Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think it's a good thing we are keeping Arteta not as cover for the DM slot (although he could fill it in an emergency) but because he's a solid pro, club captain, can still perform at the top level and he's an experience and capable squad player. Not a first team player any longer, for sure, but there's a lot of dross out there inferior to Arteta walking around with silly £30mill price tags attached. A one year deal is just about right.

Like I say surplus to requirements and adds to the inbalance we have in our side, he adds to the squad size which makes a defensive midfielder signing incredibly unlikely.....and as for club captain is a role that can be filled by anyone and from what we've seen in the last few years it has.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think it's a good thing we are keeping Arteta not as cover for the DM slot (although he could fill it in an emergency) but because he's a solid pro, club captain, can still perform at the top level and he's an experience and capable squad player. Not a first team player any longer, for sure, but there's a lot of dross out there inferior to Arteta walking around with silly £30mill price tags attached. A one year deal is just about right.

Like I say surplus to requirements and adds to the inbalance we have in our side, he adds to the squad size which makes a defensive midfielder signing incredibly unlikely.....and as for club captain is a role that can be filled by anyone and from what we've seen in the last few years it has.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I don't think paper-talk is any basis for assessing what we may or may not be doing.

90% of paper talk is horse dung, but 10% is truthful and if we were active in the market we would be be getting a deluge of stories rather than the odd tenuous link every other day.

[Power n Glory]

Very infrequently....it's the kind of lull we saw between August and September last year and we signed a striker to replace Giroud.

We've been linked to Higauin, Pedro, Gotze, Higuain, Turan...this week alone. Probably all bullshit rumours but it's not how your making out. Last week wasn't it Vargas, Vidal, Carvalho?

[Maestro]

Hope Sanogo, Campbell and Flamini are next out the door and quick .......if this happens and add to that Diaby and Podolski's departures, should see us with ample wages for a top tier player. 1 yr contract extension for Arteta better not mean we end up not buying a DM, would be gross negligence because Arteta should be nowhere near that position.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

People would feel better if there were more nonsense rumours?

Must admit, I don't understand.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

People would feel better if there were more nonsense rumours?

Must admit, I don't understand.

My point being is that the more players we are linked with and on a consistent basis, the likelihood is that one out of those many nonsense rumours might actually be true.
When there is a dry well for the last week or so, it kind of makes you think the shop is closed.

[Letters]

I'd be very interested to see some stats on previous years - number of rumours, number that happened, whether there is any correlation between number of rumours and us doing business. My guess is paper talk, or lack thereof, is not a sensible basis for concluding anything.

[Penguin]

I think Wenger's happy with his squad now. He might buy if a 'special player becomes available', but the chances of that happening, and of us convincing them to join us is not very high.

[Marc Overmars]

I'm not really arsed this year I've got to be honest. I feel quite comfortable with the shape of the squad right now, of course I'd like to see 1 or 2 more come in like everyone else but I don't think we're in a desperate position anymore in terms of the transfer market. Happy to see how things pan out and pass judgement when the time is right.