Transfer targets in January

[Power n Glory]

I don't believe that contract story for a second. And I also don't think his comments about Henry's shirt number were supposed to be taken seriously. I think this because Theo wouldn't have the balls to start a confrontation with anyone. I suspect if the club offered him £80k, he'd give £20k back. The fucking pussy. He has to stop shitting himself in front of goal. 2 league goals all season is absolutely pathetic for a wide forward. He hasn't lacked the chances either. He got 13 goals in around 20 starts last season. He can finish but he is too much into the wanting zone.™ He must observe the waiting period before entering the opportunity zone before ending with the finishing zone. Fuck him. He doesn't deserve to start. If Wenger doesn't start Oxlade today I'm going to throw my toys out the pram. And you wouldn't want to see that.

That's more like it.

Sounds like your opinion hasn't been framed by this bullshit media coverage about his contract.

@GB - Not sure about this change in attitude stuff. It's for the better. He's had this nice nice guy good lad 'pussy' image for a while now and everyone on here keeps saying he needs to grow a pair and be more aggressive. Wenger has been telling him to be more aggressive. It all change from the World Cup and it's for the better. But because we have this bullshit media talk about his contract, it's seen as a negative. But if he had just signed a new contract and the perception of attitude on the pitch would be totally different. It would be seen a positive thing.


Media speculation can make a story out of anything. If RVP wasn't on red hot form, stopped scoring goals and looked like a frustrated figure on the pitch, as he usually does when not playing well, all it would take is one story about contact talks breaking down or some link to another club and people on here would start drawing all sorts of conclusions. The usual speculation about his head being turned and not being committed...hence the performances. Just best to ignore the press in these sort of cases.

[Marc Overmars]

Got a feeling I might get crucified for my last statement. . .but who cares , gonna stick by it. . .in a particularly MOCish™ mood tonight!

We're a bigger club than Chelsea, so you're spot on when you say we're a more attractive option. Of course we don't have the same financial muscle and that's the difference.

[Kaiser]

Syn

[Kano]

the bottom line is the boy is growing up and is obviously a different guy to the boy that signed with us, not only through evolving into a man but doing so playing in front of thousands every week and fierce criticism. fair enough he has to accept that people will always pick at his game, it comes with the territory but in the premier bubble i'd stiffen up to it too.

he still works hard at games and contributes a lot to the team throughout the season; no matter if it's with us or someone else the next 2/3 will decide the level of football he plays for the rest of his career. man utd would be interested in taking him on, particularly on the cheap but the overall feeling is that if he does leave us he definitely replaceable.

[Marc Overmars]

My concern is that he would be a success if he left us for a rival.

Under a GHEL manager in a GHEL environment, he will be the ultimate pub team player to hoof it to and run.

[AKBapologist]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...l-koln-germany

Lukas Podolski has ruled out a January transfer to Arsenal. Kon Schramm, the representative of the Köln striker, told the Guardian that a move in the Bundesliga winter break is "all but impossible", citing the player's reluctance to endanger his chances of featuring for Germany in the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine this year. "Köln has priority right now; we have time [for everything else] in the summer," said Schramm.

Despite the Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger's protestations to the contrary, there has been contact with the Polish-born forward in recent weeks. But Podolski, who has scored 14 goals in 16 league games this season, is wary of trading his automatic starting place for a new beginning in the Premier League at this stage of the campaign, especially in the light of Robin van Persie's outstanding form.

The left-footed Podolski has 91 caps and has been a mainstay for the German national team since 2004, but he is faced with increasing competition from emerging talent such as Mario Götze (Dortmund) and Marco Reus (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

While Gervinho's absence for the Africa Cup of Nations would provide the 26-year-old Podolski with an opportunity to play wide left for Arsenal, in the same role he has successfully filled for Joachim Löw's team in recent years, the player is much happier as a centre-forward. He is also very settled at his hometown club. On Monday, he revealed to Bild he was putting off planned nasal surgery so as not to miss five days of training.

A possible deal is further complicated by Köln's stance. The 10th-placed club are €31m (£25.8m) in debt but will not accept Arsenal's mooted offer of £10m due to the player's importance for the team and his contractual situation. A third of Podolski's transfer rights are held by the club sponsor SolarWorld, which partly financed his €10m return from Bayern Munich in 2009. Köln would thus only receive £6.6m, too meagre a return for the political and sporting fallout of selling their prize asset half-way through the season.

It would take an offer closer to €20m to make the economic case for his departure more compelling, according to a club source. But Köln will be forced to accept lower offers in the summer if Podolski refuses to extend his existing contract beyond 2013.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...l-koln-germany

So basically if you want him, pay a decent fee so his agent can get a cut.

[Niall_Quinn]

Come one now, behave. Cashley Cole? You sure about that?

No, exaggeration but he's heading more in that direction than Wilshere, for example.

[Niall_Quinn]

Fair points...but Cashley Cole? It's just the wrong comparison. And coming from a guy that has never liked Walcott. As for the book, hotline and all that other garbage...why are people paying attention to the side line stuff? Who cares?

Not true, I've been a supporter of his in the past. I figured he needed time, but how much time is now the question. If he wants to go and we're prepared to reinvest the money in something other than hookers and rent boys for the board then I'd be okay with that. Of course we wouldn't be prepared to fully reinvest so I guess we give the guy as much time as he needs and suffer the consequences. We're used to it anyway.

[Xhaka Can’t]

@PnG - there is some truth to what you say, so point taken on that.

@TT - Walcott is not the only one having to deal with pressure - in fact if anything, I think given the patience shown over a number of years, he has faced less pressure than most. I can't recall another player given so much time and understanding at a top flight Club.