Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit

[selassie]

That's not what I meant. I'm fine with signing one truly world class player* each summer along with a couple of squad fillers. By doing this we'll have a world class team in 11 yrs time!

* Ozil was world class but clearly hasn't adapted to the Prem, hopefully he will.

I personally don't think that is enough, moreover we need to geniunely sign quality in all positions, I am not for one minute suggesting every purchase should be a world class player but as an example the bare minimum this summer should be as follows;

1. Top Class Striker (the best we can get)
2. International Quality Right Back
3. International Quality Striker (backup)
4. International Quality Defensive Midfielder, though we should aim high.

***

5. Replacement for Vermaelen?
6. Replacement for Cazorla?

If we take for example your suggestion of just signing one World Class Player, for example a Striker like say Balotelli, then signing a couple of squad fillers like say Kalou and a young unknown Right Back that will not be enough for us this summer IMHO.

[Marc Overmars]

You’re talking as if we’re selling them Djourou or Squillaci. As French said, Veramelen is a good cover player for us. When called upon last season, he didn’t make a lot of costly mistakes and nowhere near as bad as past players that just couldn’t be trusted to even come on for 5 minutes. He’s a flawed player but not terrible. Yes, United need to replace Rio and Vidic but why do you think we’d be selling them a dud? He has Prem experience, knows the opposing teams, is used to the physicality of the Prem, used to the pace, used to the gruelling schedule….if they look for someone outside of the Prem, they’re more likely to sign an expensive dud that will have problems adapting to the league. If they were to approach one of the lower league teams, they’d have to pay a premium fee. Why make it so easy for them? It send out the wrong message to sell another captain to Utd and it weakens us.

Agreed. This is certainly not on the same level as when we took Silvestre from them. Vermaelen is a good CB and would be a starter for most clubs in the league. He was just unfortunate that a bad patch of form coincided with Koscielny becoming a beast. As far as 3rd choice CB's go, we won't find many better that's for sure. It's almost a guaranteed downgrade should we have to replace him.

Wouldn't begrudge him a move though, he's good enough to play every week and he hasn't moaned about it. Just a pity about who we decide to accept offers from.

[Grebbo]

I personally don't think that is enough, moreover we need to geniunely sign quality in all positions, I am not for one minute suggesting every purchase should be a world class player but as an example the bare minimum this summer should be as follows;

1. Top Class Striker (the best we can get)
2. International Quality Right Back
3. International Quality Striker (backup)
4. International Quality Defensive Midfielder, though we should aim high.

***

5. Replacement for Vermaelen?
6. Replacement for Cazorla?

If we take for example your suggestion of just signing one World Class Player, for example a Striker like say Balotelli, then signing a couple of squad fillers like say Kalou and a young unknown Right Back that will not be enough for us this summer IMHO.

I'm of the opposite opinion. I think one world class player can make all the difference. Look at Liverpool last season with Suarez. Surely we'd of won the league if we managed to sign him last summer.

RVP and Manure.

I think we're a world class striker away from challenging.

Also...

1. Top Class Striker (the best we can get) AGREE
2. International Quality Right Back AGREE
3. Surely Giroud and Campbell are good enough back up? The days of needing 4 strikers are over seeing as every team plays 451 now.
4. International Quality Defensive Midfielder, though we should aim high. BONUS

[Globalgunner]

This shows an inherent flaw in Wengers policies. We should be playing Vermaelen in more games. He should be rotated with the other 2 CBs in a lot of the lower profile games. If we played 50 games last season. Verms is good enough to have started at least 20 of them. That is what a squad is all about. Wenger plays his first 11 always and invariably plays them to exhaustion. It is not only good for morale. it keeps everyone on their toes. We should persuade him to sign on a new contract with promises of 15 starts a season. Hes worth it

[I am invisible]

I hope we pull this off. All the potential to be a great striker.

Yeah, I've really warmed to the idea - still needs a bit of work, but he's got all the ingredients there to be the complete striker: big, quick, strong, can hold the ball up well or sprint onto passes, scores poachers goals or can spank them in from distance, scores with his feet and his head, is capable of producing a moment of magic, and is still only 23. If it wasn't for the question marks about his temperament, then you'd have to say he ticks a lot more boxes than anyone else we've been linked with?

Interesting watching him against England the other day - he does look like he's calmed down a lot on the pitch. If anything, he might have gone too far the other way now, and become a little too calm and casual (although to be fair to him he still managed to score the winner, and was a goal line clearance away from scoring one of the goals of the tournaments)! He needs to find a happy medium between those two sides of his character - if he can get a bit of that old fire back into his play, but in a constructive and controlled way, then he'll be a real player. Also, I think De Rossi was right when he said that he needs to work on his movement a little bit more, but I think he'd be in the right place to learn that if he came here - we managed to do it with Henry and van Persie, and Balotelli probably has less to learn about the role of a CF than those two did when we put them there...

[Marc Overmars]

Balotelli would be targeted by the media and also the opposition, so that's my only reservation with him. I'd say it's impossible not to expect some sort of hoo-ha to come our way. In terms of ability though there's no doubt he would be an asset. Just a question on whether he's ready to mature and fulfil his potential.

[Zerlathon]

Balotelli would be targeted by the media and also the opposition, so that's my only reservation with him. I'd say it's impossible not to expect some sort of hoo-ha to come our way. In terms of ability though there's no doubt he would be an asset. Just a question on whether he's ready to mature and fulfil his potential.

The thing is, Ballotelli also had Mancini throwing him under the bus at every opportunity. So he never really had any "support", the same has happened at Milan. Wenger is not the kind of Manager, that's why I think Balotelli will become a better Player under Wenger.

[Power n Glory]

Balotelli would be targeted by the media and also the opposition, so that's my only reservation with him. I'd say it's impossible not to expect some sort of hoo-ha to come our way. In terms of ability though there's no doubt he would be an asset. Just a question on whether he's ready to mature and fulfil his potential.

Some players come with that risk. I can see Diego Costa causing headlines with his antics over at Chelsea, but they bought him anyway. Mario may be maturing. He’s still only 23.

[Grebbo]

My concern with Balotelli (other than the fact he's nuts) is his work rate. There's a reason Man City sold him, they didn't need the cash.

City fans view him as an excellent finisher but not much of a runner and a pain off the pitch.

Maybe marriage will calm him down!

I'd rather have Benzema but wouldn't be unhappy if we signed Balotelli. It will be interesting if nothing else!

[Kano]

i used to think balotelli was an utter dick but someway, somehow i’ve warmed to the guy. he obviously has huge potential, the speed, finishing and physicality to do really well in the prem. he’s the type of player that needs to be loved, needs consistent starts and the sort of manager like wenger who will always defend him. the problem will be his temperament which will be risk on a field with people winding him up. he’s like a new anelka and i think his lack of loyalty may be a similar issue too. £25m would be a steal in terms of current market prices.