Post Newcastle Thoughts:Good signs but more to do.

Morning Gooners,


So here we are, the 2011/12 season has finally started. We kicked off our season with an overall disappointing result at St James Park drawing 0-0 with the Toon Army.

Those that have read my stuff before know I'm not going to go over the match minute by minute, there's enough reports on the internet. What I will do is share what I have learnt from the match and invite you to do the same.

I thought we started the game quite well and created a couple of chances early on and considering RVP and Gervinho are still forming their partnership I'm quite excited about what the future holds when they finally click completely. However, as the match carried on it was obvious that we lacked that final cutting edge, that little spark that would normally be provided by Cesc or Nasri or Wilshere. Rosciky and Ramsey are capable but weren't able to produce the goods on enough occasions for one to matter.

RVP still didn't look sharp enough for me. His normally perfect first touch was often off and on a couple of occasions he was put through and he couldn't get the ball under control quickly enough to get a shot away. The sharpness will come with games but for me the team as a whole just don't look ready.

Our normal attacking fluidity was missing yesterday but the work Wenger and his team have done over the summer with the defence was evident for all to see. We looked pretty solid at the back. TV5 and Kos seem to have a great understanding between them and Song worked hard helping out at the back but more importantly stopping Newcastle getting that far in the first place. Particular mention should go to Keiran Gibbs. Left back is a position that many fans - including myself - have hoped would be reinforced over the summer as the general feeling was that Gibbs is not ready to be a regular starter. I will be the first to admit that Gibbs has impressed me over pre season and he continued to do so at Newcastle. I think he has earned the chance to show his worth, I just hope he manages to stay fit.

Of course the main talking point of the match is Gervinho's rash decision to do what 90% of the UK's population would love to have the chance to do and slap Joey Barton across the face. Gervinho worked his way into the box and was clipped and as a result went down. Barton seemed to take offence to this and proceeded to lift Gervinho from the ground by his throat, a bit of handbags followed among half a dozen players which ended in Gervinho raising his hands and clipping Barton round the ear. Joey Barton then decided the contact was enough to hit the floor like a sack of spuds and Gervinho was finally given his marching orders.

The irony of Barton reacting so angrily to Gervinho making the most of contact only to do exactly the same thing himself 2 minutes later will be lost on the player himself. Gervinho raised his hands to an opponent's face so deserved to go but Barton's reaction is laughable.

Earlier in the match Song gave a sly stamp onto Bartons's leg while he was on the floor and should also have been sent off leaving us with 9 men at the finish but we ended the game with 10 which is a shame in itself because 11 on 11 for the remainder of that match and the way Newcastle were tiring, we would've had enough to grab a late goal and the win.

Afterthe game Wenger gave credit to the team saying:

"I thought we had a solid performance and were in control.

They organised not to concede goals, defended well and it was very difficult for us because we played a team who was highly focused to defend.

We missed something, the regret is that we missed something in the final third and in the speed of our passing. But, overall, we had a good performance."

I have to say that's a fair assessment of the performance. Our game will improve and overall a point at St James Park is not a bad result especially when you consider the uncertainness among our squad at the moment with the Nasregas Saga still not ending and players still as unsure about who they will be playing along side this year as we are. Yesterday also showed that reinforcements are more important than ever as the youth and inexperience of top level football on our bench was worrying and will not be enough to challenge on all fronts.

Attention now needs to be turned to Tuesday night which is a much bigger game for our season than yesterday was. A win is a must as is another good performance from our defence. Champions league football is essential to Arsenal staying among the top teams in England so not qualifying is unthinkable.

I'm off to get ready for the return of Sky's Super Sunday and suggest you do the same. Football is back people, lets enjoy it.

Till next time,
Goonerfish

Don't forget, you can follow me on twitter for more ramblings throughout the day here: @goonerfishblog

Welcome Gervinho & the Nasregas Saga continues

Morning Gooners.


Let me start with a big fat welcome to Gervinho. The former Lille star has finally completed his move to Arsenal as Arsene Wenger confirmed he is now officially an Arsenal player.

Gervinho was part of a Lille team last year that completed a league and  domestic cup double. The Brazilian born Ivory Coast star scored 18 goals and provided 10 assists in all competitions last year and will hopefully be able to adapt quickly and carry on that form to next season. Gervinho is a player with pace who can take on players, score goals and create chances for others he will be an excellent addition to our squad and personally, I can't wait to see him in action (although that won't be until after our tour of Asia)

Arsene Wenger has been put in front of the press for the first time this year ahead of our first pre-season friendly against Malaysia XI on Wednesday and even on the other side of the world, the questions were the same, 'Is Fabregas going to Barcelona?' 'Is Nasri leaving or signing?' Le gaffer dealt with the questions as we all know he will, speaking lots but saying nothing. I am honestly lost when it comes to the 'Nasregas Saga' as I have now decided to call it. One day I think we could lose one but not the other, the next I sink to being sure that both men are sure to leave Ashburton Grove and then crazy days where I even support the notion that we may have both players in an Arsenal shirt next year. I can only suggest believe nothing and ignore the entire situation until either the season starts and they're still with us or Arsenal.com indeed confirm that one, the other or even both have parted company with our great club and although this is prompting abuse, trust Arsene knows what he's doing.

One place we know Nasri won't be going is to Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson has said he won't be pursuing him as he suggested that Nasri may be heading elsewhere, even suggesting he may stay put at Arsenal.

Wenger also confirmed that Bendtner and Almunia have stayed at home to try and secure moves away from Arsenal with Borussia Dortmund seemingly close to securing our 'almost' great Dane with a £9m deal. Arsenal's current financial structure means that players need to leave before we can bring others in so hopefully more new arrivals (Mata, I'm looking at you) will follow any departures as soon as possible.

You know the season is beautifully close when Sky announce their live games schedule which they have done today. Check with Sky for a full list but our live games come as follows:

13/08 Vs Newcastle - ESPN 17:30
20/08 Vs Liverpool - Sky 12:45
28/08 Vs Man Utd - Sky 16:00
17/09 Vs Blackburn - Sky 12:45
02/10 Vs Spuds - Sky 16:00
29/10 Vs Chelsea - Sky 12:45
19/11 Vs Norwich - Sky 12:45
28/11 Vs Fulham - ESPN 17:30

In addition to this we will have our Champions League qualifier either side of the Liverpool game so our first five games are all live on TV.

Last night the AST were given a presentation by Arsenal last night and in all honesty the highlights I picked up from @DarrenArsenal1 on twitter were mainly survey results which confirm what we already know, fans are not happy about how the season went. To see a more detailed breakdown jump onto twitter and give @DarrenArsenal1 a follow and look down his timeline.

Final point for pondering for you all. I have read a couple of conflicting suggestions regarding squad numbers. With Gervinho arriving and prefering the no11 shirt, Carlos Vela looks as though he'll give it up and it's suggested he'll pick up the no18 shirt as Lansbury seems to have been given his old no12 but then where does that leave Squillaci? God only knows (and he's busy coaching Ajax youth team so I don't want to bother him) so we'll all just have to wait patiently to find out.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

As I mentioned twitter, I may as well shamelessly promote myself too, you can follow me here

Off to Asia but who will be a Gooner by the time they get back?

Morning Gooners,

Our boys fly out to Asia today and as suspected Cesc Fabregas will not be on the plane. The official line is that this is because of a hamstring niggle however, it's suspected that it's to make his move to Barcelona easier if they finally match our asking price. A lot of press is speculating, and I repeat,  speculating that the transfer will be completed this coming week. If it isn't completed within the next couple of weeks I will actually start to feel a little optimistic that he will be staying next year. Wenger won't sell him last minute as he'll have no time to replace him.

Nasri however has travelled with the squad probably because they didn't have enough time to invent an injury for him but being on tour by no means stops the chances of a transfer as Man Utd proved when they parted ways with Veron in the middle of a tour. Todays Telegraph reports that Nasri has agreed a £185'000 a week deal with Man City but Arsenal are still holding out for £25m. I personally don't want Nasri to leave, I think he will be a world beater in coming years but £20-25m for a player in the last year of his contract and showing no signs of wanting to sign a new one is a very good deal. I find it hard to believe that the passion and desire shown in the picture above can be shown by mercenaries so I'm hoping that Wenger can work his gift of the gab and get Samir to sign a new 4 year deal while they're away.

Bendtner and Almunia both stay at home as they try to finalise deals to move away from Ashburton Grove with a couple of side from Germany supposedly interested in NB52 and a couple of teams in Spain that obviously have the worst scouts in Europe have been showing interest in Almunia.

The good news is that some younger players looking to break through are in the squad. Frimpong, Miyaichi and Jenkinson have all travelled and will be looking to impress Arsene Wenger. The full squad list can be found here

Another player unlikely to be taking part is Gervinho. This whole saga has to be the biggest paperwork balls up in recent history. The player has agreed terms and passed a medical and even done all the press stuff such as Arsenal Player interviews and photo shoots and the clubs have agreed a fee but constant cock ups in the visa paperwork have seen multiple delays in completion. Looks like the first chance to see him will be in the friendly against Cologne on July 23rd but hopefully we'll have another couple of new signings joining him.

Arsene and Arsenal will be busy fulfilling commercial commitments over the next week but I expect Ivan Gazidis to be working very hard trying to complete deals so transfer business will not stop because Arsene Wenger is away.

No matter who is and isn't there, I'm excited that friendlies are starting, it feels like an absolute age since seeing the mighty Arsenal in action but I for one will be glued to Arsenal Player on Wednesday.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Transfer madness - Too much to fit in a title!!

Good God, what a day!!

July 1st was likely to see movements in and out of the club start but it seems they couldn't wait. The last few hours of June 30th saw us lose both Clichy and Nasri to Man City depending on what time you were listening to SkySports News and Gervinho confirm he will be an Arsenal player next year.

We'll start with the impending departure list. It is firmly believed that Clichy will end his 8 year relationship with the club over the next couple of days and move to join Manchester City's moneybags revolution. Liverpool apparently matched City's bid of around £7m but City's presence in the Champions League swung Clichy's decision in favour of them.

Within the same reports it was suggested that City had also almost completed a £20m deal to take Samir Nasri to Eastlands too. This was then downgraded and downgraded some more until it reached City are quite interested in Nasri but haven't made a bid or even contacted Arsenal or Nasri's representatives about his availability.

I have to say my opinion of Samir Nasri has been fading over recent weeks as it seems less and less likely that he will be playing in an Arsenal shirt next year. In fact the whole saga seems to be a repeat of the Adebayor mess from a couple of years back, a player has half a good season and then expects to be paid the same as players who have been long, loyal servants to the club and produced the goods over several seasons. Nasri is saying that he wants to win trophies etc etc, and I'm sure he does but don't fool yourselves guys and girls, if he moves, he's moving for money and if he stays he will have a lot of work ahead of him to bridge the gap he has created between himself and the fans.

I'm personally a bit gutted about Clichy's impending departure. We all know he not the best tackler in the game but he brings so much more to Arsenal's style of play. He has always been a true professional and a great servant to the club. I really wish he would move abroad if he leaves as I will find it hard to see him playing in another teams colours.

Happier stuff now. Over coming weeks I expect transfers to start to be completed and announced and it looks like the first will be Gervinho from Lille. The Ivory Coast player of the year has been quoted in today's Sun saying:

“I chose Arsenal because it’s a young group within which I will be able to integrate easily. I could develop more over there. There’s only a few details left to sort out.

“A risk? Not at all. I’m going to Arsenal to play. The best risk to take is to look to score goals and to play a lot.

“In football you have to take risks if you want to win. I’m going to Arsenal to win.”
“I’m going there to play, not to be on the bench. Arsenal love the game. And I love teams that love the game.

“The Premier League is a notch above. It’s maybe the best league in the world. I want to live that sensation.”

Gervinho will be a good addition to our squad, he is hungry and he is fresh from winning trophies last season and with Nasri's departure more and more likely he could well be looking to be a regular starter completing a forward three with Theo and RVP.

Speaking of Robin Van Persie, some quotes have emerged this morning from the man himself regarding his future:

"we are talking yes, but I want to win trophies and if I don't think i can, I won't sign - this summer will decide"

Now before we all go mental at losing another star, RVP has always been one of our most loyal players and has always spoken out about loyalty to Arsenal. I fully expect these quotes to have been mis-translated or taken out of context, my guess is that is was something along the lines of 'we are talking about a new deal', 'I want to win trophies with Arsenal', 'If i think we can't compete anymore, I won't sign'.

Rosicky has also stated he will be staying at the club:

"On Monday, I am starting pre-season with Arsenal. Before vacation I was speaking with coach Wenger and he told me he counted on my services and that there was no intention of selling me. I want to achieve something with Arsenal."

He must know that he will only be a squad player but squad players are what will win us titles, we can't rely on our starting eleven every minute of every game and I feel Rosicky still has something to give so I'm glad he'll be with us next year. Denilson also may be with us next year but that's because we can't find anyone stupid enough to buy him.

Also, as I type this reports are coming from Spain that Athletico Madrid are interested in buying Almunia....... Happy days, do it quick before they do any 'YouTube' scouting on the guy.

And with that I complete a whole blog without mentioning Fabregas or Barcelona........... Bugger, well nearly did.

I'm off to watch all forms of press as closely as possible in waiting of our many, many new signings that will surely all be announced today!!

Till next time,
Goonerfish

Barca continue to annoy & Gervinho in for a medical?

Morning Gooners,

So, lets start with Barca so we can get it out of the way. Our favourite Spaniards have come back and said "sorry about that ridiculous £27m offer, we were only joking. How about £34m?" hopefully the club have told Barca to stuff it again and not to come back until they have a proper offer. How can Cesc Fabregas, a world cup winner and European Champion be worth less money than Andy Carroll, a player that's has 1 good year in the Premiership and a couple of caps? We've all seen the quotes that supposedly came out of the club saying that if Barca meet Arsenal's valuation then we'll sell him, now ignoring the pointlessness of that comment (I thought that's how every transfer works!!) you'd think Barca would hear it and pay the money we are asking or sod off!!

Apparently, according to the Mirror, Barca are now also after Samir Nasri. They report that Barca will come in with a bid of £20m which in all honesty is a good offer for a player who is in the last year of his contract and playing silly buggers with a new contract. I still think that Nasri will sign and we'll be enjoying watching him for another 4 years or so at Arsenal.

OK, now for some nice news, reports were flying about yesterday that 'someone' had arrived at the Colney for a medical. Mixed with reports from France that Arsenal and Lille had finished some pleasant conversations the general consensus is that the player mentioned would be Gervinho which would be welcomed news. Gervinho was named Ivory Coast's player of the year last season beating the likes of Yaya Toure and Drogba, that has to be good pedigree that will improve our squad but as normal no further news came out of Arsenal, and chances are we'll wait a couple of days for the move to be officially confirmed and all the press stuff released at the same time. Lets hope its the first of many new faces welcomed to the club.

We also seem to be getting closer to signing Gary Cahill from Boltom. I know that a lot of fans are waiting for this but I really don't see what all the fuss around Cahill is about. Is he really better than Koscielny or Djourou? Really? We'll wait to see what happens but I really don't see Cahill as the player to save our defense.

Ricardo Alvarez also seems closer to his Arsenal switch for about £11m. Talks between the clubs have been ongoing for a while now and last night Alvarez tweeted about his love for Arsenal ans how playing for "The Arsenal" would be a dream. There is still some doubt about the authenticity of the account but I remain hopeful.

Other news is that Arsene Wenger has moved the start of pre season training forward a couple of days so now our boys will all be returning on Monday morning to start preparation for what will be one of the most important seasons in the clubs history.

It will be interesting to see if everyone is present or players currently involved in transfer dealings will be back late, or indeed at all, it will also be interesting to see if we have any new faces confirmed in time to join them. Only time will tell.

Also thew new away kit has been revealed by the club. When I say revealed, I mean confirmed what everyone has known and seen for months now. I actaully don't mind it, it's not my favorite kit we've had by any stretch of the imagination but it's not as bad as some people are making out. At least our players seem to like it, Jack Wilshere and Rambo have both tweeted about it but then again, they probably have to.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Barca's first move not so Fab & other transfer updates

Afternoon Gooners,

Wow, I've been away for seem like an age but in all honesty there has been no new news to share. In some aspects that's still the same but we have had a couple of teaser stories come out of the woodwork to keep us entertained.

The only real place to start is what can only be the start of another truly annoying summer affair with Barcelona. It was reported yesterday that Barca have approached Arsenal with an opening verbal offer of £27m for our captain Cesc Fabregas. Obviously this was laughed at whole heartedly and Barca were told that the offer was no where near good enough. Although at first read that sounds a good thing, it's not. "The offer is not good enough" is not the same as "Piss off, he's not available" 

I expect Barca to come back with an improved offer and if it reaches the area of £35m plus add ons then I think it will be excepted and if an offer is excepted I am certain Cesc will take the opportunity to rejoin his boyhood team. The good news however is that I don't think Barca will move that high for a player they don't need. Fabregas will not be a regular starter at the Nou Camp, you just have to look at the stats for the current Barca stars to see that, for example Xavi made 3'411 passes last season and had a 94% success rate - that's insanely good, Cesc is a luxury for Barcelona, not a necessity and they will spend or indeed already have spent in other areas.

Samir Nasri's contract is another worry to Arsenal fans everywhere. News has been coming out of the club that negotiations have been progressing nicely and more talks are set for the near future although no target completion date has been set. Personally, I feel quite positive that Nasri will stay, I think more than money, it is a case of Arsenal proving that they will be challenging and winning trophies for the duration of his new contract and I think the influx of new signings and keeping Cesc, or a combination of the two will be enough to convince him of that.

Enough of players leaving, what about those coming in? It looks like the Gervinho deal is still not as complete as we thought. Recent talk is mixed, some saying that Arsenal and Lille are still not agreed on a fee but the more popular theory is that a deal is done and Arsenal are just waiting to make the announcement. Lets not forget, the international transfer window opens on July 1st which is next Friday and we all know how much Arsenal enjoy making announcements on a Friday.

Another transfer that seems to have real legs to it at the moment is Valez Sarsfield's Ricardo Alvarez. Palermo president has spoken in the press this week stating that 

"We had a specific interest we had in hand as early as January. Unfortunately, our mistake we did a quick run at the moment and has already signed for the 'Arsenal'. "

Now before we take that as gospel, Maurizio Zamparini (Palermo's president) is known for both attention seeking and talking bollocks however, Argentinian press is suggesting a deal is very close, if not complete and we know that Arsene was in Argentina a few weeks back so again maybe the magical Friday 1st July will see an announcement on Arsenal.com along with some shiny new photos of new signings posing in their new shirts.


The only issue I have with both Gervinho and Alvarez seemingly close to joining is that it makes it more likely that Arsene Wenger expects either Fabregas or Nasri to be playing elsewhere next year but you never know, with both players unproven in the best league in the world, Gervinho and and Alvarez may both be seen as squad players at the moment given us much needed depth and are more likely to replace the likes of Rosicky in Wenger's plan than Nasri or Fabregas.


I'll leave you on that as I go away and plan my euphoria for next Friday when we announce all of our signings. (What? I can be hopeful can't I?)


Till next time,
Goonerfish.


Don't forget, for more ramblings on all things Arsenal, you can follow me here on twitter.

Gazidis Q&A Breakdown & Gervinho update

Morning Gooners,


All together now, Hurrah!! Something to write about other than transfer rumours!!

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis bravely stepped up in front of the Arsenal Supporters Trust among others to front a question and answer session. I can only imagine that Gazidis prepared long and hard for all of the inevitable questions that would fly his way and he wasn't left disappointed.

To be honest, nothing that came out of the session was at all surprising. Mr Gazidis stated that the board support Kronke and in turn he fully understands the club. He said that everyone supports Wenger and also said that Wenger will and does answer to the fans (This statement got a very disrespectful laugh from many of those present) he expressed his "profound disappointment" at the way the season ended and he echoed Wenger's comments that the club expects a very busy pre season. He said:

“Coming off the end of the season, I share with you a sense of profound disappointment. We had a season that promised a great deal and looked like it could turn into a very special one but in the end a familiar story began to tell itself. I understand the feelings that we all felt.  “It is very clear we had some shortcomings and in this close season we are going to see some turnover of players. Some new signings will be coming in and some of our existing squad will be going out. As Arsène has said, it will be a busy close season for the Club.

"The trick will be identify which parts to keep and which parts to turnover. And we will do that within our financial capabilities.”

"Mr Kroenke is known to the Directors and they have confidence in him. In his track record in sports, and also very importantly his track record with Arsenal, he has used a self-sustainable model and brought success to his sports teams and he wants success for Arsenal. 

"He has grown to love Arsenal but he will remain in the background. This is not somebody who steps forward and looks for a public profile."

Now, I wasn't there but from what I've seen and heard Gazidis handled himself very well and although  he will not of cleared up all of Gooners worries and fears I feel he has gone a long way to reducing them. Gazidis made a point of saying that the football and it's fans seem to have too much distance growing between them and he didn't want Arsenal to be part of that, these forums give fans a fantastic opportunity to get face time with the club's bigwigs and their voices be heard.

If you are more interested in how this event went then pop over to Arsenal.com where they have provided the videos for free.

OK, OK, you've twisted my arm, I'll talk about transfers.

Chatter seems to imply that Arsenal could have as many as three deals virtually completed and up to another three in the pipeline. The three that seem to be holding the most weight are Samba, Chamberlain and Gervinho.

The Alex Chamberlain deal has been bubbling since January and his Dad has been less than subtle about his preference for his son's next club. Samba is a defender who's style does not currently exist at Arsenal. Personally I think he will be able to do a great job for us against so called lesser teams but I still think any transfer depends on two factors, firstly if Samba himself is OK playing only a handful of games because if everyone stays fit, that's all he will get and secondly if the clubs can agree a fee which is now much more doubtful now that Blackburn will be desperate not to lose him after seeing Phil Jones already leave for a bigger club.

The biggest movement at the moment seems to be with the Gervinho deal. Speaking to RMC Radio, Lille general manager Frederic Paquet said:

"He actually wants to go," 

"We have developed contacts with Arsenal. We will soon discuss with them to see what they want.

"He expressed his desire to leave for England so we'll see what will happen.

"Gervinho chose to leave for England, so that limits the scope of the situation.

"We will meet soon with Arsenal, see what they offer - but he is a player of value."

A lot of Gervinho's qualities are obvious and he will be a very useful addition to our squad but one factor that seems to be overlooked is that he has just won the domestic double in France against teams with more money and experience. He has the very thing that our squad is missing,  that mythical knowledge of winning trophies.


Hopefully over the next couple of weeks we'll see a few new faces appear in an Arsenal photo shoot.


Till next time,
Goonerfish.


Don't forget, for my pointless ramblings throughout the day on all things Arsenal follow me here on twitter.

More transfer stuff: £8m bid for Samba & Arshavin commits.

Morning Gooners,

Still loads of transfer 'news' flying about in the press. It seems that as Wenger has stated he is ready to spend some cash, we are being treated to even more transfer links than before. I don't mind it too much myself, without the mix of possibility and obvious bollocks the summer would just be boring.

Here's a few from the last couple of days:

GERVINHO: The Brazilian turned Ivory Coast star is moving into the last year of his contract at Lille and has stated that he would like to play in Champions League which will have no effect on a transfer as Lille have qualified but he has also said he would like to play in England. With Eden Hazard committing (verbally at least) to the French club they may well let him go and reported choices include us, Spuds, Scousers and Newcastle, that's where the Champions League wish comes in. It could have legs to this story but only time will tell.

STUART DOWNING: Downing looks ready to leave Villa in search for Champions League football. Personally I don't see him fitting into our system very well so unless we switch to a solid 4-4-2 next year I don't know how many games he'd get, saying that, it's my understanding that we have sent scouts to watch him closely on several occasions. If he could choose, I'm sure he'd pick us but whether or not Wenger opens an invite to him remains to be seen.

CHRISTOPHER SAMBA: The 27 year old Blackburn defender is reportedly the subject of an £8m bid. Samba was close to joining us in January and Wenger has been following him for a while. A solid, no nonsense centre back could be what we need but will he really want to come to a club where he will be fourth choice? If Samba sees it as a challenge he wants to accept, this deal could well be possible.

KARIM BENZEMA: A couple of days ago, Benzema was apparently Arsene Wenger's number one transfer target, now mainstream press has gone quite on the story. It's probably due to the fact that Benzema himself has come out and said he expects to be playing at Real next year, more importantly, he wants to be playing there. Unless something changes such as Mourinho telling him he's unwanted I think we can assume this saga is over.

RADAMEL FALCAO: Porto's star striker has been playing tough with his current club and refusing to sign a new contract. He currently has two years left but it seems it would still take a bid of around £25m to secure his services. No comment has been made about him from the Arsenal camp but he has been scouted by Arsene's team. As always, a player with this kind of price tag would be a massive change of habit for Le Boss so until I see or hear something solid, this will remain just a rumour.

ANDREI ARSHAVIN: AA23 has come out and said he intends to be an Arsenal player at the start of next season. This is good news as far as I'm concerned. Yes he frustrates the living hell out of anyone and everyone connected with the club but considering he joint top of the league's assist table he can't be all bad. He is currently training with Zenit in an attempt to remain fit for Russia's upcoming games which lead to theories he would sign for them over the summer.

CESC FABREGAS: AC Milan have said they will not be bidding for our captain because he is too expensive. Nothing to do with the fact that he would laugh in your face whilst rejecting you? No? oh OK.

CARLOS VELA: Vela has been told by Wenger he expects him back at the start of pre-season ready to go. This apparently means that he's not going to be sold in the summer. Personally I think that if a half decent offer comes in for him, well take it to help fund our own transfer activity.


Moving away from rumours and speculation, Arsenal have secured the signatures of two Barcelona youngsters Jon Toral and Hector Bellerin on 5 year contracts. I am assuming that Arsenal are waiting for the results of their DNA tests before announcing it on Arsenal.com. Bellerin has already started talking about how he will return to Barca one day, it's sad that we're going to have to relive the Fabregas saga with Barca in ten years time but if the young men can produce the talent and ability whilst wearing the Arsenal shirt that Fabregas has we will certainly enjoy it while it lasts.

Obviously all eyes are now on the Champions League final, hopefully this time next year we will be getting all nervous and excited before Arsenal take to the pitch in the top game of European club football. Personally I'm really looking forward to Messi making Evra look like the royal tit that he his.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Farewell Denilson & other ins and outs.

Evening Gooners,


So, it begins. The clear out many Arsenal fans have expected and in a lot of cases wished long and hard for seems that it will start - but will by no means end - with our little 'Deni' Denilson. The Brazilian youngster has had his interview published in The Sun today in which he has talked about his desire to to play his football away from Ashburton Grove. He said:

“This has been the worst season of my life and I am so upset, so frustrated. I am a winner and I came here to win trophies but I’ve been here for five years and won nothing."

“A footballer’s career is over very quickly so it is time for me to move on. This is not a sudden decision. I made up my mind eight months ago. I was fed up of coming home and feeling down but I haven’t said anything until now because I did not want to disrupt the team during the season and I haven’t caused a big scene. I’ve simply been to see Arsene Wenger and told him how I felt and he’s agreed to let me go"

He went on to say some nice things about the club:

“I know some people will think I am crazy. They are right. It is a great club with a great organisation, a great manager and so many talented players"

Than on his future in the game:

“Yes, I make a good living at Arsenal but other things in life are important. I need a fresh challenge and although I know I’m taking a big gamble I am ready to take that risk.”

“I can't see myself returning in a Chelsea shirt, or Liverpool or Manchester City – and definitely not Tottenham. I think my future will be in Spain or Italy.”

I had to giggle at the last bit, you're right Deni, you won't end up playing for Chelsea, Liverpool or City, because as much as it hurts, I don't think you'd get in their teams. In all honesty I think the Italian league would suit Denilson down to the ground and I think he has the attributes to do really well. Some quotes flying about have provoked many fans to be quite hostile to Denilson but please remember, he has been a good servant to our club during his time here but more importantly, it's been printed in the Sun so before you make assumptions or judgements, find and read the whole interview, not just what the journalists have selected to print. Good luck to you Denilson, wherever you may end up.


Transfers filled a big bit of Arsene's press conference on Friday (considering it was a pre match conference I was surprised not to hear Fulham's name mentioned once. In fact apart from injury news, no one even made reference to the game). The two players that got mentioned were Arshavin and of course Cesc Fabregas. When asked if Cesc would be moving, Arsene replied by saying he would fight to keep him which one journalist tries to twist instantly by asking "Why? Do you think you will have to fight to keep him?". Wenger seemed both adamant and confident that Cesc Fabregas will still be Arsenal captain next year however, when he was answering questions about Arshavin, the strongest response was that he expects AA to be at Arsenal come August. Personally I would like to see him stay as despite his lazy appearance I think he still has a lot to offer the team but I have a feeling that if a decent offer comes in (by decent I mean the same as we paid for him) we will accept it and he will leave.


Of course, we can't have all the talk about people leaving. As is now becoming the norm, we seem to have a multitude of new players being linked with a move to our wonderful club. Recent players that possibly have some weight behind the rumours include Lille attacker Gervinho. The Ivory Coast front man only has a year left on his contract this summer and is reportedly available for around £9m which is the kind of money Arsene will not mind spending.  I remember watching Gervinho at the World Cup in the summer and being impressed. He would be a good addition to our squad with his flair, skill and attacking attitude and I for one would be very happy to see him week in, week out next year.


Gervinho's team mate Eden Hazard has also been greatly linked with us and Arsenal have first refusal on the player. If there is no offer accepted from another club, I do not expect us to sign him this year, however if the other teams such as Liverpool have a formal offer accepted Arsene Wenger will have a decision to make. I can see one or the other moving to London but I would say that Lille would be reluctant to let both men go and after their qualification for the Champions league I don't think Hazard will be in a rush to leave just yet.


A player possibly returning to Arsenal next year is our highly rated, scarily hyped up Japanese wonder kid Ryo Miyaychi. He has experienced a very successful spell in Holland and Wenger has confirmed that he will be with the team during pre-season where he will be accessed and a decision made whether to push for a work permit or not. It will be good to see how he shapes up with the rest of the squad and personally I look forward to seeing him in person during our pre season games.


After reading all that we still need to remember that the season isn't even over yet, let  alone the transfer window being open and as we know Arsene and Arsenal are never the quickest in the market so don't expect movement too early.


Till next time,
Goonerfish.