Reports this morning suggest that Arsenal and Barcelona have agreed a fee for Thomas Vermaelen, believed to be around £15m.
The Belgian is expected to travel to Spain to undergo a medical this weekend, and the formalities of the deal should be completed by early next week at the latest.
With a Barcelona delegation in London yesterday, and Arsenal more willing to do a deal with the Spanish club than Manchester United, it looks as if the Catalans have persuaded Vermaelen he’ll get the playing time he wants.
It’s also being reported that Arsenal refused to sell directly to Manchester United, looking instead for a cash + player deal which is believed to have included Chris Smalling.
United’s refusal to let Smalling leave scuppered their chances of doing a deal for the Arsenal captain, as did their offer of a three year contract with one additional, while Barcelona offered a five year contract.
Best of luck Thomas!
Yesssss!! Great that we don’t have to see him turning out for the dirty Mancs!
I’m very very happy that he doesn’t join up with Robin Van Cuntie.
The only thing that could have beaten this is
1. if Wenger had waited till the last day in August pretending to let him go to the Mancs then pulled the carpet and left them without time to get an alternative defender in.
Or
2. Wenger now goes and gets their other CD target Hummels. Not that I even want him that badly but it would be truly epic to fuck the Mancs over twice. It would truly make me smile from horn to horn.
Best of luck, at Barca? Nope, not having that shit. Also I find it admirable that we’re finally not bullied into selling directly to a rival.
Does this mean Barcelona are now buying our castoffs ?
Still.
Better Safe than Sorry!!
The reported 15mil is very good money.
People say we overpaid for Chambers… we’re selling a backup with one year left for nearly the same money.
In:Sanchez 35m, Debuchy 12m, Ospina 3m, Chambers 11m rising to 16m, New CB 15m, New DM (Carvalho?) 25m Total Spend 106m Out: Vermaelen 15m, Vela (sold the buy back & 50% clause) 8.8m, Eisfeld 800k, Djourou 2.4m, Fabregas 2.5m from Barca after selling him Total Recouped: 29.5m Total Spend: 76.5m. For me thats absolutely fantastic business if that happens, its quite realistic considering the players leaving on that list are almost finished (providing TV5 deal goes through) , got most of the players Ins and Arsene said he would definetly replace TV5 if he goes, meaning the only question mark… Read more »
Although that being said David Ornstein (BBC) just said the following “Arsenal continue search Vermaelen replacement & also in market for DMF, but may sign 1 player who can perform both roles”
and Jeremy Wilson (Telegraph) “Arsenal transfer priority now is centre-back rather than midfielder. Prob only one more in unless Podolski sold or a good deal comes up”
Both journalists are reliable as they get so wouldnt suprise me if they are right.
We may just buy one more CB. People may disagree but every time I’ve seen Isaac Hayden he has looked really good and we still have to wait and see if he can step up but it wouldnt suprise me if he was 4th choice CB, Bellerin covering CB and Chambers being groomed for the Defensive Midfield role, he just needs to bulk up abit but him and Ramsey in the middle would never stop running all game. They would outwork any midfield I can think of. I think in all likeliness though, we’ll see that more the season after… Read more »
As reliable as a journalist gets. Hardly a recommendation though, is it?
1 player who can play both roles…Javi Martinez sounds just perfect. Let’s make Bayern our third feeder club.
@texasgo
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that Carvalho can play cb as well. He seems a beast of player with excellent positioning.
Both Chambers and him provide cover for the CB area, and Arteta, Flamini, and Chambers provide cover for Carvalho in midfield. Although one of Flamini or Arteta might to make room.
I don’t think we need another DM this season, considering Arteta and Flamini fill the ‘defensive DM’ part and Ramsey, Wilshere, Diaby can fill the box to box role. So make that 15M for another senior CB (considering Mertescielny are set and Chambers MIGHT be a bit unexperienced for big games) and we’re set.
“Showing Tottenham how to spend money since…”
We 100000% need a DM this season! I love Arteta and think he has been an absolutely fantastic servant for us during a time when we saw our best players leaving, adopted a new role without any fuss and done it pretty well over the last couple of seasons. I still think he has a part to play for us this season against lower table teams who will want to sit back and defend, he will keep the ball and keep us playing. Also think he will be great to have around for the youngsters as he is a model… Read more »
I think business going out is just starting my friend. Be prepared to see mikel, santi and poldi gone before summer to balance books mark my words. Typical wengA
I think my favourite part about Arseblog News is that windowlickers like you get voted down so quickly I rarely have to read poorly constructed drivel such as yours.
I don’t think Wenger is going for a defensive mid right now.. He plans to convert Chambers to that in the long term and we have Flamini/Arteta and possibly Wilshere/Ox to fill that position while Chambers is developed. We certainly need another CB if TV5 leaves.. With 15M coming in from his sale, we should bid for Hummels! Can easily rotate between Mert/Kos and him if he comes in.. I think we need a striker though! Giroud isn’t ‘great’ quality – he’s decent, and good as backup. Either get a new striker or use Sanchez there and get…you know who… Read more »
Wilshere is definitely not DM material. However i also very much would welcome Hummels, a point I made at a previous article which didn’t get on well because some say it’d upset either of Mert or Kos. 1st off we have had 3 very good central defenders in one team, Bould, Adams and Keown, to the invincibles of Keown, Campbell and Toure. Then comes the issue with Vermaelen as a defender; he can only play with Mert, and he’s actually terrible at reading the game. Before being dropped he had clangers after another, culminating in a shite clearance at OT… Read more »
I agree Wilshere is not DM material at the moment, but I think he also understands that it’s quite difficult for him to displace Ozil or Ramsey from the current team. Plus he does seem more reserved on the ball as compared to those two..
So even though he can’t play DM right now, I think Wenger can mould him into one.. Only problem will be his height..
Unless a transfer fee is officially announced, it’s just guesswork. Sometimes the add-ons are included, even if they will never be paid. So Chambers is often quoted as £16m, but it’s probably quite a bit less than that. Sánchez could be as low as £30m, etc. I wonder why people salivate so much over the figures that get thrown around.
Best of luck, and by all means do punch Xavi in the mouth if he starts talking about DNA samples!
Meh, punch him in the mouth anyway.
Best outcome considering the situation.
I hope we responded to United’s bid with a fax saying: “Get fucked, you utter, utter cunts.”
Yes, just yes.
Heard Arsene responded to cesc’s request to come back by playing Gloria Gaynor’s hit record”I will survive” over the phone…
First I was afraid I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And now you’re back from outer space [out of Spain]
I just walked in to find you here without that look upon your face…..
My sentiments entirely. He would not fit in at old trashcan unless he learned to dive and cheat.
15m for our 3rd choice CB. This is a very, very good deal. Chambers looks promising too as a CB/RB/DM if we’re to believe Wenger. Now we need to bring somebody though and I have no idea who it’s going to be.
I don’t know if city would sell to us, but we should go for Matija Nastasic. CBs are in demand and I’m surprised people aren’t going for Nastasic more. I think Barca were looking for someone experienced, and City wont sell to united. Mangala is close to signing for city and I cant imagine Nastasic wanting to be 4th choice behind Kompany(aged 28), Demichelis(33), and Mangala(23).Our defenders are 28(Kos) and 29(Mert). He’s 22, 6’2 and a little more filled out than Koscielny, so can probably play the mertesacker role. He’s very fast and I believe that against pacy teams like… Read more »
Hahaha see ye vermalanator
hes gone now so he’s a cunt. FACT
hahaha thumbs down please
Happy to oblige
With pleasure
So what else was he supposed to do? Stay on the bench and ruin his career?
If he was constantly in the first team, had a nice new contract and forced a move, I could understand the hate.
But that isn’t the case..
Sorry to see the verminator go. At least it’s not to the mancs.
Good luck to Vermaelen at Barça but its upsetting that its the 3rd captain to go to them in recent years.
Remind me how the other two got on…..
One of them won the CL and then went to live in New York whilst continuing to be adored by new and old fans alike.
Pretty much the only guy it worked out for though, and the only one I’d have wanted it to work out for.
Point is he went at the end of his career in proper football and with a greatly increased propensity for injuries. Good business on our part.
Our best sale to Barca is still Alexander Hleb – how did that happen?!
Ahem
Great price for him. Need to reinvest it sharpish
This is good for us, it speeds up our search for a CB, before the champions league play tie. Hers hoping we pull off another coup in Hummels.
Better
All the best to TV5, one of the good guys
Now we just need a decent CB to cover – lucky that we have the FT’s Johann Djorou to recal… OH MY GOD NO etc etc
Best of luck to him. I’m chuffed we told Utd to get fucked, and hopefully there’ll be plenty of Spanish Supercups and whatever else they have over there for him. Now for some good back-upand we’re sorted.
Oh, I’m enjoying the fact that we rebuffed United, but when it comes down to it, they’ll just buy a different centre-half, someone who’s probably better than Vermaelen (judging by his form in the last 1.5 seasons).
Good Luck Captain!! Will always remember your Debut season!! So sad Injuries badly affected your Arsenal career.
Good business for all concerned.
Best of luck to him.
Can’t believe we’re actually satisfied with one of our top players going to Barca. Also can’t believe Barca is signing a player only good enough for our bench. Am I dreaming?
He’s good and will be missed. But so many injuries, and what great business considering he has only a year on the contract. Wonder who’s incoming? Also, let’s sign Beksitas best player, whoever that is.
Really good business if this is true. And best of luck to Thomas V.
Now get that replacement. And give the armband to the BFG please!!!
Herr Arsenal, der Kapitän? Jawohl!
James Tomkins from Wet Spam as backup for the axis of awesome?
I’m glad he’s got himself a good deal at a big club given that he’s had to spend so long waiting patiently for it. He seems a really great professional and someone who deserves success in the game, so hopefully he’ll find it at Barca.
Chris Smalling?
Bullet: dodged
Definitely a good move for everyone. Vermaelen gets playing time, Barcelona get a decent centre back, we get a healthy fee for a player in the last year of his contract and don’t sell to a rival (for once). It also means that thankfully we are not signing the atrocious Smalling and he will continue to cost United, along with their other awful centre backs Jones and Evans. Replacement needed soon though, Hummels is wholly unrealistic, but there are decent centre backs out there, e.g. Nastasic. Good luck to TV5, has been a good servant to the club, but less… Read more »
Thought we would. But we always draw the champions – so RM it is…
Keep scrolling!
I love you.
#continues scrolling#
Paves the way for Captain Per! I bought the Verminator Tshirt though and I’m sorry to see him go.
Good luck and goodbye to The Verminator.
Excellent business all round i think. We get good money for a player with less than year on his contract and he gets to play in a great city in a league maybe more suited to his fragile body. The bonus is we dont see him in a Utd shirt and we dont see Smalling in ours.
All good
All the best Thomas
Excellent!
Absolutely fantastic outcome. As people mentioned 15m is a ridiculously good fee for a bench player in last year of his contract who to be frank had a lot of very ropey moments. He always gave his all though so I am sad to see him go in a regard but heading to Spain and not the mancs makes it so much more bearable. Reinvest in a young hungry cb(no idea who fits bill but I’m sure they have a shortlist) and we’re laughing. Another thing to realise is we just paid for chambers fee. Got a player with huge… Read more »
Good luck TV5. Also a big thank you to UTD for allowing us to squeeze an extra 5 million out of this transfer.
LANS
Great outcome for all concerned parties.
Wish TV5 all of the best… that’s until we meet in the second round of the CL where i fully expect him to score own goals on both legs of the tie just for old times sake 😉
Cant’ believe we got 15m for a player in the last year of his contract who was (for the last 18months) a bit part player for the club. Good luck to him, think we should spend the money on Nastasic, who would probably cost us £10m. Wenger said he would definitely bring one CB in if he left, and after admitting that Chambers is seen as a DM, we can expect a new signing now 🙂 This transfer window is going to go down in history! COYG!
OT: UCL playoff Arsenal vs Besiktas
Dont wanna sound complacent but I think its 17years(18?) on a trot. COYG!
Is it just me or is Wenger masterminding, more or less, the entire significant transfer dealings in England?
He is absolutely orchestrating the entire elite players transfer market. Brendan Rodgers is orchestrating the bargain buys market. Ohh times are a-changing!
i’d love to know who owes what still in the dealings between Arsenal and Barca. Do you think they are all kept separate on the accounts, or in buying Alexis we went “Right you still owe us £29m from previous sales, so lets call that quits, we give you this £1m and take Alexis home, ok?”
15m is a rip off. this is good for us. hes a good player but i dont think he suit the PL as a CB. he will do well in spain just like pique. also one yr left and we get 15m that stupid from barca i hv to say.also 5 yrs contract for 29 yrs old. they overpaid for valencia defender and now with vermaelen…i think their management are getting worst and worst. Anyway, hope wenger knows we need a replacement. alittle afraid he will hv chambers as a cover for 3 positions
I’m going to buck the trend here, while it might make business sense to sell the player for a decent amount of money towards the end of his contract, from a purely football sense it’s a poor decision. The skipper was a quality centre back (despite some poor form). Our other frontline options in that position, despite the cracking partnership they have formed are susceptible to pace. The Boss is quick but the BFG struggles. It was noticeable at the WC that against teams with real quality and pace, Per was on the bench. We also conceded an awful lot… Read more »
Even IF what you say about Per is true, you forgot that TV5 kept committing positional errors, such that the opposition don’t even need quick strikers to put us under pressure.
John Terry’s a cunt.
I do agree… but isn’t this getting a little old? certainly original
John Terry’s a cunt.
It’s a strange phenomenon, really. I have the same head-shaking reaction as you did about 98% of the time, but then every couple weeks, I notice that no one has mentioned this obvious fact in awhile, and feel the urge to remind everyone. Isn’t that weird?
That obvious fact is implied in every sentence ever written. John Terry is a cunt.
just goes to show now we have real money to spend we are more muscular in buying and selling some real good buisness done by AFC now we need to get some one in who’s good enough to cover when required at CB or maybe chambers is this man Wenger has lots of problems to iron out before he sends in his squad for this year
This is such a good deal for us 15m for a player that is 3rd choice and we have chambers. For that amount of money we can re-invest it into Nastasic because it seems very likely that Man city are going to complete the deal of Mangala leaving Nastasic with little hope. His fee should be around that mark and he is also young and promising could be a very good signing.
15m is just about the right amount of money for TV especially in a market where David Luiz cost 50m. Completely off-topic but heard the PSG chairman say they are no longer after Di Maria as he’s too expensive lol who dafuq told him to splash 50m for Luiz. What a tool! Hope they get done for FFP once again. Up The Arse
Wait, you’re saying Luiz is three times better than Vermaelen?
Blogs, can I get a refund for that Terminator Vermaelen T-shirt I brought off you a couple seasons back?
Damn we almost had him, I even offered to let him share a hotel room with Peter Crouch. I heard you guys call him the terminator or something and you know, he’s a robot and we have the guy that does the robot when he scores… hello, sitcom waiting to happen anyone?!
Whenever a player such as Tommy leaves it always makes me think of my fondest memory of the player.
92nd minute at the Emirates and a balls floated in and who’s in the box but our centre back Vermalaen. Fuck you Pardew!
Great moment.
Good luck Tommy
Smalling would do nothing to improve Arsenal, better than Jones but so is Djourou. Here’s a theory, maybe Arsene did not want Smalling at all, but wanted to put United out of the picture so demanded a swap as part of the deal.
Your theory doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny. Is Smalling is as shit of a player as you think, wouldn’t Man Utd want to offload him ASAP and jump at the chance to get rid?
Generally very excited this year. Seems the old Arsenal is back.
I don’t believe we wanted Smalling, hopefully it was just brinkmanship and we asked for £15m plus Smalling knowing United would scoff and go off the idea.
The Captain Curse Strikes Again!
From now on I’d rather if Arsenal’s captaincy was democratically spread across the team.
Let’s pave the way for a new football Utopia in which autocracy is eliminated.
Sepp Blatter is a cunt.
As is John Terry.
This makes perfect sense.
I remember being disappointed when Smalling opted to go to Baconface rather than coming to us.
As someone said above: Bullet; dodged.
I’ll be honest, is anyone else curious as to the big demand for Verm? I’m not complaining, but he’s been on the bench for the last season after a period of mediocrity, and now some of the more prestigious *washes mouth out with soap* clubs seem to want him.
Glad he’s not going to United. Hmmm… Barcelona or Manchester? Manchester or Barcelona? Tapas or chips and gravy? Tough decision that, eh? Good luck to him. I hope he does well there. This is the first time for a while we’ll have had a player go to Barcelona that I wish well. I hope he can resurrect his career there, maybe Verminate Bale and Cronaldo. As long as we smash Barcelona in the inevitable Champions League last 16 or quarter final games. If we can then snare Hummels as a replacement from under United’s nose that would make it even… Read more »
I don’t think Wenger is going for a defensive mid right now.. He plans to convert Chambers to that in the long term and we have Flamini/Arteta and possibly Wilshere/Ox to fill that position while Chambers is developed. We certainly need another CB if TV5 leaves.. With 15M coming in from his sale, we should bid for Hummels! Can easily rotate between Mert/Kos and him if he comes in.. I think we need a striker though! Giroud isn’t ‘great’ quality – he’s decent, and good as backup. Either get a new striker or use Sanchez there and get…you know who… Read more »