Laurent Koscielny has urged Arsene Wenger to spend big this summer, saying the team needs a right back, a goalkeeper, a midfielder and a high quality striker.
The centre-half qualified his remarks about the forward position by saying Olivier Giroud can thrive off the competition, but also suggested that greater quality in this area would make the team more competitive in the Premier League and in Europe.
Asked about the recruitment required, Koscielny told the Associated Press, “We’ll need a goalkeeper, a right back, a midfielder and a striker.
“It’s important to have a minimum of these four players so that we’ll be better able to challenge over the course of a whole season against teams like Manchester City, Chelsea or United.
“We need to recruit a very, very good striker, because it’s important for us, for competition for places, because Olivier needs that to become even better. Having a striker who scores more than 30 goals a season can help us win the Premier League.
“Compared to the squads like Manchester City, even United, Chelsea, you can see there’s a certain difference.”
It continues a theme from last summer when Arsenal’s players were very vocal about what they wanted the manager to add to the team, and this year it’s started even earlier.
However, Koscielny looks at this as a way to build on the FA Cup success, saying that winning a trophy will make the club more attractive to potential targets.
“Winning the FA Cup can change things and lead to other players coming. It was a relief for everyone. We felt a weight coming off us. We made the most of it when we celebrated our trophy, it was an extraordinary moment. Thanks to this trophy, we’ll be able to play more freely in the years to come without this pressure hanging over us, thinking ‘we must win a trophy.”
He also expressed his happiness about the fact Arsene Wenger signed a new contract, saying, “We’re all happy. He’s the one who brought me over here and gave me my chance. A lot of players owe him.
“It was important for us that he signed again.”
what we want and what we get are two different things nowadays.
but thank you Laurent for telling the club 🙂
How have we had a meltdown within 19 days of winning a trophy after approx. 3300 days 🙁
I wouldnt call it a meltdown, but it is definitely a sad state of affairs, I am not an Arsenal fan if I am not sad at the prospect of Fabregas playing for Mourinho. It is sad for him and for any Arsenal supporter.
Not to mention Arsene’s mediocre players he will be bringing in lol.
Poor Kos. Gotta keep his spirits up somehow when remembering the goals Chelsea put past us last season – minus their latest acquisitions of Costa and Cesc.
Still, chin up, there’s still a chance we’ll get to keep Kalstrom.
Yup. And already it looks like it’s going to be difficult to acquire the players that Arsene supposedly is targeting (Bender, Benzema, etc)
What we want:
a right back = Serge Aurier
a goalkeeper = David Marshall
a midfielder = Cesc Fabregas
a high quality striker = Mario Balotteli
What we get:
a right back = Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro
a goalkeeper = Matt Macey
a midfielder = Abou Diaby
a high quality striker = Thieryy Henry on loan
Or what we get is:
Right back – Bellerin (Jenks moved up to first choice)
DM – Diaby
Striker – Joel Campbell (maybe Vela or Remy)
CB – Vermaelen to stay as back-up
Zero/low cost, but at least no-one decent leaving.
Keep your expectations low, enjoy the WC, hope to be surprised.
That’s my advice.
i really hate transfer windows…..cant remember the last Good one we had.
What about that time we signed Mesut Ozil?
That would be the time we needed a DM, a back up CB and a striker…………..
We fucking got Ozil!
David Seaman, Anders Limpar and Andy Linighan (ok, ok.. but did score and F.A Cup winning goal) for a combined total of 3 million pounds ! Mind you was over 20 years ago, time for me to retire to the blanket and slippers methinks.
Last summer wasn’t bad with Ozil.
2012 – Podolski, Giroud and Santi
2011 – BFG, Arteta, OX, Jenks
Chin up – we’re getting there…
2011 – yes, but it was after defeat 8:2 by Man. United
2012 – Podolski, Giroud, Santi in BUT Song and RVP out
so…
There’s no point in reading into transfers, last summer it spoiled my mood a lot of the time. Stay positive and trust Wenger, the only thing we can do which beats being hostile and malcontent about every rumour. Big summer.
If only there was a top quality midfielder available…
Diaby covers one of those, I’ll bet Arsene is thinking.
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/arsenal-fc-please-re-sign-cesc-fabregas
I don’t know if this will do very much, but there’s nothing to lose
I would love Cesc back at the club, but i believe there are better signings to be done that strenghtens the team alot more than another Central attacking midfielder. In midfield we need a CDM alot more than a CAM. Then there is the issue of a top class striker. Sagna and Faboulousianski needs replacing, perhaps Vermaelen as well. And like allways we got a Budget which is probably nowhere near the 100mill newspapers are talking about. If we could i would be all fore signing Cesc just so that Chelsea dont get him, but i doubt the Board will… Read more »
A world class striker, Aurier, Bender, Greizman and Cesc. Just a wish
We probably don’t need to buy Cesc, but it’s looking more and more likely that a world class striker is going to be difficult to obtain in this transfer window…..so if that’s the case, why not bring back Vela and use him as striker or on the wings, and also bring back Cesc. He already can play false 9 and in the midfield.
Cesc as false 9 sounds way better than Loic Remy. Just saying
I think a lot of this all depends on what the bigger clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich do. For example, if Real go in for Aguero or say, Suarez, that would leave strikers like Benzema and Morata surplus to requirements. Also, Bayern just bought Lewandowski so they now have a strike force of Lew, Muller, Mandzukic and Pizarro which would also lead them to let one of the big names go as they won’t be getting regular football because of Lewandowski. I think it’s all just a waiting game.
Cavani, Falcao and Hulk have all shown some discontent during this season, so perhaps one of those could be our star striker. Cavani not to happy playing second violin to Ibrahimovic, Falcao bored of playing for just “3000” people every week at Monaco and Hulk keen on testing his metal in a big League. I know Hulk is primarily a Winger, but he can play as a striker to. But i just mentioned him since i Remember Reading about him wanting to a bigger League. Besides he is built like a tank, and is a one man attack on his… Read more »
am loving this part It continues a theme from last summer when Arsenal’s
players were very vocal about what they wanted the
manager to add to the team, and this year it’s started
even earlier.
Koscielny, he wanted his own son
Now he want the Minimum Four signings
Arsene make it happen
Song*
He wants to buy Song?
Yes
What? They’ve only got one.
He wants to buy song
He wants to buy song
Laurent Koscielny
He’s smoked many a bong
Nothing new here. I guess everyone wants top, top super top quality players. Four is a bit too much. Hopefully , at the least,we get a ST and a young versatile DM, like Daly Blind.
Blind is an eye-catching player!
Get it? Blind, eye-catching?
No?
*gets coats thrown at him from everyone*
All this Cesc stuff annoys me. I spent my youth worrying about players leaving. Vieira did it every summer to name but one and I used to panic panic panic. But with age I’ve realised all these players realised where the grass was greener so bollocks to them if they find themselves available and we don’t have room for them. I loved cesc but let’s not hide the fact he wanted to leave. We are Arsenal, love us or leave us
I’d have to agree on this one. I love Cesc and he was definitely my favourite during his time here. Gave us all he could and we played our best football in recent years then, fighting for the badge everytime he’s out on the pitch (you can tell how much he disliked Chelsea) and that made me love him even more. Now to requote, he essentially left us just when we’re about to reach peak, after Wenger spent the entire 7 years building a team around him. We essentially had to start from scratch again when he left. He fell… Read more »
Henry wanted to leave too yet I bet you loved it when he came back.
Hypocrite.
henry gave us his best years,he wants to lift the champions league and we cant make that happen for him…..Fab left when we needed him most.had Fab stayed na$ri would have stayed too.
How could you possibly know what Na$ri wanted and would do?
Do you control him with your mind?
Fact is that Man City could offer him league titles and could double his wages.
I think those 2 facts are more important than if Cesc stayed or not.
“we cant make that happen for him”
Are you for real?
Did you watch our final against the Catalan cunts?
That’s bolox
Now for Arsene to prove that he was right in not going for Cesc – Priorities over luxuries!!!
This is essentially what it boils down to.
If we can pass on a player of Cesc’s calibre, then we must have other priorities to complete our squad, surely….!
I will be devastated if Cesc chooses the Chavs, but ultimately that’s his choice. We shouldn’t have a go at Arsenal for actually having a plan this summer.
Maybe Wenger struggled to imagine him in the current setup too…
It doesn’t matter what anyone says, because Wenger and Gazidis call the shots on that front.
I reckon a right back and keeper are inevitable as we’ve lost first team players in those positions.
This is slightly controversial…but would you get rid of Santi for Cesc? I love Santi, he’s incredible but…Cesc, Ramsey and Ozil (or Wilshire) sounds pretty tasty? I think seeing Cesc play for Chelsea will be infinitely more sickening that watching RVP play for United.
Why do people always put that it’s one or the other. How many times have we played teams and needed the fabled “plan B”?
Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere and Fabregas are all different players, with a different skill set and different attributes. Also, we do have more pressing positions to deal with first.
We need a pacy winger (Campbell), world class striker(balotelli), Mythical defensive big midfielder (??) , one right back(aurier) and a Gk back up(colombia Gk).. . Simple isnt it
Wouldn’t it be a dream if speculation about a move for reus would reemerge? Haven’t heard about links with him since his initial move to Dortmund and yet his versatility along the front line would provide so much depth. That would ease the pain of potentially bypassing cesc.
We should try and get Reus as long as we still have Rosicky.
Could be a major player in the deal!
But back down on Earth, I wish we can get him, but I really doubt it. Then again, I didn’t expect Ozil.
Unfortunately he confirmed he will be staying at Borussia Dortmund
Lars or Sven Bender,Song,Fabrigas,Benzema or Balloteli & one good goal keeper will make our dreams come true.
Dear PSG,
Please buy hazard so we can have Cavani.
P.S. Luiz? seriously?
If you have a manager who think that fourth place is betterthan winning atrophy ..nothing can change….it was too bad for wenger to sign.
Lame, pathetic and tired comment. I am not sure which comes first.
Seriously ? Piss off with this crap about it being a pity that Wenger re-signed.
Who on earth would you have replaced him with ? smh
Is this the non-trophy winning manager that just won the FA Cup?
What Kos the Boss wants he gets..still love commitment leading up 2 the equalizer in the final…
If Kos is boss, surely he’ll make this happen??
Koss is the boss
He doesn’t give a toss
About making a financial loss
Or balancing the books
Striker must have good looks
But may not be a crook
As strong as Giroud
Even better than Roo
And score more goals too
Going to try to put this Cesc-thing aside and think about other players.
Of course Cavani or Falcao would be amazing but on some more realistic transfers I think Griezmann would most definitely add something different to our attack. I’d prefer to use the Vela-clause to work the deal on the Frenchman.
Anyway I agree with Kos the Boss 100%.
We are not going to sign cesc fabregas. He left us when we needed him. Plus, at this point he’s not as good as Ramsey, Ozil is going to come good and Jack is due to hit his strides. Plus we have santi and rosicky and arteta.
Let him fuck off to Chelsea.
No.
Ramsey is a good player but he hasn’t won the world cup and 2 Euros. He hasn’t scored a hat trick for the Arsenal off the bench, he didn’t play for Arsenal at 15, and play in a better midfield and better team we had then with Vieria, Gilberto Silva, Thierry Henry etc. There is very little depth in the squad we have now hence the collapse and pathetic capitulations to Chelsea away and City away. I mean Arteta starts every game with only Flamini for competition…. Can Gooners stop with this pathetic “I’m too good for my ex-gf and… Read more »
Welsh Jesus is not going to win a world unless Warren Gatland decides to pick him at 10 in the funny shaped ball game ( he’s probably still be amazing at it.). Would love Cesc back but lets not criticise or compare him to Ramsey who deserves better from us after the season he’s had.
“he hasn’t won the world cup and 2 Euros. ”
“Neither Cesc”. Spain won and he was a squad player.
I really can’t imagine how you can say Rambo hasn’t won the World Cup or 2 Euros – he is fucking Welsh, and he himself along with Gareth Bale cannot carry their national team to qualify for international tournaments, let alone win them. I can’t believe you’d hold that against him. Ramsey wasn’t 15 when he was signed, but he was 17. And was afforded first team opportunities right off the bat. Then got his leg broken at 19 through a Stoke thug. Hold that against him at your peril. He hasn’t scored a hat trick YET for Arsenal, but… Read more »
I get what you’re saying Frog…but I reckon, come November, we’ll be watching a Chelsea game on telly, thinking: “we should have got Cesc”.
I know it’s been a while, but think back to when we had him. We’ve got a better supporting cast now- he’d make a difference.
Wilfred Bony would do for me up front, watched him a few times last season and he seems like a brilliant finisher as it is, he’ll be 15 goals a season better with Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Ox, Wilshere, and even Giroud lining up to feed him balls (erm…if you get what I mean). And yeah we need a keeper, right back, etc…I don’t know about everyone else, but all this transfer speculation is making me miss the excitement of Arsenal playing once a week. Even now, I can’t wait for the season to start again no matter who we’ve got… Read more »
Wenger should buy Lukaku before he explodes at the world cup. I read that chelsea are ready to sell for £18 million
The slimy bastard that is Mourinho would never agree a move to a direct rival. Chelsea will do everything they can to disavantage their rivals and they also have a habit of buying out the competition. Salah did well against them at Basel, so they bought him out. Now Costa did well against them in the Champions League, so they’re gonna buy him out as well.
Je pense que Koscielny a raison. Giroud n’est pas pret de soutenir les buts quon a besoin.
J’ai confience que Arsene va achetais un attaquant elite
Non.
Omelette du fromage.
Oui.
I’m all for building a stable and sustained Arsenal, but honestly, IF we spend big this season on a striker. (Like Cavani), a DMF (15-25m) and a RB (7-8m like Aurier) and sign a free keeper we honestly will not have to spend for at least a few years. I mean, Rosicky, Arteta, Flamini are in their twighlight years, but they can still play next season, after that we’ll have Ramsey at his Peak, Ozil playing his best as well, these players will take the senior role, while players like Zelalem, Ollson, Apkom etc will be the young players in… Read more »
Add a young backup CB into the mix to learn from the deadly Per-Kos combo and we’re good to go.
What? Clubs that win things spend every summer.
Order a couple of large pizzas too, Kos!
I don’t want to be negative (who, me?) but I have absolutely no confidence in Arsene Wenger, the Board or anybody at Arsenal to sign the player which we need. After last season’s fiascos in both the summer and January transfer windows does anybody really think that we will bring in the players that we need to take us to that next level?
I expect to see more fucking hopeless incompetence when it comes to bringing in the striker and others that we need. And yet again we’ll end up being two or three footballers short of a title-winning team.
In the meantime, please sign this (for shits and giggles)
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/arsenal-fc-please-re-sign-cesc-fabregas
Thanks 🙂
Oh Fatgooner, how can you think such a thing? Have you forgotten that only last summer Wenger bought us a midfielder for £42m (whom we didn’t actually need), ensured we had four usable central defenders so we didn’t have to face Bayern with a kid without one minute’s league experience to his name on the bench and, to guarantee our attack would never lack bite, purchased the proven, ultra-fit and prolific Sanogo? Who needs Cesc, who needs Costa, who needs a 25-man squad where every player is deemed good enough by the manager to, er, actually use? Far better to… Read more »
You bitch about Wenger. Then immediately say it’ll be six years. This implies that we will win something, because the only way he’ll stay after his current 3 years, is if we are a top winning club.
Just trying to get this straight, you’re complaining about our successful manager. Ok, got it.
lulz
I’m with fg and miranda, absolutely no faith in Wenger’s transfer team. I honestly believe that Wenger is so indecisive that all these oppotunities pass him by. In the end we will hear about how nobody is talking about Sanogo, but they will be, by golly. It did not happen this season, but surely next!
I’d like to believe but i cannot forget the past as readily as most of the optimists around here.
Depressed already
Lots of things will still hinder our request for 4 top players and one may not be money this time unless players are over inflated by performances in the world cup and we are still only in a play off for CL official off which we have always won previously years so players may still hold out for that which then takes us nearer the end of the transfer window and more unrest with players and fans alike
Goalie & right back are no-brainers as we have vacancies to fill. Striker has been a priority for a while otherwise we wouldn’t have bid >£40m for Suarez. So Kos is only adding a midfielder to the list and it’s common knowledge we need a physical DM. Just a thought, but what about our Belgian club captain in that role……?
“even United”…. love that subtle dig, there
Fatgooner – spot on pal.
I just can’t see us doing anything with writing home about. It’ll all be blamed on the World Cup of course.
A good job Wenger signed that new contract really.
Good for him to speak up, but kind of hard on Giroud asking to buy someone to put him out of a job.
We all want the top striker, but who’s available? Cavani and Falcao were bought for crazy money last year, so I doubt they’d be sold at a discount now. Benzema and Muller have been linked but probably won’t leave. Higuain will cost more than we could have bought him for last year. Porto sell everyone for like 150% of market value, and we all know Arsene is not going to pony up for Jackson Martinez (if he’s even a “top” guy). Expecting Draxler or Reus to lead the line in the Premier League is a big ask seeing as they… Read more »
Hulk?
Smash?
Awesome highlight reel, good in FIFA, but in reality, more one-footed than a peg legged pirate and only seems interested in dribbling around and blasting shots from outside the box rather than trying to work a passing move. Also has spent far more time as a right winger than a number nine.
I was sincerely hoping Tottenham or Chelsea would spend £40m on him as was rumored the last couple of years. No thanks.
Maybe we’ll buy someone like Immobile–not a big name, but a big talent ready to explode into the top tier. Someone like El Shaarawy from Milan?
Personally, having watched Mandzukic on many occasions, I think he brings more to the table than Giroud. Just because they’re both tall, doesn’t mean they are the same.
Immobile has already signed for Dortmund.
Mandzukic would be a awful buy, I honestly think he’s worse than Giroud. Why would you go for someone similar to Giroud? Hes barely faster, work rates about the same, much worse at link up play and despite being in a team that absolutely dominates the Bundasleague ( ? sorry about the spelling) he hasnt got nearly enough goals to convince me that he would get 30+ here, in a tougher league where hes completely unproven. No thank you!
Well, sure, Mandzukic can finish and Giroud can’t. He also runs around like a maniac, though Giroud’s work rate is pretty good in the early parts of the season before he plays 852 games in a row. But he doesn’t bring much pace, which means if he’s our only attacking signing we’re counting on our speed threat to come from a recovering Theo.
I’d go with at least five, myself. Throw a centre back in there too, especially if we lose Verm.
What will we get? Same as last year. One marquee signing in a position where we don’t really need it to appease the fans, one upcoming youngster and one player on a free.
Trying to stay positive, so who knows? Maybe we’ll have a good summer. But if we only sign the two or three that Wenger has indicated, I predict another season finishing fourth.
Fourth would be pretty good going. Last season’s league was a freak, I think, with Chelsea in relative disarray, City still settling into their new manager, Spurs doing their usual, and United a catastrophe. We can’t expect a repeat of such good fortune again. United are bound to be better, anyone would be better than Moyes – I’d predict they’ll make fourth. Spurs ought to be better – just hopefully not better enough. Fingers crossed Liverpool lose Suarez and suffer from the stresses and strains of Europe – otherwise I’d see them, not us, coming third. Fingers also crossed Everton… Read more »
we could have won the pl last season if we had a better striker…come on wenger sign a striker first
IMO – our biggest signing of the summer needs to be someone external that can train these players physically well enough to stay fit and not injure themsevles! – add to that then the 4 Kos is mentioning – winning formula – keep em fit – keep the squad deep – keep the goals coming – keep Paul Scholes’ mouth shut – win the league 🙂
coyg!
If you’re stoned and squint your eyes it looks like Giroud is wearing a phantom of the opera mask in that picture
I think that pic would give this one a run for its money in the category of most homo-erotic photball photo ever.
http://f2.thejournal.ie/media/2013/03/zlatan-hearts-pique.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x118/bluepuma23/GayBoiRonaldo.jpg
HA! made my day
Bastian Schweinsteiger, anyone?
Can’t believe that’s got 5 thumbs down – he’s scare the shit out of every single other midfielder in the country.
And he still wants his own song:)
Kos is right, if we get those 4 signings in, we will compete next year. COYG!
Our transfer windows are just a Twilight Zone episode now, right?
He woke up…and it was happening AGAIN!
Oh! my fellow poor fans, notting good will come out of wish even Koscienly knows that, Boss has a stone heart & never care about anyone…anyway let’s see if no name french player wil be available…
The love Arsenal fans have for Cesc is appalling. There is no difference between him and RVP and Nasri. He left a team built around him to play for the team he really loves. Because he went to Spain does not make him less of a traitor like the rest of them. Use your brains! Group think is not very flattering
Henry also left for Barca, and also had a team built around him. Just after we had lost the CL final.
Grow up.
wenger should bring back cesc,even though he departed 2 barc some time back, he can create a great impact on da team i.e experience,competition in CMD and AMD as well as a faulse 9 whc can make us compete 4 every trophy we want.
No mention of a CB addition. Maybe Sir Thomas of Vermaelen is planning to stick around after all.
I reckon Gazidis was talking budget juggling for the ears of selling clubs, and us not wanting to get mugged off.
This will definitely be a truly wonderful transfer window for us fans. The talk during the end of season run in, from the club, about the financial wait being over means we will be rewarded for our patience.
As for Cesc. I guess he just isn’t a top top quality player that can add something to the team, my mistake.
You have to learn to control your emotions, you should never let your emotions control you.
If Chelsea line up with Cesc, Hazard and Costa next season then it’s over, over I tell you…
< ozil, ramsey + world class striker
we are the arsenal, cesc isnt any more. keep the faith.
We might have to get a CB too, there’s a good chance Verm will leave.
Reading some of the stuff on this site lately you’d think the transfer window had shut already. It doesn’t even open till jully 1st. Its exactly this kind of reactionary bs that sickens me in modern football, just because chelski and PSG are blowing their load this early on doesn’t mean anything as far as we’re concerned. Because Chelsea and PSG can afford to offer crazy wages and signing on fees to agents doesn’t mean we should be similarly held to random to pay over the odds for every tom dick and Harry who is “available”. We will make our… Read more »
Correction the window opens a month easier in England than in the rest of Europe, even so it’s still not open till June 9th.
So seriously what’s all the fuss about?
And about cesc, what would your gf say if she caught you staring at your ex wife?
We have moved on he should too.
I doubt any of the top top strikers are going to be available in the summer. We missed the boat with Higuain last year. Even if we supposedly have a warchest, if the right players are not available we can do nothing. Which shows us more reason why it is logical to bid for Fabregas! Wht not address the squad depth and quality at the same time? Long summer ahead. I just hope it would be different from before..