**Summer Transfer Thread: News, Rumours and Speculation**

[jakeke]

That leaves us with no one to fill in if Sagna gets injured and only 2 good (assuming the new guy is) CB's. If Wenger doesn't get some people in i can envisage a painful season .

Hm, I agree that despite there being loads of CB's at the club, only 2 are good (well, only Gallas, but Verm looks good so far). Wouldn't mind Bassong/Hangeland or somebody like that to come in, get rid of Silvestre too. Song is alright at CB too. Does anybody know if Verm can play RB? I'm sure I read a few months ago before he came that he's filled in at full back for Ajax, maybe not though.

 

[BFCTom]

Does anybody know if Verm can play RB? I'm sure I read a few months ago before he came that he's filled in at full back for Ajax, maybe not though.

He can play LB but never heard of him playing RB before.

 

[jakeke]

Indeed, you've been a selling club for years.

Yeah but these are very sensible transfers for ridiculous amounts that most (any?) clubs would sell for. £40m for Ade and Toure is great, great money even for the richest of clubs.

 

[CliffyBiro]

Thought they tried this before.. We need a decent CH.

The problem is that the player is rumoured to be Mighty Daws.

 

[Shamikebab]

Yeah but these are very sensible transfers for ridiculous amounts that most (any?) clubs would sell for. £40m for Ade and Toure is great, great money even for the richest of clubs.

Well considering the rumoured price for Ade last year was higher. And I don't think Toure for 15m is that good a price, especially considering this inflated market. You'll struggle to replace him for that price.

 

[BigBadBenny]

Wenger going to go for Upson for 10mill!!

Although I think it would be a popular move for the fans. Every time is mentioned in the press, I've always had the feeling he doesn't want to move back.

 

[bloodline76]

He can play LB but never heard of him playing RB before.

Yep only CB and LB for Verm.

Maybe we have another youth player coming through there. It all sounds good business but I was hoping we would win something this year and so is Fab.

I think our first 11 are fine and we have enough cover for the attacking players but I do worry about there being a shortage of defensive players as cover now.

LB is ok as we have Three decent players there. With CB we are an extra man up with Senderos coming back (if he stays). I dont know who else can play RB, as Toure and Eboue were cover there.

Then we have the old age question over a DM.

Still looking forward to kick off and especially the competition at the weekend to see our first team in action.

 

[B1gbeard]

Well considering the rumoured price for Ade last year was higher. And I don't think Toure for 15m is that good a price, especially considering this inflated market. You'll struggle to replace him for that price.

Have you watched Toure on a regular basis last couple of seasons? To be fair to him if you wanted someone to die for you he's the man (and sometimes thats enough). But as a defender it hasn't been looking so great.

I think Upson or Hangeland would probably cost less and be more effective.

 

[bloodline76]

Well considering the rumoured price for Ade last year was higher. And I don't think Toure for 15m is that good a price, especially considering this inflated market. You'll struggle to replace him for that price.

If you look at the season that Ade had then that it is an inflated price. Ade scored about 30 goals the year before and werent offered more than £25m for him.

I think market is only inflated for the top teams with loads of money. You wont catch Wenger paying those prices and everyone knows that, so he isnt going to be told an inflated price.

 

[jakeke]

Well considering the rumoured price for Ade last year was higher. And I don't think Toure for 15m is that good a price, especially considering this inflated market. You'll struggle to replace him for that price.

Well, for two players who have both wanted to go over the last 12 months, who will both be out for nearly 2 months this season (and may come back with Malaria/general fatigue) and Toure only having 12 months left on his contract, £40m is just an astounding bit of business and I'm unlikely to change my mind on that!

Also, £9m for Eboue (more than Sagna cost!) is a piece of very handy work too

 

[B1gbeard]

Yep only CB and LB for Verm.

Maybe we have another youth player coming through there. It all sounds good business but I was hoping we would win something this year and so is Fab.

I think our first 11 are fine and we have enough cover for the attacking players but I do worry about there being a shortage of defensive players as cover now.

LB is ok as we have Three decent players there. With CB we are an extra man up with Senderos coming back (if he stays). I dont know who else can play RB, as Toure and Eboue were cover there.

Then we have the old age question over a DM.

Still looking forward to kick off and especially the competition at the weekend to see our first team in action.

I think Bill can cover RB.

Looking at how Wenger views things I don't think he will see the current transfer situation as losing 3 players (assuming Toure and Eboue leave) and gaining just one.

He will see the return of Senderos and Traore and the return to fitness of Edu and Rosi as counter to that.

He did say they are still looking though so hopefully we will get a nice boost before the season starts.

 

[Shamikebab]

I think market is only inflated for the top teams with loads of money. You wont catch Wenger paying those prices and everyone knows that, so he isnt going to be told an inflated price.

The problem is he will be competing with clubs that are willing to pay an inflated price, unless he manages to find a relative unknown.

 

[Greenlizard0]

I really wouldn't mind seeing Hangeland. I thought he pulled a very solid series for Fulham and I can't imagine he'd cost that much *winces*.

If this English player rule starts to come into force then Upson would be great. However as much as I like the guy, I wouldn't say even in these last few months he was Toure's equal.

 

[jakeke]

"I’m not in a rush to sign the contract. We will wait and see what happens."

That always means a transfer is a possibility. Pretty good

 

[drunkenmaster]

Considering Gallas is off in a year, we now need 2 CB's. considering Gallas is off, we could easily have kept Toure, bought another CB who could play/be in rotation when Toure was away and get practice/used to playing all year. Then end of the season we'd end up with Toure, Verm and guy number 3. Instead, with the squad as it is now, end of the season we'll have Verm(yet to be proven as good) Djourou, Song, Senderos, thats assuming Senderos isn't sold as I still think he will be, he certainly will be IF Wenger buys someone good, though for you hopeful people thinking he'll buy, I think he's just going to turn to Senderos/Song.

Losing Toure is a joke, its not a bad price for someone whose in the last year of his contract, its a terrible price for someone you should be keeping for the next 5 years though. Oh wait, theres they guys kidding themselves he's worse, other than the fact that last year he was outstanding with Gallas, and this year he was barely played till he threatened to leave and was instantly a formidable partnership with Gallas again.

Joke all around, so is getting rid of Eboue. We have no pace in midfield, 2 central attacking midfielders on the wings and not even hugely pacey strikers(looking at Arshavin/Rosicky wings I guess). Only Theo has pace, horrible winger, "might" turn into a good striker. Sagna, CLichy, Gibbs, not sure theres any genuine pace in the squad anymore.

Toure and Eboue, both who should have been tried at DM last year and weren't, both moving off, so more first team Song/Diaby, woo. I still don't think we'll buy, I think Song will be Wengers answer for defense and Diaby to be used as Eboue was, right/left wing when others are injured/tired.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH]

I'd say that we should trust Wenger's judgement. Look at what's happened to Henry, Viera, Pires and a few others that we've sold in the past, they may not have done terribly but I haven't heard amazing things about any of them. Henry certainly isn't the force he was at Arsenal. Ade was want-away for quite a while so I'm glad he's gone as surely it was dragging down morale.

As for Toure, I personally don't think he should be sold as we are in need of shoring up the defence and seeing as we have so far only signed one defender in the transfer window I don't think it's wise to sell one of our best at this time. However if he does go I'm sure Wenger will know what to do to plug the gap. We have good holding players like Denilson and Song and some great defenders in Vermaelen, Sagna and Clichy.

I think we need to bring in more players in midfield as well as defence though. Manchester Utd had great strength in depth last year and I think that's why they were so good. Wenger looking at the returns of Eduardo and Rosicky being as good as transfers doesn't really do it for me. I think we need a new centre back, a new right back and possibly a new defensive midfielder.

By the way, although unrelated to what you guys were talking about, I'm pleased we haven't wasted money on Marouane Chamakh. We have more than enough strikers already in Eduardo, RVP, Bendtner, Walcott, Arshavin if needed and Vela.

 

[Gooner14]

Or we play 4-3-3 and have no need for any wingers

 

[jakeke]

Does DM know that there's still over a month of the transfer window left and Wenger has been in Austria for the last few weeks?

 

[B1gbeard]

Does DM know that there's still over a month of the transfer window left and Wenger has been in Austria for the last few weeks?

Wenger did also say that we are looking at players and thats all you can expect really.

 

[daz.wallace]

0957: Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has again ruled out the departure of Marouane Chamakh to Sunderland by insisting he will only let the striker join a "big club". Chamakh, who has also been linked with Arsenal, has claimed Sunderland are the team with whom he has had the most advanced talks. (L'Equipe)


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool will reluctantly sell midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid in the next few days. Although manager Rafael Benitez wanted £35m for the 27-year-old, the fee is likely to be less than £30m.
Full story: Daily Express

Everton defender Joleon Lescott is ready to tell manager David Moyes that he wants to join big-spending Manchester City.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Middlesbrough have received a £9m offer from Stuttgart for Turkish striker Tuncay. Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham are also interested in the 27-year-old.
Full story: Daily Mail

Stoke have joined the list of clubs chasing Tottenham striker Darren Bent.
Full story: The Sun

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has made a cash-plus-player offer for Hull centre-half Michael Turner. Pascal Chimbonda has been offered to Hull manager Phil Brown.
Full story: Daily Mirror

AC Milan and Inter Milan are both interested in Manchester City midfielder Elano.
Full story: The Sun

Portsmouth are talking to winger Stephen Hunt over a £3.5m transfer after Reading dropped their asking price.
Full story: Daily Mail

Bolton defender Nicky Hunt has been told he can leave the Reebok Stadium following the arrival of Sam Ricketts. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea are lining up a swap deal with AC Milan in order to land midfielder Andrea Pirlo. As part of the package, striker Claudio Pizarro and defender Michael Mancienne would head to Italy.
Full story: Daily Star

Arsenal utility player Emmanuel Eboue is set to become the latest player to leave the Gunners by signing a five-year deal with Fiorentina.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Burnley boss Owen Coyle says he is still hopeful of signing Ecuador winger Fernando Guerrero despite the player returning to Independiente del Valle. (The Independent)

Portsmouth want to sign former Wigan forward Amr Zaki on loan from Egyptian side El Zamalek.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has made a £1.7m bid for Celta Vigo's Algerian striker Kamel Ghilas.
Full story: The Sun

And Allardyce has been given the all-clear by Chelsea to sign striker Franco Di Santo on loan. (Daily Mirror)

West Bromwich Albion are interested in Wigan forward Marlon King. (Daily Mirror)


OTHER GOSSIP
It looks like Alan Shearer will not be Newcastle manager for the new season as BBC presenter Gary Lineker says the former Magpies and England striker will once again be joining him on Match Of The Day.
Full story: The Sun

Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has suffered another setback in his recovery from knee surgery and could be out until Christmas.
Full story: Daily Mirror

New Celtic boss Tony Mowbray says the speed of his revolution at Parkhead depends on victory over Dynamo Moscow in the Champions League qualifiers.
Full story: Daily Record


AND FINALLY
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has renewed his war of words with Real Madrid, this time over their summer transfer spree.

"They will have plenty of problems with balance," he said. "I told Ronaldo before he flew out that he will end up playing centre-half because I don't think they have one. I don't envy (Real coach Manuel) Pellegrini picking his team. Barcelona are different because they have grown their squad properly and added one or two players each season." Ouch.
Various

looks like Arbeloa will be gone soon: Arbeloa fee agreed