Summer transfer window 2013

Think that speaks for most of us....

he is an absolute monster...I say do 53m max on him...

Cabaye, richards,williams,

that would be a 85 roughly pay...15 over our so called funds and really give us an edge...

bring in those and our bad start will have an instant turn around...

rather fellaini than cabaye

more so cos he punched shawcross ... in my book he gets extra brownie points

A bit of height and strength in the midfield and on set pieces would be handy. I also prefer Fellaini.

Maybe Wenger put a 12m pound bid in for Cabaye as a platform for not going to high for Fellaini?

Agreed Michael.

While I think Fellaini is out of our reach, simply because United want him, I also think he would be the better midfield option.

Lets hope for a good result tonight and then some really good last minute signings.

deep.gurung wrote:more so cos he punched shawcross ... in my book he gets extra brownie points

kudos for that.....  

Jonathan Prendergast wrote:A bit of height and strength in the midfield and on set pieces would be handy. I also prefer Fellaini.

Maybe Wenger put a 12m pound bid in for Cabaye as a platform for not going to high for Fellaini?

Now is not the time to play games. Wenger needs to even overpay to get the necessary players.

Very funny and painful and perfectly depicts Wenger:
Wenger Knows Best ‏@wengerknowsbest 18 Aug
I have been little bit quiet today, as I have been busy 24 hours a day being active on the market. Are we close to a signing? No.

Arsenal are working on deals to sign Real Madrid pair Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria.
The Gunners are prepared to pay £40m for 25-year-old France striker Benzema after missing out on Gonzalo Higuain and Liverpool's Luis Suarez.


Benzema factfile

Born: 19 December, 1987
Club career: After excelling for hometown club Lyon, moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid for £35m in 2009
International career: Continues to endure an infuriating time with France, with the 25-year-old currently suffering an international goal drought of 1155 minutes


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to further boost his attacking options with Argentina international Di Maria, 25, who plays on the left wing.
It is understood Wenger is also chasing a goalkeeper and a defensive player.
Wenger is a long-term admirer of Benzema, who joined Real from Lyon for £25m in 2009, while Di Maria arrived at the Bernabeu from Benfica a year later.
Arsenal's only summer signing to date is the 20-year-old French striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer from Auxerre, but it is thought they could spend close to £100m by the close of the transfer window at 23:00 BST on 2 September.
Speaking after his side's 3-0 victory at Fenerbahce in their Champions League qualifying play-off first leg, Wenger admitted the pursuit of Suarez was over.
Arsenal saw two bids rejected for the Uruguay forward as Liverpool insisted he was not for sale.
"Absolutely no chance of that," said Wenger of Suarez arriving at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have also had a £10m offer for Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye turned down, but Wenger suggested the final 12 days of the transfer window would be busy.


Di Maria factfile
Born: 14 February, 1988
Club career: After impressing at Benfica following his switch from Argentina's Rosario Central, has performed a key role at Real Madrid since his £20m move in 2010
International career: Won Olympic gold with Argentina in 2008, and represented his country at the 2010 World Cup



Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season and have suffered injuries to Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Laurent Koscielny, while Abou Diaby remains sidelined and fellow-midfielder Jack Wilshere is still returning to full match fitness.
"Quality wise we do not need, but numbers wise we are short," Wenger continued.
"We lost Arteta and Diaby. We are without three international midfielders. We will try and bring one in but we are working on that. What you have to understand is that there is still a long way to go.
"The transfer market really starts now, a lot of activity will happen between now and 2 September. We have 12 days. A lot will happen. It starts now."

Di Maria and Benzema? Plus two more? Too good to be true but yes please!

It could be 2 birds if we put in bids for either or both. It commits cash to Real, who can then bid on Bale. We get 1/2 quality players and Spurs lose their best player!

Arsenal did make a move for Barcelona star David Villa in January but then did not pursue the player during the summer when the Spanish giants where desperate to sell.

The 31-year-old joined Atletico Madrid instead, and Guillem Balague told Sky Sports' Revista de la Liga: "In January Arsenal came and offered a four-year deal, about 20m euros, and some money for Barcelona. Barcelona said they were not selling.

"So I think that David Villa, who took his kids to a British school, expected Arsenal to come back but they didn't, because they saw that David Villa in the last six months was not happy and wasn't playing well, and they probably thought he is not what he was.

"Atletico Madrid came in and they got a deal for 2.5m euros - that is all for the first year. If he stays for three years it is 4.6m euros. Why so cheap? I found out that Barcelona have a first option on [18-year-old Atletico midfielder] Oliver Torres.

"Now if Atletico fans find out about that they might not be happy but it is one way of Barcelona saying they are getting rid of a big wage and getting a first option on this guy, and let go someone who was not happy either."

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/arsenal-lacked-conviction-and-villa-moved-atletico-madrid-3976064#.UhV7ORakK_s

Interesting...if he was keen, he would have been a very good sigining IMO. Complements the team and a good option to Giroud.

benzema and di maria would be good buy but would really prefer a striker similar to aguerro, tevez or suarez, someone who can run into the defence with the ball n make chances, don't really watch real madrid much but isn't benzema and giroud playing style a bit similar

deep.gurung wrote:benzema and di maria would be good buy but would really prefer a striker similar to aguerro, tevez or suarez, someone who can run into the defence with the ball n make chances, don't really watch real madrid much but isn't benzema and giroud playing style a bit similar

Agreed. Benzema is just so 'meh' as far as I'm concerned.

At the moment, with the Suarez deal apparently dead, I'd hope we'd go for Rooney. I know he's not the Aguero or Suarez type either, but I'd much rather have him than Benzema. Spending £40m on him just seems like an utter waste after being linked with Suarez for the same amount.

Two things.....I know benzema has not been brilliant at Real but I have been saying for so long now i feel he is at totally the wrong club...and also he is only 25, fully champions league ready and would be a great addition to the premiership who ever he played for...

The more I think about it the more underwhelmed I feel. I don't think I've ever seen him have a good game for Madrid (not claiming he hasn't had any, just that whenever I've seen him he's been distinctly average).

If we really are in for him I hope your right, but I can't see it working like that. This will happen simply because I don't want it to, just watch.  

I have always had the same feeling about Benzema. I've not see why he is worth the hype.

But in recent years, I have seen him continually selected ahead of very good players (like Higuain), so there must be something there. Maybe it is his intelligence, positioning and interplay with other players. He enables players like Di Maria, Ozil and Ronaldo to do what they do.

Would still prefer Suarez though, playing wise (now I have gotten over the fact that he is a twat).

for 40m ... i'd prefer rooney too, he hasn't seen much game time since persie decided he would prefer manchester weather but rooney is a beast, his form may have dipped a bit but as well as scoring goals he puts a solid defensive stint and lets face it, we are arsenal and we need all the defensive help we can. Dunno if we would be able to pay his wages or he would be willing to take a pay cut but if arsene promises him starting lineup manchester would prefer selling him to us over chelsea. its a bit of a gamble but me thinks he might have it in him to prove traford wrong for dropping him from the pecking order. there are tons of talented players out there but talented players with a fire in them are few and far between

Benzema career stats(to this day):

Goals: 263
Assists: 61

Early in his career, I thought he has an out and out poacher and didn't have versatility to his game. However, in the last couple of years, he has improved his overall game and is now better at keeping the ball, linking the play with his team-mates as well as creating chances(38 of those 61 assists came in the last two seasons, 11/12 and 12/13). If we do get him, it'll be a very good purchase imo.

we need a cb a lot more than stikers, that being said rooney, benzema etc is well and good but nowhere as good as henry berkamp or persie and yes i have been spoiled and arsenal is to blame for it. so hope and hope in my heart wenger will pull a bunny out of the hat

Manchester City and United have 4 quality strikers. We have 1 (Giroud). We definitely need one.

A striker is an absolute must....3 players we need and need today...an out an out holding mid, striker and central defender...I hope something happens by the weekend...

if we can get williams, michu, benzema, richards, ceaser I would call that all be it late a very good transfer window....

According to the news floating around on twitter(looks more realistic than other rumours imo), looks like we've offered Flamini a contract and he's accepted it. A good move by Arsene if you ask me. Gives our injury prone squad a little more breathing space.

Flamini...yes please.....still gutted he left...could have been amazing for us,vastly under rated player...

I agree, Michael. Not the most gifted player, but he's a warrior and plays his socks off to cover the midfield and back four. If we do sign him, we'll see a lot less counter attacks being scored against us this season.