Arsenal Transfer Rumours And General Chat

Pepe LeFrits · 04-06-2008 03:35PM

Skysports claim we’ve had a bid of just under £10m turned down for Udinese’s Columbian centre-back Christian Zapata.

He sounds like a good signing to me, strong, quick and good in the air. It is hard to see Wenger spending £10m+ on a defender though.

L'prof · 04-06-2008 03:47PM

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Skysports claim we’ve had a bid of just under £10m turned down for Udinese’s Columbian centre-back Christian Zapata.

He sounds like a good signing to me, strong, quick and good in the air. It is hard to see Wenger spending £10m+ on a defender though.

I know, they want £15.8m!!!

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3649183,00.html

leninbenjamin · 04-06-2008 04:22PM

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

It is hard to see Wenger spending £10m+ on a defender though.

he'd be an excellent buy if they did though. any time i've seen him play he looked the business defensively, and he'd be well able to fit into Arsenal's passing game. for all the talk of Richards in PL circles, Zapata is just as good a prospect.

jank · 05-06-2008 07:32AM

Well its a lot of money for a prospect but if they think he is worth it then why not? Maybe a swap deal with Senderous?

CantGetNoSleep · 05-06-2008 10:35AM

Didnt see this coming

Adebayor Agrees Milan Move
According to sources in Italy, Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor has agreed to join AC Milan, and all that is required to complete the deal is for the Rossoneri to meet the Gunners’ €40m asking price.

Milan are well known to be in the market for a top class centre forward, and a couple of weeks ago Coach Carlo Ancelotti announced that the club would be signing one out of Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Adebayor or Amauri.

With the latter having since joined Juventus, only three of these possibilities remain, and according to sources in Italy, it is Adebayor who will be filling the gap in the Rossoneri frontline.

Adebayor has come to an agreement over personal terms to join the Diavoli, and all that is required to complete the deal is for Milan to meet Arsenal’s asking price, which is set at a cool €40m.

Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani would ideally like to lower this price, but are prepared to break the bank having recently vowed to spend big this summer.

Only a few days ago, Adebayor vowed to stay at Arsenal.

“I came to Arsenal with a mission to succeed," he explained.

"I’ve assured the gaffer Arsène Wenger I’ll stay because I believe in the team and I want to assure the fans my concentration is here. I have no reason to leave so I’ll stay to ensure that together we’ll win silverware."

Mathieu Flamini has already joined Milan on a free transfer this summer, while Aliaksandr Hleb seems almost certain to follow him out of the exit door. If Adebayor were to leave too, it would certainly be an almost irreparable blow to Arsenal ahead of the 2008/09 season.

Roberto Rossi

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=724190

leninbenjamin · 05-06-2008 10:38AM

Adebayor wtf? not what i wanted to wake up too...

there can't be any truth to that can there?

Mitch Connor · 05-06-2008 10:39AM

wouldn't put too much trust in goal.com

Wreck · 05-06-2008 11:02AM

The article was dated yesterday and no one else seems to have picked it up so I wouldn't be hugely concerned.

Pepe LeFrits · 05-06-2008 12:23PM

The story is also in the Telegraph, it cites Gazetta dello Sport as the source.

Probably BS but either way I'm not concerned. Arsenal won't let him go on the cheap (according to the story they want £32m) and Adebayor is replaceable.

yahoo_moe · 05-06-2008 12:56PM

Reckon we'll still have Ade next year. But if Milan are silly enough to pay over £30m, I'd almost take it if there was a cheaper (and better-finishing) alternative already agreed. I'd rather he stayed though for continuity purposes.

Hleb meeting Barca supposedly - now that Inter are out of the race (and given the fact that his departure seems inevitable), how much do people think we might get for him?

Royale with Cheese · 05-06-2008 01:23PM

€15 would be a good price for Hleb considering the Webster clause is still an option if the club hold out for a large fee, and it's public knowledge that he really wants to go.

What currency are transfers done in does anybody know? €15m is worth a lot more to Arsenal today than it was 12 months ago. Would be the same story with dollars.

leninbenjamin · 05-06-2008 01:40PM

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

€15 would be a good price for Hleb considering the Webster clause is still an option if the club hold out for a large fee, and it's public knowledge that he really wants to go.

What currency are transfers done in does anybody know? €15m is worth a lot more to Arsenal today than it was 12 months ago. Would be the same story with dollars.

it's usually the sellers currency isn't it?

gosplan · 05-06-2008 01:47PM

Would like to see some progress on signings soon enough.

Not too worried as our squad(even without flamini and hleb) would still challenge for a time, perhaps all the way if Ronaldo goes and the new Chelsea manager takes some time to settle in.

As usual though, I suspect we'll be the last to know.

Royale with Cheese · 05-06-2008 02:24PM

leninbenjamin wrote: »

it's usually the sellers currency isn't it?

I dunno, did Arsenal not get €20m for Vieira? Henry too?

wandatowell · 05-06-2008 02:52PM

Alright lads,

To be honest if The Arsenal sold Hleb I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest, I
don't rate the guy, very little end product imo.

Ade is a different story tho, still 32 million would be a great bit of business.
Who do we get to replace him is the question

jank · 05-06-2008 02:58PM

Anything over ten million £ Sterling would be good for Helb in my opinion.

Galvasean · 05-06-2008 03:21PM

wandatowell wrote: »

Who do we get to replace him is the question

David Villa
Samuel Eto'o
Benzema
Klaas Jean Huntelaar
Thierry Henry????

World would be our oyster.

I'd hate to see Ade go, but if an offer of 30million+ came in we'd have to take it. We could sign a striker of his ability for about 20million and have change to strengthen elsewhere.

Galvasean · 05-06-2008 03:28PM

New kit looks amazing:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1247520.ece

I like how the Sun see it as an omen that Fabregas won't leave Arsenal. Henry modeled the last away kit. Now he's gone.

jesus_thats_gre · 05-06-2008 03:41PM

gosplan wrote: »

Would like to see some progress on signings soon enough.

Not too worried as our squad(even without flamini and hleb) would still challenge for a time, perhaps all the way if Ronaldo goes and the new Chelsea manager takes some time to settle in.

I try to avoid posting on other clubs threads as it can easily be inferred as throlling but that is one heck of an optimistic post.

Arsenal had a great season and played some amazing football but how can you not be worried about loosing 3 players that were an integral part of your first 11 last season?

I know that Arsenal have some great young talents hidden away but I very much doubt they have 3 lads ready and waiting to take over from Adebayor, Flamini and Hled.

As Arsenal fans, I imagine ye were all looking to build on last seasons successes by laying out a few quid and signing 2 or 3 quality players that would add to the first 11.

As it stands now, instead of being able to look forward as you would hope, ye will have to first recover from loosing 3 first team players before ye can even start improving the team.

As with Liverpool, it would also seem to that there isn't a massive amount of money available either.

Twill be an interesting summer. I suppose that if anyone can pull something out of the bag it would be Wenger but I really can't understand there not being quite a bit of concern, even something just nagging away at the back of your mind.

Also, I wouldn't see Ronaldo leaving as a good thing either. If he stays, United have a 30+ goals a season player. If he leaves, they have an extra 50+ million in their transfer kitty.. As a Liverpool fan, I really cannot take any positives out of it. I actually think that I would prefer him to stay.

leninbenjamin · 05-06-2008 03:56PM

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I try to avoid posting on other clubs threads as it can easily be inferred as throlling but that is one heck of an optimistic post.

not overly optimistic. the Nasri deal seems close, and he's more than an ideal replacement for Hleb as things stand. Flamini isn't a massive blow. Gilberto is still a good player, and then there is Denilson waiting in the wings... most fans believe a replacement wont be needed for the Flamster as good as he was, although they have been linked with a few. If Adebayor leaves for 30mil, a replacement will be readily obtained with that cash. Then considering that all of RVP, Eduardo, and Rosicky missed massive chunks of last season but should be available for the start of the next (or in Eduardo's case not too long after) the squad doesn't need too much reinforcement in this area. The only area left is the defence, and so far the signs are encouraging that signings will be made in this area, (particularly if the Zapata story was true, means Wenger is aiming very high). As usual at the close season for Arsenal, things aren't as bad with the club as the general populace make out.

jesus_thats_gre · 05-06-2008 04:02PM

Maybe so. Tis easy to make assesements now when there is 2 or 3 first team players apparently leaving. It will be interesting to see what way it all pans out.

Galvasean · 05-06-2008 04:06PM

I don' expect any major moves until after the Euro Championship. Once taht finishes there will be bedlam!

Pepe LeFrits · 05-06-2008 04:10PM

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I try to avoid posting on other clubs threads as it can easily be inferred as throlling but that is one heck of an optimistic post.

I don't think he referred to Adebayor leaving to be fair.

As it stands we’ve lost Flamini, and added Vela.

Nasri arriving and Hleb departing looks likely.

In that scenario, I think we’d still be in pretty good shape – possibly marginally better than last season. This is a young team so we don’t necessarily need to bring in new players to strengthen, as internal development will do that. Specifically I’m looking at Walcott, Bendtner, Fabregas, Denilson, Song and a few others.

Three wild cards are the fitness issues of Rosicky, van Persie and Eduardo. Rosicky has had an operation which he hopes will keep him fit, van Persie’s injuries are seemingly random so he could conceivably stay fit next season, while Eduardo is recovering ahead of schedule. It is possible that some or all of these players could be available for larger parts of next season than the last, which would be a real boost.

Anyway, I believe Le Prof will sign a new centre-back and another midfielder, so I think we’ll be looking strong come the 1st of September.

leninbenjamin · 05-06-2008 04:19PM

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Maybe so. Tis easy to make assesements now when there is 2 or 3 first team players apparently leaving. It will be interesting to see what way it all pans out.

indeed. and there's always the possibility, given the past precedent for these kind of things, that Flamini will end up the only one to leave. ya never can tell how it pans out. but at the moment i think, and i assume a lot of fans would agree, that there's as much to be optimistic about as anything else.

also the squad Vulnerabilities are overstated imo. the weakest area is CB, however a good addition to the squad in CB will allow Gallas on occasion to cover for Clichy, and then there's always Eboué for the RB slot. All other areas have relatively decent amounts of cover. The biggest problem that occurred this season was the burnout of Fabregas, ordinarily Hleb and Rosicky could both offer cover in this area, but with Rosicky crocked, Hleb having to play the role of support striker due to the Eduardo and RVP injuries, and also Denilson missing with a recurring hamstring injury for a large part too, it's no wonder the kid burned out. Arsenal would be extremely unlucky if that were to occur again next season, injuries to that extent in almost any squad is an extremely rare occurrence.

Fuzzy_Dunlop · 05-06-2008 07:32PM

**** it i'm just not gonna pass to much heat of all this rumour bullshit til the end of the summer when all the transfers in and out are done. Following this stuff constantly is liable to drive you insane. That said £32m for Ade would be crazy money, sure it would buy nearly 2 David Villa's. Not that I'm one of those crazy people who wants Ade out despite him scoring 30 odd goals.

Anyone know the exact dates for the amsterdam tournament or when they'll be announced?, and also whether or not Arsenal will actually be participating in it?:pac: I'll be hittin up A dam around the time they're usually on when i go inter-railing.

gosplan · 05-06-2008 07:40PM

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Arsenal had a great season and played some amazing football but how can you not be worried about loosing 3 players that were an integral part of your first 11 last season?

I don't think Ade is going. If he was I wouldn't be so positive.

Flamini is a loss that needs replacing, whether that's by a return to form of Gilberto, the improvement of another player or the arrival of someone new.

Hleb controlled things well but end product wasn't enough. Walcott will give us far more of an end product. Also Rosicky and Van Persie hardly played last season - that made Hleb more important than he is.

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Also, I wouldn't see Ronaldo leaving as a good thing either. If he stays, United have a 30+ goals a season player. If he leaves, they have an extra 50+ million in their transfer kitty.

Wrong IMO. A thirty goal a season winger will win most united teams the league. 50 million doesn't necessarily buy you that. United have a massive squad that they spent a lot of but they still relied on one player to deliver the league. I'm not saying they would have gotten relegated or anything but I think he made the difference.

Well all speculation anyway, we'll just wait and see I guess.

leninbenjamin · 05-06-2008 11:52PM

did anyone see the quotes on the BBC site earlier about Hleb? i didn't see them on here...

BBC wrote:

Alexander Hleb has met representatives from Barcelona with a view to joining the Spanish giants, according to the player's agent.

"We have had talks with Barcelona but nothing has been signed," agent Uli Ferber told BBC Sport.

The Arsenal midfielder, 27, will make a final decision on his future when he comes back from holiday next week.

Hleb has had discussions with the Gunners but it appears unlikely he will turn out for the club next season.

The Belarus international had been strongly linked with a move to Inter Milan but the Serie A club's appointment of Jose Mourinho appears to ended that possibility.

"I'm sorry that we won't be able to take him to Italy, he liked Inter a lot but obviously Mourinho has made some different choices and has gone for some other names," said Hleb's representative Vincenzo Morabito.

Earlier in the season, it was reported that the former Stuttgart midfielder held secret talks with Inter when in the city ahead of Arsenal's Champions League game against rivals AC Milan at the San Siro.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger threatened to report Inter to football's governing body Fifa if they continued their 'illegal' pursuit of Hleb after former boss Roberto Mancini declared his interest in the player.

The right-winger joined Arsenal in 2005, signing a four-year contract, after the club paid Stuttgart £11.2m for his services.

very hard to make sense of where things are at. does that mean Arsenal are close to agreeing a fee and have already given permission to discuss, or is it still the agents going behind his back? him still having to decide doesn't make a lick of sense... would have thought he'd already have decided if they were in discussions...

f*ck this ****e. bring on Euro2008 so we can ignore all the trash talk like that.

anyone got the exact number of representatives Hleb has? it's excessive to say the least. I think i've seen at least 3 different people named as his agent so far in all this.

OPENROAD · 06-06-2008 12:38AM

The whole Hleb thing is starting to piss me off big time, if he wants to go, let him imo,don't know if anyone saw the Peter Hill Wood article but he is spot on imo, oh for the days of Lee Dixon,Winterburn etc..:(

ShoulderChip · 06-06-2008 01:07AM

martin keown?

OPENROAD · 06-06-2008 01:14AM

ShoulderChip wrote: »

martin keown?

the number of years that defence stayed together

Arsenal Transfer Rumours And General Chat

Comments