Even though the transfer window closed after 31 January, it sure hasn't shut tight. It seems like there are more Arsenal rumours in the air than ever before. On the 2013 summer rumour page, you'll see a compilation of no less than 103 - one hundred and three - professional footballers linked with a summer move to the Gunners.
As always, the list is sorted alphabetically, with each mention in the so-called serious media linked. These rumours aren't spread by men in pubs, these appear in print - or as close as it gets in the 21st century.
103 names in 59 days is almost 1,75 new players linked to the Arsenal per day. Words fail me.
These are the top 3 so far:
1) Stevan Jovetic, forward, Fiorentina, 56 mentions.
2) David Villa, forward, Barcelona, 42 mentions.
3) José Reina, goalkeeper, Liverpool, 36 mentions.
Montenegrin striker Jovetic is, despite his tender years, old news in an Arsenal transfer rumour setting. He was first linked by UK radio station Talksport, an outlet without enough credence to be included among my regular sources, in September 2011. He was only included on the 2011/12 winter rumour list back then because the BBC and the Daily Mirror lent credibility to the rumour by quoting it.
This winter, almost half his mentions were in the run-up to Montenegro's World Cup qualifier with England last week. A quote from a press conference where he spoke of an "affinity" with Arsenal was all it took for the rumour to fly around the world.
David Villa, on the other hand, was flavour of the month for February. Arsenal's reported attempts to sign the out-of-favour Spanish international in January kept his name in the running for a few weeks. Then he started appearing and scoring for Barcelona again, and the rumour has since died down.
Liverpool's Pepe Reina has similarly been a hot target when Arsenal's current 'keepers have had bad games, or when his own fortunes at Anfield have been scrutinised. But what really brings Reina to third place overall is that goalkeepers are linked with Arsenal like never before these days. The Spaniard has been a reported target since April 2010 (the link to the Sunday Express story has later died) and his name often pops up whenever any other goalkeepers are linked.
The top 3 for goalkeepers are:
1) Reina, 36 mentions.
2) Victor Valdés, Barcelona, 31 mentions.
3) Asmir Begovic, Stoke, 27 mentions.
Valdés and Begovic both look to leave their clubs for new challenges. More times than not, it seems, that is reason enough to link them to Arsenal.
When it comes to the forwards, the story is different. After Jovetic and Villa, many names are mentioned without anyone standing out. It's symptomatic that Carlos Vela is third on that particular list with 16 mentions. The Real Sociedad forward has spent the last month assuring that he'd like to stay in Spain even if Arsenal have a buy-back-clause after his transfer last summer. There is absolutely no reason to think that the Mexican would have any role to play at the Emirates next season.
As for defenders, the top 3 are:
1) Ashley Williams, Swansea, 32 mentions.
2) Fernando Amorebieta, Athletic Bilbao, 12 mentions.
3) Nicolas N'Koulou, Olympique Marseilles, 8 mentions.
By far the hottest rumour is Welshman Williams. He is, however, coveted by other Premier League clubs as well when the rumour is reported. Liverpool and his former manager Brendan Rodgers were the main interested party when the rumour was first reported in the January window by the Daily Mirror. Since then, most mentions have been a re-hash or other of this original rumour.
The midfielder top 3 are:
1) Étienne Capoué, Toulouse, 22 mentions.
2) Victor Wanyama, Celtic, 16 mentions.
3=) Mario Götze, Borussia Dortmund, 6 mentions.
3=) Sebastian Rode, Eintracht Frankfurt, 6 mentions.
3=) Alex Song, Barcelona, 6 mentions.
In brief, the rumours are that Arsenal are looking for a replacement for Alex Song. However, this is so difficult that Song himself is a prime candidate!
(How easily Gooners forget screaming at the so-called defensive midfielder for straying out of position in game after game, never really replacing Gilberto Silva.)
Oh, and Arsenal are looking at youngsters in the Bundesliga. There really are a lot of rumours about up-and-coming, short-arsed, technically gifted, attacking midfielders about. As if Arsenal are lacking.
To put it briefly, only the Stevan Jovetic story qualifies as a proper rumour. It carries the weight of at least some quotes, interest has been reported for some time and by many different media outlets. Not that all that should mean anything at all in football's ever expanding Silly Season.
Showing posts with label Reina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reina. Show all posts
Monday, 1 April 2013
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Happy new window!
2013 is upon us! Whether the new year will bring joy or misery or both to Arsenal Football Club remains to be seen. What January will bring, though, are new players. At least if the media is to be believed.
Since the summer transfer window shut, a whopping number of 120 players have been linked with a possible move to Arsenal! They are all listed alphabetically here, with individual links to all the stories mentioning them.
Here are the top three most linked so-called targets:
1) Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace, 124 mentions
2) Thierry Henry, New York Red Bulls, 102 mentions
3) Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Schalke, 83 mentions
As Huntelaar has already signed a new contract with his German employers, honorary mention goes to Demba Ba of Newcastle, mentioned 73 times in December alone and four times on this first day of 2013.
The intensity of transfer rumours fluctuate with the team's form. When Arsenal had a really rotten spell of form a few weeks ago, any footballer with two legs and an agent fairly fluent in English could be linked with the club. Now, after four league wins in a row, the teenagers for the future are in vogue in the media. That's why the last week's rumour of choice concerns Southampton's left back prodigy Luke Shaw. Zaha is also in this category.
Shaw is, with 26 mentions, the defender most oftened mentioned as a potential Arsenal signing. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (9 mentions) and Stoppila Sunzu (7 mentions) are far behind.
Huntelaar and Ba belong to the rumours about Arsenal needing an experienced striker to compete with Olivier Giroud (and, hey! with Theo Walcott). Other candidates here are Adrián López and Fernando Llorente with 39 mentions each.
The hottest goalkeeper rumour is Liverpool's Pepe Reina, mentioned 26 times. Asmir Begovic (10 mentions) and Michel Vorm (8) can't compete.
Among the 42 midfielders linked with Arsenal, Schalke's Lewis Holtby have the most mentions with 23. This rumour can be expected to grow as the English-born German international is an Arsenal fan who has made it clear he'll be leaving Schalke at the end of the season anyway.
But who will leave before all these players are signed? Walcott, for one. If 186 individual media reports between August and here are to be believed.
Walcott's contract wrangle, the all too familiar scenario of 'will he, won't he' reporting, has been dragging on through the whole season so far. He's been linked with eight different clubs, from Chelsea to Spartak Moskva. He's been touted as a part/exchange makeweight for signing Nani from Manchester United, and costing the champions Manchester City fifteen million pounds. The varieties are endless.
As are the possibilites of Marouane Chamakh. Wanted by both Juventus and Cardiff, would you believe.
'On their way out':
1) Theo Walcott, to Juventus, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Liverpool, Spartak Moskva, Chelsea or Manchester United, 186 mentions
2) Marouane Chamakh, to Bordeaux, Internacional, Tottenham, Everton, Blackburn, Espanyol, Norwich, Fenerbahce, Fiorentina, West Ham, Queens Park Rangers, Inter Milan, Juventus or Cardiff, 57 mentions
3) Andrei Arshavin, to Tottenham, Zenit St. Petersburg, Fulham, Major League Soccer, Reading, Galatasaray or Newcastle, 54 mentions
And, remember, January starts today. All these rumours have come to light before the transfer window has even opened. Happy New Year!
Since the summer transfer window shut, a whopping number of 120 players have been linked with a possible move to Arsenal! They are all listed alphabetically here, with individual links to all the stories mentioning them.
Here are the top three most linked so-called targets:
1) Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace, 124 mentions
2) Thierry Henry, New York Red Bulls, 102 mentions
3) Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Schalke, 83 mentions
As Huntelaar has already signed a new contract with his German employers, honorary mention goes to Demba Ba of Newcastle, mentioned 73 times in December alone and four times on this first day of 2013.
The intensity of transfer rumours fluctuate with the team's form. When Arsenal had a really rotten spell of form a few weeks ago, any footballer with two legs and an agent fairly fluent in English could be linked with the club. Now, after four league wins in a row, the teenagers for the future are in vogue in the media. That's why the last week's rumour of choice concerns Southampton's left back prodigy Luke Shaw. Zaha is also in this category.
Shaw is, with 26 mentions, the defender most oftened mentioned as a potential Arsenal signing. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (9 mentions) and Stoppila Sunzu (7 mentions) are far behind.
Huntelaar and Ba belong to the rumours about Arsenal needing an experienced striker to compete with Olivier Giroud (and, hey! with Theo Walcott). Other candidates here are Adrián López and Fernando Llorente with 39 mentions each.
The hottest goalkeeper rumour is Liverpool's Pepe Reina, mentioned 26 times. Asmir Begovic (10 mentions) and Michel Vorm (8) can't compete.
Among the 42 midfielders linked with Arsenal, Schalke's Lewis Holtby have the most mentions with 23. This rumour can be expected to grow as the English-born German international is an Arsenal fan who has made it clear he'll be leaving Schalke at the end of the season anyway.
But who will leave before all these players are signed? Walcott, for one. If 186 individual media reports between August and here are to be believed.
Walcott's contract wrangle, the all too familiar scenario of 'will he, won't he' reporting, has been dragging on through the whole season so far. He's been linked with eight different clubs, from Chelsea to Spartak Moskva. He's been touted as a part/exchange makeweight for signing Nani from Manchester United, and costing the champions Manchester City fifteen million pounds. The varieties are endless.
As are the possibilites of Marouane Chamakh. Wanted by both Juventus and Cardiff, would you believe.
'On their way out':
1) Theo Walcott, to Juventus, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Liverpool, Spartak Moskva, Chelsea or Manchester United, 186 mentions
2) Marouane Chamakh, to Bordeaux, Internacional, Tottenham, Everton, Blackburn, Espanyol, Norwich, Fenerbahce, Fiorentina, West Ham, Queens Park Rangers, Inter Milan, Juventus or Cardiff, 57 mentions
3) Andrei Arshavin, to Tottenham, Zenit St. Petersburg, Fulham, Major League Soccer, Reading, Galatasaray or Newcastle, 54 mentions
And, remember, January starts today. All these rumours have come to light before the transfer window has even opened. Happy New Year!
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Mid-December one-day roundup
Sorry to my readers for the infrequency of my updates. I trust that you can see the January rumour list being updated almost every day, if nothing else. Anyway, today's papers have so many stories repeating the main stories. So this roundup was easy enough even for this lazy correspondent!
There's nothing like a rotten patch of form to get the Arsenal transfer rumour mill going. While Arsenal are still only two points off the notorius fourth place, an unexpected exit from the League Cup has put the players and the manager under seemingly more pressure than ever before.
Even former Arsenal stars accuse Arséne Wenger of lies, his supporters of delusion, and his players of being embarrassing and disgusting. All because a loss of form and a lack of interest spending money if it's there to spend.
With this pressure comes the clamour for changes. New faces, new legs, new solutions. And for once, the focus isn't just on firing, selling and signing; coaching is part of the discussion. One set of bitter comments from Stewart Robson, a former Arsenal player and employee, have been widely quoted. Wenger's strong-worded rebuttal won't matter. Through the media, a "truth" has been established.
The Daily Mirror refreshes our memory of Pepe Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper supposedly on Arsenal's shortlist. Whether a new goalkeeper is needed to replace Wojciech Szczesny or just give him competition is unclear. Stoke's Asmir Begovic and - according to the Daily Mail - Michel Vorm of Swansea are said to be alternatives.
Persistent rumours of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Wilfried Zaha and Luke Shaw are also brought up by the Mirror today, as is a rare mention of Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
A transfer offer for Huntelaar has been touted by so many papers so many times that an interest on Arsenal's part looks likely. The rumour gains weight in the media by the team's rather obvious need for an alternative to Olivier Giroud. However, this perception of need isn't necessarily shared by the manager. His selection of Marouane Chamakh as a sub for the last few games could even indicate that Wenger is happy to let the Moroccan prove everyone and his dog wrong. The manager's legendary stubbornness can't be underestimated.
The interest in Zaha is a no-brainer, as is reported interest in Southampton's Shaw and Raheem Sterling of Liverpool. The Sun is one of the papers suggesting a £15m catfight with Manchester United over the young winger. Arsenal are always looking to sign talented teenagers. The club's policy is to mould a team by letting them grow up together, so to speak. Wenger is also on record confirming that an English/British core is his on-going building project.
The long-heralded loan deal to bring Thierry Henry to Arsenal for a third spell has taken a weird twist. Henry is reported by French sports paper L'Equipe to have attended a charity dinner held by Alisher Usmanov in Moscow. The Independent reports this as Henry making an alliance with Arsenal's minority owner against the board and the manager. Usmanov is stirring the manure again, and the smell is familiar. By the way, L'Equipe is credited as a source by every British media passing the story on, but the website of the French publication has no mention of it as yet.
So which of these rumours have any credibility? Outside of the much touted Henry deal, the other rumours are all about unconfirmed deals where there are reportedly other interested parties. It all reeks of agent speak. However, I expect Arsenal to be interested in Zaha and Shaw. If they weren't, I'd be disappointed.
The extra ingredient this last week was the rumours about Nani, the Manchester United winger who is said to have fallen out with his current manager. The Portuguese went to Watford's training ground to watch his stepson play, and was quickly surrounded by autograph hunters with smartphones. With Watford having their setup right next door to London Colney, rumours were soon buzzing about an upcoming transfer. With Theo Walcott still in negotiations about a new deal, Manchester United were soon added as a potential suitor, and lo and behold! A rumoured part exchange deal! It really is too predictable sometimes.
There's nothing like a rotten patch of form to get the Arsenal transfer rumour mill going. While Arsenal are still only two points off the notorius fourth place, an unexpected exit from the League Cup has put the players and the manager under seemingly more pressure than ever before.
Even former Arsenal stars accuse Arséne Wenger of lies, his supporters of delusion, and his players of being embarrassing and disgusting. All because a loss of form and a lack of interest spending money if it's there to spend.
With this pressure comes the clamour for changes. New faces, new legs, new solutions. And for once, the focus isn't just on firing, selling and signing; coaching is part of the discussion. One set of bitter comments from Stewart Robson, a former Arsenal player and employee, have been widely quoted. Wenger's strong-worded rebuttal won't matter. Through the media, a "truth" has been established.
The Daily Mirror refreshes our memory of Pepe Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper supposedly on Arsenal's shortlist. Whether a new goalkeeper is needed to replace Wojciech Szczesny or just give him competition is unclear. Stoke's Asmir Begovic and - according to the Daily Mail - Michel Vorm of Swansea are said to be alternatives.
Persistent rumours of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Wilfried Zaha and Luke Shaw are also brought up by the Mirror today, as is a rare mention of Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
A transfer offer for Huntelaar has been touted by so many papers so many times that an interest on Arsenal's part looks likely. The rumour gains weight in the media by the team's rather obvious need for an alternative to Olivier Giroud. However, this perception of need isn't necessarily shared by the manager. His selection of Marouane Chamakh as a sub for the last few games could even indicate that Wenger is happy to let the Moroccan prove everyone and his dog wrong. The manager's legendary stubbornness can't be underestimated.
The interest in Zaha is a no-brainer, as is reported interest in Southampton's Shaw and Raheem Sterling of Liverpool. The Sun is one of the papers suggesting a £15m catfight with Manchester United over the young winger. Arsenal are always looking to sign talented teenagers. The club's policy is to mould a team by letting them grow up together, so to speak. Wenger is also on record confirming that an English/British core is his on-going building project.
The long-heralded loan deal to bring Thierry Henry to Arsenal for a third spell has taken a weird twist. Henry is reported by French sports paper L'Equipe to have attended a charity dinner held by Alisher Usmanov in Moscow. The Independent reports this as Henry making an alliance with Arsenal's minority owner against the board and the manager. Usmanov is stirring the manure again, and the smell is familiar. By the way, L'Equipe is credited as a source by every British media passing the story on, but the website of the French publication has no mention of it as yet.
So which of these rumours have any credibility? Outside of the much touted Henry deal, the other rumours are all about unconfirmed deals where there are reportedly other interested parties. It all reeks of agent speak. However, I expect Arsenal to be interested in Zaha and Shaw. If they weren't, I'd be disappointed.
The extra ingredient this last week was the rumours about Nani, the Manchester United winger who is said to have fallen out with his current manager. The Portuguese went to Watford's training ground to watch his stepson play, and was quickly surrounded by autograph hunters with smartphones. With Watford having their setup right next door to London Colney, rumours were soon buzzing about an upcoming transfer. With Theo Walcott still in negotiations about a new deal, Manchester United were soon added as a potential suitor, and lo and behold! A rumoured part exchange deal! It really is too predictable sometimes.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
So, what else is new?
There are quite a few repeats on the list of January 2011 transfer rumours so far. It's almost as if Lukasz Fabianski hadn't played well for a few games.
Fulham's Mark Schwarzer and Liverpool's Pepe Reina are familiar names from the summer, even though they are in different price categories.
Connor Wickham, Kara Mbodj and the Lukaku brothers are youngsters still being watched by Arsenal scouts and rousing interest.
New on the list are defenders Gabi Milito of Barcelona and Benedikt Höwedes of Schalke 04. During the summer there were numerous reports on Arsenal's supposed interest in La Liga and Bundesliga defenders, but Sébastien Squillaci was the only one to show for it.
And the other way around? Well, there's a rumour that Cesc Fabregas might head for Spain...
Fulham's Mark Schwarzer and Liverpool's Pepe Reina are familiar names from the summer, even though they are in different price categories.
Connor Wickham, Kara Mbodj and the Lukaku brothers are youngsters still being watched by Arsenal scouts and rousing interest.
New on the list are defenders Gabi Milito of Barcelona and Benedikt Höwedes of Schalke 04. During the summer there were numerous reports on Arsenal's supposed interest in La Liga and Bundesliga defenders, but Sébastien Squillaci was the only one to show for it.
And the other way around? Well, there's a rumour that Cesc Fabregas might head for Spain...
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Arsène speaks
The manager is interviewed at great length in the Observer today. Thankfully, reporter Amy Lawrence is a Gooner and knows what to ask:
This is as close as I've ever seen or heard the manager criticise the goalkeepers he has to choose from. During the season, he will never blame his current first choice for anything else than perhaps a slight moment of indecision. Maybe Amy Lawrence caught him off guard with a well formulated question.
Of course, the interview was done before yesterday's chaotic friendly at Legia Warsaw. Even when winning, 6-5 reminds me more of a Kevin Keegan parody than any Arsenal performance since Igors Stepanovs started an away game at Old Trafford.
This was truly a game courtesy of and inspired by Lukasz Fabianski and his transfer between the two clubs.
There is no reason whatsoever to expect Pepe Reina to join Arsenal from Liverpool in a £23m or £25m deal. Can you imagine Wenger spending that kind of money on anything but a training complex?! The story in yesterday's Sun is more likely to have come from the goalkeeper's own agents than any other source.
Any possible Mark Schwarzer transfer seems to have died a death with Fulham's new manager. Other managers aren't more likely to sell their first choice goalkeeper within days of the new season. So barring a truly exceptional development the next few days, Fabianski or Manuel Almunia will start at Anfield.
Before yesterday's defensive shambles in Poland, Wenger hadn't decided which of his four goalkeepers who will start the season as number 1, or which of the four who will go on loan. But those weren't the kind of goalkeeping decisions us fans hoped he would face after pre-season.
[Arsène] Wenger's mobile buzzes several times during an hour of rich and varied conversation. Without wishing to be impolite, he tries to steal a furtive glance at who is calling. There is still work to be done before the season opens. Wenger makes no secret of his need for another centre-half. And does he understand why people expect him to bring in a new goalkeeper? "Yes," he says, smiling ruefully.
This is as close as I've ever seen or heard the manager criticise the goalkeepers he has to choose from. During the season, he will never blame his current first choice for anything else than perhaps a slight moment of indecision. Maybe Amy Lawrence caught him off guard with a well formulated question.
Of course, the interview was done before yesterday's chaotic friendly at Legia Warsaw. Even when winning, 6-5 reminds me more of a Kevin Keegan parody than any Arsenal performance since Igors Stepanovs started an away game at Old Trafford.
This was truly a game courtesy of and inspired by Lukasz Fabianski and his transfer between the two clubs.
There is no reason whatsoever to expect Pepe Reina to join Arsenal from Liverpool in a £23m or £25m deal. Can you imagine Wenger spending that kind of money on anything but a training complex?! The story in yesterday's Sun is more likely to have come from the goalkeeper's own agents than any other source.
Any possible Mark Schwarzer transfer seems to have died a death with Fulham's new manager. Other managers aren't more likely to sell their first choice goalkeeper within days of the new season. So barring a truly exceptional development the next few days, Fabianski or Manuel Almunia will start at Anfield.
Before yesterday's defensive shambles in Poland, Wenger hadn't decided which of his four goalkeepers who will start the season as number 1, or which of the four who will go on loan. But those weren't the kind of goalkeeping decisions us fans hoped he would face after pre-season.
Sunday, 25 April 2010
The clamour for a goalkeeper
Every Arsenal fan I know - web or IRL - want the club to shell out for a new no.1. Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski have used up their quotas for high-profile mistakes. While they are very competent, neither are adjudged to be the world class stopper Arsenal need to win titles again.
Personally, I never believed I'd se Fabianski in the first team again after his gaffes away to Porto. His destiny was all too similar to Alex Manninger's. After conceding five goals in a League Cup tie against Chelsea at Highbury, the young Austrian needed to leave for Italy to get his career up and running again. Selling Fabianski to the Bundesliga or Ligue 1 seemed the best idea.
Anyway, this link is for a Clubcall news item quoting the Sunday Express. The original piece is not on their website at the time of writing. The main target is Liverpool's Pepe Reina. And while we all would love to see a Spanish international between the sticks... how do you sign someone who just agreed a SIX-year deal with Liverpool...?
Personally, I never believed I'd se Fabianski in the first team again after his gaffes away to Porto. His destiny was all too similar to Alex Manninger's. After conceding five goals in a League Cup tie against Chelsea at Highbury, the young Austrian needed to leave for Italy to get his career up and running again. Selling Fabianski to the Bundesliga or Ligue 1 seemed the best idea.
Anyway, this link is for a Clubcall news item quoting the Sunday Express. The original piece is not on their website at the time of writing. The main target is Liverpool's Pepe Reina. And while we all would love to see a Spanish international between the sticks... how do you sign someone who just agreed a SIX-year deal with Liverpool...?
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