La Liga club line up replacement for Arsenal’s top target?

It is being reported this evening that Spanish side Valencia are trying to secure a deal for Manchester City centre back Mangala, in what would seem to be a possible replacement for Shkodran Mustafi.

Mustafi has been linked with a possible move to North London over the past few weeks, with the Gunners keen to add an experienced player to their defensive duties. Arsenal were supposedly in the market for a defender before Mertesacker and Gabriel got injured, but after the Brazilian picked up a knock against City in the club’s final pre-season fixture, it cannot be stressed enough that Wenger should be looking to invest.

According to some reports Arsenal have apparently tested the waters at Valencia with an opening bid for the German, however the offer was supposedly rejected. It’s unknown whether Arsenal have hit back with another offer since, but if Valencia are supposedly looking into signing Mangala, then it could be a hint that one of their current crop is on the verge of leaving.

Signing Mustafi would be a great addition to the side, especially considering this could well be Mertesacker’s last season at Arsenal. If Arsenal can agree to a reasonable fee with Valencia, then Wenger should definitely make a move for the centre back, but in reality I expect the Spanish side to hold out for the bigger money.

In other news Arsenal have also been linked with West Brom’s Jonny Evans. The former Manchester United centre back is very much an Arsene Wenger ‘panic buy’ style of player, so let’s hope that he can convince Valencia to part ways with Mustafi, rather than Arsenal sign Evans!

By AH

26 Comments

  1. this tiki taka is much… Mustafi …. Johny evans sign Mustafi and Panic buy Chicharito and let the team concentrate rather than we keep waiting for new players til the last day..

    is Wenger striker search in Jupiter?

    i woke up every morning with positives for a new player and it must happen one of this days..

  2. Unless you guys want another Kim Kallstrom fiasco I’d advice to forget about Mustafi. We cannot sign an injured player as cover for another injured player..

    1. We should have signed Ashley Williams from Swansea. We’re crying out for a big strong British leader at the centre of defence. Now he’s been snapped up for pennies by Everton. Grrrrrrrrr Wenger makes my blood boil.

  3. It’s very sad to watch arsenal FC lose the will to win … There are no doubt many reasons but having an aging manager who is living in his once glorious past and is now more frightened of retiring than losing to rivals is one big reason

  4. I said it before and I will say it again. Chosing between Mustafi and Evans should be a no brainer for anyone having a half functioning brain. Mustafi is bang average, had absolutely no influence in raising the level up last season with Valencia. He comes from EPL where he was not a high flyer, we know that. No, I am not happy with Evans but I am not snobbish in ruling out a perfectly functioning proven EPL defender. Two years ago, suggesting Williams as a replacement for Vermaelen was seen as treason here.Yet today no one would say anything bad about it. Don’t get me wrong, Mustafi can improve a lot but it looks like he does it only when playing for the national squad (somehow like Ramsey). Besides, clubs should be able to improve players. I believe Bould can work wonders with Evans should Wenger decide to sign him.

    1. He was a youngster at Everton man. Nowadays he’s a Germany international, captain at Valencia. And he has played well for both, and only 24. Keep Evans for mid table teams, we are Arsenal

      1. OK, let’s then use only last season as a gauge: 48. Yes, you read it good, 48 !!! goals conceded by the defense he suppose to lead to greatness. That amount of goals won’t get you even in Europa League. Of course, it did not get them there. They finished on 12th which absolutely pathetic.

          1. What has this to do with anything? I haven’t even considered Holding or Bielik for this role. Why not compare it with Evans? Besides, Holding was 10 times cheaper while Evans is almost half the price. Still inflated, but you can’t beat statistics. Among the bottom teams in EPL, WBA conceded least goals. It means their defense is good. Anyway, I am not trying to convince anyone here. I am offering a comparison, price/quality/form from which Evans gets on top no matter how you twist the numbers. What will you do with this information? Well, whatever you want. I am happy to share it.

    2. Mustafi or Evans. Have Arsenal really stooped this low? Our scouts should retire to the library with a musket and do the decent thing.

      1. Obviously I was only kidding about the musket business above, so apologies for that and have tried to remove it but cannae. I do worry about Arsenal this season though, Arsene and his team seem to avoid powerful large defenders and he seems to have a problem with leaders too. Maybe he doesn’t want anyone with a strong opinion in the team. I think we’re going to get taught some real lessons this season due to our lack of size.

  5. I won’t be surprise if Chelsea lands Mustafi….

    Alot of things ain’t right at Arsenal.. .

    Some fans know things ain’t right while others talk like Wenger…

  6. ManU are now boasting that they are Europe’s real new king of transfer spending.

    Once upon a time clubs were proud when the won WITHOUT massive transfer spending. Under Mourinho you can only be king if you spend the most before you ever win a single game.

    I never thought my disgust with Joozy the Awful and ManU could reach new heights. I was wrong.

    1. It is interesting to compare Man U
      and Arsenal in this regard.
      Man U are prepared to spend
      huge and risk losing huge
      in the quest to win the title again.
      Whereas Arsenal gave up trying to win the title in 2006
      and has since pursued the low risk top 4 is ok model.
      Who is to say what the right model is?
      Personally I would prefer some where in between.

      1. We are in between. Arsene was able to keep top four by just going with youngsters and spending the odd 10-15m. If we weren’t trying to improve we would have stuck with that. We have WC winners, Copa winner, we have experience in the side. We have one of the finest GKs, we have a huge wage, and we’ve spent more in the last three to four years than we spent in almost a decade previous to that. So I don’t think you can say Arsenal aren’t trying, we may never reach Manu capabilities but we are trying to move onto the next stage. If we weren’t then we would just say, here we have Wenger, lets just buy youth and keep with what we were doing between 2004 and 2013. That would be us saying lets stick to this top four minimum thing. But I think the club have been trying, making mistakes alright, and being extra careful who they spend big on. But I still think your comments are wrong.

  7. Wenger hopes he can get by
    with Koscielny Chambers
    Holding Bielik and Coquelin.
    till Gabriel returns in 2 months
    and those 5 till Mertz is back in January.
    The problem is that Wenger has signed so much expensive deadwood
    that he has being told by Stan to sell players or reduce spending
    He has chosen to spend less because he can not bear to part with deadwood like
    Wilshere Walcott Chamberlain Debuchy Gibbs Chambers
    Gabriel Mertz Ospina Wellbeck Sanogo + Asano
    He can do this because there is no pressure to actually win the title.

      1. If he plays for Arsenal he’s deadwood, that’s not me talking. That’s someones opinion somewhere.

  8. Not worried at all via other team signings. We just need to strengthen our weak sides. Frankly we should off being the team making all the signing but yet Leicester already signed handy players. We are still chasing every single player on transfer window unable to catch any. Quit sad.

    Don’t no abt u guys, but won’t be bordered if at all we don’t sign anyone n at end days, we took the epl home.

  9. is Evans the name of a footballer? that some gooners are even considering a transfer link made by a random kid says a lot about how much a joke we are.. Evans? even Hull City and Middlesbrough won’t consider that

  10. Amazes me how some would love one man United reject, in hernandez, but would hate another in Evans. Even though the latter has far more proven experience and a stack of medals to his name. Yet a 12 time capped, Everton academy reject costing over £30m would also be heaven. Amazing what a price tag can do for you.

    If we signed Evans and defoe, I would be disappointed, but I wouldn’t carry the hatred that some people are displaying. They could actually be just what arsenal need at this moment having lost so much experience.

  11. Don’t know a whole lot about him, but for me a German international with some pace, sounds mighty useful right now. I like that he studied in Italy for a bit, and the fact he plays in Spain probably means he’s Arsene’s type of defender. Lets hope he can do it all, I have heard he’s brave.

    What about this Bony rumour, would city sell to us, I’d say seeing as they have half our old team. People will be put off after seeing him flop a bit, and if he doesn’t suit their style how would he suit ours. Arsene has more patience with players, both good and very bad thing, there’s a good chance he’d come good for us. He has a bullet of a shot, our crossbar is still rattling I’ve heard. I’d take him still, seeing as I wanted him last time round. It be interesting to see himself and Giroud fight it out.

  12. When we have bought big players they have performed. which means a lot of thought had gone into those transfers.
    Live your lives normally and wait for the liverpool game to blame the club.no transfer can save us now atleast. so chill if we sign a top player he will really be top. unlike city and utd who are chewing and spiting out their wc players

    1. ps i hate utd and all utd fans are the biggest hypocrits.more than us winning the pl im hoping fr them to finish below us and even spurs.

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