Morning Gooners,It's getting close now. 2 weeks today Arsenal will be looking forward to walking out at St James to kick off the 2011/2012 season.
First of all though we have what has now become our regular pre-season tournament, the Emirates Cup. In the build up, Arsenal players and of course Le Prof himself have been over heavy on the quotes as the rumour mill goes into overdrive with transfer stories hitting us faster than I can remember in any other summer.
The really exciting bit of all this is that some of the stories are actually looking credible and likely to happen. Spain U21's captain Juan Mata looks likely to be the next player welcomed into the Arsenal family. The 23 year old Valencia midfielder is reported to be close to signing after his current club excepted Arsenal's bid suspected to be around £17m which will smash our current transfer record. It's thought the deal could be completed very soon even to the extent that Mata will be a guest at the Emirates cup this weekend.
Down the other end of the pitch Wenger is also trying hard to make additions to our defensive line. Phil Jagielka seems to be in our sights and according to reports has become our number one target from the many, many, many, many centre backs we have been linked with. It is being reported that we have gone back to Everton with an improved bid for the England international. The belief at the moment is that we'll strike a deal worth about £15m and have him in the squad photo on August 4th.
Personally, I'd much rather have his team mate Baines coming to the Emirates as it's a position we need to fill more than that of CB as Gibbs is still not ready to go through a whole season as first choice although I really like him as a player so I hope he proves me wrong.
There have also been more reports that the pacey Costa Rica striker Joel Campbell has agreed to join us although it may not be announced officially by either club until much later in the day. For all the latest on Campbell's movements i suggest you follow @gunnerblog on twitter as he has been ahead of the curve on developments.
If we start the season losing one of Fabregas/Nasri and keeping the other, then add Mata and Jagielka as well as Gervinho and Jenkinson then you have to agree that we will start the season stronger than we did last year. I still crave a new left back and a defensive midfielder to make Song work for his starting spot and if we get those then I will genuinely go into the season believing we can win the league.
Any moves in the transfer market will hopefully be completed in the very near future, I'd love to start the new season with a full squad with all the fresh faces standing among the players we've all grown to love. It's nice to know that Arsene Wenger feels the same way. In his pre Emirates Cup press conference he said he wants to complete his dealings sooner rather than later.
I'll finish on a positive note. Theo Walcott's ankle injury appears not to be as bad as first thought with Wenger believing that he could make the start of the season. I'm quite excited about the thought of Theo and Gervinho on opposite sides of our attack scaring the living begeeezaz (Yes I know it's not a real word) out of defences across the Premier League and Europe with no less than RVP inbetween them. Then add Mata into the mix once he's settled properly and the Nasri we saw in the first half of last season and sweet Jesus, it's a good time to be a Gooner. With Theo Van Nasregas almost certainly not going to be at the club next year we may need some new names people. Get thinking on that and before you know it we'll be in a packed Ashburton Grove cheering the boys on.
Till next time,
Goonerfish.
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