While most of the Arsenal fans are fairly happy with the business the signings made so far by Arsene Wenger in the summer transfer window, I still think that we are hoping for another couple of additions before the window closes in just over a week.
So I was a little surprised to see the Metro report claiming that the Italian champions Juventus had already opened talks with the Gunners forward Lukas Podolski and that it was very likely that the German World Cup winner would soon be packing his bags for Italy and Serie A.
I know that Podolski has not had quite the impact that we hoped for when he signed from Cologne a couple of years ago, and that the arrival of Alexis Sanchez has significantly strengthened our options up front, but I would still be a little surprised if Wenger let such a goal threat leave the club unless he had another player to fill the gap.
So maybe he has, and it could be the young Costa Rica international Joel Campbell, who is now back with the Arsenal squad after spending the last few years at various clubs around Europe on loan. Maybe Wenger has seen enough from the 22-year old in training to tell him that Campbell can step up and fill Podolski’s boots.
Or maybe, this rumour, if true, means that the other recent rumour about the Gunners being about to swoop for the Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus are not just made up. Now that would be sweet! What do you think?
reus or cavani both are good signings for Arsenal.i am happy if we get sign one of them.
Arsenal can Use Podolski deal To Sign Juventus Star Arturo Vidal.
Vidal is not a CDM.
No he is a world class player that could play anywhere his manager asked him too, just like khedira. CDM? Why are so many people hung up about a DM No other top team worries about it they simply buy world class players then make them work. I would take a world class player like khedira or vidal over carvalho any day. If we are going to sign a young player with just 31 top flight appearances to his name I would prefer calum chambers oh no we have already signed him.
Reus is a pipe dream. Zero chance of him coming this month. None. Why sell (or loan) Podolski when he is are only natural left winger? Supposedly, Campbell, the Ox and Sanchez can all play LW but Wenger is yet to play any of them there. Instead, he prefers playing a non-left winger out of position.
Reus will suit us more than Podolski.
Yes, you have a keen grasp of the obvious. C. Ronaldo would suit us more than Podolski too. I would kill to have Reus but the odds of him coming to Arsenal this month are the same as the odds of Ronaldo coming.
“Why sell (or loan) Podolski when he is are only natural left winger” really ? podolski a natural winger?…he’s a second striker at best if wenger wasn’t a one trick pony we could make the most out of a podolski-giroud strike partnership…
Exactly! Or Poldi-Sanchez up top to give Giroud a rest and Alexis some support.
I first saw Poldi play in the 2006 World Cup as Klose’s partner, and it looked like the sky was the limit for him. But his natural position is as one of a striker pair, not a pure CF or LW, so he wasn’t a natural fit. I was hoping Wenger would play with 2 strikers more this season and use Podolski’s talents better.
Still, we’ll miss Poldi as one of the few players we have who
1) will shoot from outside 18 yards
2) generally puts the ball on target.
Yes, seems odd (negligent?) that we have two strikers who operate best when in pairs but are not used in such a way – early days for Sanchez admittedly. Podolski has suffered at Arsenal because of this – looks poor when occasionally played alone up front and has never really convinced as a LW.
These last 3 games have all been the same thing. 90% of our attack down the right side and no real threat on the left, allowing the opposition to simply commit more players on the right and hinder our attack. We need an out-and-out left winger. Podolski is the only one we have, though I think Campbell can play there too. If we sell Podolski we need another LW.
Despite playing down the right for so long, both our goals eventually came from playing down the left.. Funny how things turn out, but we could’ve done a lot more damage for the whole game with a proper LW.
If we sell Podolski, a left winger that can also play as a striker would complete our attack Reus is perfect for that role. I think him coming to Arsenal is more than just a pipe dream, but still very unlikely.
A solid DM that can also play CB would complete our midfield and defence. Then our team is complete.
I don’t pay much attention to what the media say, we could sign Ronaldo and Messi and the so-called ‘pundits’ still wouldn’t credit Arsenal as being up there with Chelsea and Man City, but if we get these two signings, to me, our team is just as strong as theirs.
in reality wenger just hasn’t figured out a way to play santi and ozil at the same time. santi is not a winger but always plays LW and drifts inside to become a CAM. same with ozil playing RW. its just not gonna work. ozil or santi playing CAM every game, not both. we lose too much pace on the wings
Giroud is better as a sub but he’s still not good enough to be a starting striker,he may have saved us a point against Everton but we shouldn’t be blinded we need a quality striker!
if Messi came off the bench and scored a goal would that indicate he is better as a substitute?? probably not.
he isn’t exactly Javi Hernandez who’s sole contribution to the game is a split second moment which makes the difference Giroud contributes a lot to the attack..
In a very solid 45mins against an organized defense supposed ‘plan B’ a lot of people seem to be referring to seemed to me a lot more effective than ‘plan A.’ but that’s just me….
Are you trying to compare Messi with Giroud?please do not insult Messi like that!!!…Giroud has shown time again he’s better as a sub we won’t win big titles with him as a starter that’s a fact and by big titles I mean BPL and Champions League!
So giroud is better as a sub, great, but only if there is a better player keeping him out. I am still hopeful that wenger will sign a better striker, but of not I think in the big games he will play Walcott sanchez chamberlain as our front 3 and that pace will cause any team problems. Giroud from the bench will also add to the oppositions troubles as it did yesterday.
Also, please keep podolski, if we are going to sell any of the first team squad it should be ryo, diaby, coquelin, miquel at the front of the queue
haha i was sooooo painfully clearly comparing the situation not the player…
it’s a fact now is it?? leading the league for the majority of last season with him not only as our main option, but our only option must have been fluke then…
Honestly I think you have a point. I do not necessarily think Giroud is a bad player. What I always feel is he is complacent- someone who seems to be assured of his place , like Wilshere. He needs to be shaken up. Every time he starts as a sub, he seems to be fired up to make a point! we need a striker to push him but can’t really see a valuable addition around. cavani and falcao are just.. well dreams!
I agree Giroud is not a bad player he actually gives us different options but he’s better coming from the bench as an impact player not as a starter because when he starts we get the Besiktas type of performance
Whichever way you cut it, both the OG supporters and detractors have a bit more to be encouraged about this year – we spent the whole of last season flogging him for 50+ games without options – we have already more options being exercised this year than the whole of last with both AS and YS taking some of the workload. But clearly Wenger is still feeling his way on this – need Walcott back and Ozil firing in proper No.10 slot to have a decent idea as to how his best team is likely to look.
last season Wenger broke the bank to bring Ozil who is a world class but we have good players playing in the same position of Ozil… and we needed world class in other positions (ST, DM)
.. this season Wenger AGAIN broke the bank and brought Sanchez who is a good player but not a pure striker .. Wenger just wasting our resources
He’s buying players for positions we don’t need,we all know a DM and pure CF are required,we may hate the pundits for speaking the truth but there’s no way this squad will win the title or Champions league
thats why its time for wenger to go….
haha for every ‘Wenger out’ person there’s about 9 people who appreciate that he’s by far the best option for the club right now.. so maybe hang out with the 10%??
anyways i’m continually more and more impressed with Martinez.. Obviously Klopp, Pep and a few others would be great for us when Wenger eventually retires. Though if Martinez can continue to improve at the rate he has been he could be a very real possibility in a few seasons time…
The thing is Hafiz doesn’t want Wenger out – he throws that comment in every time someone comes up with something Wenger has allegedly gotten wrong just to stir the pot.
We had to sign GK and RB since Fab and Sagna left and we also had to bring one more wide
player since Ox and Walcott get injured too much. However I agree we still need to sign ST and DM.
He’s just bought replacements what we need is reinforcements,players who will get in and improve our squad immediately,the first 3games of the season Palace,Besiktas and Everton have shown how short of quality we are!
Exactly, wenger is waiting until Wednesday, once qualification is secured he will start on the improvements. Until now (sanchez aside) he has only brought in replacements, I honestly believe once CL qualification is secured he will buy the improvements we need. I expect to see newvfaces wearing, #5, #9 and #23 and possibly #29 too by the time the window closes.
Well, if Wenger sells Podolski, he better get a quality forward.
I have a strong feeling that we will get a quality CDM anyway
we really missed koscielny and arteta (even though alot of justarsenal fifa fans don’t rate him) against everton.
Reus is not coming to arsenal this season. We need a dm and a striker. We get the cavalho guy and maybe cavani. *Anelka is still a free agent though*
How we got out of jail against Everton is beyond me but take it when you can.
Also what’s french for left winger,Arsene doesn’t. appear to know it either.
I us to know it ( left in French) but have not needed to use it since that back stabbing money loving sh!!t left you know who I mean Nasri, since then it seams that we have decided that the left wing dose not exist.
I would have preferred podolski out left last night with ozil in the middle and jack on the bench. Would have given us width.
most arsenal fans doesn’t seems to appreciate the two people who give it whole when ever they play(podolski and rosicky) if podolski was in our match yesterday he will surely have scored. in the first half ozil played a good pass at the 18yard only for Chamberlain to waste it, Giroud had a volley when he came on and still was unable to convert it. all these chances poldi will surely convert. some of u did say he is not good enough. did u ever watch him when he plays at Bayern? in Cologne he was the highest goal scorer in bundesliga, he is currently the most cap German at the national team after klose. how can he achieved this with the German if he isn’t good enough ?he will have good time with juve bcs de value him. how Wilshire or any1 got d nod ahead of rosicky i don’t know. that is why we always suffered this season.
Podolski is a very talented player. The best finisher in our team. He doesn’t have a high work-rate though. He scores a lot of goals because he is a great finisher, he converts most of his chances. The problem is he doesn’t get too many chances to convert. He doesn’t track back particularly well either. I would only sell him if we had a very good replacement coming in.
Rosicky on the other hand does have a very high work-rate and is also a very good player, but he is 33 years old now, we can’t play him all the time, his body wouldn’t be able to take it. Plus if you play Rosicky over let’s say Wilshere, then Wilshere is less able to develop and progress as a player due to a lack of game time. That’s why Chelsea are playing Courtios instead of Cech, both are very good goalkeepers, but the experience for Courtios is more valuable than for Cech. I hope we play Rosicky for quite a few games this season, he’s one of my favourite players, but we shouldn’t go overboard.
Chelsea are playing Courtois because he is better than Cech. Courtois is one of the top 3 keepers in the world. No point in comparing Courtois to Wilshere.
Someone wrote”at the beginning of the transfer window we needed a CB, a DM and a striker and at the end of the transfer window we still need a CB, a DM and a striker”. If we sell Poldi and do not replace his 10-20 goals a season, we are in big trouble. Although we have signed 4 players, we have lost 8 and with Poldi that would be 9. Why does Wenger always have a dangerously shallow squad? It doesn’t make sense.
I don’t care if his buyout clause is only £20m next year, Reus is a £40m player. We should bid up to £45m for him. If Dortmund say no, fair enough. If Reus doesn’t want to join, fair enough. But he’s definitely worth trying hard for.
Apparently Reus rejected a move to United. Reus, not Dortmund, suggesting that Dortmund accepted a bid for him – they’re willing to let him go at the right price.
Dm žzzzzzzzz
Yawn yawn
I don’t why these debates and topics still arise about what striker/Lw we should be after or who wenger might be interested in.
I like the rest of us feel we definately need a striker and Lw but am resigned myself it’s not happening!!!
Wenger has already stated several times and again in his pre math conference for the Everton game that if their was an opportunist to strengthen the team DEFENSIVELY he would do it. He specifically said DEFENSIVELY which to me is saying he feels he has enough in the two positions we all feel need strengthening. Maybe in wengers head he feels Giroud, Walcott and Sanchez and possibly Campbell are enough cover up top and then Campbell, Carzola, chamberlain and now by looks of things ozil are enough for Lw.
I can see us buying a cb possibly manolas or whatever his name is and possibly khedeira as he will probaly go for around £10-12 million. Good buys in positions we need but still no striker!!
So no more getting my hopes up just wished we all stopped guessing who we could buy cavani, Reus etc etc it won’t happen!!!!
In Wengers head.
I also feel with Giroud, Sanchez, Campbell, and, Theo able to play through the middle, though of course the tactics/formation and personnel may have to be adjusted, we DO have good options.
Of course, if we could afford, right now, and, the player that would guarantee 30 goals was available, then, I, like every Gooner would love Wenger to snap him up.
However, I believe, we need to spend the money we have available, this window, to buy top class players in other positions.
A Left sided CB. With Kos out, we had to move Chambers over to accommodate BFG, and that is not his natural side. That CB should also be able to cover LB, with Gibbs and Monreal injury prone.
DM. We all know Flamini is NOT the answer. Arteta is fine against most teams that play a certain way, and hopefully, over time, Callum Chambers will prove to be a great player there. Diaby, if he can stay fit, is an option, but we can not rely on that, so, we need a player that is strong and can win challenges, intercept, good passes, and protect the back 4, against the top title challenges.
Cover those two positions with top class players, and I believe we are set to challenge.
The ST situation, should we still need one, may have to wait till Jan or next Summer, simply on finances, as those players are very expensive to buy, and, demand massive wages.
I agree with your assessment that any buys will be defensive purchases. We have players who can play LW (Campbell, Sanchez, Ox) but Wenger refused to play them there. He seems to prefer having only 1 proper winger on the field (always on the right) at a time.
Only Man United out of the top teams have persisted over the years with anything close to “true” wingers in a basic 4-4-2 formation and even that is changing. We are not unusual in his resepct. Nasri and Silva are not wingers but are deployed in a wider position. Chelsea have no out and out wingers. The closest Liverpool have is Sterling and he comes infield 90% of the time.
So maybe forehead had a point at some issues AW simply ruin some players’ careers my evidence is Podolski, this guy can score goals he never misses three chances his left foot is a real killer but leProf cant use him the guy is not a winger(why not try OG12 as a winger and see what he can do), he cant find a way to get a lot from this guy he NEVER give him a lot of second chances either. He plays him as a CF for one game and if its not working he stops being patient with him which is not the case with Giroud. As any CF he needs time in that position to get the confidence up and form a good understanding with the midfield. If this guy finds another team capable of using him better than us then everyone will realize what an asset we had
If Poldi does go we will go all out for Reus,he wants to join Arsenal because of his hero Rosicky,Dortmund have slowly weakened their stance on Reus and a transfer,so things are moving along behind the scenes.Reus had in principal agreed to join us before the World Cup,then he got injured so we backed off,he’s back now so once we beat Beskitas we will get Reus I have no doubts.OT didn’t think Alexis set the world alight yesterday playing CF jury still out on wether he can play there,he worked tirelessly throughout but kept losing the ball and misplaced passes,he will come good just needs time to adjust
After our performance yesterday, all can see we MUST get a CDM to break up play. Along with a CB and a top top striker.