27 Aug 2015 09:11:50
So according to a French Hack, Benzema talks have been taking place-yeah right!
Back up plan is to buy Higuain in January-fabulous idea-lets wait FIVE months to find a goal scorer!
An earlier post asked WHY we are not competing with Chelsea and CIty for the top players? Ok we know about Arsenal's strict wage policy but whilst it's good to have values and try to keep wages sensible it isn't winning us the title is it?
The top players know they won't earn the big wages at the Emirates, so what's the incentive to come?
We could all accuse them of being greedy but let's not forget one bad tackle can end a career so it's natural that they want to do the best they can for themselves financially, whilst they still can.
I think we'd all love to go back to the days where the game WASN'T all about the money but we live in a different age now and we are in real danger of getting left behind.

1.) 27 Aug 2015
27 Aug 2015 09:39:33
Swings and roundabouts mate.

I'm as frustrated as the next guy and the fact our big plan is now to either sign Kokorin or wait till jan isn't helping.

But as far as competing for top players go, there's common sense.

De Bruyne, cracking player, should do well for city, years ahead of him.
We currently have Cazorla, Wilshere, Özil, Oxlade-Chamberlain(?) after the number 10 spot and Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain(?), Alexis and Welbeck vying for a place in the wing.
We can't afford to spend £30-50m on a player who's going to be a rotation option and were certainly not going to drop Alexis or Özil.
De Bruyne wants to play in the No10 role, but at City he's going to be forced wide for Silva in all likelihood.
We already have Cazorla, Wilshere, Ramsey, Welbeck and Rosicky being played in positions they don't really choose, just to accommodate them.


Pedro, 1: he's had 1 good game. 2: I still think he's overrated 3: he's too similar to what we currently have.
If we actually played our wingers instead of playing centre mids there, we'd have much more success.


We don't have oil money (well, Usmanov does but they've really forced him out) so if we're going to spend big, we have to pick and choose.
If we need a striker, which we really, really do, we need to go for someone big.
There's no point competing for say Pedro for £25m, cutting say 1/3 of our budget and then finding that Benzema is in fact available but we can't afford him now because when decided to sign Pedro.

Risk and reward, sometimes it bites us in the backside, other times we get Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez.

2.) 27 Aug 2015
27 Aug 2015 10:46:00
That's where we'll agree to disagree D....highest ticket prices in the country and stadium already paid for....we've spent a FRACTION on players that clubs around us have one again. You mention Ozil but again we disagree as I can count the number of really good games he's had on two hands...my opinion.
As another post said, we DO for the most part pick up players who can no longer command a place in their teams.
Wilshere spends more time on the treatment table than most, and you say we'd have more success playing our wingers...REALLY? Who's going to tuck them away-Welbeck?
I think the seSon ticket holders have a right to see their hard earned money being used on top class players and those who claim you "can't buy them" should maybe look to the clubs who regularly finish above us!

3.) 27 Aug 2015
27 Aug 2015 11:02:54
Yes we have Ozil, Cazorla and Wilshere for the No.10 spot, but it is important to have two good players for every position. Even though we meet this criteria for the no. 10 role, Wilshere is injured far too much to be a reliable option and Cazorla is aging, wants to go back to Spain at some point and for all his technical brilliance, he just doesn't seem to have any shooting boots anymore it's strange. A couple of seasons ago he'd be putting away most of the chances you see him have these days (in or out of the box) - no complaints with his overall game though he's a great player.

4.) 27 Aug 2015
27 Aug 2015 11:21:49
Here's a thought and only a thought, Madrid have yet to sign a big big player. Ozil stated he was happy at Madrid.

Pogba is, probably along with Aguero one of the two biggest players they could want. With City having countless millions would the let Aguero go?

Juventus on the other hand, not so much money. Would if the option arose Pogba choose Chelsea above Madrid.

Will Madrid need about £45 million or so to help with the purchase. Do Arsenal have a spare £45 million or so lying around?

All this leads me to believe Charlie Austin in on his way to the Emirates. ;-)

5.) 27 Aug 2015
27 Aug 2015 11:52:23
Well played D

6.) 27 Aug 2015
27 Aug 2015 12:43:30
De bruyne will play wide and his final ball accross is immense. If he plays on the right. Kolorov on the left. Goals on a plate for aguero.