Re: The Official Arsenal Winter Transfers/Rumours Thread

[Jay29]

A fully motivated Nani is an excellent player. When he's in the mood, he can produce some quality stuff and even tracks back.

On the flip side, he can be a difficult player to motivate and he's inconsistent, but who knows, maybe the different motivating style of Wenger will help him.

Still think it's a very unlikely transfer, though.

[MJ]

Would be a huge turn against the tide to sign him. If anyone can talk sense into a premadonna, especially one demanding as much as Nani, it's Wenger. And if we lost Walcott we'd have an actual winger in his stead. Still crazy. Not sure what to make of the picture though.

This is gonna be a fun January window

[Sri]

Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein!

I would rather keep hold of Theo.

[Jay29]

He could be there for some sort of commercial or charity event; maybe there to sponsor a tournament for kids or something. It seems a bit odd for a player to randomly pop up at a rival clubs training ground for a tour ahead of an unlikely transfer.

We should keep a list of all the players we've been linked with ahead of the January window:

Pepe Reina
Mohammed Diame
Marouane Fellaini
Victor Wanyama
Benat Etxeberria
Kevin Strootman
Isco
Lewis Holtby
Adrian Lopez
Nani
Wilfried Zaha
Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Thierry Henry

I'm sure I'm missing a few more.

Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein!

I would rather keep hold of Theo.

I think the avast majority of us would, but unfortunately it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

[Raptorgunner]

Fergie set to beat Premier League rivals with lease deal for Palace star Zaha

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could land £10million Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, 20, in January by letting him spend the rest of the season on loan at Selhurst Park.

Palace are willing to listen to offers for Zaha right away if they do not disrupt the club's campaign for promotion to the Premier League.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2245203/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-sets-sign-Crystal-Palace-star-Wilfried-Zaha.html#ixzz2El0AZbEH
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Hope its true , I want Isco.

[Raptorgunner]

He could be there for some sort of commercial or charity event; maybe there to sponsor a tournament for kids or something. It seems a bit odd for a player to randomly pop up at a rival clubs training ground for a tour ahead of an unlikely transfer.

We should keep a list of all the players we've been linked with ahead of the January window:

Pepe Reina
Mohammed Diame
Marouane Fellaini
Victor Wanyama
Benat Etxeberria
Kevin Strootman
Adrian Lopez
Nani
Wilfried Zaha
Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Thierry Henry
Abou Diaby
I'm sure I'm missing a few more.

[Raptorgunner]

Report: Arsenal have £60m to spend in January. - http://bit.ly/UwVWRi

Intersting reports here.
-------------------

By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

ARSENAL READY TO SPEND €62M ON NEW TALENT

Talk of Arsenal and transfer war chests is treated with scepticism by fans long used to seeing the club pay more attention to strengthening their balance sheet than their squad.

But The Sweeper understands that Arsene Wenger will finally dip into the vast kitty that has largely remained untouched for five windows while new signings have been funded by the sale of prize assets.

There is up to €75 million from existing cash resources available for the manager to use in January, as well as an additional €37m in the summer, when the club will receive the first instalment of the newly agreed €186m sponsorship deal with Emirates that runs from 2014.

It is believed that Wenger is so concerned at the possibility that Arsenal will not secure a top-four Premier League finish that he will sanction a major overhaul of the squad.

The manager has accepted that the current squad is not strong enough to guarantee one of the Champions League places and he will approve a series of bids which could result in an unprecedented €62m of new talent arriving at the club.

The Gunners are looking to reinforce the goalkeeping, defensive midfield, striker and attacking midfield positions and have already made moves to bring in some of their top targets, who include Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina and Atletico Madrid’s Adrian Lopez. Thierry Henry has also agreed to rejoin Arsenal for a third spell, on loan from New York Red Bulls.

Several fringe squad players are up for sale, including Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh, Sebastien Squillaci, Lukas Fabianski and, even Emmanuel Frimpong, which could reduce Arsenal’s expenditure.

Nevertheless, the Emirates Stadium promises to be a hive of transfer activity and, for once, Arsenal will be net buyers.

WENGER FINALLY WRITES OFF DIABY

Arsene Wenger’s loyalty to players who spend more time in the physio’s room than on the pitch is a source of frustration for many supporters.

But The Sweeper has learned that Arsenal manager has finally given up hope of injury-prone Abou Diaby anchoring the midfield on a regular basis.

Despite losing Alex Song to Barcelona, Wenger held back from buying a proven defensive midfielder in the summer, predominantly because of his faith in the power and class of his fellow Frenchman.

Diaby began the season in the team, and in impressive form, but he broke down with a thigh injury during Arsenal’s defeat to Chelsea on September 29 and has not featured since.

It is believed that the Frenchman does not figure highly in Wenger’s plans for next year because of his concern that the midfielder no longer trusts his body.

The 26-year-old has a terrible injury record that can be traced back to the horrendous Dan Smith tackle that fractured and dislocated his ankle at Sunderland in May 2006.

Wenger has now given up hope that Diaby will ever fulfil his promise and has decided the time has come to replace him.

As revealed by Goal.com last Saturday, the Arsenal boss has identified West Ham powerhouse Mohamed Diame as a realistic central midfield target in January.

It is not yet known what effect the hamstring tear Diame sustained against Liverpool on Sunday – which Sam Allardyce predicted could keep him out for between eight and 12 weeks – will have on Arsenal’s pursuit but the Senegal international’s Premier League experience, form and availability has propelled him to top of Wenger’s wish list.

West Ham chairman David Gold admitted last week that Diame has a release clause in his contract that can be triggered in January.

NIKE STILL IN RUNNING FOR NEW KIT DEAL

Arsenal have been strongly linked with an imminent switch from Nike to rival kit supplier Adidas.

But The Sweeper understands that the American sports giant is still in the running to continue their association with the north Londoners, which is due to end in 2014.

A possible extension is linked to Manchester United, the biggest club in a Nike UK portfolio that also includes Manchester City.

February heralds the start of an exclusive six-month negotiating period with United over Nike’s current €376million kit supply deal.

Should Nike not offer a deal that satisfies the Premier League’s biggest-earning club, the sportswear company will turn to Arsenal as senior officials vow that they can lose one but not both of the two biggest shirt sellers in their UK portfolio.

Arsenal’s new kit deal could be worth €31m-a-year, more than three times that of their current agreement with Nike.

But it is likely to be comfortably trumped by United’s new tie-up, with the commercially aggressive Glazer regime confident they can negotiate a record-breaking deal.

ARSENAL GO WEAK AT KNEES FOR BA

Demba Ba figures high on an Arsenal January centre-forward shortlist that is headed by long-term target Adrian Lopez.

But the club’s big reservation surrounding the purchase of the Newcastle United striker is the state of his knees.

A €9.3m release clause in Ba’s Newcastle contract makes him an attractive window target for a number of Premier League clubs on the back of a return of 10 goals this season, which places him equal third in the Premier League scoring charts.

However, the Gunners are concerned about the fitness of the 27-year-old, who failed a medical at Stoke in January 2011 before securing a move to Newcastle the following summer after the north-east club opted to overlook his medical issues.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Jay you might as well add Demba Ba to your list as the BBC seem to think we are selling him in first week of window to you or Liverpool.

[Raptorgunner]

Jay you might as well add Demba Ba to your list as the BBC seem to think we are selling him in first week of window to you or Liverpool.

A €9.3m release clause in Ba’s? if this is the case count us out.

[Jay29]

Yeah, don't know how I forgot Ba.

Pepe Reina
Mohammed Diame
Marouane Fellaini
Victor Wanyama
Benat Etxeberria
Kevin Strootman
Adrian Lopez
Nani
Wilfried Zaha
Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Demba Ba
Edinson Cavani
Thierry Henry

Added Cavani, too. For lulz.

[Raptorgunner]

I guess, the media will drop this rumour now.
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@tomgunner14

Nani was at Watford this morning for the Stevenage fc programme NOT London Colney.

[VendettaRed07]

So the reason we aren't signing Theo is because he wants 100k but we don't wanna give it to him despite how fantastic he has been this season and him being our leading goal scorer and assister this season.

Yet we are looking into spending 20 million for a transfer for a guy who has barely played this season, and hasn't because he is holding out for 130k.

What.....There is no way this rumor is true. If it is, then I guess nothing in this world makes sense. If we are going to spend that kind of money, do it on a player who will actually greatly improve our team, or be a huge improvement over a player we already have. Not on someone who at the very best will give us slightly better production than theo. Which is the best case scenario. He could come here and not be as effective as theo has been for us.

No way we would pay over 10m for Nani and who said Nani is on 130k a week?

Nani is worth around 65-75k a week.

Well I have a hard time seeing United take a loss on Nani seeing as how they spent 14m for him, and I know that Nani is only worth the 65-75k but thats not what he wants. I never said he was on it I just said he wants 130k.. Or at the very least he wants more than what theo wants...and that is the reason he isn't playing right now. so assuming he signs with us, hes gonna want a new contract and a pay increase. If we don't give him that hell probably just go to PSG or someone who will give him that.

[Eman]

LOL @ that bullshit story that he was at London Colney when he wasn't.

I'll say straight up that I will be angry if we sign Nani. I don't like him one bit. He is hands down in my top 5 least-liked players due to his cheating 'c*ntery,' if you will. Maybe Wenger could turn him around, but I'm not willing to just accept people into our club and ignore what I would have thought of them otherwise just because of the shirt they wear, so I will still be very upset if we sign him.

And to Raptor: if we don't sign Zaha, I highly doubt the chances of us signing Isco are affected in any way. Zaha is likely a signing more for the future than the present. I honestly doubt Arsene is in the market for a starting winger like Isco unless we lose Theo, although he said previously that he's planning on keeping Walcott until the end of the season no matter what anyway. If we miss out on Zaha, it will just mean we miss out on a top talent. Nothing more, nothing less. Isco in the summer would be cool though.

[Raptorgunner]

So the reason we aren't signing Theo is because he wants 100k but we don't wanna give it to him despite how fantastic he has been this season and him being our leading goal scorer and assister this season.

Yet we are looking into spending 20 million for a transfer for a guy who has barely played this season, and hasn't because he is holding out for 130k.

What.....There is no way this rumor is true. If it is, then I guess nothing in this world makes sense. If we are going to spend that kind of money, do it on a player who will actually greatly improve our team, or be a huge improvement over a player we already have. Not on someone who at the very best will give us slightly better production than theo. Which is the best case scenario. He could come here and not be as effective as theo has been for us.

No way we would pay over 10m for Nani and who said Nani is on 130k a week?

Nani is worth around 65-75k a week.

Well I have a hard time seeing United take a loss on Nani seeing as how they spent 14m for him, and I know that Nani is only worth the 65-75k but thats not what he wants. I never said he was on it I just said he wants 130k.. Or at the very least he wants more than what theo wants...and that is the reason he isn't playing right now. so assuming he signs with us, hes gonna want a new contract and a pay increase. If we don't give him that hell probably just go to PSG or someone who will give him that.

I did search it and I see what you saying, he wants big money. Theo situation is really embarrassing and I dont like the way we have been dealing with it.
It would be cheaper and wiser to pay Theo what he want, but our board is just not all there so what can you do.

[Raptorgunner]

LOL @ that bullshit story that he was at London Colney when he wasn't.

I'll say straight up that I will be angry if we sign Nani. I don't like him one bit. He is hands down in my top 5 least-liked players due to his cheating 'c*ntery,' if you will. Maybe Wenger could turn him around, but I'm not willing to just accept people into our club and ignore what I would have thought of them otherwise just because of the shirt they wear, so I will still be very upset if we sign him.

And to Raptor: if we don't sign Zaha, I highly doubt the chances of us signing Isco are affected in any way. Zaha is likely a signing more for the future than the present. I honestly doubt Arsene is in the market for a starting winger like Isco unless we lose Theo, although he said previously that he's planning on keeping Walcott until the end of the season no matter what anyway. If we miss out on Zaha, it will just mean we miss out on a top talent. Nothing more, nothing less. Isco in the summer would be cool though.

I dont really believe Wenger.

Cesc, Nasri, CLichy, RVP he said the same about all of them. Walcott to me is 95% gone unless he is really waiting for least sec to change his mind.
I dont think you will find a Arsenal fan that actually likes Nani, I for one hate him but I dont mind having him at Arsenal.
I think Theo is playing mind games with Arsenal, he really wants to stay and he is pushing his limit. Imo if the day comes Arsenal going to sell him he would sign for what the offer is on the table at Arsenal.

[sportsczy]

Isco is being courted by Madrid, City and Man U. PSG is lurking too. Can Arsenal really outbid these guys? I doubt it.

[Sri]

Isco is being courted by Madrid, City and Man U. PSG is lurking too. Can Arsenal really outbid these guys? I doubt it.

The question, sportsczy, is not if Arsenal can.. Its if Arsenal will.. Our transfer budget/warchest thing is substantial afterall.. We just prefer sitting on it happily

[sportsczy]

Isco is being courted by Madrid, City and Man U. PSG is lurking too. Can Arsenal really outbid these guys? I doubt it.

The question, sportsczy, is not if Arsenal can.. Its if Arsenal will.. Our transfer budget/warchest thing is substantial afterall.. We just prefer sitting on it happily

It's both a fee AND wage issue unfortunately.

[urbaNRoots]

Unless Isco signs a new contract with a higher exit clause, every team has a chance of getting him for £20m. Malaga can't do nothing about it if the player decides to leave.

Anyway, the player would still have to decide between the teams that met his exit clause and between these clubs, I doubt Arsenal would have a chance of convincing him to join. We could offer him a starting place, being "the star" of a Champions League team, being developed by one of the best teachers, with a chance of leaving for another club later but that's about it. We could always offer big money but we don't do that either.

[sportsczy]

this assumes Wenger doesn't retire this summer. If Arsenal doesn't qualify for CL, i have a feeling he will.

[Raptorgunner]

Isn't Isco on a 5k a week?

I think Isco would stay in Spain but will he start for Madrid?

[Raptorgunner]

this assumes Wenger doesn't retire this summer. If Arsenal doesn't qualify for CL, i have a feeling he will.

7.5m says he would resign for 8m a year.

[Raptorgunner]

[Raptorgunner]

Transfer dealings hotting up at Arsenal

"At the moment, we speak with many people," Wenger said. "But I would say at the beginning of December, the transfer market becomes active - but more because people speak to you, rather than you speak to them. Everybody offers you so many players that you are always necessarily involved in it. Every day you have that."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1259919?cc=5739#ecmCUfUBiOfgeqyS.99

[SamuelJayC]

Wenger on January window: "At the minute we speak with many people. The transfer market is active." http://es.pn/S4UJGw

[RealGunner]

Via Jamie Dalton (http://aviewofmyarse.blogspot.co.uk/)

Goalkeeper

Arsenal are looking in this area, competition for Szczesny is the requirement here, whether Fabianski is too injury prone or Wenger has lost faith in anyone's guess but here's the names in the frame


Ali-Al Habsi - Has auditioned well for his prospective new team in recent weeks by chucking a few into his own goal. I would see him as being maybe the most likely in terms of price and name value, I don't think Szczesny would kick off too much if he was bought in.


Jose Reina - This link never goes away, whether Liverpool would let him go, wages etc or even would he be prepared to move for competition as his age.


Asmir Begovic - The dark horse in the three. This comes from a very good person so not to be discounted.

Defenders


Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa - Gilles Grimandi has been seen in Montpellier a few times now and the rumours are that he's watching captain Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa or midfielder Younes Belhanda. Yanga-Mbiwa has recently penned a new deal to maximize the money Montpellier get from him, I always expected him to leave in the summer but Montpellier's elimination from the Champions League may bring this one forward.


Jetro Willems - Controversial one here, while all in sundry believe Arsenal's presence in Eindhoven has been all about midfielder Kevin Strootman, I've been told it's also to run the run over emerging left-back Jetro Willems. Andre Santos faces an uncertain time and could return to Turkey in January so Willems would provide cover and competition for Gibbs.



Midfielders


Mohamed Diame - Thankfully his hamstring injury may see him out for weeks rather than months. Cut-price release fee makes the most sense for Arsenal.

Luis Gustavo - I would love to see this happen. Set the Bundesliga alight at Hoffenheim before moving to Bayern, would definitely give the bite to the Arsenal midfield

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Nothing new apart from Willems bit

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