Earlier in the week we covered a report in Spanish publication AS which claimed Athletic Bilbao are close to signing Nacho Monreal.
It seemed a bit off given the defender was one of Arsenal’s most improved players last season, usurping Kieran Gibbs to become the club’s first choice left-back.
We weren’t convinced. And neither were Sport Witness who suggested the rumour, which has been chugging along for quite some time, is mere fodder for the page of Bilbao news AS have to fill each day.
They also revealed that the Basque press hadn’t touched the story … although El Correo has since claimed Monreal could look to move if Arsene Wenger signs left-back Faouzi Ghoulam from Napoli.
There were also whispers Monreal hasn’t really settled in England, but that’s something that he’s dismissed this week.
“I’m very happy at Arsenal,” the Spaniard is quoted as saying this week.
“I enjoyed playing in a lot of the games last season and that is the target again – that is all I can say right now.
Of course, when you’re partaking in club promos and a kit launch, you’re not exactly going to start moaning. Still, we’d take this as a pretty clear sign that unless Arsene wants to get shot of Monreal he’s more than open to staying at the Emirates.
Nothing about Monreal to Bilbao makes any sense for either Arsenal or Monreal, unless he’s homesick. So let’s just hope that’s really not the case.
It makes sense as Nacho’s agent wants a new contract for him. Only one year to go on his current one.
Give him one I say.
Oh errr Mrs!!
🙂
Is he Basque?
Yes, from Pamplona
We’re happy you’re happy at Arsenal, now score us some more scorchers like the FA cup goal at Old Toilet…one at the bridge would be nice also
Channel your inner andre santos
I think he should avoid the fish and chips though.
Who ll thumb that down? Some people really need to boiled into glue. Pathetic fucktards.
A tad extreme, considering all they did was thumb him down. Parboiling them would be enough punishment, I think.
Back to your cage. You’ll receive half portion of gruel today.
is aunt mourine the troll under the bridge? :$
Linking players to Bilbao is lazy journalism because of their Basque only policy all players with a Basque connection get linked
When all the rumour is about Monreal, then we can sleep easy. Few years ago, I used to dread the transfer season because our best players will always be linked with other teams.
I think Nacho was one of our best players last season. During his spell at center half he often looked more assured than Per, and when he got his chance at full back he showed the more subtle qualities that we didn’t know we’d been missing in that position: clever positional play, passing and movement that syncs up with the interplay of Ozil and Cazorla, and a virtually flawless first touch. He’s shown a knack for performing in big games. I’m not surprised other teams want him.
I never meant to say that Monreal is not good. I was just comparing this window to other years when guys like Ramsey, Koscielny, Ox, and many more would be in every gossip column; now nobody bothers any more. This is what I implied. Sorry, English is my second language.
Thought you made a fair point Man Manny.
Why would an Arsenal regular leave Arsenal for Athletico Bilbao?
Not Athletico, it’s “Athletic”
That club has an English heritage
Bloody love that picture. It’s improved further by seeing that silly microphone-headed Fellaini moping in the background.
Good for at least another 2-3 seasons… Hopefully by then Gibbs would have developed more consistency and we’d have the left side version of Bellerin on the cheap from Barca in exchange for an ageing Theo and a mattress filled with cash.
do you really see Gibbs progressing much farther than a backup or rotational player? I say this in honest truth as I don’t see him in a starting XI that could be league champions or champions league winners. maybe I’m wrong, but he just seem to have that top level caliber.
Did you see Nacho progressing like he did? It wasn’t until last season that he came into his own. Before then most were unsure if he was really good enough.
off topic, but did anyone see what happened to Frimpong in Russia?
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/07/17/emmanuel-frimpong-sent-off-for-middle-finger-after-monkey-chants
The worst part of all of this (worse than Russia hosting the World Cup) is:
“What Frimpong did was wrong. Sometimes you even have to hold back the tears and just put up with it,” Gazizov added.
Just put up with the racist chants….geez.
I think they chose the wrong player to have a go at.
But then do racists ever act rationally?
Look also at the problem in what the officiating has done. They have created open season on the players by punishing the player and short-handing their team. So the fucking racists won. Not a single punishment for the racists, and their chants benefited them and their team. They may be half wits, but they can figure out that it works in their favor to racially abuse the players. Completely illogical. It’s also really poor that neither the coach nor the club have his back at all there. Naturally he shouldn’t use obscene gestures, but he should not have to apologize… Read more »
Gratuitous quotation marks in the title, I must say.
Absolute quality player!
Meanwhile the van Judas crying about not being given an honest chance Van Gaal to prove himself at united after injury, sweet sweet karma.
Off topic but, how many “sleeps” until we destroy Chelsea at Wembley?
Perhaps only one if you take a super strong sedative.
Monreal – Along with Bellerin and Le Coq a poster for internal improvement. This is the other side of the coin. Too many focus on ‘buy buy buy’. We have plenty of players with potential to improve. No surprise Wenger bought Ozil and Alexis at 25yrs and on the cusp of their peak years. Nor that we have a bevy of players at 23/24yrs just coming into their own in Ox, Jack, Ramsey, Welbeck, Coquelin. Plus a couple of younger players in Chambers and Bellerin way ahead in development. Currently we have added a keeper early which was circumstantial and… Read more »
Exactly 2 weeks mate.
Happy that the Monreal story is a non-story.
How about the possible incoming rumour about the stiker from Dortmund?
non-story either
I think expression of opinions by individuals are showing the type of manager or how individual will oversee a particular duty being given to them. This clearly shows why most of us support the greatest team and best manager- Arsene and Arsenal. Most pundits and journos are overlooking team chemistry and prefer assembly of stars which on the long disrupt the team technically. Such case is the gulf created between barcelona and madrid since their assemblage of the galaticos,they experienced futility for some years: ronaldo,beckham,zidane,figo et al since 2002,could not win anything until our loanee,Jose Anthonio Reyes rescued them in… Read more »
Exactly, I concur. There is too little emphasis in general on the chemistry and inner development of the TEAM. Throwing money at ‘names’ is a looser’s game. You only have to look at Totts, Man U and Poole for examples of squandering funds on duds.
It’s simplistic, sensationalist journalism to equate the amount a player costs with how much benefit he will bring to the team. Ask the fucktards at Man City about some of the complete wastes of money they’ve purchased. Trust in Wenger!