Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit

[I am invisible]

I don't think it's any more or less impressive than any other top side.

Oh of course - we've arguably been doing more than the other top sides in recent seasons. The worry is that I can't see where too many of the next lot are coming from at the moment? The supply just seems to have dried up a bit since we brought the last lot through? Apart from maybe 3 or 4 players, I really couldn't tell you who we had coming through at the moment, wheres a few years ago I used to know more or less the whole youth team?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I'm more worried about the sheer amount of work we're talking about than the money - I can see us needing 8 or 9 new faces at this rate, and it normally takes us until the last hour of deadline say to do even half?!

The two share somewhat of a symbiotic relationship though. The work you have to do in getting the player is largely dependent on the amount of money you have and how much of it you're willing to spend on any given player. We are mostly talking top somewhat established players (obvious to you or I) so that will require a whole lot of of gold.

This is why I have sincere and severe reservations about Wenger's willingness to simply allow Giroud to be sold which a lot of media sources and fans have been suggesting recently. He will simply swallow his pride here imo, because if he doesn't it might cost him a load of money or a load of criticism coming his way. I don't see that a load of clubs would be queueing up to sign Giroud for a sum we are satisfied with. This is also why Sagna should already be signed up.....even if we have to offer him a better than we would like to.

Better to give ourselves 3/4 players to concentrate on bringing in rather than 6/7/8 players who need to be of a certain standard.

[Niall_Quinn]

Hopefully the likes of Sagna will fuck off fast and not tie us up with his nest feathering bullshit until the last minute. Need the rats out fast so we can get on with stuff that helps the club.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Why is he a rodent?

[Niall_Quinn]

Why is he a rodent?

Because he has big teeth and a long tail.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Meh...

Give me Master Splinter at right back any day.

[I am invisible]

The two share somewhat of a symbiotic relationship though. The work you have to do in getting the player is largely dependent on the amount of money you have and how much of it you're willing to spend on any given player. We are mostly talking top somewhat established players (obvious to you or I) so that will require a whole lot of of gold.

This is why I have sincere and severe reservations about Wenger's willingness to simply allow Giroud to be sold which a lot of media sources and fans have been suggesting recently. He will simply swallow his pride here imo, because if he doesn't it might cost him a load of money or a load of criticism coming his way. I don't see that a load of clubs would be queueing up to sign Giroud for a sum we are satisfied with. This is also why Sagna should already be signed up.....even if we have to offer him a better than we would like to.

Better to give ourselves 3/4 players to concentrate on bringing in rather than 6/7/8 players who need to be of a certain standard.

If Sagna, Vermaelen and Fabianski all go (as seems likely), I don't see how it can be any less than 5 players that we're looking at (1 GK, 2 CBs, 1 RB, and 1 CF). And that's just the barest minimum we need before we even start talking about the kind of additions we're after to really take us to the next level (extra forwards, wingers, CMs, better LBs, etc). Not all of these moves need to be a big-name / expensive / complicated deals, of course - the GK and CBs will be backups, and RBs are usually fairly easy to pick up - but even so it's looking like a lot to get done?

For once, I actually believe the money is there (more than enough, in fact), so I'm not overly worried about that - it's the reduced time we're looking at because of the WC, and the lack of confidence in our negotiating teams that concerns me? My hope has to be that our new financial clout will mean that we no longer have to haggle over every penny, so maybe that will speed things up from now on? Also Gazidis has been doing quite a good job of shouting our new financial status from the rooftops, so maybe that will make us a more attractive prospect to selling clubs and wantaway players (especially with half of Europe looking skint).

I agree about Giroud, by the way - can't see him moving, and I don't see the need to sell at this moment.

[selassie]

If Sagna, Vermaelen and Fabianski all go (as seems likely), I don't see how it can be any less than 5 players that we're looking at (1 GK, 2 CBs, 1 RB, and 1 CF). And that's just the barest minimum we need before we even start talking about the kind of additions we're after to really take us to the next level (extra forwards, wingers, CMs, better LBs, etc). Not all of these moves need to be a big-name / expensive / complicated deals, of course - the GK and CBs will be backups, and RBs are usually fairly easy to pick up - but even so it's looking like a lot to get done?

For once, I actually believe the money is there (more than enough, in fact), so I'm not overly worried about that - it's the reduced time we're looking at because of the WC, and the lack of confidence in our negotiating teams that concerns me? My hope has to be that our new financial clout will mean that we no longer have to haggle over every penny, so maybe that will speed things up from now on? Also Gazidis has been doing quite a good job of shouting our new financial status from the rooftops, so maybe that will make us a more attractive prospect to selling clubs and wantaway players (especially with half of Europe looking skint).

I agree about Giroud, by the way - can't see him moving, and I don't see the need to sell at this moment.

Wenger won't purchase 5 proper players this summer, it's not his style...regardless of our budget. I think having greater financial clout means we can realistically go after established players but Wenger's valuation of the player will determine who we purchase.

I personally feel he will buy a striker and most likely a CB, the rest of the missing gaps will be filled by existing players, I.E. Jenks promoted as first choice right back, Flams to be his understudy, backup keeper will either be a loan signing or someone like Martinez promoted.

[I am invisible]

That's certainly what most recent precedent would suggest. The Özil deal gives me a bit of hope though? Not just because of the fee, but because it was done in about a day, with no pissing around. Not sure how much Wenger actually had to do with the talks, but someone high up at the club certainly made the call on it and got it done...

[Marc Overmars]

Aliadiere will train with us and we'll sign him up for peanuts probably. Job done.