Henry has started making the right sounds about wanting to stay at Arsenal. Anyhow, call me a skeptic but not a non-fan, i’ll accept it when i see pen being put to paper.
Le Boss has gone to the extent of saying that he plans to reward Henry’s commitment with some world class signings who can play alongside Henry. So, I assue that he is not talking about wouderkids like Nasri, Messi or Rossi. However, i dont think Monsieur Wenger can attract someone along the lines of ol’ Bucktooth from Barcelona.
So, then who are these new superstars that the boss is after. I know a wishlist was created by us earlier, but in the assumption that Henry and therefore Cole were leaving. Now assuming that both are staying, who realistically woud be ideal superstar signing/s for Arsenal??
My wishlist:
1. Bastian Schweinsteiger - Seems like a Wenger player, with pace and creativity.
2. John Carew - The big striker who can be the muscle we lack right now.
3. Someone in the 24-29 bracket at centre of defence, ‘coz Sol is aging and inconsistent, Senderos is still unsure of himself and lacks pace.
4. Adriano/ Shevchenko - I can dream, can’t I 
?
5. Midfield enforcer - No idea who is available….
6. A replacement for Freddie….i hope not too many arguements against that…..
Care to speculate?
53 Responses to “The signings that will satisfy King Henry”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
January 11th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
Henry hasn’t signed.
He will still be waiting for players to come in.
I don’t believe he will stay if we don’t attempt to improve… and I’ve read remarks that state just that.
We are still being linked to ROSICKY.
I think that would be a good move.
If United is “IN FOR GRAVESEN”… then why the hell aren’t we? The money being mentioned is like 5 Million? If we miss out on him and United get him for that price, its just FOOLISH.
A proven defender… A pair of midfielders… and we’ve been linked to 2 strikers, a Greek (Samaras?) and a 6′8″ Zigic? from Red Star Belgrade?
Well… SOMETHING needs to get done… soon.
And Hill-Woods comments about not breaking the bank are NOT what we need to hear right now, sorry… it serves no positive point. Henry extends the olive branch and we slap him in the head with it?
Why say anything, if thats your response?
The non-activity is KILLING me… I try Soccernet and BBC all day every day… hoping for something, anything…
January 11th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
you know this might make check up on the arsenal easier or more addictive:
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Arsenal
If ya didn’t use it already.
January 11th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
I haven’t seen that before!
But I will use it now!
Thank you.
January 11th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
From earlier today….
Not a big surprise, but I thought today’s quote (arsenal.com) from AW would cheer you all up:
on signing new players?
“There is a chance but at the moment, I must say, a very vague chance because we are not close to concluding any deal”
Meanwhile, United is supposedly getting close to signing Gravesen for 3-4 million..
January 11th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Dude Stag, that’s the fifth link down on the lefthand side of this site! How long have you been visiting ArseAm to never have seen it?
January 11th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
According to one report, Samaras won’t be avail till the summer.
January 11th, 2006 at 5:47 pm
I usually to to BBC, Soccernet, and Football365.
I get the Arsenal Digest thing via Arseweb…
I have my sources!
January 11th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Thats fanastic.
REALLY Cheered me up.
That donkey quote, along with Hill-Woods crap… are making me lose sleep over our stupidy and stubborness.
January 11th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
I’ve heard Schweinsteiger talk on TV and I truly believe that guy is a freaking retard so he would be a “dumb” signing. Who would be a good signing is Marco Marchionni from Parma. He can play up front or on the wing. He’s not a big name because Parma are probably going down this season but he’s a fabulous player; definitely better than Freddie. He can definitely play for Arsenal.
John Carew is a big guy and I’ve been a fan for years but he I don’t see him playing for Arsenal. He doesn’t bring anything that can keep Henry around. Someone who can win high balls and hold the ball up would be intriguing. We could get Vieri on loan until the end of the season and see what happens. He’s better than Carew and he’d have a point to prove after sitting on the bench at Milan.
In the midfield it’s true we miss Vieira’s tackling but what we truly miss is his ability to turn defense into attack in two touches (a tackle then a through ball). It’s tough to defend because one moment a team will have the ball and the next Vieira’s playing a ball through to a striker. There’s space behind them at that moment and Henry almost always puts those away.
Also when teams are packed behind the ball, who makes those clever back-door runs to poke home easy goals? It’s where almost all of Vieira’s goals came from, at Arsenal and at Juve. Fabregas gets forward but everyone expects him too so it’s no surpirse.
January 11th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Signings, what do we need? A good question.
Goalkeeper - In the summer we need an excellent keeper in the 26-32 age range (Given anyone?) Lehmann can become back-up (like Lukic), Almunia sold on and Wenger can buy some more young keepers to compete with Mannone for number 3. That means no move in the current transfer window as this would undermine Lehmann and defence could suffer in the short term, better if pre-season lets us sort that out i.e. easier to bed in a new keeper then.
Defence - I watched the game against Wigan last night. Our midfield was dreadful, Gilberto, Hleb and Ljungberg in particular looked like they didn’t care. Reyes chased back and worked hard but couldn’t contribute anything going forward. Whether this was his problem or the teams, I don’t know. Anyway, the point is the young defence played well, even Senderos. Cygan is not good enough for the first team and he takes too long to play himself in as adequate to be worthwhile as a squad player. Hope he goes in the summer but that leaves Campbell, Toure, Cole, Lauren, Eboue, Clichy, Senderos, Djourou, Gilbert and Hoyte next season. Whatever the rest of us may think (and there is a good case for an experienced short-term signing), Wenger will not sign another defender now given that line-up.
Midfield - This is where the problems start. I hope Ljungberg and Pires prove me wrong but I wonder how much is left in them. The team is crying out for experience and they play because of that. Baptista (for Gilberto) and Wright-Philips (for Ljungberg) were the players needed last August to press the incumbents for their places. Those two places in the squad still need filling. Reyes, Pires or Quincy at a push wide left, Flamini, Hleb and Fabregas rotating in the centre plus the two signings to challenge Gilberto and Ljungberg would make a decent line-up and allow a five-man midfield at times. However, if Wenger sticks to his kids, will he see Larsson (wide right) and Muamba (central) as the solutions. Yes in 2009, but not now, I hope.
Attack: Playing five in midfield reduces the need for four strikers. We have Henry, Bergkamp and Van Perisie. Again if Wenger thinks Lupoli or Bendtner is the one, he will not sign anyone. Robinho would have fitted into the Bergkamp role but like the others he went elsewhere.
Conclusion: Given that he couldn’t get the three signings he wanted last August, Wenger may stick with what he has and assess the kids again at the end of the season. I hope that doesn’t cost us a Champions League place or a trophy of some kind but I, for one, would not be surprised if we didn’t make any significant signings - Walcott or another kid don’t count.
Not what I want, but what I think.
January 11th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
On the contrary, Wenger has said that the first priority now is to get Henry to sign a new contract. Which means bringing in experienced player(s) is lower down the pecking order. He has also said that he wants to build his team around Henry with the young players at Arsenal. He wants to rescue Arsenal’s season his way and not be forced to panic buy players. So we can forget about the likes of Ballack even if Arsenal gives Wenger a blank cheque tomorrow.
While I think he is being obstinate, he has done alot for the club to warrant faith in his way. Its just some of us fans who are trigger happy and plain impatient for a quick fix.
January 11th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
If it were up to me, I’d be beside myself. We’ve got three vets in midfield that are playing like they’re past it. Do they need competition, or do we take the chance of finding another out and out striker and see if they can find him?
We need goals, and to do that we need to improve the midfield to box connection. We’re too deep and we don’t have an aeiral threat.
Once the world’s greatest offensive threat, The Arsenal’s unable to find the net. Instead, we’re dilly dallying with the ball and getting pushed off of it.
Size, bottle and experience in the middle, and someone in front with ups and who isn’t afraid to get into the box and put it on target, allowing Henry to play outside the box and score and create goals.
Zogic and Graveson would have been a pretty good grab. What’s up your sleeve, Arsene? Another coup a la Sol?
January 11th, 2006 at 7:23 pm
I think he is sticking with what he has and waiting for next season
January 11th, 2006 at 7:31 pm
Carew? Vieiri? Ballack?
Come off it - this is Arsenal not a Harry Redknapp scrapheap challenge. Of course I get frustrated watching our huff and puff displays this season. Yes I want Arsene to make some signings but he’s the manager and I dont expect him to talk about signings just to ingratiate himself with some of the fans. Its easy to pick names from a fantasy football list but I like the fatc that Arsene is reluctant to make signings - it means he makes very few mistakes. And with finances tight Arsene wants to make sure the signings are not second best. That should be reassuring.
I live about a mile from the stadium. I have been lucky to have visited most if not all of the great footabll stadia in the world and believe me the new Arsenal stadium will be the best club stadium in the world bar none - it really is that good. What Arsene is doing by keeping us afloat while the club is conducting what must be one of the biggest construction projects in the UK for the last decade is incredible. I cant think of another manager with the capacity, intelligence and dedication to do this. Arsene has to be looking at the next five/ten years and I only want him to buy players who are affordable and who can improve the club. I trust Arsene to get that right. So forget the fantasy football signings.
January 11th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
his name, literally translated, means “pig climber,” so there you go!
January 11th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
OK…
Gravesen.
I’ve never really thought he was all that great, to be quite honest. But so many people have talked him up… I guess I’ve just followed the crowd and said he’d be a good buy.
But what exactly has he done thats so good.
Why would Madrid be letting him go, if they are struggling themselves. If he was the business, they wouldn’t be dispatching him… would they?
Gravesen is said to be going for 5 Million Euros?
WTF? Thats it? That would mean he’s about 1/3 of a Vieira?
In my eyes… he’s about 1/3rd the player Vieira is… But I’d take anything coming in at this point. We simply can’t stand still here. Gravesen would be an improvement on our midfield… that I am sure of… just PUZZLED by how inexpensive this great midfielder is…
January 11th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
A freind of mine who is a Crazy Barcalona fan said that many Barcalona fans would take Reyes to Barca rather than taking Henry. Barca fan says that Reyes is just too good, and he would 100% play in Barca.
Many of them are jeleouse cause we have Cesce in our team. too . Henry will not go to Barca …
He said something funny, if Arsenal is in the spanish league Arsenal can win the title or have a close race with Barca ..
I think cause phyical games are not played much there.
January 12th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Wenger has let the team get so weak that he can’t fix it with one or two signings, he needs four or five and then still hope the kids make the grade. I expect a token signing that will leave a lot of fans dissapointed…..What’s the use of us playing the guessing game anymore, deep down we know Wengers lost the plot!
January 12th, 2006 at 3:20 am
I trust Arsene as well, but without champions league football next season we will be in a mess. How can you keep a player of Henrys ability whilst trying to attract top class players if we dont make it into the champions league? Thats not to mention the money we would miss out on by not qualifying.
We need at least one decent midfielder before the transfer window closes. That being said, I believe getting Cole back to full fitness and into the team again will be a major major boost for us. Most of our goals come from the left hand side when Cole is playing. No harm to Cygan, but he’s not a full back (or a centre back!).
January 12th, 2006 at 3:24 am
Sure sack him then.
You should have a bit of faith. Its not going great at the minute, but football can change very quickly.
January 12th, 2006 at 3:47 am
not that he’s wonderful, but he is decent and experienced. The transfer fee is determined by Everton having first refusal at whatever they sold him for - ?2m, I think. This puts a bit of ceiling on the price Real can charge. The reason Man U is a far likelier destination is Gravesen probably still has a house in the north west and I’d be pretty stunned if Real sold us any player to help our squad before the CL encounter.
January 12th, 2006 at 4:37 am
From the various quotes, I’d say we have Kuyt already lined up as the summer replacement for Bergkamp, so I can’t see us signing a forward in January - I think we’d be far more likely to bring Aliadieirie back from loan than actually risk signing someone! (though he wouldn’t be CL eligible because he played in all of Celtic’s CL games, it was when they were knocked out they wanted rid and the loan spell at West Ham is hardly going great, injuries as usual, though why Alan Pardew thinks Jeremie is a deep lying striker is beyond me).
I, for one, don’t think we will sign anyone, because the belief seems to be that having Cole back will make all the difference to the team, reactivating our most productive attacking route, reintroducing Pires on the left and bolstering the defence with a bit of pace. That is a lot riding on one player. Too much, in fact. Almost the best thing that could happen in terms of transfers is for Cole to be injured further and out for the rest of the season (and the first two months of next season, so he doesn’t sign for Real.)
Even then, we all know that Arsene is incredibly careful with the cash, especially after getting burned big time on Jeffers and Wright, and will now not sign a player unless he considers them practically perfect (he signed Cygan for the squad and look how that turned out) and practically perfect is unlikely to be available mid-season. I’m not agreeing with it, just saying that’s the way it seems to be.
If, by some act of god, we go crazy and sign one player, then I think (can’t remember the exact quotes) Wenger said it was to be a midfielder who could play in defence or vice versa.
Anyway, a mere 19 days of inactivity left.
January 12th, 2006 at 4:55 am
Hi from London gooner
Regardless of Henry Wenger will not sign any superstars. He has not ever signed any superstars and probably will not ever, being of the philosophy that the market for galaticos is totally overpriced.
Most expensive signings are Reyes (he was unproven) Henry (when he was a nobody) and then Wiltord (he was probably the most proven player we’ve signed)
Wenger is building a team that for 2 years time. The average age of the 20 outfield players is 24 so for the next 6 years we would have a squad that have played together for ages, are growing together and all become galaticos themselves.
There is no point in signing quick fixes like Gravesen. You have to allow your young players to develop, get experience and accept that some seasons are building ones for other seasons. Besides Flamini is already as good a player as Gravesen so why spend 5m on a player who next season will be on the bench.
In the summer the most realistic signings will be Theo Walcott, Vassikiri Diaby, Nikola Zigic (he is in between Henry and van Persie in age) perhaps a new central defender such as Anton Ferdinand. A new keeper is much mooted but Lehmann is a good a keeper as Van der Sar or anyone definately on the market and at the right price so if wishlist them someone like Timo Hildebrand.
It’s quite probably that we may only sign 2 players (walcott, diaby) as we have a talented youth team coming though so you have to add real quality to improve the squad.
the future is bright in 3 years we’ll be talking about all the titles we will win and Chelski will have an over the hill overpaid team.
January 12th, 2006 at 5:31 am
Signings that we clearly need are:
Quaresma - Boy is class winger we need
Ryan Babel - Great Future
Shay Given - No1 in UK
Reo-Coker - Bite in midfield
Gravesen - Good aggressive squad player
Torres - Danger man up front
Yaya Toure - Great Acquisition
I would baalance this up by selling
Hleib - Not good enough
Gilberto - Worst Brazilian ever
Ljungberg - past best
Cygan - Obvious
Lehmann - Doesn’t make enough saves
Anyone agree?
January 12th, 2006 at 5:41 am
I would say Theo Walcott to play RM, Torres as a second striker, provide competition in attack.
Reyes and Van Persie to fight it out for the LM berth.
Diaby for CM and a keeper…
Cant believe Niemi went to Fulham, he could have done a job for AFC.
Plus AW needs to look over his shoulder and see what they are doing at Chelsea. In a game in general they use all of their subs, mainly moving around forward players. This means we can buy a few forwards and rotate them, bring on a fresh pair of legs, even if we dont need to. this also means, Henry does not have to play 90 mins of every game, a 70 min run out and being replaced by Van Persie could do the trick.
January 12th, 2006 at 6:53 am
No
January 12th, 2006 at 7:03 am
The concerning element in Wenger’s transfer policy is that there are signs he is losing his touch. Even if he had signed all the players he wanted to, or allegedly wanted to, like Baptista and Robinho, I don’t think either player would have had a positive influence on our season. Robinho just looks like another Reyes- another show-pony who is happy enough with the idea but screw the execution and end product. Typical Wenger signing.
Baptista is big guy but plays like King Kong drugged with Chloroform- doesn’t use his physical attributes. He would probably take an age to acquire the bustling attititude to bring the best of out his talent.
I wouldn’t go near Gravesen. He plays well for Denmark but lets face it, he played well for everton for about six months out of the three or so years he was there. He has reverted to type playing for Madrid.
January 12th, 2006 at 7:17 am
To be fair to Baptista, he played like a man possessed at Sevilla and looked brilliant. Whether the hunger has gone now he’s secured his big move, or he’s just been generally affected by moving to the Madrid shambles (more likely) is open to question. I bet he has regrets now that he’s a squad player, only a starter when Zidane is out and never considered for playing up front in spite of all their injuries.
January 12th, 2006 at 8:03 am
Why is there so much contradiction here. One minute you are saying we have enough kids, we need experience, at the next you are throwing names around like Ya Ya Toure, Theo Walcott, and Quaresma - all young players with potential but none of which will bring us what we need right now.
Midfield is the major problem. I would like to see Wenger bring in Ballack and Ludovic Guily - a player I have always admired and never seems to get a game at Barcelona. Both are experienced and don’t play like girls.
Up front we need an inteligent target man, with good technique. An Alan Smith (ex-Arsenal) type striker would perfectly compliment the team. We need a good all round front man who is strong, gets in the box, scores goals and links play. Don’t ask me who though, I am not a scout.
I would say it is ESSENTIAL that Wenger fills that central midfield role NOW. In the summer he can look at right midfield, striker and a new central defender and possibly a right back. I would like to see 4 players minimum come in for next season, followed by a couple more the season after.
No under 22s, just experienced talent please.
January 12th, 2006 at 8:31 am
It’s great to read from someone who really talk about sense, and understand the game. Agree with everything u said there.
January 12th, 2006 at 8:37 am
yup, it’d be nice to see to the 2 or 3 24-28 year olds Arsene was talking about at the start of last summer.
Of all the targets we’ve been linked with Dabo sounded the most likely - cheap, short term solution in midfield who can also play as a centre half.
Where has this fixation with Ya Ya Toure come from? Apart from Kolo saying that his brother is a better player than him - has anyone actually seen him play?
January 12th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Flamini is NOT a very good player… he’s OK at best.
The talented youth team is VASTLY OVER-RATED.
Its about making the CL next year, and sustaining a high level of play DURING a transition season.
We need proven talent NOW.
We don’t have 3 years to wait for a bright future.
January 12th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Other than Yaya…
I’d rather have your “selling” list.
Lehmann has been our best player this season.
Hleb needs a chance, he’s just off injury.
January 12th, 2006 at 8:53 am
What Wenger needs to realise is that he is not managing an international team- he is allowed to buy players. Liverpool and Rafael Benitez are a prime example. Benitiez has bought sensibly, albeit spent quite a bit of money, and has gone from being considerable distance behind Arsenal to being quite a bit ahead of us in my opinion. All that in the space of two years. It’s almost as if Chelsea’s monopoly of the transfer market has mentally scarred Wenger to the point of transfer paralysis. This month will tell alot about his state of mind however he could have saved himself alot of bother if he had not acted with such negligence in the summer.
January 12th, 2006 at 9:03 am
I’ve read numerous reports from high profile teams that scouted him that say he IS THE REAL DEAL.
January 12th, 2006 at 9:10 am
OK… I haven’t read the teams reports!
I just like saying YAYA!
There have been a few players and coaches that have said he is “gonna” be a good one.
His brother is good and at Arsenal… so we have an inside track…
January 12th, 2006 at 9:34 am
YAYA does sound good, like POOM but less… naughty
January 12th, 2006 at 9:59 am
I’m sure the headline writers would be delighted if he checked in at Arsenal.
Maybe we have a secret feeder club set up with Olymiakos, what with Ne going there too. But as for players saying he’s going to be good, well there was Drogba, probably under instruction from Mourihno - as whateverplayer we are linked with, they are linked with the following day to bump up the price. Diaby was a classic case and from the remarks of his agent, we should leave him well alone…””Arsenal made an offer to Auxerre and are very keen to get him,” Boli told the News of the World.
”But Chelsea want him as well. Auxerre are prepared to let him go but they have not agreed a fee yet.
”We have to wait two or three days and see what Chelsea do. They will also make an offer this week and it’ll be up to Auxerre.
”Arsenal are very hot on the player and are close to signing him although you know nobody can compete with Chelsea when it comes to money”
Fack off then!
January 12th, 2006 at 10:07 am
I think you’re spot on that Chelsea have scarred Wenger. He thought he was on the verge of something great with Arsneal and along came the same ‘financial doping’ he faced at Monaco against Marseille. As soon as Real Madrid announced they would be chasing the same targets as us, along came Abrahamovic and changed the transfer market overnight to the point where a player like Essien who we was on our list and would have cost us about ?8m in the pre-chelsea market went for ?25m instead. I think Arsene will be bitter about Chelsea until his dying day.
January 12th, 2006 at 11:52 am
On Arsenal Grouch…
Arsene Wenger finally got his chequebook out and signed 22 year old Kazakhstani international Nobo Dy.
Defensive midfielder Dy cost an amazing ?450,000 even though he has over 50 international caps to his name. Described as the new Vieira by most who have been privileged enough to see him play, his agent said
“Nobo is amazing. He’s not the new Vieira, he’s better than Vieira ever was. He’s never lost the ball or been dispossessed in a match since he was 16.”
Kazakhstani national team coach Borat Sagdiyev also shed some light on his star player who was previously unable to sign for Europe?s biggest clubs because Kazakhstani immigration officials wouldn’t let him leave the country.
“Nobo can pass better than Zidane and works harder than any player we’ve ever seen. Sometimes we are scared to let him train with the rest of the squad because he’s so committed.”
Nicknamed ‘The unstoppable raging bull’, 6ft 5″ Dy is surely the perfect signing for Arsene.
He cost less than half a million and is regarded as the best player to have ever played in central midfield.
Surely Dy will now fight with Alex Song for the chance to push Flamini for his place in a 5-man midfield that has been improving week after week.
Dy’s signing will come as good news to gooners everywhere, but for a while it looked like the signing was not going to happen.
An Arsenal source revealed:
“Arsene was close to waiting a couple of seasons to sign Dy because he was happy with the progress of Alex [Song] and really didn’t see a need, but in the end the price seemed like the kind of deal he’s been waiting for.”
Welcome to Arsenal Nobo Dy!
January 12th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
AW’s on again and off again comments offer less hope than this summer. And we all know where that has left the Gunners.
I believe there is something going on financially with the club that may be even worse than has been reported. This tight purse policy makes no sense for a team in real danger on missing out on the lucrative Champions League next season. Could be a bona fide financial meltdown on the horizon.
As for transfers, there would be only one I would pursue in the current window. And, yes, it would be a big one and if the money isn’t there, it would remain just a dream:
Michael Ballack in the middle.
My bet is that his addition would turn the club around immediately and get us back to the CL for next year and a summer with more tinkering. As he would be cup-tied, we could measure our current boys in this year’s CL.
The lack of moves for new talent has been the WORST part of the 05/06 campaign. I’ll take a 5th place finish and no trophies as long as the club keeps moving in the right direction. Right now we are a ship slowly sinking…lifeboats any one?
January 12th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
hey guys
VOTE ARIRO LUPOLI FOR BEST NEW YOUNG TALENT
http://www.carlingcup.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewTalentAwardDetail/0,,11995~749520,00.html
January 12th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
SORRY I MEANT TO SAY ARTURO LUPOLI
January 12th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
And which top centre mids have moved so far in the transfer window? We all know Wenger wants the perfect player and we have about as much chance of signing Ballack as we have of signing Ronaldihno on a free. Do you honestly think Ballack would leave Bayern, thus ruling himself out the CL for the rest of the season when he has a chance of winning it and spend the six months prior to the world cup in the country he plays now, trying to settle into another style of football and another style of life? To sign for Arsenal, a team in transition? NO FrCKING WAY.
January 12th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Not bad!
You had me for a second…
Unfortunately, its possible we will sign: Nobo Dy.
and we’ll be
Abso Lutely F’d
January 12th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Just reading what’s out there on Ballack. Maybe you should do the same:
http://www.football.co.uk/news/bayern_still_want_ballack_215110.shtml
There is little question that he is in play as Bayern do not want to lose him and he could leave this summer on a free. I hope the Gunners will throw their hat in the ring and encourage Bayern to take the money now; but if it must wait until summer, fine. Ballack is worth it.
The player himself spoke to your comment during the summer and said, paraphrasing, he was open to a transfer in this January window. He didn’t want to leave Germany during the important fixtures they had lined up in 2005, but felt a nearby European team would be tenable as the WC approached.
So, drumroll…..YES WAY.
January 12th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
More & to the same point:
January 12th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
AJ Auxerre midfielder Abou Diaby has signed a four-year deal with Arsenal, the Ligue 1 side said in a statement on Thursday.
Diady, 20, has just made three top flight appearances this season. He won the under-19 European Championship with France two years ago.
Any input on another French signing…I will try to follow up…
January 12th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
Greetings from “sunny” Cyprus (Eastern Island in the Med). We actually get quite extensive football from Greece and especially Olypiamkos. Yaya Toure has been a revelation. He is all that Kolo is but with much more composure on the ball. He doesn’t panic and is always looking to a team mate no matter how many oponents are around him. Oh, and by the way, The Olympiakos fans simply adore him because he gives his all. Should be interesting seeing him on Sunday. It is the Big Derby between Olympiakos vs Panathiniakos (a bit like Celtic vs Rangers but about 20 times more nasty, both on and off the field). I will, if requested, report back here on his performance.
January 12th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Yup! Seen him play. The kid can ball it up something serious.
January 13th, 2006 at 4:38 am
Err, yeah, so both articles say…”The FC Hollywood executive is coming to terms with the idea that his midfield engine will leave on a free transfer at season?s end” - did you not read them?…I think everyone knows he’s leaving at the END of the season, my point is he will not leave mid season. It is completely out of the clubs hands, they cannot ship him off to whoever is willing to pay, it is entirely up to the player - who will not move for the reasons I already said. So while in la la land it is a possibility(it’s possible we could sell Henry!), I think it’s safe to say there is no way that the player is moving in January.
January 13th, 2006 at 4:39 am
I take it back. Diaby is clearly one of the most talented youngsters on the planet and will be a brilliiant addition to our team.
January 13th, 2006 at 4:42 am
Cheers Statto - I will point my sattelite dish south east and try asnd pick the game up. If not, I’ll read some english language match report.