Arsenal Banter Archive August 23 2013

23 Aug 2013 20:14:12
I have a feeling were still in for Suarez, I think Wenger is just playing games with the media, throwing them off the scent. Now suddenly Benzima is name is floating around all the papers. I personally don't think this guy is worth anywear near £30 million never mind say £40 million plus. It will be a very interesting few days.

23 Aug 2013 18:47:20
We don't pay top wages and are not a good bet for medals or glory so top players won't come to us, we do pay good wages and offer CL football so I think we have to be realistic and hope we sign good players who become great. Rooney and saurez were always red herrings to appease the fans and sell tickets Cabaye and Williams and the likes are what I expect from us and hope they make the grade

I think that because we're not seen as likely medal winners means a cheeky bet on us to win say. The capital one cup or even the FA cup, wouldn't be a bad shout. We are a team that doesn't really have the depth to win the league or Champions league. But on our day we can beat anyone. And from what I've seen of our up and coming youth in pre season I think we are a definite cup style team. We just need a few decent signings to turn us from a purely cup team into long term contenders.

I don't think things are really as bad as some people make out. We had a pretty good pre-season to be fair. We lost to Didier Drogba, and drew against the team who have purchased even more persons than The spurs this summer. But we did beat a fully fit Man city(all be-it a friendly) and suddenly we lose one league game and the world thinks were doomed to be relegated. I give permission to anyone to punch me in the face if I'm wrong, but I genuinely think we'll still be a top 4 team by the end of May

23 Aug 2013 18:45:11
Guys I take a lot of what people say on here. And I understand it, sadly I feel a lot of you guys maybe deluded.
We need strengthening? Yes of course.
To the levels people are talking about, I disagree
Is there major problems at club? Yes
And that's with the board and Kroenke.
Sadly I feel the day is coming near where our boss will be sitting on the bench of one of elite clubs in the world.
And I tell you this, I won't forgive the owner and the board, the players who left us and the fans who turned.

23 Aug 2013 22:42:39
Mate,

I kind of admire your enthusiasm for all things Arsene and we all have a differing opinion, you just have to go with that.

I see a lot of talk on here along the lines you're taking with players we should buy. But that talk and those particular players seem to always be mixed in with this beating spurs to 4th.

Arsene and people on here with a sound knowledge of football will know that the quality of player required here at Arsenal really needs to be much higher.

If we end up buying the likes of Cabaye, Williams and Cesar we will just be treading water.

We need to start talking of worrying the phuck out of the Mancs and Chelsea and not worrying if the spurs are going to pip us for fourth.

Mate, one day Wenger will no longer be our manager, fact. Honestly if nothing happens this window his position will be untenable, as will gadizis. and guess what, we will still be supporting ARSENAL.

It's great because you have a sign in name that you can move to another team along AW when he does eventually leave. We can then all get a bit of peace from your constant support of AW. Even in the above post you only ever put the blame on everyone else including us fans but you never attach any blame to AW. Your rose tinted glasses are getting darker with each post that you make.

23 Aug 2013 17:49:24
hi eds any chance we could get griezman think he is exactly what we need and is a class player french as well, cheers {Ed027's Note - not in my opinion even thbough e have held an interest

23 Aug 2013 17:57:27
I really hope we sign Di Maria,

I do seem to remember a certain post I made at the start of all the Higs talk claiming that I thought Wenger would try and sign both Higs and Di Maria.

I remember getting short down by a few people by even suggesting Di Maria

I hope and pray I was right

23 Aug 2013 17:23:17
My feelings for the future are this - AW to leave next summer at end of contract, before that he will do what he done 2 years ago and bring in a 3 or 4 average squad players during deadline weekend which he thinks is enough because our starting 11 is as good as (he thinks) it can be!
He seems to forget EVERY single season we have a spell of having 10 players injured and we have to use the inferior youth/squad players we have and our numbers are super short this year after (quite rightly) releasing and getting rid of who we did.
Anyway next summer will see the new manager (not sure who as yet) who will come in use the great youth we have and he will not be shy in spending £100m next year to make us have a great 20 man squad!

Wise up, Its Wenger that won't spend the money!

The quite american might have a say in this

You are so right - a manager who picks the sides and updates press on injuries plus has done what he has for the club including going unbeaten in a season is not aware we have injuries!

Stick to the play station - have you gone unbeaten there, signed players and now think you are an expert?

Just because we have 70m doesn't make it easy to buy

It's not like going to Asda to get Cornflakes - give him time

23 Aug 2013 17:07:52
Hi is arda turan available and for how much

I read somewhere that two German sides his old club Gala and I think us and liverpool have inquired about him fee was said around 23m euros

23 Aug 2013 16:44:13
Wengarism. Have you been indoctrinating Jack Wiltshire. Last week you threatened to leave this web site if AW was forced to leave and now Jack has come out and said the same thing about the club.

We are a dying breed Gooner62
The likes of Myself and Jack
Dying breed I tell you!

23 Aug 2013 16:38:37
Another couple of days slip past without any signings, get the f. ing cheque book out! We have heard about how busy wenger has been, then he says the window starts for him now! Jokers!

23 Aug 2013 15:39:30
Everyone on here and no doubt around the Arsenal world is talking about Benzema and Di maria.
Benzema is and would be a better striker than Suarez.
However since Real Madrid are about to blow £100 million on Bale then surely 40 or so Million on Benzema and then why not Mesut Ozil, Ozil has never been top selection under Mourinho and Ancelotti no doubt will be trying other forms of attack which means that all Arsenal would feasibly only have to say, look we have champions league football so we can guarantee a place for the world cup.

So that takes care of a world beating striker and a sick midfielder. On a note of anger, Arsene wenger before the end of last season in press conference proudly said that he had the finance to buy Cavani and yet 11 days to go we have spent nothing.

Although most blame Wenger and the board, who in their right mind wants to come and sign for a football club with the person fans at the Emirates booing the team of when it isn't going their way. Give up your tickets to the boys and girls who want to cheer our club not boo them off.

When people spend hard earn cash year in year out on season tickets, they have every right to boo who they want. It is upto the club to bring in the players that will please the fans and show the club means business and be a top club again, not keep seeing other clubs buy and improve and watch them improve past us. If the spurs exceed us this season because we spent no money, I will look for Dot P and see how much complaining you do and I will remind you what you said about the boo boys.

Eventhough Benzema is a good player, he is not as good as Suarez. That is the reason why Real is behind Suarez. But if we could get Benzema, it will be an awesome deal for us. 😊

Ozil is £38mil on his own so him and benzema total £80mil so no chance, my choice would be kaka, not a bad player to have in your team or on the bench! wenger needs to be booed - not doing anything so far is a disgrace, actually so jealous of what the **** at WHL have done this summer, very impressive work!

Mate they can buy who they want couldn't give a crap about the spuds

23 Aug 2013 15:22:30
I posted yesterday that my mate had informed me that we bid for Anderson 2 weeks ago.
He just told me he was fibbing, sorry all!

Sorry? That's a relief if anything!

Nobody believed it anyway

Really. get new mates, 'cos there ar#eholes

Thanks for your mature replies to my informative honesty

23 Aug 2013 14:32:27
To Ed044: You mentioned earlier that Victor Moses is available. Are we interested? I believe we were interested to sign him before he went to Chelsea, and even Wigan. {Ed027's Note - nope, Everton are

23 Aug 2013 14:15:20
Has Wayne Veysey benn right about ANYTHING. EVER!

He will get one right eventually.

FYI,

i knew bale would join madrid as soon as spurs finished below us. so i'm actually one up on Wayne

23 Aug 2013 13:45:03
I know they are completely different types of player but if Podolski was to leave Schalke, could Uchida (their full-back) be coming the other way.

Sorry but in order for Podolski to leave Schalke he would first have had to have joined them. Then it would mean them selling him to a team who they have sold Uchida to in the interim (provided he didn't move to that particular team via others I suppose). Still makes very little sense.

Jesus Christ CECEGUaW. I am guessing you are an intelligent man. Could you have not worked out that I had forgotten to put FOR so it would then say 'Podolski was to leave FOR Schalke.

Sorry for any MASSIVE inconvenience.

Hehe I love it when they 'bite'! Brightens up my otherwise sad existence. Pedants rule - or they would if they were elected, or part of a hereditary monarchy, or were a dictator backed by a powerful enough military force.

23 Aug 2013 13:24:12
Flamini has done well since he has left Arsenal. Did you all know that he has 11 International caps! 8 for the Under 21s and 3 full International Caps. I can't believe we have got him do cheap if this is true? . You can probably tell I'm taking the piss. Any other players out there we can scrape up nice and cheap let Wenger know c/o WWW.TIGHTFIST.COM .

My thoughts is he is a centre forward and like cazorla (the ACM) he hates being played on the left bloody wing - SIGN A LW WENGER, leave the central players in the middle!

Just looked up tightfist.com and can confirm that it is most definitely not a site about wenger! I have had a great couple of hours so thanks

23 Aug 2013 12:45:04
I'm 56 did anyone on here go to Highbury Grove School. ok Eds little bit of Arsenal Rumours Friends Reunited. hope you don't mind? Thanks, little bit of light relief. {Ed044's Note - Fine by me.}

No but I am 55 and went to Owens while it was still at the Angel (before the move to Potters Bar).

No. I'm 63 & went to Walford in Northolt [unfortunately]

54 and went to st augustines in kilburn.

Sorry 41 and went to Borstall (well no one else would have me)

No I'm 53 and went to Amman Valley :-)

I went to Tottenham Country School

23 Aug 2013 12:31:46
We will not sign Di Maria. we will maybe sign Diego Capel from Sporting Lisbon who we will purchase for about £6m

Sammmmmmmmmy last time i saw you was in lamanga!!

23 Aug 2013 11:43:28
I really am getting sick and tired of this constant clamour for big marquee signings.
The 1 area I wouldn't mind is striker. Giroud is a very good player, but maybe we can do better.
But if people just park that doom and gloom to one side for a minute, and try and get into Wengers head.
His model is most similar to the Dortmund team. What star players did they sign.
Just comparing its Reus who is our Cazorla.
Bender and Gundogan= Arteta and Wilshere
Lewandowski has the edge on Giroud. And CBs have a very good understanding
But we are not far away. We best them unless I'm mistaken.
The secret behind their success is team spirit, good formation play. Passion.
That's why getting players like Flamini are good buys

Wengarism with this post you are obviously settling for a battle for 5th place and a cup run. You are a Wenger fanatic and you cannot open your eyes and see that we all support this fantastic club but we want more than a chance of Thursday night football.

Trouble is don´t see much passion from our players except in the qualifiers for CL and the 4th place trophy. Also our deluded board are comparing us to Bayern Munich. How many trophies did they win last year? Plus our ticket prices are twice or more what BD and BM charge.
Bye Bye Wenger and Gazidis ASAP

What your missing is we haven't signed anyone. not even flamini (yet). we have a paperthin squad with only 9 odd days to restock, for me i'm now very worried, don't think we will get what we need, idealy we need 5/6 players of which at least 3 should be 1st team ready, not bothered by marquee players just very very good players, but honestly think wenger has duffed it again. sad but could be the end for wenger, his only hope is a very good last few days in the market, think he was warned by the board and gadizis in june

This is a flawed argument. You argue that we shouldn't be making big signings like Bender and Gundogan because we already have that quality. But consider Wenger's two mantras this window:

1. We are not short on quality, but quantity.

2. We will only bring in players of sufficient quality.

These statements seem to contradict, but can make sense if statement 1 is just about the starting line up. In that case, the solution is very clear: we need more quality players as backup/rotation with the ones we already have.

Look at our squad - do you really think we have enough depth of quality to improve on last year? You are kidding yourself if you think so. I am not against signing Flamini, but buying a top quality DM(s) would help us more. I don't see how you can deny that.

In terms of Dortmund, if we take Gundogan and Bender - they are not their only players in that position. They also have Kehl, Hofmann, Sahin and Kirch who can protect the back 4 from midfield. Other than our 1st team we have Diaby and Frimpong. We have similar cases in other areas, including wingers, strikers and centre halfs.

I don't want to sound like a whinger - I agree with you that we have a lot of quality in our 1st team. But teams like Dortmund (and to a greater degree, City, Utd, Chelsea and now Spurs) have more quality players than us throughout the squad. This is why we need to make several big signings.

Be sick and tired all you want. Its opinion

OK, if we are comparing to Dortmund. let;s flag some differences:

There start striker was in the last year of his contract and when a big rival club came in with a bid, what did they do.

Marco Reus was definitely a star signing.

Now let's compare Cesc to Gotze. ok once and a while you lose a big big star; who did we buy with that money, versus what dortmind bought this year?

Aubameyang
Mkhitaryan
Papastathopoulos

Blimey Wengerism, if nothing else I admire the staunchness of your total adulation of all things Arséne - (hey have you noticed? You share much the same name as our Manager?)

It's not just a clamour for "big names". It is a clamour for some transparency from the Board. It is a clamour for doing what they say they are going to do (see Gazidis earlier this summer). It is a clamour for success - we have no divine right to expect it per se, but we do have a divine right to expect to see all our management doing everything possible to maximise the chances of success.

If you still are not even vaguely bamboozled and feeling your intelligence slighted by Mr Wenger's comments about "the transfer window starts here" which made about as much logical sense as Cantona's "seagulls/trawler" drivel, then I fear your support for all things Arsene is dangerously obsessive.

All Arsenal fans want us to be successful, whoever is in charge but after eight years of relative failure (i.e. NOT ONE TROPHY - compare that to Manchester United, Chelsea, Citeh, hell even Wigan (sorry Wigan)) it is not unreasonable for many to want a change of strategy.

It's nuts for us to have left everything so late again - "big name" signings or a clutch of Flamini's - and to complain that "everyone goes on holiday" earlier in the Summer as AW did earlier this week reeks of a man who is running out of ideas/excuses and has lost touch with reality. It didn't seem to stop Pellegrini getting his targets - and he wasn't even officially Manager at the time!

The secret of success is team spirit and good formation, but you've got to actually have players -and enough of them in a squad to execute the tactics, which we patently haven't.

I hope we do by September 3rd, but right now, we simply do not and we will endure another season of mediocrity and no trophies: that much is pretty much a given.

Open you eyes, open your mind.

Wengerism, surely you are as delusional as your name suggests. Yes lots of people can get into Wenger's brain these days since its quite empty.

You forgot a player like Mkhitaryan for Dortmund. A blind man can say we are not close to Dortmmund.

Wenger is smart. He has degraded the club to such a level that once again fans will only find solace in scraping for the 4th spot. Considering Tottenham's reinforcements we cannot be counting on getting lucky this time.

Its so ly foolish to come out and say now that we do not have as much money as is being reported. Re-direct that to the fool IVan Gazidis who barked months ago about signing ROONEY AND DOING MORE THAN THAT.
Hilarious to read Wenger is confident of signings BECAUSE OF PLAYERS' DESIRE TO JOIN ARSENAL. Further confirmation that if that is the case :
1) You are either totally deluded because Rooney, Gustavo, Suarez (top players were really not keen to push for Arsenal)

2) They want to join Arsenal but don't want to play under a loser like Wenger who has the balls to say 4th place feels like a trophy.

Amazed at the condition of our club now. Welcome Flamini. Join the Arsenal Player Manufacturing Academy. Afterall you were a passout from this academy.

23 Aug 2013 11:24:38
Firstly, the Flamini signing would be good, if my old memory serves me right in his last season for us he was young and inexperienced but filled in at left back (not right back) and was outstanding, he can put in a tackle and is very capable in CM or could even hold.

However, AW needs to understand this is not a great coup, we need to spend on a CB (williams for me) a powerful strong CM? and a world class goal scorer.

If it were down to me I would spend massive on the striker, we need a goal machine not a cast off with a reputation from the past, Benzima (spelling) does not excite me.

I would go to villa with an offer for Benteke which they cannot refuse if he is not prepared to pay 50m for suarez, but we need to move NOW, not on deadline day.

Please mr Wenger, open your wallet and sign us a goal scorer!

I agree with your opinion, however I cannot see why you would rather Benteke over Benzema. I think he would score for fun at Arsenal.

I think either would score for fun at Arsenal, just think Benteke is young, hungry and could be got for say 30m and 80k per week, and has proved that scoring in the EPL for a much lesser team is easy.

Don't get me wrong I would welcome Benzema, but would we pay the price and wages? or would we just waste more time?

Benzema is twice the player of benteke!

Don't rate "the Benz" that much to be honest. Has never been phenomenal since his move to Madrid. He also sucks for France

23 Aug 2013 08:48:39
Ed what positions do you expect us to have strengthened by the end of the window? Also any idea what players the club is currently looking at? {Ed027's Note - Gk, Rb, Flamini, winger, st

23 Aug 2013 00:12:17
hey Eds, any idea how much salah from fc basel would cost. hey can play either wings or just behind the stiker.he is really skillful with great pace and trickry, {Ed027's Note - no idea mate sorry

23 Aug 2013 10:46:09
I wrote back in early June that I heard a Journalist from the telegraph talking about Wenger on the radio.

He said that he had been speaking to various senior people at arsenal since the end of the season and that Wenger has money to spend, so wenger had a new project in mind; which was to recreate a new team of invincibles (not necessarily an unbeaten team, but in terms of quality), brining in quality players to build around his "British core" at the club.

The journo sounded convinced and enthusiastic about this information and kept saying it will be fascinating to watch what happens at arsenal this summer in the transfer market.

Well providing the "senior" sources he spoke with where telling the truth- I wonder what happened?

Did the board change their in mind, in terms of transfer funds? Did Wenger change his mind, when he realised how much it would cost? Has he tried, but failed? All those are possibilities.

OR- will Wenger still try and make it happen?

ofc it could be just speculation from the so called senior people he spoke with anyway.

Since I heard this, I have been quietly hoping (but not quite believing) it would turn out to be true.

Alas, as the summer has progressed it seems less unlikely.

Although, I think we will add players, but probably not the one's we would hope for.

Read somewhere this week that 75% of all summer transfers happen in in the last 10-14 days.

Fingers crossed.

For me the obvious answer is tried but failed.

Tried Higuain - failed
Tried Bender - failed
Tried Suarez - failed
Tried Gustavo - failed

I'm sure there are a range of other failed moves we've made. Our recruiting team all need sacking.

But I have a bit of hope for Benzema, for a defender and a goal keeper. Anything else is a bonus.

And I'm really happy to see Flamini back - he should never have been able to run his contract out like that and not taken care of

Well that kind of makes sense, because at the latest press conference Wenger said something like that. He said if we look at our midfield against Fenerbahce that consisted of Walcott, Rosicky, Wilshere, Ramsey and Cazorla three of them were grown at the club and two were bought and said that that was the perfect mixture.

23 Aug 2013 10:34:27
About a month back I posted asking how everybody would feel if flamini came back and now it looks like its going to happen.

Now to the untrained eye that might look like a lucky guess but I've been IN THE KNOW the entire time

My girlfriends aunt has a friend who is married to a man who works with a guy that likes to jog in the area that wenger lives and he stops regularly to have a conversation with Wengers gardener, who is a nosey sort that likes to poke through Arsenes cupboards and steal toilet roll when the Wengers are not at home. SO YEAH i'm pretty clued in to what's going on at the Emirates ;-)

Have not posted in awhile as everything has been so doom and gloomy since the villa game.

Remember last season, when we needed to pull the finger out and every game we played was like a cup final. Well because of that motha fuggn Villa result this ENTIRE season is going to feel like that. Pretty exhausting.

I've read the harsh criticism Wenger/board have been getting on here with people threating to give up season tickets etc and I urge them for their own sake to reconsider.

As bold an action as it seems, it would only go unnoticed as someone will happily step in to pay for the seat. The only person losing out would be themselves .

It seems like nothing short of a pitch invasion will make this current board take notice of the fans but let's hold that in reserve, get behind the team and for ONE MORE SEASON trust in Arsene.

P.S. The gardener also said that Wenger uses Double velvet loo roll. (WOW how the other half live)

Double velvet . NOT too SHABBY.

Always good to have a poster with REAL inside info, that is definitely not retroscpective.

Two thumbs up.

I don't even know what double velvet is. you can imagine how poor I am

23 Aug 2013 10:06:29
Remi Garde's latest comments regarding Gourcuff:

"I wouldn't be delighted to lose a player who has made a very good start to the season, " he said. "But we still have the same necessities, and I'll adapt to the decisions made."

Have a feeling, this is a back-up plan for Wenger.

23 Aug 2013 07:29:09
Eds what the latest we can sign players for tomorrow? {Ed044's Note - Nominally 24 hours.}

23 Aug 2013 06:31:17
Here's a fact . When Ray Wilkins was manager at QPR years ago Chrysalis records I believe owned the club. Ray Wilkins left the club and he told the owners that he would not work with Non football people as they were destroying the club and football in general with that he walked out. That was quite a few years ago and how right he was . We can see that too with a lot of clubs now the money has now taken over its business first worry about the fans needs later. We can see this with our own Arsenal too. Ray Wilkins is still around and so is Frank Siibley who played for QPR and assisted Wilkins who told me all this and more . Wilkins had a bit of vision you can see what is happening NOW with teams in the Prem lower leagues etc . The business side is slowly destroying clubs. Somehow we need to find a way out of this or we will see fans out priced to go and see games £100 million transfers will be chicken feed and we will be picking our England team from the Championsip League and lower divisions as all the prem players will be coming in from abroad.

Wilkins didn't seem to mind a non football owner at chelsea infact he has been so besotted with the scenario at chelsea he has become totally nausiating.as far as england is concerned, the blame lies well and truely with the F.A., and in any case I for one have completely lost interest in international football as club football is now the far better show in my opinion

I didn't bother when Chelsea both every player they wanted with non football money

THE WORD. Sometimes you can't win can you. I was just stating a fact why Wilkins left whether he went to Chelsea or not is irrelevant as to what his views were at the time but the fact is, he was right and we can all see the damage it's doing to loads of clubs now where they can't compete. I'll tell you what here's a prediction the way things are going we will see the top four clubs in Europe playing in a Euopean Football League and no I'm not talking about Champions League I'm talking about something like a super league and the top teams in English Premier League will not play in domestic competitions. The business and money has got so ridiculous that the fat cats and greed will take over . Do you think it won't happen? Don't be so confident is what I say.!

My last post was very badly written but u get the jist

23 Aug 2013 03:46:41
Hears a sneakey feelin I got fellas. seems as though the man from dwn the road is off, and all the talk bout them getting suarez bid ready. who's smellin benzema? if we can get sakho, flamini to resign and that guy. just think if the B(K)oss is playin next to sakho all season, then that's your cb partnership for the world cup. Let's have it! C'mon You ARSENAL, do summin'!

Jog on mate.

Why inflate the false hope:

HEADLINE: Wenger to sign DM, will it be:
Fellaini
Bender
Kondogbia
Gustavo
Pogba
Cabaye
Ginter
.
.

Flamini.

So Striker situation will be EXACTLY the same.

23 Aug 2013 00:12:15
I can assure you all we will NOT be signing Karim Benzema. Arsenal have gone into panic mode as always. Sniffing around any club that will take our pity money.
Flamini? Yeah great player and his experience will help at this typically familiar situation we have seen time and time again. But where's the life and injection of spirit that a few class players would bring to the team. If your shouting about having cash in your back pocket then at least show a big of muscle in the market. Higuain, Gustavo, lost all because we wouldn't follow the boards exact plan of who we should buy. Didn't want to see Suarez at the Emirates to be honest, but all that saga has made us look like a bunch of amateurs! So we have panicked! No team fears us any more because they know we are weak. I can't list the amount of silly games we have lost because of heartless players who end jumping ship and winning the title with another team. I mean WHAT THE F**K. It a joke people! Watching S*urs tonight (Europa league) it dawned on me they bought some real class players and I'd be very cautious about playing them if we have not bought the NECESSARY players for positions we lack serious punch in then we are screwed for another season. I love you Arsenal but your breaking my heart.

22 Aug 2013 22:44:16
Don't mind us signing flamini if its for cover - always useful to have a player can cover right back. Not convinced by Jenkinson at all.

Won't be happy if we don't sign one of kondogbia, pogba or bender. Really think we should be stepping up interest in big Lars, he would give Rambo and Jack so much protection as well as adding real class in midfield

Sorry fella but Jenks was smashing it in Turkey the other night putting in some great balls on the overlap great back up to Sagna and future England starter. I think signing a center back is more pressing so Sagna can play in his natural position!

Flamini can cover LB too, I remember when we got to the CL final he played LB all the way up until the final and was class.

In turkey. Against a crap fernebahce team.
He's looked shakey all summer.

22 Aug 2013 22:22:22
Watching the Madrid vs Al Sadd match, and the commentators are talking as though Bale has completed his transfer.

The ONLY reason it hasn't been confirmed tonight is because they didn't want to take the spotlight of Raul coming back to Real Madrid. They said about it possibly being confirmed tomorrow.

They also mentioned Di Maria and whether this could be his "last game" for Madrid, and then quoted him saying that he wants to stay and fight [for his place]".

Source: BeIN Sport

Di Maria has looked really good tonight, and I really hope Wenger doesn't make some absurd bid that could cause Madrid to laugh at us too.