register the players and sign a centre-back, which is a priority in case one of the ones at our club leaves.
‘Obviously, if they don’t leave, we can’t sign a new one not only because of financial restrictions, but also because it wouldn’t be logical to have five or six centre-backs. We need to continue with a reduced budget, but if there’s an exit, we need a new centre-back.
‘Our capacity is very limited. We’ve signed one player on a free, one on a loan with a view to buy, Nani in good conditions and Medrán as well because Madrid allowed it and the player decided to do so.’
It is pretty clear from this that Valencia are ready to sell Mustafi, but is Arsene Wenger ready to buy? He can hardly claim that there are no centre backs available after these comments, so is this a way for the Spaniards to force our hand?
Bob.
It’s taken so long that if we sign him and he flops then I’ll probably just give up.
the problem with waiting so long to sign in the transfer window is the pressure it puts on these initial matches, LC is home v AFC this weekend, they will be playing at home w thier hair on fire, if Arsenal loose another match, how to attract a quality player? The news on Arsenal will be extremely negative. Panic buys will set in, current players will be demotivated. this was terrible execution by Wenger, setting up a must win match so early in the season on the road…
I’ve never seen a transfer like this. As drawn out as you could possibly imagine. Claims and counter claims, fake agents,fake offers, fake news, uncertain player, unyielding club, miserly manager and now I hear Liverpool is in for him.
God save us!!!
Mustafi is last purchase ever by Arsene? I think SO! Because he no purhase more to this window and he gone next years!!! SUCH WASTE!!!
Mahrez signs new contract with Leicester…
Just because Valencia have admitted that they need to sell the player, that doesn’t mean that Wenger is about to sign him.
Chelsea and Liverpool are in the mix too.
Beginning to care less and less..A supposedly top club that can’t attract players and pay the necessary fees to bring them.
OT: Oh and in other news, forget about Mahrez too as he signed a new 4 year deal with Leicester..From playing in Ligue 2 with Le Havres two years ago to officially snubbing the great Arsenal today 🙂
Can’t snub someone who hasn’t made an offer….
Then why don’t we come out with a statement saying we had interest instead of being quiet and takes jibes from people who thrive on seeing us fail?
Seriously what are we afraid of? If players or agents are using us for better deals why don’t we expose them?
What is going on with this club?
First comment on site.
This is just how most of the business negotiations work in real life. If the news/ intention is going to increase our bargaining power, expose it, vice versa. But we shall never expose business partners like agents, who we need long term relationships with.
We will probably never hear anything for the failed attempts but that doesn’t mean the staff is doing nothing.
Frustrating situation for a fan, but I’m all behind the club 🙂
Mahrez has signed a new 4 year deal at Leicester City FC according goal.com
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2016/08/17/26616972/official-mahrez-signs-new-leicester-city-deal?ICID=OP
“Another one bites the dust” comes to mind! All we need now is for Liverpool to buy Mustafi, and for Lacazette to pledge his loyalty to Lyon and its a wrap!
I have a strange feeling both Vardy and Mahrez will score against us in the next match
Arsenal used to be a top club which almost everyone wished to join.
I remember even xabi alonzo wanted to come to arsenal.
But nowadays things have changed for the worst.No player feels priviledged to play for this business club.
We are no longer a top team in england.
I know ramsey must be regretting why he wasted his career at arsenal because he used to be a good player for cardiff and should have accepted united when they came calling.
And tbf klopp built a great team at dortmund than arsene wenger ever has.
Wenget owes all his success to graham.
In the 90s when we used to be world beaters.
The only true revelation under wenger was henry and henry alone.Patrick vieira and petit were both acquired by graham.
I cant stand anymore of this
I share your pain but I wouldn’t necessarily equate Arsenal’s inability to strengthen with Arsenal not being a top club. If Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man U or any other top club dithered, low-balled and pissed around as much as Wenger and Gazidis have done over recent windows than top players wouldn’t go there either.
Wenger and his staff couldn’t organise a pi*s up in a brewery! It’s official across arsenal lack of ambition fc. # don’t go there! On mahrez I find it hard to believe we seriously intended to sign him. Problem is we don’t seem serious about signing anyone. We seem very good at priming targets, doing all the leg work, warming up the agents and selling clubs and then in swoop other buyers to seal the deal overnight.
@Admin.
I made a comment at 7:51 pm and it says above it “Your comment is awaiting moderation”. Is there a problem?
It’s Thursday tomorrow and we are STILL nowhere near signing a defender…… What the hell is going on at this club!?!? The whole Mahrez story has been about him getting a new bumper deal at Leicester. Arsenal were never in for him anyway. Wenger has already come out and said we have a big squad ?. One PL match in and we currently have 5 players out injured. First week of the premier league being back and I’m already fed up with it.
I all along thought the Arsenal transfer business is all secret and he going to surprise us with marquee signings. The wenger smirky smile meant something – a surprise signing coming along! And then it suddenly hit me like a gale force that F**All is happening. Nothing absolutely nothing – there is no signing there is not even an intention of signing. The smirky smile is all a farce…The guy has been doing NOTHING absolutely NOTHING!!
First: Nothing will change unless Wenger quits and second: It may not change even after he quits (but we will only know that only when he quits ;))
What we need to realize is that we have entered a vicious cycle. Money in the transfer market is rampant which means most top players we want to buy are a) not on the market because the club does not need to sell (eg: Draxler, Lewandoski) b) even if they are in the market it is for inflated prices which we are not willing to pay (Higuain).
The other KEY factor on top of the above 2 factors is that we haven’t won anything major in the last few years and our club does not even seem serious about winning. We are the perennial “also-rans” and Wenger unfortunately does not have the pull anymore.
I am sure that the club “works really hard” to bring in players but we are stuck in a mess of our own creation. We may want to buy a player like Griezmann but unfortunately he does not want to come to us. Same for Mahrez !
On top of it Wenger still doesn’t want to give up on his proteges- wilshere, wallcot, Gibbs, Ox are all failures but he does not have the balls to replace them with better players and as long as he is the boss we will have to live with it.
Where’s all the AKB’S tonight? I like to come on here and read objective arguments and a bit of heated debate. Guess they’ve gone underground for now at least.