The Gunners are off to the pre-season to Singapore but the transfer market is still abuzz with news, rumours and everything that’s flying left, right and center.
And the rumours kept following Arsene Wenger to the pre-season trip. Just as Morgan Schneiderlin signed for Manchester United, everyone started questioning if it was a loss for Wenger. The same thing that was on everyone’s mind when Raheem Sterling was poised to join money bags Manchester City.
Not surprisingly enough, Wenger was questioned by everyone on his admiration for Sterling. Liverpool accepted an offer of £49 million for the Merseyside winger. Wenger has always been public with his admiration for Sterling but not for his transfer fees.
Wenger believes that the transfer market is bloated and the fees is not indicative of the player ability but of the agents and clubs arm-twisting each other. The gaffer has his point. After all, Sterling will not have commanded such a price in a sane market.
Agreed that Sterling is a young English player and just coming from a good season. In fact, he was below average the season before. He still has to prove himself and probably that’s the reason why Wenger did not go for him. Wenger’s admiration for Sterling is public but he has Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and many more. And so Wenger may not be sad at losing out on Sterling.
He’s also looking to keep both Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina in the squad despite Cech’s arrival. But, at the moment, it looks more likely that one of them will leave the club for more game time. Same thing can be said of the striker Yaya Sanogo.
The 22-year-old has yet to cement a place in the Gunners squad – let alone the starting XI. He moved to the club from Auxerre in 2013 and spent the last season on loan at Crystal Palace. Sanogo is left out of the squad for the pre-season tour and this was seen as an indication that he would be loaned out.
Ajax is talked about as a destination for Sanogo and it doesn’t sound bad at all. He would be working with the Gunners legend Dennis Bergkamp who is now the assistant manager at the Dutch club. Do not discount on Sanogo’s fortunes revived at the end of this season. It could be worth looking forward to.
Talking of players left out of the squad, Carl Jenkinson is close to rejoining West Ham United on another loan deal. The right-back had a good season with the Hammers but will be behind Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin. It’s always nice to get game time and hone your skills – even if it is on loan.
Sridhar
Currently Arsenal is shipping out players in large no. Podo gone, Carl Gone, Campbell, Sanogo, are on there way even gnabry is going out.
I am seriously loving this summer where there are very less rumours and every other news paper is scratching there head about whats going on in wengers mind. I will be hopeful till the deadline day that wenger gonna buy some one.
Current Arsenal window 6/10. ( Based On cech)
Current Arsenal rumors 2/10.
#COYG.
Arsenal Line Up: Martinez, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal, Flamini, Coquelin, Wilshere, Ox, Iwobi, Akpom.
Arsenal subs: Szczesny, Bellerin, Zelalem, Crowley, Toral, Willock. #afc
I hope wenger is planning a transfer that will shock us as he did with ozil cos whether we like it or not, our squad just needs 1 or 2 additions or some will say 3
Satisfied so far. The dramatic comments seen the past few days have been pretty tiresome, we’re not in need of wholesale changes, this summer is about fine tuning and that takes precision and patience.
Cech was a real coup and since then we’ve been at work trimming the fat and sending those who need it on loan. We ended the season with a wish list of 3 players GK/DM/ST and we have one piece bagged so far with 7 weeks remaining until the window closes.
I anticipate we’ll sign another player within a few days of the Asia tour finishing and be left playing poker for the final piece of the transfer window for us. As stated, I’m satisfied currently and hopeful/anxious we manage to do good business in the remainder of the time.
Sidenote: The Monreal OUT Ghoulam IN seems more credible as the days pass by, wouldn’t be surprised to see that conclude quite quickly if it’s going to happen. Nacho was terrific last season but he is Basque and Bilbao would be a big draw for him given he only has 11months left on his deal at 29. Ghoulam is a player I like a lot so wouldn’t be too unhappy with that deal even if I’d prefer we kept “changes” to a minimum for continuity sake.
To be honest I don’t think Nacho will leave just yet. This is maybe a season where AFC can actually fight for EPL. I just hope Gibbs will rise to the challenge, he was pretty inconsistent last season.
You said this last season. “Arsenal can actually fight for the EPL”…at no point did we even have our fists up. We were knocked out before the season even started because we didn’t have any quality ST.
I would take what you say with a pinch of salt just like I take the things Wenger says…like, “we have a squad that can challenge for the title”.
He said that in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and now 2015.
In fact, when he says that, it means we will not win the EPL. Sad but true.
You’re 100% right. Giroud being injured for the first 3 or so months of last season set us back substantially! He will be key to our success early on in this coming season 😉
#IbelieveInOlivierGiroud
Speak for yourself.
I don’t know what the f*ck you watch but the Giroud I have watched for 3 years is not taking Arsenal anywhere. Transfer windows pass and no big clubs ever come for him. They are happy to leave him here to help Wenger specialize in failure. Usually, when we had top strikers they were always linked with moves away. Big clubs always courted them.
Our best Striker is Walcott but he barely stays fit.
I went from watching RVP to that piece of nonsense. You have no idea how much satisfaction it brings to the eyes to watch a marvellous striker play.
We need a striker as good as RVP was at least. We aren’t even asking for a Henry. Or a young, exciting, promising striker that can grow into something special.
Quoting Mourinho slagging off our manager speaks volumes of you as a fan…
#K-oolBelievesInOlivierGiroud
Please go support someone else. You are an absolute embarrassment to the rest of us actual fans. We don’t need people like you, that’s what clubs like Chelsea are for. So please go
……………I support players with potential and quality and players who play very well and are reliable. You want to support Giroud for another unfruitful 3 years…do it when he is at Westham. We want to win at Arsenal.
Players come and go…but Arsenal stays. Its not about players or trying not to hurt their feelings but what they can do for the club and if they can achieve great things and play outstandingly well, then they would be immortalized and loved like Henry.
RVP also for saving us that season and carrying us on his back to the coveted 4th place trophy which I am sure you love so much. And many others heroes that have played here.
These players are paid exorbitantly to freaking win. They should be winning the EPL and not fighting for 4th every season. …………..
ADMIN COMMENT: Time to turn down the insults or you will get put into moderation. I’ve edited this one but I won’t do the next one……
Giroud produced goals at the same rate as Costa did for Chelsea last season. Wow. He must be terrible. But I don’t hear too many whining that Costa is not good enough. That is so strange.
Just the facts and a little perspective.
This guy…
They were just the facts actually. The perspective comes when you consider this was Girouds 3rd season at Arsenal where he’s settled, fully integrated, knows the league entirely….meanwhile Costa did just as well in a new country, league, city, and team.
Have another go…
Exactly.
Costa won Chelsea the league.
That is the most f*cking perspective.
None of your stupid Giroud stats prove anything substantial. He is not on Diego Costa’s level. I have watched both play. I have said wow so many times while watching Diego Costa play. You sound like one of the idiots here comparing Giroud to Benzema also. They play very differently on the pitch and one of them is more naturally talented at football, more skillful, dribbles, absolutely faster and finishes well. Benzema at Arsenal with that midfield around him and no Ronaldo to always cater to first will flourish at Arsenal. I have seen Giroud play lots of times. I can tell you he should not be at Arsenal. He doesn’t score enough and he rarely wow’s.
If you want him here and think he is as good as Diego Costa…that’s fine too. But be prepared not to win anything major. Don’t even dream.
Calm down……..
Less swearing and more constructive discussion please.
i feel your passion @k-ool,you have to appreciate that alot of supporters on here are slightly deluded.Everything you said here is true,keep up the good work
Did I? Would you please show me the quote or you just pull this out of your ar se just to prove your point? A point which you don’t have anyway because Arsenal declared objective in the beginning of every season is to win the EPL.
You did Budd. Just be real for once.
I like the new Champagne, Charlie! A lot more bubbly and positive!
Credible? Maybe.. But as we’ve seen with pretty much all our defenders it can take a while to adjust. Nacho is as much evidence of this as anyone.
I’m a firm believer that next season’s success will depend more on keeping goals out than scoring at the other end.. A handful of draws against teams who defend heroically is far less damaging than losses.
Your satisfied thats weird because You were one Of the Many Of us calling for wenger’s head and will be when You See how this season unfold. Again You are one Of those fans that watches arsenal team on Televisión am sure You wouldnt be paying those ticket prices and talk like that.
Season ticket holder actually x2. How about yourself….?
Also, if you care to pay attention to what I’ve written previously I literally stated I’m perhaps Wenger’s biggest fan. Does that mean I haven’t suggested he should be replaced? No, I see genuine merits in appointing someone like Klopp.
But what it does mean is that primarily what I wanted to see at Arsenal was an evolution in Wenger…..and he’s shown signs of that last campaign with a new approach to tactics and relinquishing his control to others more specialized in certain aspects – so I’m content on that front, and now focusing more on how this team can improve the areas it needs to.
Sorry your perspective is so narrow to simply want someone IN or OUT regardless, but don’t lump me in with that narrow minded view.
@Champagne Charlie
I am of the same view. Satisfied and I believe at least 1 more transfer – a forward. No more than 25-86 yrs of age. OG will be around for another year. Welbz will be expected to step up this year, Theo as well…bring in a “world class” forward this year and next season OG is out unless he dramatically improves his game. The other 2 have to fight it out…maybe another upgrade.
I think we have 2 genuine class players with Theo and Welbz who can do more. Og is very good and I can’t understand the negatives about him…especially when the same fans want Higuain!
But at the end of the day it’s about the system we play and how a player can adapt and contribute positively to that system. It isn’t always about the best goal scorer…
@Champagne Charlie,i understand what your saying about the evolution of Wenger,because i felt a similar way.But when you analyse it this evolution is questionable and the majority of it was brought about by necessity,not forward thinking.For example perhaps the biggest changes he made were in the middle of the park bringing in Coquelin which he was forced to do.He brought Cazorla back into a deep lying play maker role with defensive responsibilities which helped,this decision to stop playing Cazorla on the wing and putting him central where hes more effective was a long time coming.But Wenger should be praised for this creative thinking,however there are many warning signs that this evolution is not real,i point to Ramsey being put on the wing and most of all Wenger keeping hold of Arteta and Flamini as proof that not much has changed.So im definitely not satisfied,considering we’re not improving our squad whilst our rivals are,how can you be satisfied with that when we finished 3rd last year?
It’s so slow.
We’ve had the usual panic among some Arsenal fans about AW not buying lots of megastars like Manure and LiverBirds. Don’t forget that both those teams HAVE to recruit shedloads of players to make up for the shambles of last season. And they will have the same problems integrating all those new faces!!
Our main aim must be to keep all our players fit, as our squad is well established now. Our main issue is we don’t kill off teams clinically, so our main focus MUST be to get a top notch ST who will convert all those our MF create. Lacazette or Benzema would be good to add to Giroud, Alexis and Theo. Don’t want Higuain – too expensive and past his best.
Still 6 weeks left in this window. Don’t panic
COYG
man utd had a shambles of a season but still finished only 5 points behind us,what does that say about us?i’m not panicking i’ve seen this b4,it been the same for the last 7 years,we all know Wenger an the board won’t buy the players we need to win the big trophies.
I think Wengers overall football philosophy is flawed in 2days modern game for a super club like Arsenal,youth development is important,but you must be ruthless to suceed,Wenger doesn’t have this streak anymore
It’s sad that many Arsenal fans have not realised that Man City and Chelsea…and Man U are pulling away from us in terms of quality.
We have a lot of catching up to do.
You might not believe me…but believe Thiery Henry who said we CAN’T win the title with Giroud leading the pack.
Pundits have ruled us out of the title very early for 11 years, and it all came true. The pundits don’t all hate Arsenal. They’re just saying the truth. We might hate Michael Owen as a pundit…but what about Thiery Henry?
We really do need to wake up and smell the coffee.
Umm don’t know which pundits you’re referring to.. But usually they don’t even have us in the top-4 and pretty much the unanimous decision is that we’re fully capable of challenging this coming season.
Some fans like yourself are so picky with the Henry comments… He said we can’t win the title with ‘just’ Giroud. Why do you think he followed up his comments with referring to his back-up strikers who could come in or make late sub appearances and do the job when required??
And no… The only club to make more positive movements than us so far is United and last time I checked they were inferior to us last season. City and Chelsea have not been ‘pulling away.’
Henry said we won’t win the title with Giroud leading the attack. He further went to say that he actually likes Giroud.
If you’re not aware, it’s been 11 years. For those 11 years it’s been 3rd or 4th.
Wenger is a good coach (undoubtedly)… We have ‘some’ great players (undoubtedly)… But as long as we don’t make other quality signings, our competitors for the BPL will keep pulling away from us.
Now arsenal 007 thats a good committ
No…henry made it pretty clear. Giroud can’t win you the league and we need a world class striker. Go watch it again. He said we need 4 top class players for each area of the pitch ATT, MID, DEF, GK to add a solid spine to the team for us to challenge for the EPL. He was and is bloody right.
Even he knows, he probably watches Giroud and says stuff like he would have scored that, he would have beat that man one on one, he would have dribbled, he would have been quicker, he would have made off-the-ball runs, he would have taken free-kicks etc. Henry did it all, this poser Giroud just has something some fans like you made up for his rigidity, lack of skills and lack of versatility on the pitch…I think you fanboys call it holdup play. Pathetic.
I couldn’t agree with you more @K-ool
Yeah man. United are pulling ahead of us. If anything, the past 3 years have showed us clubs that spend the most always win the league. I mean, look at United and Liverpool last year, and Spuds before that. Excellent seasons!
Muppet
Yes. Money helps you build a better team. Shocker.
But they said the same thing last season when ManU got Falcao and DiMaria. It was over. ManU would slaughter Arsenal.
LOL.i think i detect some sarcasm there @satirical_pizza,but you need to appreciate that Man utd finished 7th under Moyes,that spending even tho they were shaky,got them 3 places higher an into the CL.Spurs and Liverpool had lots of money but they weren’t in CL so they couldn’t attract the top players.We on the other hand don’t have that excuse
excited to see the lads playing today. Arsene always talks about cohesion and balance of a team and so far only Arsenal and Chelsea have that. Ivan gazidis said Arsenal don’t do business like the oil rich clubs or man utd, where they Say we want this player and pay inflated prices. We play the waiting game and when the right player becomes available, which I’m sure will happen, we will pounce.
Cech – 10/10, absolutely world-class keeper and a definite upgrade on GK. Strengthened a position significantly which has too often been a weak point in our squad. Sick of the small portion of fans acting as though we’ve done nothing thus far. A seriously classy move that will win us points!!
First-team exits – Podolski, Ryo, Diaby and Jenks loaned to the Hammers.
A loan move for Sanogo to Ajax supposedly in the latter stages and signs pointing to Campbell leaving shortly as well. Add Flamini to the list of permanent exits and a few loan moves for the youngsters ready for first-team experience and personally I think that’s enough trimming for a few classy additions.
For two weeks into the window, I’m pretty happy with where it’s at. Yes, still work to do but plenty of time to do it. If the murmurs on twitter are anything to go by, we have a marquee deal in the works that could well be a game-changer.
Sit tight!! To be perfectly honest, it makes little difference whether the required players are signed tomorrow or near the end of the window. The important thing is that they’re signed 🙂
Not stressed all a bit. Shame that changes to FFP now made city, psg, inter, milan into massive spending clubs. Last year psg, city were clipped. Man United is just the best commercially run club and they can spend based upon that. I don’t see Chelsea joining the mega spending. Abramovic already lost 1 billion.
We have to see some other big moves before our targets become available. I still would want to see a CDM, we were last year linked to Gognalons, he is decent. A top central defender is maybe easier to get than a striker. I like the LB changes where we still get a good return on Monreal.
Great start with Cech BUT if the window ends and we he is our only transfer it will be yet another season where we do not acquire enough talent to challenge for number 1
Last season we started the season short a defender, which we eventually got in January. We also didn’t get a top CF or DM but thankfully Coquelin was a revelation
It’s so frustrating to see other teams signing the right players and us not getting only two players needed.
I was hoping for Kondogbia/Scneiderlin and Jackson Martinez but they were taken. Now, I’d happily settle for Carvalho/Bender/Vidal/Krychowiak and Lacazette/Cavani/Benzema/Higuain
I think Lacazette would not be a bad gamble for £21 millon after all we got Welbeck for £16 millon
There is still time so I’m hoping that we will still get what we need.
You are right. Lacazzette for 21M would be good deal. But probably going to be somewhere from 25M to 35M and that is still good also.
But I think Benzema at 40M or Cavani at 40M to 45M are also not bad and would send a message out there that we aren’t joking anymore. We want to win.
Lyon quotes Lacazette at 35 Million. Not sure from where you have this info.
Actually, Jean Aulas said 35M or 50M euros is the least he will go for.
We just saying that 21M or a range from 25M to 35M would be a steal.
Transfer window is scored C.
We haven’t gotten positions of priority and like I have said Cech is awesome but we could have done without him. I am happy we have him though he is an improvement just like Schneiderlin or Vidal would be. Cech will probably prove a good signing depending on what else is added. A world class ST and DM gets us an B+ in the transfer window and that is satisfactory just that players like walcott and Oxlade have to step up to justify not getting a winger like Reus. I don’t mind Wenger giving a chance to both because they have the quality especially Oxlade.
But no more chances for the ST position. A world class ST has to be signed. Its been horrible for the past 3 years. I went from watching awesome RVP to nonsense.
We can do without Arteta, Giroud and Mertersacker as first team starters.
Carvalho is out for 3 mths…should be cheaper now
Yes, he would still be worth getting
it’s not like we haven’t signed an injured player before. Remember Kallstrom lol
Euhhhh let’s not forget that Cech was number 2 at Chelsea. If he was so great he would have put Courtois on the bench. I guess taking a Chelsea player seems to be a great “coup” from Wenger… But is he better than Ospina? Some will tell you he is without backing their arguments. We will wait for the season… Let’s not forget that Cech has always been standing behind a solid defensive structure (which never used to be the case at Arsenal were we licked goals religiously). Again despite Cech, Mertesacker is a serious liability and if it was for Koscielny we would be in trouble every time…
How we won the league and reach the CL finale? Simple:
1-a top GK
2-a solid defence
3-a Destructive as well as Creative midfield
4-a 25-30 goals lethal striker (Thierry Henry)
Until we get that back, it is complete and utter delusion to think about winning the EPL or the CL.
Wenger said he has the squad to “challenge” for the league (well, as far as I am concerned even Everton, Southampton and more are challenging… May be he should be less careful and word is statement more properly to give our fans more indication on what we are in for!!). He said the team needs more cohesion… This is the new word for the season “cohesion”… He truly justify his psychology degree and some fans will swallow the crap willingly and gratefully.
“Challenging” does not mean we are “really” going for it… Far from it, our record clearly proves it…
We will again be challenging for a top four finish because we have the squad to “only” achieve that and nothing else… I wish it was different, but we do not have the tools. We will, as usual, have a run of wins at some points and fans will be thrilled (as usual), but it is also a fact that we will again be short when it comes to the big firms in the league and Europe.
Adding to the fact that we do not have the manager (a top manager) capable of dictating the course of a successful campaign.
Still time in the window… I watch a program on Canal + and Arsenal are apparently close to bring Benzema or Lacazette. Both deal would apparently depend on PSG (just show that we are still not taken seriously) as they might sell Cavani to Man United.
Also, still based on Canal+, the Napoli defender Ghulam is a target for the club. He can play DM as well as CB and he is really liked by Benitez who is trying to bring him to Real M (again we will be clearly second choice for the player).
Wenger has a Psychology degree? Impressive! Mourinho has the same too, no wonder they fight so much lol. ‘Solid defense that got us to the Champions league final…. [Eccentric] Lehmann, [inexperienced] Eboue, [reliable] Toure, [calamity] Senderos, and [out of position] Flamini, even broke a champions league record for the longest number of minutes without conceeding. And please ease up a bit on Lacazette, should be a good signing afterall he was top goalscorer in Lig 1 but so was Giroud so no title guarantees there from him. ‘Wenger is stingy, he does not like spending’, maybe, but we don’t expect him to manufacture strikers now, do we? There is a SHORTAGE of genuine world class strikers out there, if you have names we don’t know about and are realistic targets, pls help us, we’d also like to know.
Thoughts on the Arsenal window so far??? I can sum it up in one word: Cech
£16 millions was a great coup from Man United… They managed to sell maybe their worse player and we gratefully welcome him on a £90,000/week wages… That was a joke! He is at best an average winger who can run, cannot control the ball and cannot score for sh*t…
Even Austin from QPR would be a better option than Welbeck, any day!
Anyway, Wenger holds the keys (unfortunately) and we have to be patient.
I guarantee LPool will be a better club WITHOUT Sterling this season.
The way i see it. We are the 4th best team in england and 4th place ( our birth right, our 4th trophy, our Cl money). Is the best we can currently hope for.
We are where weaker then Chelsea and City. Manure was close to us, but injuries facked them hard.
Nowdays our rivals have improved. Chelsea did and is still doing. Cits is doing the same. And manure quality wise have overtoped us. Cry as much as you want you M.F. It is as it is.
Just wondering if you realize that finishing in third place means you are third best?
I would like to meet this Scheiderlin fellow. Apparently he can walk on water, turn water into wine, heal lepers, feed the multitudes with a single fish and…… he can also play a little football I hear.
King Henry said that we need at least 4 new players. I do not consider Cech a new player as i was very pleased with Ospina already and seeing him off is a pity. Ospina is a 8 and Cech a 10 but still, we tend to get quality in where we dont necessary need, and ignore the poz where we actually need new players. Striker, Dm, defender, Winger.
Very true.
@ k-ool. Why not apply for Wenger’s job? It seems you have superior knowledge on arsenal and football matters…
Arsenal Line Up: Martinez, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal, Flamini, Coquelin, Wilshere, Ox, Iwobi, Akpom.
Arsenal subs: Szczesny, Bellerin, Zelalem, Crowley, Toral, Willock. #afc
In the transfer window of the invincible season Arsenal only bought Lehman. Now we only get Cech.
But the majority of that team had won the the double 2 years earlier an that team had a top defence,Wc defensive midfielders Viera,Silva,WC AM Pires,Lungberg and WC strikers Bergkamp,Henry and Kanu.This current team doesn’t have world class DM’s plural,and WC strikers.
So whats your point?
Almost every supporter forgets one 1 thing…organic improvement..younger players keep improving…what you saw last year…it will be 10% better. Sure adding an Ozil or Sanchez or cech always improves a side…but don’t discount what you already have. World Class players were always players with great potential before they became world class 🙂
OK so we improve slowly,whilst our rivals improve rapidly,whats the result?11 years without a league trophy.This is why Wengers philosophy is very flawed,as nice an fuzzy as it sound,it doesn’t help us compete at the elite level