According to press reports in Belgium, Thomas Vermaelen has agreed a deal to join Manchester United this summer.
Via SportWitness, it seems newspaper Het Laatse Nieuws ran the story (later picked up by the UK papers and run as an ‘EXCLUSIVE’) which claims that the Arsenal captain’s relationship with Louis van Gaal, who he knows from his time at Ajax, is a factor.
Of course, he can agree anything he wants, that behind the scenes, back-channel stuff goes on all the time (even in the deals we do), but the decision to leave is not his. There’s just the piffling matter of Arsenal deciding to sell him, and United agreeing a fee with us for his transfer. You know, pesky details like that.
Also, with the departure of the versatile Bacary Sagna, Arsene Wenger’s centre-half roster is somewhat light, and the captain has had a number of absences through injury since he joined the club in 2009. It’s abundantly clear that he’s unhappy being on the bench, having fallen behind Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in the pecking order due to indifferent form in the 2012-13 season, and stories like this tend to emerge as part of the transfer machinations.
However, Arsenal already require a right-back this summer, and definitely need to add depth to the centre-half position anyway, so it’s hard to imagine this being a transfer window in which Arsenal add three defenders.
He might not like the situation he’s currently in, but at this point the most likely outcome is that he sees out his contract with us and leaves on a free next summer.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him leave
Neither would I, to be honest its a balancing act which makes the situation very difficult. Firstly the reasons why we need to keep him -Experienced defender -Wenger spoke last summer of the “technical difficulty” of adding alot of players to the squad when Spurs did it so leaving us with only 2 Centre backs would mean we would be in a position where we needed a back up keeper, a RB, 2 Centre backs (or one CB and a RB who can play CB), a defensive midfielder and a striker. All of a sudden we’re looking at 6 players… Read more »
Agree with your post in general but I think that there is a possibility that either Miquel or Ajayi could be promoted to the first team for the 4th cb spot.
No there isn’t.
Yes there is
I don’t think there are really any pro’s in selling a player of his quality to United, one of our rivals.. to which I add, we seem to be the only f’cking club in the Premier League that seem happy to do that consistently. I don’t know the best way to go about stemming this love of shipping off our players to other clubs. Is it not a possibility to convince him to stay, try and work him into another part of team?? There has been a weird idea of floating round twitter for a while in regards to trying… Read more »
it would be typical arsenal. sell him for a few quid and then scramble for a cost penny replacement.
Fabregas started quite the chain reaction.
Operation join rival club.
Fuck this shit.
Yup. In the complete and utter history of Arsenal Football Club it was Cesc Fabregas that was single-handedly causally instrumental in creating the transfer apparatus we see today.
Before him nobody left the club. After him it was a free-for-all for everyone.
Dont be fickle. i am talking of this window you mug.
That’s not fickle, Dingus.
For “mug” … read “Dingus”.
Do you think if we made BFG Captain it would help him on his way?
Is there anyone, ANYONE who credibley linked with moving to Arsenal ?
Lots of people linked with us but we’re unlikely to find out what the truth is until July when the puma deal comes into effect and new signings will then be announced wearing the new kit.
yeah coz all arsenal branded scarves have been burned…i dont buy this whole, “waiting for the new puma kit” excuse. before that it was the “hard to sign a player before the world cup” line. after the kit excuse it will be “top players want champions league football guaranteed befire they sign”…like ribery and bayern munich….oh wait.
the only thing stopping us from signing players is we are slow at these things. wish people would accept this and cut these excuses out.
We tied up Sanogo really early but it was still announced on the 1st July. That’s just when we do it.
What the flying fuck is this club doing..
Commentating on French TV.
What the flying fuck is any club doing at the moment?
I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.
Chelsea and Liverpool have done something
It’s hardly surprising now is it?!
Wenger being Wenger will allow it to happen as well, regardless of the fact that every other manager with an ounce of sense in him cock blocks every “attempt” we make to sign a player from a rival club.
Someone wake me up when September ends.
Greenday. Now they make me happy. Off to have a listen to cheer myself up.
why so many thumbs down?
We all know if Vermealen tells Arsene, he wants to join Utd, Arsene will let him go.
Really now…? Ugh…
The fact that I conceive that this is true is a sad story within itself…
I understand why he wants to leave but to Man U? Really? FFS… What a great way to start my Monday morning
Wenger has already said that Vermaelen do not have permission to leave and that we doesn’t ‘have’ to sell anymore since were in a better place financially. I think he’ll stay, at least until January.
It would be nice to see him stay and fight for a place in the team but he will probably push for a way out after the world cup. Seems we are going to have to blow that dust off the cheque book and spend some serious dough this window.
Can’t believe these players want to leave after finally relieving the pressure at Arsenal. Do they not sense the opportunity to build on a vastly improved league campaign and first trophy?
Sounds like agent garbage to me too. Although if the price is right Wenger will do business – remember Song’s transfer?
Song was a bit different. Apparently both him and his agent started causing problems at the club and as they were offered good money for him and we had money problems, it happened. TV is club captain, a decent honest guy who’s unlikely to throw his toys out the pram. Plus we don’t have money problems anymore.
That’s not to say it won’t happen but it will not be a ‘price is right’ sale.
He might force a move, can’t say I realy blame him
Can’t blame him for what. We haven’t exactly shit on him have we. Kos and Per have been magnificent but he could still stay and fight for a place.
He’s also found the club’s sickness benefit scheme very rewarding
Please not thiss! 🙁 still can’t wait for first of.july after which we start announcing our signings. I was still super happy because of winning the fa cup. The cesc saga ruined it for me and most of us.
At least we’re not selling to our rivals anymore. For fucks sake.
Since when are 7th considered “Rivals”? I mean manure didn’t even get to celebrate st tottinghams day… in surrey or wherever that fan base resides If we sell Verminator to them then they are buying our sub to go straight into their team… which is kinda like Brad Pitt hooking up with your ex who you dumped cos she was just a bit to needy and desperate but you kept her on your phone as an ICES contact.* It just goes to show you that brad pitt is getting older while you’ve got a fantastic relationship with two open minded… Read more »
Who is thumbing Double98 down? Let me see….
Presumable kiddies who not only can’t conceive what two open minded leggy blondes who like to play with each other for their pleasure might be, but don’t even have a dependable ex for an emergecy shag.
Or ones who somehow think that 7th placed clubs could be our rivals next season.
Failing that, it might be ones with a dubious sense of humor.
Most probably all of the above. 😉
I’ll thumb up that one 🙂
Read that as open-legged mindy blondes..
Vermaelen never played under Van Gaal at Ajax. Van Gaal left Ajax as head coach in 1997. Vermaelen arrived at ajax in 2003.
He did return to Ajax in 2004 , but not sure what role.
No one seems to want to join ManUre anyway, so as good as Van Gaal might be, with no decent players………….
I can understand Vermaelen wanting to leave, he is the club captain and never plays and let’s face it when he has played for us recently he has been on top form. I think this Summer could be a real shake up in terms of the squad if that means some previously key players leaving so be it as long as they are replaced. Yes we won the FA Cup but we need to freshen things up to truly build on this and challenge on all fronts
Is he a free agent? I thought only free agents can do this. When does the “tapping up” rule come in ala Ashley Cole.
In the real world tapping up happens all the time. Naive to think otherwise. In the same way that quite often when a player is very strongly linked with a club the deal is often done even if not announced formally. Not saying that’s the case in this instance. But in this day of digital media it’s very hard to keep done deal a secret. We all knew Sagna was off to city and when the cesc news first broke it became clear within days that the deal had been done even if not announced officially. That’s why I’m not… Read more »
Is any world class striker available at the moment? I dont think so
There is no doubt about the fact that we need a striker but I think for us to get a world class striker, we will have to wait until there is some movement in the market.
And making low key signings may not be such a bad move. After all, as Ramsey showed us last season a lot of solutions to our problems lie within the club and not outside
^^ I meant he hasn’t been on top form
Vermaelen obviously wants to win stuff with ManU. Last summer this wouldn’t have been funny. Now it sounds hilarious.
This is Bumbarass from the press and ain’t gonna happen
bumbarass?
Bum-Bar-Ass?
The same way john Terry being a cunt is like the same way our ex players join our rivals…bitches aint loyal
Another player leaving for free? Marvellous.
Have you read the article mate?
I think he means in a years time if the Verminator sees out his contract. To be honest if we manage to bring in a young centre-half or two we should be able to sell him this window for a decent sum, although preferably not to a direct rival (again).
Surely this is tapping up? Seems that any player can talk to another club without a tapping up case ever being mentioned these days.
If he wants to go, let him go – I’d rather have a new player who wants to play for our club and cash in on £10m. Solves the problem of having a captain who’s always on the bench. Would really like to see us sign and new CB and DM, but also a player who is able to fill in aka Gilberto/Song in both positions.
Can’t see us losing him for nothing next year like Sagna this time.
The bean counters won’t like that.
Could be good if it forces us to act. And by that, I mean not leaving Wenger sitting on his arse in Brazil waiting for someone to lift the WC only to amble back and find most of the transfer targets have already been taken.
The early bird catches the worm – the late one often nothing.
I don’t see any other clubs having done any early deals except for Chelsea. And our dealings tend to be very hush-hush, so I wouldn’t expect the media to catch wind of our dealings until the last moment.
So why not trust the manager to make the right signings(not necessarily expensive ones).
Also,I hope you know that the transfer market hasn’t opened yet
It’s possible we have some signings already but they won’t be announced until the Puma deal starts in July.
“So why not trust the manager to make the right signings(not necessarily expensive ones).” What you mean like the ones that he made in the last winter transfer window when we were top of the EPL so that we cemented our place, rode out the – inevitable – injury crisis in February and won the title ? Those signings ? The forward that we so obviously needed a year ago ? That signing ? The signings he made when we last topped the league in identical fashion four years before when we sold Diawa, signed no one and fell away… Read more »
Was anyone really available? You dont make signings for the sake of it.
And given that we won the FA cup, last season should count as success.
Also it was Eduardo’s injury that led to us collapsing in 07-08 , not the sale of diarra
It is hush-hush because nothing is happening. You can’t keep anything secret anymore. The agents and selling clubs want more money so the first thing they do is tell the press to get some rival bids in.
Do you think the papers make up transfer stories? No they are being fed information from clubs and agents. If nothing is written then nothing is happening.
The fact that the most of our players are in high demand by the top rival clubs speaks volumes of the quality we have at the Emirates and how much we underrate our own players.
🙁
Or overrate the current Manager ? Or is that too near the knuckle of truth to stand scrutiny ?
Or it speaks volumes of hove easy it is to rip us off. Every year we are loosing first team players and this year won’t be different. Sagna (best right back in the league) has gone to our parent club. Verm and Cazorla will be next.
We have bigger interests than the fate of a defender who played his way from the first team to the bench. Lets not get our knickers in a twist over this one.
What kind of fee could we expect for him now?
As much as I’d like to keep him, I hate the thought of him leaving for nothing next year…
hmm..I always remember his Verminator reaction when he got interviewed regarding that vanpussy move..i still have faith he wont move to manu though..
and by the way, how on earth will we win CL & EPL when we always selling our best players in every fckn season. wtf..
We’ve got rid of our deadwood (Bendtner, Park, etc) and we *might* sell Vermaelen, a player who has been back-up all season and who isn’t the player he was a couple of seasons back. The Fabregas stuff is a red herring – many of us might want him but we certainly don’t need him. We’ve still got our best players and look set to keep everyone, there isn’t even an end-of-contract saga now that the Sagna story has come to an end. The transfer window is barely even open and there’s a good two months of deals to be done… Read more »
I don’t care as long as we can call Boumsong and Thomas Bramble out of retirement
It seems the days of watching some of our best players turn out in our rivals shirts is far from over despite our new ‘financial muscle’. Cesc in Chav, Sagna in Stitty, and now Vermaelen in United colours. 2 ex-captains playing in their prime for other direct rivals. Regardless of what it means for our title chances strengthening our opponents, does Arsene and the board understand what it means to the supporters to have to look at this, and get the grief from other supporters. Van Persie was bad enough. Didn’t Arsene even comment about it being a mistake to… Read more »
TV is the Trojan Horse. After seeing such positional ineptitude that led him to the bench, I figure it would benefit us if TV stays in the first team of a rival.
However, if TV does go, we need a signing. Not world-class, for which world class defender would come to sit on the bench? But a decent one, good enough to last a few games at a stretch if necessary.
Fabianski and Sagna were forced/allowed to see out their contracts, I do not see a reason why it should be different with Thomas.
He’s a good player and deserves to be playing every week but you can’t choose him over Kos or Per who’ve been immense. If he’s going to ManU then good luck to him and wish him well. I think Per should then be instilled as captain. Lets hope these ‘deep discussions’ we’re in lead to some actual players coming IN to Arsenal!!
Brilliant….he’s passed it and will weaken Manure even further. As long as he’s replaced…cash in.
This doesn’t really bother me if I am honest. Yes he is a decent centreback on his day but he is so prone to moments of tactical naivety that he becomes a liability the longer/more games he plays in a row. He charges out of the defence to intercept everything which is great when he gets it.. and costs goals often when it doesn’t. He is/was a good choice 3rd backup but never going to crack our first choice pairing so I can’t be too displeased at this news. A solid dependable 3rd choice and a young up and comer… Read more »
Vermaelen is still under contract with us. Manchester United (if true) can agree anything they like with whomsoever they like, but it won’t mean a thing unless we agree to let him go. Which is something very unlikely to happen.
I think we have more pressing business on our (transfer) plate than to even give this the time of day.
Realistically who is going to come to this club with Kos and Per so effectively established it kept out club captain on the bench for the season.
Vermaelen, Podolski and Cazorla all rumoured with moves away. Where’s the continuity Wenger talked about if he lets all that happen. On top of Fabianski and Sagna departures.
Myself I think all three can be improved upon. But is there a will at the club to do that much business in one window, on top of what we already need in a backup GK, RB, DM and ST.
I doubt it.
You said the important words ‘all rumoured’.
To be fair rumours about players going out of the door always seem to have an annoying habit of happening!
So that makes 2 CBs, an RB, a tank for DM, a CF, and a keeper … in the word of Edna Krabappel, Ha!
This is going to be a pants shitting window.
Do we really need a dm? With so many other positions to fill I doubt we will get a new dm(imo Arterta ,Flamini and Diaby when fit are good enough).
Also, personally dont see the utility of a purely defensive midfielder in the modern game. A player has got to be able to contribute to more than just one phase of play especially given the our playing style.
We should change our name to FEEDER Football Club if this is true.
What the Fuck is happening?
Soon there will be an Ex-Arsenal players at direct rivals, 11 playing in the premier league.
We need to stop the bleeding. Vermaelen can wait for a season.
How to minimize injuries? Rotate the squad vigorously to avoid fatigue. Wenger blames ‘bad luck’ for Theo’s cruciate injury but I’m not sure. Prior to that FA Cup 2-0 against Sp*rs on 4th of January, Theo had played five games in 20 days. Same backdrop for Ramsey’s injury. Crucially, how can a manager feel comfortable rotating the squad, when every match is so DAMN IMPORTANT? You assemble a squad full of 22 Galácticos, almost-Galácticos and future-Galácticos. A defender who isn’t great at defending is not a Galáctico, which unfortunately precludes Thomas Vermalen from being one. Mertescielny will be 30 in… Read more »
If watching and learning was important – i’d be ready for the first team.
young people need opportunity – they need to make mistakes and learn from them – they need to not have a bench stocked with 28 year old reserve players ahead of them –
wenger should target 6 – 8 matches a season to rotate players – home and away against the likely relegation teams.
He should do likewise in the cl group against the weakest teams
Vermaelen has only a year left on his contract so it’s imperative we cash in on him now while we still can. Self-sustaining clubs cannot afford to just let players run down contracts. No reason to suspect Mert or Kos would get injured next season but with Hayden progressing nicely and Flamini capable of providing cover there too, it’s not a position Wenger should be worried about imo.
For once, i’d like Arsene to say “Fuck No!” to our players joining a rival team.
Man Utd wouldn’t allow it.
Jose didn’t let us have his 3rd choice striker.
Just this once Arsene, say No!
Hamburgers…. For a change, would love it if we start behaving like a big club if we want others to treat us like a big club.
Fooking tired of the embarrassments.
If we sell Thomas to UTD it will be unforgivable.
We cashed in on the big fee for RVP which wasn’t good but after his none sense at least we fit a good fee. Selling in an area where we are short to a rival would be ludricous.
The only real issue with this is that in case he left, we had to buy TWO defenders, and a keeper.
3 players already, before actually IMPROVING the squad.
I’m okey with him leaving if the replacement isn’t limiting our transfer window.
This shit must stop.
We need Shitstopper Man.
I’m not too bothered if TV5 goes to United, if I’m honest. I’d much rather see him in a United shirt than Cesc (although the prospect of him in a Chavski shirt is equally as gut wrenching). This is far from a done deal, as Juve are also apparently interested. I think what has annoyed me more about previous players leaving for other big clubs (Vieira, Henry, Fabregas, Van Persie, Song, Nasri) is that we’ve not shown any real balls in the negotiating process – they’ve ALL left for less than we hoped for. Man United are in a position… Read more »
I’m not sure about this – all the players you’ve mentioned were/probably will never be sold for more than for what Arsenal sold them, despite the huge inflation of prices in recent years. So yes, we’ve expected more, but perhaps that expectation was unreasonable. And I think that during those time Arsenal was a bit ‘unlucky’ that the crazy clubs were rarely targeting our players – equivalent of luiz to psg for 50m is rvp to real for 40 or TV to psg for 25-30. (or adebayor for 25 :DD) And that’s usually just not happening for us.
‘Het laatste nieuws’ only publishes rubbish to be honost. But we’ll see
Vermaellen got us to the FA cup finals. He should have been played in the final just like fabianski was. He and fabregas were the reason I’ve fallen in love with this arsenal team….I can’t bear the thought of him leaving…did you guys see the rocket pass down the left flank while he was playing left back in one of those final 3 eEPL games? Don’t want to lose him now, never….
He’s not all that anyway. Miguel becomes back up and we buy CB and RB, and cheapo goalkeeper, expensive striker and mid-priced DM.
We still have a load of sickos in the team.
Miquel*
We should have kept Park and made him captain. Safe in the knowledge that every single captain we have had since Tony Adams wants to force through a transfer. That way there’d be less impact.
This is getting slightly tedious now. Our captain forcing through a transfer to a team that came 7th and isn’t even in Europe is a brand new low.
I not bothered by this at all. Let’s be honest: Vermaelen has been rubbish for at least two years; that’s why Wenger dropped him and refused to even play him for anything but the softest games. He was fantastic when he first joined us, but his form didn’t last. I’m surprised that United want him, presumably as their first-choice centre-half: he’s an accident waiting to happen. The big worry for me is the lack of transfer activity by us. With the quality players who have left or are about to leave, and with the unfulfilled requirements from last season, we… Read more »
Got the same feeling. Can’t stand seeing AW strotting about on French television. Gives me the idea that no-one is taking care of (transfer)business.
Beyond identifying targets what role can Wenger play during the the transfer window?
I am pretty sure that he doesnt go and negotiate with the selling clubs personally.
The transfer has not yet begun so some perspective from fans would be nice
perspective? Why can other clubs conduct their transfer business before the world cup starts? chelski already signed two top players before a ball was kicked in brazil.
it seems like we’re already going to end up with the last turkey in the shop.
Most top clubs havent made any moves so far(chelsea being the exception). And I wouldnt label Diego Costa a world class player on the back of one good season.
Also, the transfer window hasnt begun yet.
Last year the “last turkey in the shop” was mesut ozil. Its important to make the right signings, not just the supposedly “world class” ones.
He’s not a good defender. Poor concentration, poor positioning, poor judgment. He was given the runaround by Bradford. He’s let us down badly on numerous occasions over the last few years but he gets away with it with the fans because of his ‘Verminator’ image and because of the goals he scored in his first couple of years. If Man Utd want to take him off our hands then that’s a good thing because it won’t make them any stronger. The people that are getting worked up about him are likely the same people that got worked up when Clichy… Read more »
Apparently we want Nani in exchange! Phew!
Transfer rumours are good fun.
Silvestre on a free? Jeffers to come back home!
Are you saying Wenger can’t multi-task? It’s not like he’s locked up in some studio somewhere, and they only let him out to commentate on games.
At every major tournament, Wenger commentates for French telly, didn’t stop us signing Rosicky in 06 (as just one example)
Exactly. It’s ironic that those people using the internet to bemoan Wenger being in Brazil conveniently forget that we can now communicate without the need for paper cups and a piece of string…