This is one of the longest running Arsenal transfer rumours I can remember outside of a transfer window since Lukas Podolski was signed and sealed (and even announced) before the season even ended. Alisha Usmanov is the latest to issue a denial for Arsenal, but perhaps “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
Usmanov was reported to be personally involved in trying to persuade the Argentine hitman to move to the Emirates, but Red and White Holdings issued a statement that read: “Contrary to inaccurate media reports, Red & White would like to clarify that it has not made any formal or informal contact with either Paulo Dybala, his agent or Palermo football club,”
But despite Arsene Wenger glibly saying “show us the offer”, Dybala’s agent has yet again confirmed that there are definite offers on the table. Gustavo Muscardi was quoted as saying: “We have received important offers for Dybala, including from abroad where he is in particular wanted by an English club. There are two or three Italian proposals too.
“Is he worth €40m? Well, a player like him certainly can’t be just given away.”
And the player himself has hinted (just yesterday) that he will be leaving this summer. He said: “I try not to think too much about the transfer market. I am completely focused on the last 10 games, because they could be my last here.”
Arsene Wenger has always denied any interest in ANY player until a deal has been sealed, and he would certainly not want to disturb Olivier Giroud while he is in such fantastic form, so there could be a good case to be made for the Arsenal denials. But personally I would not discount the possibility of the Dybala arriving just yet……
Honestly, i wish this Dybala and Sterling rumour will die already, Only attacking players i’d like to see at Arsenal are Reus, and Lacazette (if we sell Walcott and Poldi). Asides that,in my own opinion, the names the media says we close on buying simply only to add depth and not extra quality to our starting eleven.
I agree with your sentiment. Both lacezette and reus are class and should could improve our team squad.
Dybala isn’t a player I know to be honest and I haven’t seen any match with him. Whereas I’ve seen plenty of sterling. Certainly I’m not taken in by the hype.
Still listening to the rumours and reading between the lines I don’t think much of the sterling rumours. He is just using arsenal to sell himself to other clubs like united, city and Chelsea. Throw arsenal under the bus because that is the club he doesn’t want to go to.
Dybala on the other hand is a player I have a feeling we are desperately trying to get. Not to say we will or it will be confirmed.
It reminds me of the whole draxler affair last season. That didn’t happen and we dodged a major bullet.
Always smoke and mirrors with Wenger transfers – we are all guilty of not fully grasping that these rumours are b**8s^^t fabricated to sell papers. Imagine how many players we would have now over the last 2 years if even 10% of the rumours had substance.
Just an opinion of mine but if you want clues as to who we might be getting then look somewhere where the media spotlight is not shining bright. With our former left sided forward Podolski likely to be on his way out and our gloriously gifted 2 footed Santi entering his 30s I imagine Wenger will be looking for a youngish, highly technical, dynamic multi-purpose replacement(s). Reus or Dybala can play left side and both could operate more centrally. I am not a gambler but if I was I put my money on Julian Draxler. Lots of speculation a year or too ago but very quiet now. I know Ozil is very close to the kid – could be some levers to pull there. Schalke unlikely to be in UCL next year. He recently signed a new contract but has that infamous 45M euro buy-out.
With the way Giroud is playing, its hard to want another striker. Even when he is not on form or scoring, he is still getting his magicalflicks and one touches which results in our midfielders scoring.
Giroud is irreplaceable, but I have doubts over Dybala. Id rather go for Giroud, Costa, Mandzukic phsyic but are technically gifted, much greater than Peter Crouch lol.
But yea, we need a 2nd striker
We need three strikers, every one of them will be injured during the season at some point for weeks or months.
I think J1 makes a good point. The comment above him says we dodged a bullet there but i wouldnt put it that way, unless hes referring to Sanchez arriving instead. I could definitely see Draxler join Arsenal, much of his promise is still to be fulfilled and we know Wenger takes great pleasure in getting them reach it. Like J1 says the spot light is off for the moment and himself Ozil are good buddies, as well hes one of those players who could maybe play all along front line and was even likened to a young RVP.
Id also agree with Butters who loves South Park im guessing, i would definitely take Mandzukic over Dybala as i rate that player very highly. When Giroud gets injured we dont have anyone similar who can come in and Giroud is a strong focal point for this team. Mandzukic is good enough to link up with our players and adds that height and physicality. Watching how quickly he reached 20 goals with AM and seeing him finish regularly over seasons gone by i can assume he would be a quality player for Arsenal and give great competition with Giroud.
I agree with what you said about giroud but if we’re buying another striker or backup why would we want the exact same type of player? I think it would be more beneficial to buy a quick, agile, dribbler type forward that can be complimented with giroud or allow us to change our style based on certain situations/games.
Yes but I think we are all agreed that we have OG because of the system we play. I am not sure if we adapted our system to suit OG or vice versa – but you throw a “quick, agile, dribbler type” in to our CF position then I think you will have to re-boot and play a different system. A direct dribbler type CF with say Sanchez and Walcott to either side looks good on a console but personally can’t see it working.
Wouldnt mind us signing pablo dybala at all, but his asking price is too outrageous! For 15m – 20m seems more reasonable!
Forty millions euros is about equal to 30M pounds. Oscar, Jovetic, and some other young prospect were in that amount. You can do nothing to inflating price these days, thanks to Chelsea, ManShit, or PSG who destroyed it.
For me, “the new Aguerro” is a reasonable dubbed. His dribble combine with pace and terrific finish. He’s good in free kick too. His fully growth style will be like Aguerro, Tevez, and even (if he lucky) Messi. They’re all Argentine and expensive.
Dybala can bring us different attacking approach and strategy. Take him now or regret later.
I myself haven’t seen him but if we are desperate to get him like I get the feeling we are then an extra 5 million here or there shouldn’t be the obstacle.
PSG, city, barca and real wouldn’t want to rush in and can afford to wait and see how he develops with arsenal. They will want to see how he can handle the BPL.
Italian clubs will want him but could be priced out. That leaves united and Chelsea.
But then again one of PSG, barca real city might take a fancy to him and offer ridiculous wages and fee.
Who knows?
Were already getting the real new Aguerro… Maximiliano Romero.
Transfer rumors are like village gossip. Waste of time.
How often have any of them been correct?
Wenger always always surprises the pundits and the gossip mongers.
My concern is 3 more points on Burnley and a smackdown of Reading with the PLAYERS WE HAVE NOW.
Don’t really care to be honest.
if Stirling is worth 30m Dybala is def worth 40m for sure
30 million Hafiz? The figure is 50 million for sterling and 30 million for dybala.
Anyhow I think sterling would go well at united. You guys should bid. 50 million to united is nothing and it will dent your main rival in the top 4 race next year.
Sterling! The man, the myth, the legend!
our current attacking 5 are ramsey cazorla ozil.sanchez giroud, backed up by wilshire Walcott rosicky welbeck zelalem gnabry. We also have podolski, campbell, sanogo, akpom and ryo out on loan. I am expecting wenger to sell podolski, campbell, sanogo ryo and rosicky in the summer. Whilst zelalemakpom and gnabry need a full season out on loan to prove they are ready. So of the 16, 8 are unlikely to be available to us next season, I think he will sign at least 32 players to fill their boots.
In the engine room in front of the back 4 we have.Le coq, he.is.backed up by arteta diaby flamini and bielik. If all were fit players that would be two too many, I think a decent rival to coquelin should be bought.may be 2 with the 3 elders making way arteta diaby and flamini and bielik concentrating on u21 football. The defence is suddenly looking rather strong, it’s a.shame though that we are a bit lopsided.with right footers. I can see jenkinson leaving for sure possibly for a left sided defender like Tyrone mings who can play left back, left centre back and even left mid and left wing
A world class keeper should be a priority, I like ospina and Szczesney, but much like the.past with ammonia and fabianski, they are back up keepers, even though both our keepers are better than fab and ammonia the bar has been raised and we need a top keeper just like united, chelsea and man city. A keeper that wins matches.
Keepers only win matches when a team’s defence is weak. De gea is great but if he was behind our back 4 he would look no better then ospina because he wouldn’t need to do as much and other the commentators saying ospina looks a bit shakey now and then he hasn’t been shakey and hasn’t in my mind made a mistake.
When beaten a de gea wouldn’t have done better and he has made those saves and kept the tempo of the team.
Players who are good in the counter is what arsenal needs, these players need very high technique to attempt succesfull touches, passes, good timed runs. At the beginning I doubt over Giroud being at the finishing end of it, but he proved me wrong.
At the end of the day, is players who has the hungry attitude and discipline that would be in the starting line up under Wenger. Podolski has very poor records unless he playsfor Koln or Germany. It really shows his desire to suceed at the clubs he really loved.
Most goals aren’t scored on counters. Counters are exciting and stuff but to depend on just counters is a massive mistake.
Even counter attack defensive teams need to work and work hard on other areas like set pieces, crosses, long balls.
If all the focus is on defence and counter than a team becomes villa was before the change of manager.
Off topic…does anyone have an idea if there are sports bars in the Hague that show premier league matches? I am going to the Netherlands in May and I’ll be there until the seasons ends. I have no clue how I’d be watching arsenal matches. Help? Anyone?
@ twig you can’t be serious if. you think Hart is greater than ospina…Hart is more like a older version of SCZN..good on his day but too many school boy mistakes …
Silly transfer rumours. We don’t even need attacking players anymore.
dont need attacking players cos top 4 is still the only real objective of management….just like hazard…over priced at 30 million so lets go for cheaper option like poldi he will pair with walcott and blah blah blah…. but an attacking line of hazard alexis giroud would be among best in europe
one decent season and he’s worth €40? don’t think we need him anyway.