Player Contracts

Didn't we all know about his contract extension in January?

Yep

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1083010/thomas-vermaelen:-i-want-to-stay-with-arsenal-forever?cc=3436

Vermaelen wants to stay with us 'forever'. Great to hear. Not sure his agent would like him saying that publicly. Reduces any bargaining power!

That's great of Vermaelen.

Let's not get carried away here. We've all seen players say 'i'll stay forever' and then leave the next year. I don't trust any player anymore, they are all (well, 90%) looking for money now. We've seen Cesc say it, Toure, Clichy, even Henry, and maybe it's the same with RVP.

Cesc never said he wanted to stay with Arsenal forever and I can't remember Toure saying it. The only one who did say it was Henry.

Besides, even if he does go on to move to Man City in two years time let's say, at least this quote gives the team some stability now seeing one of its senior and key players wanting to stay at Arsenal.

It was our decision to sell Toure and Clichy for good money.

Toure left because he didn't get along with Gallas, but he did say he'll end his career with us. Clichy too.

Wenger could easily have kept Toure in stead of Gallas. But chose Gallas.

Arsenal are set to restructure their wage bill to help manager Arsene Wenger land "top talent" in the transfer window, according to club chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

What we've all been calling for...

Jonathan Prendergast wrote:Arsenal are set to restructure their wage bill to help manager Arsene Wenger land "top talent" in the transfer window, according to club chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

What we've all been calling for...

Finally, that could have even been written in caps and still would not have been annoying.

It's not easy to restructure the wage bill. You can't offer players on existing contracts lower ones, they won't accept. And you don't want to just go and offer our best players super high contracts out of the blue, they need to earn them or be in a position where we may lose them. It's a gradual process of weaning out the high-earning mediocrity, offering youth players lower contracts, and offering top talent top contracts when the time comes. It'll take years.

Zaid Derweesh wrote:It's not easy to restructure the wage bill. You can't offer players on existing contracts lower ones, they won't accept. And you don't want to just go and offer our best players super high contracts out of the blue, they need to earn them or be in a position where we may lose them. It's a gradual process of weaning out the high-earning mediocrity, offering youth players lower contracts, and offering top talent top contracts when the time comes. It'll take years.

Thats not what the article is suggesting though, is it. It is suggesting the departure of many fringe players on wages that arent justified, something which if there is a club willing to take them, we can achieve this summer. Along with signing VP and Walcott to contracts that they respectively deserve.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to tie his top players down to new deals having seen Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and now Robin van Persie hold the club to ransom with just 12 months left to run on their contracts.

Wenger is poised to open negotiations with England winger Theo Walcott, who only has a year left, along with teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the next few weeks, but central defender Koscielny is first in the queue.

According to French paper L'Equipe, Koscielny will be offered a new five-year deal that will take the 26-year-old through to 2017 on vastly improved terms.

Koscielny has been a big success following his transfer from Lorient in 2010, despite playing in the French second tier only three years ago.

He has four caps for the French national team, with the latest coming at Euro 2012 when he started against Spain in the quarter-finals.

Manchester City, Barcelona and AC Milan have all taken a shine to Koscielny, but Arsenal hope a new contract will put paid to any transfer talk.

Koscielny is expected to sign on in the next few weeks, and will be boosted by the arrival of close friend Olivier Giroud from Montpellier

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/904634-laurent-koscielny-to-be-offered-new-five-year-deal-at-arsenal

Jonathan Prendergast wrote:Arsenal are set to restructure their wage bill to help manager Arsene Wenger land "top talent" in the transfer window, according to club chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

What we've all been calling for...

HURAAAAA!!!!!!!!!.........




(All a bit to late....)

Mike York wrote:Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to tie his top players down to new deals having seen Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and now Robin van Persie hold the club to ransom with just 12 months left to run on their contracts.

Wenger is poised to open negotiations with England winger Theo Walcott, who only has a year left, along with teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the next few weeks, but central defender Koscielny is first in the queue.

According to French paper L'Equipe, Koscielny will be offered a new five-year deal that will take the 26-year-old through to 2017 on vastly improved terms.

Koscielny has been a big success following his transfer from Lorient in 2010, despite playing in the French second tier only three years ago.

He has four caps for the French national team, with the latest coming at Euro 2012 when he started against Spain in the quarter-finals.

Manchester City, Barcelona and AC Milan have all taken a shine to Koscielny, but Arsenal hope a new contract will put paid to any transfer talk.

Koscielny is expected to sign on in the next few weeks, and will be boosted by the arrival of close friend Olivier Giroud from Montpellier

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/904634-laurent-koscielny-to-be-offered-new-five-year-deal-at-arsenal

Koscielny a higher priority than walcott, haha.

Zaid Derweesh wrote:

Mike York wrote:Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to tie his top players down to new deals having seen Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and now Robin van Persie hold the club to ransom with just 12 months left to run on their contracts.

Wenger is poised to open negotiations with England winger Theo Walcott, who only has a year left, along with teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the next few weeks, but central defender Koscielny is first in the queue.

According to French paper L'Equipe, Koscielny will be offered a new five-year deal that will take the 26-year-old through to 2017 on vastly improved terms.

Koscielny has been a big success following his transfer from Lorient in 2010, despite playing in the French second tier only three years ago.

He has four caps for the French national team, with the latest coming at Euro 2012 when he started against Spain in the quarter-finals.

Manchester City, Barcelona and AC Milan have all taken a shine to Koscielny, but Arsenal hope a new contract will put paid to any transfer talk.

Koscielny is expected to sign on in the next few weeks, and will be boosted by the arrival of close friend Olivier Giroud from Montpellier

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/904634-laurent-koscielny-to-be-offered-new-five-year-deal-at-arsenal

Koscielny a higher priority than walcott, haha.

And rightly so!

Koscielny agrees new long-term contract


Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that Laurent Koscielny has agreed to sign a new long-term contract.

The 26-year-old centre back has established himself as one of Arsenal's most consistent performers since arriving from Ligue 1 side Lorient in the summer of 2010. No other player has started more games for the Club - 85 - over the past two seasons.

Best known for his defensive qualities, the France International has also contributed some important goals for Arsenal, with his most recent - the winner against West Bromwich Albion on the final day of last season - securing the Gunners' qualification into the 2012/13 Champions League.

Koscielny's fine form for Arsène Wenger's team earned him a call-up to the France squad last year. He has now won four caps for his country, including playing the full 90 minutes of Les Bleus' defeat to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 last month.

Manager Arsène Wenger said: "Laurent has been outstanding for us over the last two seasons. When you consider that until 2009 he was playing in Ligue 2 in France and that he is now performing at the very top level in the Premier League and for his country, the development that he has shown has been absolutely exceptional. Laurent is a top-class player and I am very pleased he has decided to commit his future to the Club."

Laurent said: "I'm delighted to have reached agreement with the Club. I have had a fantastic time here and look forward to an exciting future with Arsenal."

Everyone at Arsenal Football Club looks forward to Laurent's continued contribution in the forthcoming years.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/koscielny-agrees-new-long-term-contract

Awesome news! I will probably put Koscielny on the back of my new Arsenal jersey.

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Just Awesome! Here's to another amazing season by Bosscielny and a more stable defence by Arsenal.

Amazing....sort out our defence.....and its the front that now needs sorting....hahaha!!

But the boss is here to stay.....nice one koscielny...

Me love you long time.

Such good news.

Reading online this morning as well that Bosscielny snubbed an offer from Barca to sign his new contract. Absolutely love this guy!

News that Walcott is about to sign a new contract doing the rounds in twitter. Don't know how true this is but hopefully we can get this out of the way soon so that people will stop moaning about us losing another player.

Here here! This is another we need wrapped up sharpish....