At half-time during tonight’s 4-0 win over Coventry, ex-player and seemingly well connected Bundesliga pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft Tweeted this:
Re: Draxler I understand that Schalke and Arsenal have agreed a fee. If he will leave now I don’t know. But this is latest info #afc
— Jan Aage Fjortoft (@JanAageFjortoft) January 24, 2014
Pressed on the ‘news’ after the game tonight, the Arsenal manager was quick to play it down, saying, “Draxler? Honestly, no. That is again an illusion. We have no need to take players on the flank.
“We don’t rule a striker out. But at the moment I cannot announce anything.”
The boss was more keen to praise youngster Gedion Zelalem, who became the first player born after Arsene Wenger took charge of the club, to make his debut for Arsenal.
“Zelalem has shown he is not scared,” said Wenger. “He wants the ball and you could feel their is some vision & personality behind his passing.”
—
Quotes via @gunnerblog
A Wenger denial does not necessarily mean anything
A Wenger denial means EVERYTHING –
“I’ve never heard of Santi Cazorla”
*Klaxon’* cheeky face time.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BeyPVv-IgAApB69.jpg
Another famous Wenger fib? Or is there really nothing happening?
you never know with arsene…
The papers are usually very very wrong but when you hear the same thing over and over again. They can’t all be wrong. Whether we get him or not I can’t say. There has definitely been some communication and it is certainly not an “illusion”.
There was tons of noise about Higuain. And actually we had a fair clear picture about how the pursuit unfolded and ended when Real Madrid suddenly raised the price.
To be fair, I think it was Napoli gazumping us rather the RM playing hardball. If Arsenal were about to sell someone and another offer came in at nearly 10 million higher, of course we’d take it.
B b b but he did the cheeky grin.
Weird that the rumours have been so persistent about Draxler if we don’t even have any interest in players for his position.
I haven’t seen him play, but if he actually is a proper wide player you would have thought with Walcott out that was one of the top three positions we do need (after striker and central defender obviously).
Oh well, I’m just going to assume Arsene was scouting Messi the other night and we get him in shortly ; )
Why do we need a CB?
One of the top 15 CB in the league can’t even get a game with us, plus Bacary is there if desperate.
We don’t need a starting CB but we do need a fourth one. One longish injury to any of our 3 and all of our fit CB options are starting every match, with only Jenkinson as cover.
the idea is that he will turn Draxler into a striker, similar to some cunt i’ve vaguely heard about as ‘loving the injury bench’
Unleash the Draxler now, I say!
Oh we,r going to sign somebody that cheeky grin tells all
Wenger “i don’t know Cazorla” a week later he’s signed.
Wenger “Draxler is an illusion” tommorow morning confirmation you reckon?
That would be a nice way to dull down the Mata move wouldn’t it?
When Wenger says ‘honestly’, then something good is about to be announced!!
Hopefully BFG will carry him in Lion King style while the music plays, while Podolski, Özil and Gnabry cheers and bows in front of them. Wenger looks proud in the background. Epicness is coming, I can feel it.
Joke aside, solid win today, again!
COYG!
p-p-p-poker face p-p-poker face..
kill me now.
… and then in a flash and a puff of smoke Draxler appears!
I’m calling it now, the key words are ON THE FLANK. Means he will turn him into a striker!
Seriously though, if he sees no need in players on the flank, why did he go for Di Maria?
But did he really? *Cheeky grin*
He went in for Di maria just so as to confuse Madrid and have them think Di maria is so important so they kept him and sold us Mesut Ozil. Our real Target! thanks!
Wouldn’t be easy to play poker with Mr Wenger. Master in bluffing with a poker face.
But you’d have to force him to put any money down.
My understanding (and this may be incorrect) of ACL injuries is that it could take Theo 9-12 months to be back to his best. Surely a move for a wide player isn’t THAT ridiculous?
and it takes time to get back to fitness and game shape. theo’s main asset is pace and finishing and it’ll take time to get those back.
Rubbish tweet. Agreeing a fee is part of sorting out the deal. you don’t do it beforehand and then wait.
Well done Wenger..typically aloof.
I think anything can happen and adding draxler to the squad would be awesome 🙂
Annoying if true, Chelsea have the right attitude, typical Mourhino sadly, strengthen when ever possible.
We all to often have looked back and had a ‘what if’ moment to many times.
By selling arguably their best player and buying an inferior player? Weird strengthening strategy
Mata is arguably their best player but, does he fit into mourinho’s style? Nope.
As good as ozil is, he wouldn’t fit into his style in chelsea (easy to fit him in at madrid, you are always gonna beat everybody except barca anyways).
Mourinho might be a special cunt but, he’s not a stupid special cunt
“Arguably”
If someone doesn’t like Mata in his formation, then what is there to debate about?
Arsene Wenger when questioned about Cazorla a couple of weeks before signing him… “I don’t know that guy”
Some Poker player…
“We have no interest in purchasing Arteta”
“I am not buying Cazorla”
“We do not have a deal for Ozil”
“Draxler? That is an illusion”
“you could feel *there* is some vision and personality”
Arseblog out!!! 😛
To be honest I’m more excited about his qoutes about Zelalem than the potential signing of Draxler. We have a real gem there. Lets treasure it.
I watched him play in the pre-season and his vision and passing are absolutely spectacular. He has the raw talent needed to become a world-class CAM and I trust that Arsene has picked up on this fact. Still needs to develop, probably on loan or for the occasional 70-th minute substitution, before he can secure a fairly regular first team place. He’s not even 17 yet and I can already tell that he’s got a great future ahead of him.
I haven’t got the chance to watch him play on a regular day basis, but from what I’ve seen from the pre-season and based on the performance he put out tonight there is defenitly something there. I don’t want us to put to much pressure on him but his eye for spotting out a run down the oppositions half is really out of the ordinary. He’s got that ‘something’. But he defenitly needs to adapt to the speed and tempo of the top flight before we can make a real assesment of his capabilities. But I can’t help but like… Read more »
i read this article on The Guardian website which quoted one of his former coaches saying that what people haven’t seen yet of him is supposedly an awesome dribbling ability, comparble to that of iniesta… can’t wait to see more of him
lol, there was also an article on the Guardian website which quoted Zelalem’s dribbling like that of Iniesta.
If you grow up playing in the PL, will you ever dribble like Iniesta of Barca? I very much doubt it.
It’s an illusion? So Draxler will appear from the Aztec Tomb (This is an allusion).
It’s like a girl you notice in a tube but think to yourself ‘she is out of my league’ & when you are about to turn away, she gives you a smile. The next station is approaching & you can see her getting ready to get off, when you are wondering if the smile was an ‘illusion’!
Here the pretty girl is not Draxler (he isn’t our league though literally he is) but a marquee signing for this transfer window.
again, would really like a WTF (?) button
Let’s translate Wenger talk:
“We have no need to take players on the flank…” – we will sign a winger.
“Draxler? Honestly, no..” – Draxler is a top priority of mine and I hope to sign him but will give nothing away until it’s announced on the official Arsenal website, at which point I will still not confirm it.
Good win tonight, through to next round and another clean sheet for the CBs. Not gona get too worked up about Draxler because things are looking peachy as they are.
Wenger denied newspaper reports that he’s lining up a move for Arteta.
Asked if there were any truth in the rumours, Wenger simply said: “No.”
I love Arsene Wenger
No girl is out of your league when you have a large bank balance and a Ferrari. Arsenal may not have Chelsea or City’s money but still have money. And that’s enough to get the girl or fool her into spending the night at your luxury flat
Clever parody. And to think some people genuinely inhabit such a bleak head space.
Amazing how much fans want to believe in Draxler rumours. Even if Wenger says “Honestly, no”, they just close their ears and keep believing. Even though it is hard to argue with Wenger: we have enough players in his position. Dream on guys.
Cazorla http://www.london24.com/sport/arsenal/arsenal_boss_arsene_wenger_on_spurs_target_i_don_t_know_this_guy_1_1455519
Ozil http://havearsenalspentanymoneyyet.com/
Arteta http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/arsenal-boss-wenger-denies-move-everton-playmaker-arteta-1846521#.UuPQbRD-LIU
Just providing links to the guy up there who posted recent example. Wenger also denies a host of other players such as Morata, and other rumours just become boring a la Frey. There is precedent, so it’s foolish to think it might never happen again. Surprise January signings have also happened. I personally don’t think it will happen now (possible in the summer), but after Ozil I’m just going to say fuck it I’m not Dick Law.
Twitter: Hahahaha Arsenal signs Ozil when they have a plethora of midfield riches! What idiots!
So what is Zelalem like then and how did he get on tonight when he came on?
“Juan Mata on a helicopter headed to Manchester…..”
“Juan Mata lands in Napoli to complete Medical?”
Chelsea would have bought up Draxler for Mata. Money is no object nor a fleet of Ferraris, may to be enough to fool a girl but certainly a football player.;)
BFG is on the the case!
Vampire or not, I’d have him on my team.
Why are we doing this to ourselves? Love to sign Draxler but I’ll get excited once I see it on arsenal.com. otherwise this speculation sets ourselves up for disappointment and negative criticism directed at Wenger and the club if it doesn’t happen. I agree that we could use a real difference maker but I won’t hold my breath.
Not that Wenger quotes ever really mean anything, but I don’t see there being any substance to the rumours. It just doesn’t make sense. No in January at least.
Papers were very persistent about us signing Ciprian Marica too.:D Don’t see it happening. 1) Why bother signing at a higher price in January? Unless Shalcke are desperate for cash, makes more sense for them to drag out and in demand player and sell him in the summer. 2) We have plenty of players on the flank 3) If the idea is to convert him into a striker, it will take a lot of time and make no immediate impact to our current needs. 4) Why buy a 20 year old to convert into a striker when we haven’t even… Read more »
I don’t believe we will sign Draxler this window. I highly doubt Wenger will not spend 37 million on him.
Highly doubt Wenger will*
In the summer you will have to pay the £37M, no two way about it. but i believe trying and getting him in now when the clause is not yet active is good business, we could even negotiate a lower fee given Schalke need the money and Drax wants a move.
The summer alot of things can happen that might scupper our move. Go in now!
I just can’t see it happenning. It’s only 5 million less than what we paid for Ozil for a player that’s not nearly as accomplished.
@Santori Schalke need the cash. Draxler is a top European talent and should not be compared with Sanogo, ever. If we wait until the summer every big club will come barging in with their stupid money and over inflate the price more and we definitely won’t get him. And in regards to him playing as a striker let him try, give him a few run outs on the wing first, why not, he’s got the second highest dribble completion rate in Europe behind Ribery, he’s over 6ft (2″?) quick, skillful and can shoot. Buying Draxler now is a sound option… Read more »
*physically get him until the summer.
I don’t think we’ll ever be able to read his mind, maybe Arsene can.
Anybody else get the horrible feeling Mourinho will try and scupper this? Mata’s gone, Essien going to Milan, 2 spaces in their squad opened up and £40m coming in. Be just like that prick to do it. Chelski have a history for buying players just so other teams can’t have them so it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to fuck this up for us. Especially as we are serious contenders for the title this year. But I really hope we get him in this window. I think it could be a massive boost to the squad in the same… Read more »
First Wenger compares him to a UFO, now calls him an ‘illusion’. He must be some amazing player! Spinning out of a tackle, then ghosting past defenders…. Can’t wait!
Maybe wenger really has no clue he’s signed someone. Maybe he just turns up to training one day and a players there, all sorted.
I’m sorry, but Draxler is the most overraated player of the Bundesliga.
*overrated
We don’t mind “overrated” look how well they’re doing for us!
Wilshere, Szczesny, Gibbs etc. Bring on that “overrated” Drax!
In his post match interview Wenger was certainly very smirky when responding to questions about Draxler
“Today other clubs make the headlines.”
Monday: Draxler + Ntep + Rosicky + Mertesacker + Sagna + Wenger + New Kit.
Two things:
1) Wenger dropped a big clue in his post match interview that he’ll be signing on (if there was ever any doubt).
The Frenchman said, “look uuuuh, I believe uuuuh, I’m here for long enough to, that everybody knows how committed I may, I am here”, accompanied with a “maybe we’ll have a good surprise for you”-esc rye smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTVBXXvsycU&t=1m38s
2) Wenger accidentally reveals that he has indeed completely forgotten who Park “Who?” Young is. When questioned on the reason for his absence, he simply responded, “Who?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvO16-HH_G4&t=4m23s
(Yes, I realise that… Sigh.)
Have we got the moves like draxler yet?
Yes I’ll leave now…
Wenger the magician…In you we trust. Keep the guns blazing you mighty gunners !!!!
trust me someone from Bayern is dropping!!!
I have seen Draxler play a few times and whether he plays on the flank or not, he knows how to score goals. An absolute class act with the ball at his feet and definitely an Arsenal style player. Arsene has kept an eye on him for a very long time just like he did with Eden Hazard and look how that one ended.
Reports are Shalke need to cash in, so in my opinion pay the 37m now or risk a fight with 4/5 big clubs to get him for over 50m if he has a good World Cup
Wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’re unveiling Draxler as an Arsenal player this Jan. The chap who broke the news has a pretty good track record of getting it right and if the deal is in place but not completely done I hardly expect Arsene to admit it to the World’s media. But the truth will out sooner rather than later. But as it’s been said on here, haven’t we seen that Wenger smile before? Draxler would appear to be a great signing also, and if what I’ve read is true the idea is to turn him into a… Read more »
It is illusion to believe that there is some one called Draxler. 😉