The Arsenal Thread

[Mike.]

I've never seen him play, just going by what others say. Jonathan Wilson said it was a pretty ridiculous price to pay and claimed the original deal was worth about £2m but the hype allowed Velez to up their asking price.

Very odd, though - reports came out last week that we both had offers accepted, and on twitter Alvarez (account confirmed as real by team-mates and journalists) said it would be his "dream" to play for Arsenal and he was "hoping to God he would be able to" so everyone naturally assumed Arsenal had a deal in place and then someone said Zanetti and the Argentinian contingent at Inter persuaded him to go there... But then it came out that we were playing silly buggers with the fee and wouldn't go above about £10m (could be less, I'm really confused!).

you could have virtually stolen him at 2 million up front (there was a fair amount more in add ons though, closer to 7million overall) Inter came sniffing, naturally Velez upped the fee, and Wenger dallied, perplexingly. Bit of shame really, would have been good to seen him in the prem, on the other hand, it makes United's life that much easier in chasing Sneijder

 

[Joss]

you could have virtually stolen him at 2 million up front (there was a fair amount more in add ons though, closer to 7million overall) Inter came sniffing, naturally Velez upped the fee, and Wenger dallied, perplexingly. Bit of shame really, would have been good to seen him in the prem, on the other hand, it makes United's life that much easier in chasing Sneijder

Makes our job more difficult in other ways too - unless Sneijder leaves, it will be very difficult to sell Nasri to Inter rather than City/Utd.

 

[sunilvk7]

you could have virtually stolen him at 2 million up front (there was a fair amount more in add ons though, closer to 7million overall) Inter came sniffing, naturally Velez upped the fee, and Wenger dallied, perplexingly. Bit of shame really, would have been good to seen him in the prem, on the other hand, it makes United's life that much easier in chasing Sneijder

How? If I'm not wrong he wont play in Sneijder's position and he is no where Sneijder's level. At max he will be a bench player for few seasons.. And only reason Inter may sell Sneijder is if the coach don't want to change his prefered 3-4-3 formation..

 

[Joss]

How? If I'm not wrong he wont play in Sneijder's position and he is no where Sneijder's level. At max he will be a bench player for few seasons.. And only reason Inter may sell Sneijder is if the coach don't want to change his prefered 3-4-3 formation..

He was intended to be a squad player at Arsenal from what I understand, but I don't know about Inter. I think he' versatile, though - can play AMC/LW. Obviously not as good as Sneijder but better than having no one to replace him?

 

[sunilvk7]

He was intended to be a squad player at Arsenal from what I understand, but I don't know about Inter. I think he' versatile, though - can play AMC/LW. Obviously not as good as Sneijder but better than having no one to replace him?

This is how Inter are expected to play with Alvarez.. He wont play in Sneijder's position to call him as replacement though..

 

[Mike.]

How? If I'm not wrong he wont play in Sneijder's position and he is no where Sneijder's level. At max he will be a bench player for few seasons.. And only reason Inter may sell Sneijder is if the coach don't want to change his prefered 3-4-3 formation..

Gasperini is set to use his 3-4-3, and the talk is of possibly starting Alvarez (dont look at me like that, not my idea). Inter are in no rush to sell but they would be happy with the money and the freeing of wages, but that is for our thread

 

[Joss]

Apparently Gervinho is doing the Media stuff now, and will be announced as an Arsenal player tomorrow.

There's also meant to be someone else at Colney, but I don't know who. LadyArse (not ITK!) says her 'source' tells her someone has been booked in but she doesn't know who. Lots of confusion as to whether Gervinho has already had a medical, or is having it today. If he had it last week, then someone else is at London Colney too.

NB: Lady **** wouldn't say something unless she 100% trusted her source, she doesn't claim to be ITK nor does she usually come out with this kind of stuff..

 

[Mike.]

Apparently Gervinho is doing the Media stuff now, and will be announced as an Arsenal player tomorrow.

There's also meant to be someone else at Colney, but I don't know who. LadyArse (not ITK!) says her 'source' tells her someone has been booked in but she doesn't know who. Lots of confusion as to whether Gervinho has already had a medical, or is having it today. If he had it last week, then someone else is at London Colney too.

NB: Lady **** wouldn't say something unless she 100% trusted her source, she doesn't claim to be ITK nor does she usually come out with this kind of stuff..

could be Cahill or Samba?

 

[sunilvk7]

Apparently Gervinho is doing the Media stuff now, and will be announced as an Arsenal player tomorrow.

There's also meant to be someone else at Colney, but I don't know who. LadyArse (not ITK!) says her 'source' tells her someone has been booked in but she doesn't know who. Lots of confusion as to whether Gervinho has already had a medical, or is having it today. If he had it last week, then someone else is at London Colney too.

NB: Lady **** wouldn't say something unless she 100% trusted her source, she doesn't claim to be ITK nor does she usually come out with this kind of stuff..

Maybe Dann? You were linked with him isn't it with Blackburn upping price everytime maybe who knows wenger has gone for alternative.

 

[Joss]

could be Cahill or Samba?

Maybe Dann? You were linked with him isn't it with Blackburn upping price everytime maybe who knows wenger has gone for alternative.

More likely to be one of Mike's suggestions, I think.

Or.. Could be Mata, according to a Spanish Radio Station ("Nou"?), he's closing in on a deal worth £20m.

 

[Sulsey]

More likely to be one of Mike's suggestions, I think.

Or.. Could be Mata, according to a Spanish Radio Station ("Nou"?), he's closing in on a deal worth £20m.

Cahill, Samba, or Mata would be good. Although we need a CB I would love to see the latter signing for us.

 

[vlad-the-impaling-gunner]

Hearing the news/rumours that Gervinho has arrived for a medical ahead of his 12M euro move.

 

[crusho79]

Unfortunately , this is gonna be another disappointing season , no big names in , we don`t have a world class player , Cesc wants out , we lost Clichy and 99% Nasri is out also , i don`t think RVP will stay much longer , we need a GK , one strong CD -someone like Vidic or Rio , one good LW who can complete the partnership with RVP and one world class Poacher , if we can get those players in the next month , then maybe we can dream of winning the EPL.

 

[CJACKO11]

Jacko, there are many articles about how close Lampard was to Inter..

Morratti.

Spoiler

rank Lampard wants to join Inter Milan but it is ultimately Chelsea's decision, the Serie A club's president Massimo Moratti said on Friday.
The Italian champions, managed by Lampard's former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, have bid for the England midfielder but the London club has so far said it is not willing to negotiate.
"For the acquisition of Lampard we need to have patience. We have the player's approval but we have to respect Chelsea's rights," Moratti said on Inter's website (F.C. Internazionale Milano - Sito Ufficiale).
"His club have every right to keep him."
Lampard has a year left on his contract at Chelsea and talks over a renewal have stalled.
Moratti said on Thursday Lampard was torn over the move but stressed it was up to the player to make the transfer happen.
The Inter owner also said the club were looking at alternative buys for the midfield, where Mourinho is keen to strengthen, in case Lampard stays in the Premier League.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is very keen to join Inter Milan, the Italian club's director Gabriele Oriali said on Thursday.

Spoiler

We have done everything possible," Oriali told Mediaset television. "What is certain is that the player strongly wants to come to Inter."

Even Kenyon said Lampard should honor the contract, if Chelsea fails to negotiate new deal with Lampard then he has to serve rest of his contract then he can leave..

Also Football 365.

Spoiler

LAMPARD PREPARED TO WALK OUT ON CHELSEA


Frank Lampard remains determined to leave Chelsea unless the club agrees to his demand for a five-year, £140,000-a-week contract and is even prepared to exploit the Webster rule and risk walking away from the final year of his current deal, according to reports.

Chelsea remain adamant that Lampard will not leave, rejecting a £7.95m bid from Inter Milan for the midfielder yesterday. "The situation is ongoing," declared chief executive Peter Kenyon. "We have always maintained that we want Frank to stay and an offer was made to that effect. That offer is still on the table.

"Frank is under contract and he still has one year to run on that. We'd like to hope we can reach an agreement but if we can't we have always worked on the basis that Frank sees out the terms of his contract."

Yet their refusal to offer the 30-year-old Lampard a five-year deal has apparently opened up an irreparable breach, with The Times reporting that he is 'so disillusioned with his employers' reluctance to bend to his will that he has decided to follow Jose Mourinho to Inter Milan before the transfer window closes at the end of next month.'

While it has been previously speculated that Lampard would demand a move, the twist in the tale is the claim that he has received legal advice about the possibility of walking out of Stamford Bridge this summer. According to The Independent, Lampard has been told by his lawyers that 'it would be impossible for the club to hold him to the final year of his contract. It would then be up to Chelsea to try to recoup compensation for him from football's world governing body, Fifa. In what has turned into a bitter dispute over his future, Lampard's lawyers have investigated whether he should invoke the so-called "Webster Clause" - Article 17 of Fifa's rules - which effectively allows certain players to unilaterally terminate their contract with their present club.'

The Guardian also reports that Lampard has investigated the option of invoking the Webster clause, although it also points out that 'Under Article 17 of Fifa's regulations for the status and transfer of players, a player who signed a contract before the age of 28 is entitled to buy himself out of the contract three years after the deal was signed.

'Lampard is currently in that "unprotected" period though, technically, he should have served notice of any desire to leave Chelsea within 15 days of the final league game of last season. That would leave him open to "disciplinary measures" from Fifa, though he might consider that a risk worth taking. Webster was guilty of a similar breach, though it only cost him a ban for the first two weeks of the 2007-08 season, with the final compensation figure granted to Hearts on appeal at CAS for a player who earned around £250,000 a year only totalling some £150,000.'

Nonetheless, the disclosure that Lampard is considering such an extreme measure is an indication of how determined he is to leave the club. Chelsea's resolve to keep him is set to be put under greater over the next forty-eight hours with Inter expected to make an improved bid for his services.

No quotes from Lampard!!! Funny that.

 

[Joss]

No quotes from Lampard!!! Funny that.

Nor from Cesc, but you insist that he's making himself bigger than the club.

 

[CJACKO11]

Nor from Cesc, but you insist that he's making himself bigger than the club.

I'll admit it was not a direct quote i thought i saw from Cesc (just checked) but its no secret his dream is to play for Barca. Fellow players have come out and said Cecs wants to play for Barca time and time again. Its been like the worst kept affair in football for years.

 

[Alcaraz]

Nor from Cesc, but you insist that he's making himself bigger than the club.

its not like we want to hear it from him ... many of his teammates have come out and said he wants to go to Barcelona such as Sagna etc.

Also the way Xavi and all kept saying during the World Cup that he wants to join Barcelona and he did not do anything to deny them

 

[Joss]

I'll admit it was not a direct quote i thought i saw from Cesc (just checked) but its no secret his dream is to play for Barca. Fellow players have come out and said Cecs wants to play for Barca time and time again. Its been like the worst kept affair in football for years.

Players speaking on his behalf to unsettle him doesn't = Cesc expressing his desire to leave. I know he wants to go to Barcelona, I'm not naive enough to deny that, but you're remaining firm on your belief that he (and Arsenal) are more guilty than Lampard and Chelsea even though neither players have ever said anything about it.

By your logic, all the quotes that Sunil gave from managers, and presidents saying Lampard wants to go to Inter means that he did in fact want to go. You can't have it both ways - either they both tried to be "bigger than the club" or neither of them did. Please, just for once, see it from another - less bias - perspective.

 

[Mike.]

its not like we want to hear it from him ... many of his teammates have come out and said he wants to go to Barcelona such as Sagna etc.

Also the way Xavi and all kept saying during the World Cup that he wants to join Barcelona and he did not do anything to deny them

Xavi, not Fabregas. Pretty sure Sagna never said that

Its pretty common knowledge that lampard nearly moved, not even sure why we are arguing it.

 

[Joss]

its not like we want to hear it from him ... many of his teammates have come out and said he wants to go to Barcelona such as Sagna etc.

Also the way Xavi and all kept saying during the World Cup that he wants to join Barcelona and he did not do anything to deny them

When did Lampard deny all the speculation? After he was offered £200,000/week to stay?

Also - the Sagna quotes come from the highly reputable NOTW. Pretty much guaranteed to be false or taken out of context. But again, everyone knows he wants to return to Barca, but while he hasn't denied it, he has respected Arsenal throughout the saga. He is not bigger than the club, and if Wenger thought he was, he would sell him. We're willing to sell him now, just not for £27m.

Not sure what's so difficult to understand really..