Three weeks to define Arsenal Football Club

Morning Gooners.

Welcome to what is arguably the most important 3 weeks in Arsenal's modern history.

Reports are leading us to believe that we will see both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas part ways with our great club within a matter of days for fees of around £36m and £22m.

This, in my opinion is the best thing for the club at this moment and in our particular situation, by which I mean Cesc's love for Barca and the inevitability that he will play his football there in the future. He can never show full commitment to Arsenal football club as a captain should and as a result we will never see the best of Fabregas in an Arsenal shirt. The money is still well below his true worth but some would argue that the extra €10m is worth sacrificing just to end a saga that has already lasted far too long. Plus, if we play hardball with Barca and meet half way with €5m added to the price on August 31st we would have no time to finalise a deal for any replacement and that would be simply unforgivable. We all knew Cesc would leave us for Barca and I truly believe now is the time it must happen.


Samir Nasri looks likely to be staying closer to home. Man City have reportedly agreed terms with the player for around £180'000 a week (not of course that he's moving for money reasons) and the clubs have virtually agreed a fee in the region of £22m.
Nasri has played at the Emirates for 3 years now and he has produced 1 half of a quality season for us, I'll repeat that, 1 half of a quality season. Nasri is another example of an over-egged ego that believes he is far more valuable than he actually is. @DarrenArsenal1 summed it up perfectly with his tweet this morning

"Nasri will be regarded as a footnote in #arsenal history, a very small footnote at that."

I am not going to go into my ever growing disliking of Samir Nasri or his unbelievably low levels of professionalism as at this moment in time he is still an Arsenal player and I will not slag off an Arsenal player to that extent while he is still wearing the shirt......... I'll wait till he leaves.

These two incidents can not be what defines Arsenal's summer although many will struggle to see past it. The real thing that will not only define our summer trading but also begin to define Arsenal FC as a whole will be what we do with the £60m we receive for the pair. This money must be invested in quality replacements, not players that can grow into world beaters, we need players that can do the job now.

Further reports are coming from Spain that Arsenal have agreed a deal with player and club for Valencia star Juan Mata. he will likely cost around the same amount that we will sell Nasri for and will be a good statement for the way wants to move forward. A world cup winner, only just I admit, but the experience of being part of that Spain squad is something only Cesc has in our current set up, and of course Spain U21 captain. He has many qualities that will move us forward and as is the same with any player coming in he will be hungry and eager to impress and succeed.

That will still leave over £30m to spend on new recruits and the squad really needs them. I would hope for another world class addition but expect a couple more squad fillers to come in including the CB fans are screaming for.

I claimed at the beginning that the next three weeks could be the most important in recent history and that claim is not restricted to player movement. By the end of August we will have played Newcastle, Liverpool and Man Utd in the league. These are all games that given our current circumstances we could possibly lose. In my own view, anything less than 6/7 points from those games could have a dreadful long term effect on the team. Also lets not forget by the end of August we will know if we are playing in the Champions league or not, so far this has been Wenger's and the Arsenal boards final say in almost any argument, how may times have we heard "we always qualify for the champions league"? Are Arsenal still a top European club? If we are not in the Champions league then you must surely answer that question no.

If we are not among Europe's elite then the top class players we need will definitely not come, then we have the additional problem of the sudden fall in revenue which despite what the board say will damage us more than anyone understands. These problems, Reputation, Lack of appeal, lack of funds, lack of confidence, seeming lack of ambition could shape the way Arsenal Football Club exists over the coming years.

However, despite all the negativity that is around, if we get the 7 points I think we can from our opening games and sail through to the Champions League proper as we should, sign Mata and revel in the rise of Aaron Ramsey, Enjoy Gervinho scoring 20 goals this year and RVP staying fit all year and hitting 30, we will challenge for every competition we are in and after our first trophy win we will continue to win more and Arsenal will once again be known across the globe as a successful, ambitious, top quality club that rightfully sits among Europe's elite.

By the time September 1st 2011 arrives, we will all have gone through a multitude of emotions but we will know where we stand in world football and we can just get on with it and I think the one point that every Arsenal fan can agree on is that we just want the window to be over and just get on with it.

Hold on to your hats Gooners, it's going to be a mental 3 weeks.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Welcome Alex Chamberlain & Transfer movement heats up.

Morning Gooners,


What a day yesterday turned out to be.

There's only one place to start and that is the arrival of our newest Gunner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Reports started late morning that AOC had arrived at London Colney for a medical ahead of a move. A transfer rumour that was floating about the whole of last summer, then again in January and has even been thrown about in hope a couple of times already this summer but the speed of the deal actually being completed took me by complete surprise. You only need to look at the deals for Nasri, Arshavin and even Gervinho to see how long the press circulates it before the player signs on the dotted line and we see an announcement on Arsenal.com but the deal today went from speculation of a medical to pictures online of AOC within a matter of hours. Maybe it was because other big clubs were sniffing so we knew if we stalled as normal then we'd lose out again but honestly, I don't care. We asked for signings and yesterday we got our third of the summer.

Oxlade Chamberlain made 41 appearances for Southampton last season in all competitions scoring 11 goals and creating another 9. He played on the right hand side as an attacking midfielder last season and is capable of playing that role on either side but in his first interview for Arsenal Player has confessed he prefers a central role (I swear I've heard that somewhere before). AOC's performances last year helped Southampton earn promotion to the Championship and earned him a place in the 2010/11 PFA League one team of the year. He signed of his Southampton career with his final goal for the Saints and hopefully we won't be waiting too long before we have to fit Alex's extended surname into a song to sing after his first Arsenal goal.

For a team that only a few years ago were criticised and accused for being the sole reason for the destruction of English football, we now have a potential world beating BRITISH midfield with Jack, AOC, Theo, Frimpong and Ramsey

Welcome to Arsenal Alex, you are most welcome.

Many expect Chamberlain's arrival to mark the beginning of  a busy week in the transfer market for Arsenal Football Club with players coming in and going out, we still don't know what our squad will look like by the time we travel to St James Park on Saturday evening. We are still actively seeking a central defender and the transfer of Joel Campbell seems to be almost completed, once he returns from the U20 championships we should soon see his face on the pages of Arsenal.com.

I mentioned before that the movement will be both in and out. Nicklas Bendtner has reportedly agreed terms with several unnamed clubs and is now just waiting for Arsenal to sanction a move. Bendtner must have agreed to a pay cut wherever it is he's going as no other club would be willing to match his current high wages but it seems that playing week in, week out is top of his agenda. I have always said, and indeed continue to say that Bendtner is a very good striker (not quite as good as he thinks he is but still very good) but his style has never matched Arsenal's. I maintain that if Bendtner joins a club that plays a strict 4-4-2 with an attacking flow to match his own qualities he will do very well and will become the 20-25 goal a season striker we all hoped he would prove to be in an Arsenal shirt.

When asked about his future Bendtner said:

“I would like to play at a place where you are happy and play every week, that is the most important thing for any football player and hopefully that will happen soon.”

However when he was asked if Stoke city was a possible destination he showed why we love him by simply laughing. He then added:

 “I can’t say anything about who I have been speaking to, but hopefully it will all get sorted out soon.”

I doubt Arsene will allow him to move on until a suitable replacement is secured especially as Chamakh can't find his form for love or money and in all honesty I will be sorry to see him go but he will not be first choice if Van Persie is fit so for his career, a move away is the only option.

Arsenal also expect a bid from Mancherster City of about £22m for Samir Nasri before the season starts and it's looking more likely that we will accept it. In all honesty, that amount of money for a player who in fairness has only had half a decent season in England is a good deal and will continue Citeh's habit of paying us well over the odds for players who go on to achieve nothing with them.

Nasri's departure will be unfortunate and again, he's a player I would like to see stay and develop at Arsenal but we have players that will replace him and Arsenal will carry on. Nasri's sale could well fund a move for a player such as Mata and I for one would much rather have a player that wants to be in an Arsenal shirt than a player who is looking forward to moving away next year.

That last thought links me nicely on to our 'captain' Cesc Fabregas. before I go back into this whole saga lets look at the facts.

1) Cesc wants to play for Barcelona.
2) Barcelona would like Cesc to play for them.
3) Barcelona do not need Cesc.
4) Arsenal do not need the money.
5)Barcelona will not pay the money

Unless Barcelona pull their finger out and show some real intent then Cesc Fabregas will be an Arsenal player next season. Until that happens or not for certain I will avoid the arguments of Cesc's continued captaincy of our beloved club but just for a second imagine this side lining up next season:
           
              Szczesny
Sagna - Kos - Vermaelen - Gibbs
                  Song
           Cesc - Wilshere
Walcott        -                Gervinho
                 RVP

Subs: Fabianski, Arshavin, Ramsey, AOC, Jenkinson/Djourou, Rosicky (with his newly found hunger), Chamakh

That is a team that is capable of winning trophies. If Cesc is part of our team next year his service to Walcott and especially Gervinho combined with RVP's link up play will be a sight that any team in Europe will fear. That team will also be a result of a very successful summer inn the transfer market. Add in to this equation another CB and another striker then we could even survive a couple of injuries as long as they are not TV5 type injuries that knock someone out for the entire season.

Of course, by the time this is published Barca could have announced that they will match our asking price and Cesc is on his way, in that case we just have to hope that Arsene will use any funds raised to bring in a suitable replacement and by that I mean a player that IS world class, not WILL be world class.

My final word is aimed at fans that read about Alex Chamberlain's signing yesterday and responded with moans and complaints that he wasn't a big enough name or he isn't world class or he's not a centre back.
Relax. Calm down and enjoy the fact that we have added another player to our squad that will add depth and ability to our club. We have signed someone, enjoy it. It all comes down to one fact, it doesn't matter who wears the shirt, I, you, we support Arsenal Football Club and will welcome anyone into our superb family with open arms.

On a personal note, anyone reading this in London or other effected areas please stay safe within this madness. It's times like these that football becomes insignificant within the greater picture. Take care of those close to you and hopefully this insanity will soon be over.

Till next time,
Goonerfish