Arsene Wenger has again spoken about the possibility of Thomas Vermaelen leaving the club this summer.
The captain has just returned to London after a prolonged break due to this World Cup commitments, but won’t play a part in this weekend’s Emirates Cup because of injury.
He’s nursing a hamstring strain picked up in Brazil, and when pressed about his future at the press conference today, the boss said,
“At the moment Thomas Vermaelen is here. He is injured at the moment with a short-term injury. It (a move) could happen, yes it’s a possibility that he goes. If he goes we have to replace him because he’s an important player in our squad.
“I expect him to stay but he, of course, did not play enough games last year. For me he’s a very important player but I couldn’t guarantee him the games he wanted last year.”
Now, we have to make our minds up as to whether he’s injured or ‘injured’, but with further doubt cast on his Arsenal career, it does look as if his time at the club is almost up.
With Calum Chambers earmarked for a potential role at centre-half, and the club still in the market for more experienced cover, his departure would be no surprise at all.
On a slightly happier note, Theo is back in training today! Wonderful!
Best buds Rambo and Theo looked very happy being back on the training ground together.
We must not strengthen a rival again!!!,
Or United either :p
Selling Vermaelen will strengthen no one.
The Verminator is a fitting nickname, given the number of injuries he keeps coming back from. Adds a whole new meaning to the line “I’ll be back”.
I think he is a great player but he can’t get a look in, and when he does he gets injured.
I don’t believe ManU want him as a starter, i would think it too risky, he is out of form and injury prone.
I wish it had turned out different but if he needs to take his chance elsewhere then so be it
Adrian Clarke wrote an impassioned plea that if TV5 wants to go and the boss decides to let him go, he must *not* be sold to Man Utd, here:
http://89thminute.co.uk/2014/07/30/the-clarke-end-what-do-arsenal-do-with-thomas-vermaelen/
I think he has hit the nail on the head there, and agree with him 110%.
Well, Thank you very much TV5 and good luck to you. He wants to play regularly but too injury prone. We just need a proper back up!
Thomas- you’ve grown to be one of my favourite players in the Arsenal squad. Thank you so much- it would be wonderful if you did not join United, but I would not hold a grudge against you in any case. Rewatching some of your goals in your first season- it symbolises what it means/meant to be an Arsenal fan of the Wenger era- crazy shit, gambling everything for our attacking philosophy, but without a doubt the most encapsulating football in the world. Thank you!!
Vermaelen should stay, we need experienced centre backs. We can’t rely on inexperienced defenders, especially I’f they had never played in the EPL. Even mertesacker and koscielnt first season was decent.
if we get a good 3rd cb why not? nursing chambers in his first years will be necessary but you´re right, it doesn´t seem like miquel et al will make the grade so a proper signing is essential
Well to be honest his stock has fallen in the last year or so could be related to not being able to break the Koscielny-Mertesacker partnership or his nagging injuries. But in any case he can definitely be replaced and if goes to United then all the better as we know what a liability he can be sometimes.
it would be a shame if he leaves… he is gonna get game time for sure.. kos and per had a gruelling season and they cant keep on with that intensity
I’m guessing Vermaelen wants to be first choice at his age, rather than getting a few games here and there due to rotation and injuries.
With Chambers being mostly about potential at this stage and new centre half to replace Thomas and a defensive midfielder of top quality is a must now.
agree with cb not necessarily with dm, although khedira would make me giggling…..
He’s not injured….He picked up an injury against Russia but was already fit enough to sit on the bench against Argentina and he didn’t feature in that match so there’s no way he could still be suffering from that same injury 1 month later. That said I know he will leave. I wish him all the best and I wish him an injury-free season, even if united sign him. He deserves it.
Although everyone was putting cripples on the bench as you take 102 substitutes.
France only took 101, there was no room for Na$ri
Nah he was fit enough to take part according to Belgian media.
A real shame. That his form dipped so much, that he didn’t get game time, and that he’s probably moving on. I had high hopes for the Verminator to have a lengthy career at the Arsenal. Bummer.
Chambers is the future not the now.He wont be back up for Kos and Mert.We neeed to sign 2 experienced CB’s.I hear Silvestre doesnt have a club
I’d rather have Miquel as our 4th cb instead of Silvestre
I could be wrong but I think he was joking.
Can’t believe that knowing beforehand, that Vermaelen will leave. We haven’t added a experienced Center Back.
While we have strengthened elsewhere. While a need for CB has been more pressing.
But this window has been pleasing, let’s hope we replace Vermaelen sooner rather than later.
P.s: No way is Chambers his replacement. Has he even played a game there for Southhampton?
This was pretty much expected. Thank you TV5. You have been a great contributor to the club, especially in your first season. He’s always reminded me of Vidic, so I won’t be surprised if United really push for his signature. Meanwhile at the Emirates, we can expect a top centre-back coming in with the money made from this transfer. I’d prefer someone whose played in the EPL before.
I think playing as part of three CBs would really suit Vermaelen. If he goes to Man U I reckon he’ll rediscover his best form and play a blinder for them. Sincerely hope he goes abroad, but doesn’t look likely.
If Vermaelen leaves who starts at CB alongside Koscielny at the start of the season while Mertesacker is on vacation/getting in form? If Mertesacker isn already missing the opener against Crystal Palace (and they gave us some difficulties last season) Who is the other starting CB? Will Mertesacker be ready to play the following week against Everton?
Arsenal started Monreal and Hayden against the Red Bulls. Are we really talking about a Monreal/Koscielny partnership in the first couple games?
I think we really need another CB ASAP.
i think monreal is a very decent player, if arsene thinks he can fill in there why not?
Decent, sure. But seeing Monreal start at CB would give me major palpitations.
I am headed to the hospital now thinking about Monreal starting at CB. Trusting him to play a friendly against the NY Red Bulls is MUCH different than a BPL game with three points on the line.
I agree Monreal is a solid footballer, but he isn’t a CB.
How do you know Monreal can’t fill in at CB? Based on seeing him in one meaningless friendly? Also, we might play Hayden with Kos.
AND what if Kos takes a knock in the Community Shield game?
mert should be ok the next week
Go to a lower team outside the top six or abroad, or just stay
well it´s man utd then…
Thank you TV5 our trophy jinx breaking captain! (at least officially) …Sad your career didn’t pan out so well with us….you stayed classy and didn’t moan. Best wishes in your future endeavor….hopefully not at man utd.
Unless Arsene knows more about his long term fitness than we do, I’d be doing everything to persuade him to stay. Individually I think there’s very little to choose between Kos, BFG & TV5; it’s just that the first 2 have struck up a great partnership & stayed relatively injury-free. If he does go he deserves a great reception whenever he returns to The Emirates!
Wenger should convert him and use him as a DM!!!
Id like him to stay think if he is fit we could use him.
If he goes then he’s a cunt . . FACT !!
Thanks TV5! Anywhere but Untied or any of the other top 4 please,and wherever you do eventually go give’em your all…..
Except against us.. ha!
I wonder if we’re holding out to try and get Smalling or Jones in part exchange. I have to admit, as CB cover there would be worse alternatives. Like letting the Verminator go and bringing nobody else in, for example.
It seems like Arsenal has a perennial knack every season for departmental breakdown. A couple of years ago, it was the midfield department that was broken. And that was fixed by bringing in the likes of Arteta, Carzola, Ozil and Flamini. Another seaon it was the strikers. And Giroud, Podolski , and most recently Sanchez signing seem to have that department fixed. With the departure of Sagna, who can play center back and imminent departure of Vermaelen, another center back suddenly it one injury away from another crisis in defense! “When will they ever learn?” (2ce).
This is the issue. Cback is very thin. However it isn’t that Vermaelen is unable to provide cover but that he is unable to rotate through Meterscielny. Midfield is extremely deep now. The other area that has a bit of vulnerability is up top. Campbell will provide an alternative style and ability to Giroud but what Giroud brings to the table in raw physicality around the box is most likely replicated by Sanogo who is still very young and yet to find his feet. Truthfully Sanogo could benefit from a loan spell this season. A late bid for someone like… Read more »
At the moment, we want to avoid feet of clay.
That devastating moment when…
You stay up til 1:20am (or 4:20pm) on the 2nd of August (Australia time), log on to Arsenal player expecting to watch the Emirates Cup.. and then realise that 4:20pm on 2nd of August UK time is 24 hours away..
Fuck my life
Yeah, I’m as confused as the timezones 🙂
sorry for you xxxrob, but i´m a Little bit jealous that you´re in australia considering the “summer” weather we have here in europe. COYAussies
Rob, at least the wife didn’t drag u shopping while we whupped Benfica 😉
As mentioned before :
The issue with Vermaelen is that he has not been able to force his way into rotation with Meterscielny.
We need a player good enough to be able to do that. Preferably this player should have a bit of both Koscielny (recovery speed)and Metersecker’s (height positioning) attributes.
It would also be useful for the player to be 22-26 being that Meterscielny are 27++
Saw a link to William Carvalho ostensibly a DM for Porto but could be useful re-roled as a Cback for us with extra cover for midfield.
If he does go – and it looks like he will and it will probably be Utd to boot – the annoying thing will be if he
rediscovers the superb form he had when he first signed for us and really looked top quality.
Two seasons ago he lost his way and has never really found his form since.
Still if it happens it happens. As long as we get a replacement in, it will probably
be best for all parties.
With Jenkinson now gone for the year, it would be squad suicide (or maybe just shooting your own foot) to risk Chambers at CB at any time this year.. Vermaelen, should he decide to stay and stay fit, could still have a big role to play at Arsenal.
Look, I love Mert and Kos as much as the next guy, but on certain few occasions last year they looked vulnerable against speedy attackers..I’m not convinced we ever truly got to see if a Verm/Kos partnership was viable.
vermaelen really isn´t a solution against speedy attackers i guess
I honestly suspected that TV5 had this deal lined up the ManU when RVP left, I think Ferguson had managed a double coupe the ultimate insult for Arsene at that time and Mr Wenger probably went off the reservation over it. I know reports of injuries can be manipulated a default fallback position when club and player are at odds. He is a great defender, a shame we are going to lose him. Like Germany we could switch him for Per when we may need some more mobility. But we will try and sell to Barca but my money is… Read more »
We are talking about the man who brought in Koscielny and Mertesacker at center back. I’m sure that Wenger can scour the globe for one more center back as backup that will blossom into a true beauty.
Likely gone.
Priority now is a Cback. Matt Hummels linked. i say get him.:D
And I will say he will be stupid to come over.
It’s pretty clear that the purchase of a back up CB is going to happen once (and if) Vermaelen heads out the door. Could be his injury is holding him back from a medical and an imminent move. Best of luck to him and looking forward to see who will come in instead