This morning’s newspapers are full of stories about how we’re targetting Victor Wanyama to help bolster our midfield in January.
The Southampton midfielder has long been linked with the club, and latest reports say that the Gunners are preparing a £15m bid.
Asked about him at his press conference this morning, the manager admitted he’s a player he likes but denied that anything was happening.
“I rate him as a player,” said the Arsenal manager, “but we are not on the case.”
There didn’t appear to be any kind of sly grin that can accompany a denial that isn’t quite a denial, but maybe Arsene’s got his poker face on again.
Last week, at an event in Kenya, Robert Pires was asked if he saw the 24 year old as a potential Arsenal player.
“Why not?,” he said, dreamily. “He has the speed, skill and physique. I however think he needs to score more goals because then he will be world-class material.”
99% of transfer speculation is crap.
And that’s probably an underestimate.
Even so, I’m pretty sure that the Messi story is legit.
I know a guy who knows a guy whose twitter handle is ITK and has confirmed it.
I heard that a few years back that one summer Niall Quinn got someone in administration to look at all the papers every day and look for transfer stories concerning Sunderland.By the start of the season it was calculated that only 2 per cent of the transfer stories concerning Sunderland were true.So your guess isn’t far off.
Yes but then one day you hear a story “Arsenal preparing a bid for özil”, you are all “Naah ah ah stupid journalists”, and look where we are now
“Why not?,” he said, dreamily. “He has the speed, skill and physique. I however think he needs to score more goals because then he will be world-class material.”
The press in Kenya noticed how Pires emphasized on ‘goals’ and ‘world-class material’ as he stroked his dreamy hair and brushed his shoulder while giving his response. The audience was mystified.
The context of what Dreamy said is important. I don’t click on the click-bait, but I see the headlines: “Pires urges Wenger to sign Wanyama”, etc. From this, I thought the context was something like this: Reporter: Who do you think Arsenal should sign? Dreamy: Well, Wanyama is top of my list – he’s as golden as they come, I rate him as the solution to all our problems. Reporter: (swoon) But actually, it was like this: Reporter: Given that you are in Kenya, and Wanyama is Kenyan, and you’re here on some kind of promo-trip, do you think Arsenal… Read more »
Arsenals DMs are not just there to protect defenders but their main job is link up play between defenders and offensive players. This involves turning defending into attack in a split second. I don’t think Wanyama fits that bill. He’s strong and imposing but he’s not an upgrade from our lovely Coq.
He doesn’t need to be an upgrade, he just needs to provide cover, depth and challenge for a first team place to keep pushing Coquelin. Seems like he’d be a good, young replacement for Flamini.
Would also be quite nice to be able to go away to somewhere like Bayern or Barca (if we so required) and stick both in the middle to be as tough to break down as possible. Big fan of Wanyama’s, though I think there’s absolutely zero chance of Southampton selling any players in Jan. And rightly so.
Yes, great point. My favorite midfield I’ve seen was 98. Manu and Paddy together. Big, strong, creative… yeah, but not in the tiki-taka way. When necessary, they could both sit (metaphorically, I think only Gallas has ever actually sat on the pitch for any length of time) in front of the classic back four. None shall pass.
Southhampton will always sell. Always. It’s just a matter of price.
Which means we probably won’t do a deal. Because if there’s one thing we hate it’s paying over the odds.
Maybe Wenger sees he can get a body or two, such as Wanyama and another forward, and really compete for the Premier League. The money is there. £20 for someone like Wanyama is a good suggestion to be out there! I’m gonna be positive.
£20 for someone like Wanyama is an absolute bargain, Being that cheap we could probably offer him as much as £50 p.w.
Abou Diaby, a professional hospital patient
who has had his career blighted by
appearances for Arsenal.
LOL. just saw this comment and thought I should share it. A bit ironic because he’s the type of player we need. oh how I miss him.
LOL? That comment just saddened me.
Doesn’t make sense as well as not being funny.
If he were a ‘professional hospital patient’ playing for Arsenal lengthened that career.
Clearly it was originally supposed to be a joke. Why do we need to analyse it’s use of English?
It’s ‘…its use…’,
as a Kenyan Gooner, please take him. as an appreciation gesture, I will name my future children Wanyama although this name means animals.
Excellent
Victor Animals
Wanyama is good. People was calling for arsene to buy morgan schneiderlin AS OUR DM. morgan schneiderlin does not play DM for Southampton. Wanyama does.
Morgan Schneiderlin does not play DM for Southampton because he isn’t owned by Southampton…
All right, then.
“Morgan Schneiderlin NEVER DID play DM for Southampton.”
or
“Morgan Schneiderlin does not play DM for MANCHESTER UNITED.”
Take your pick. Happy now?
The coq is our 1st choice DM but the guy does need back up maybe wanyama can be that
Grzegorz Krychowiak > Wanyama and I still think Adrian Rabiot wouldn’t be a bad investment, hes got really solid stats this season when he has played. (Real stats, not from my Football Manager career)
The advantage with wanyama is pl experience. Ozil was never a bad buy but even he needed time to adapt. In wanyama we get a player ready to fit in the team and mount a serious title bid.
Doesn’t Rabiot have a bit of a history of being a d*ckhead off the pitch? Do we need that person in the changing room?
I like Wanyama and think he’d do well at Arsenal
I don’t expect him to uplift the team to the next level, whatever that may mean. However, he is a solid DM and can do a god job disrupting the opponent’s game. I think he needs to improve in some areas mentioned by others here such as goals, passing, technique etc. He can really partner well with Ramsey, who has the instincts to go forward all the time. You can be sure he’ll be there to help the defense when Ramsey/ Cazorla/ Ox/ Flamini are further up the field. He would be a good bargain considering our present predicament. And… Read more »
He is just 24?
Why the thumbs down? We have major issues with age cheating here in Africa. In South Africa, we have a player called Ivan Bukenya playing for Kaizer Chiefs. Just look at his face, and tell me if he’s 24.
Hey wena just cause Chiefs are cheating doesnt mean we all are.. up the bucs 🙂
Lol I ditched Chiefs at the end of last season. Amazulu is where it’s at!
Wow I had a look at that bukenya bloke. He looks at least 52.
Is he related to Costa?
He looks a bit old, not like a gargoyle.
Same guy that reportedly said “playing for Arsenal will help him get a move to a bigger club like Manchester United”. No thank you
I’d still prefer Yann M’Vila to be honest. I like him as a player, and I think he did rather well against us last Sunday.
Even if we were to go after him, we couldn’t really buy him cause he is on loan.
I honestly didn’t know that lol
Wanyama is looks rather chunky.
And I was pissed Pires was in Kenya and I didn’t get to see him. The fawning press just packed the place. Anyway, methinketh that Wanyama is not good enough for Arsenal. Conquelin is better and if we were ever to buy a midfielder, he ought to be better than our current options. And before anyone accuses me of idiocy, I’m a Kenyan and Wanyama is our national captain, so there is a possibility I know what I’m talking about
*Coquelin.
obvioulsy you don’t know shit.
You obviously must know much more than a lot of people. Dont blame the woes of the Kenyan team on him. He is a good player and do you think the scouts at Celtic, Southampton and now Wenger who said re rates him dont know what they are talking about? And stop hiding on the i am a Kenyan thing, we are many Kenyans here
good old fashion kenyan banter.
James is right, stop it with the Kenya thing.
We all come from somewhere…like I come from India. Petr Cech is from Chelsea. But today we are all Arsenal!
I fancy a Bender. He’s class and could play in the place of or alongside the coq. He’s cup-tied and quite expensive I assume but still….
Same and don’t forget the ridiculous situation that sees African players off every other year in January/February.
Kenya does not make the tourney often, by that I mean rarely, by that I mean almost no chance.
Wanyama is not good enough for us.
i agree
I prefer if we develop Isaac Haydon to be an understudy for Coq.
If surrounded by the talent in our team, I think Wanyama would perform in an outstanding way. Our team would lift almost any player. I also think Sissoko (sp?) from Newcastle would do a good job too. I love Flam for his attitude and love of Mesut, but I think both of these would actually have better positional sense a la Coq.
I like the idea of developing Isaac, and would add Beliek and Calum to the list. But we need some experienced DM talent for Jan to June 2016.
Some good points being made . I completely agree that it would be a wise move to have another DM like Wanyama play WITH Coquelin against the very best like Barca , Bayern etc .
I’d be in favour of Wanyama, on the understanding that he’d be a back-up for Coquelin. He’s certainly not a replacement!
There have been many players who have been ‘why not’. Mvilla Melo were prescribed as the antidote to all our midfield woes. Where are they playing now? Ettiene Capoue ( I must admit I was on his bandwagon). Cabaye was another who hasn’t quite reach the heights promised. Schneiderlin is another. Carvalho is the latest. Wanyama is good but it may not be the complete package Wenger needs. He is one dimensional in terms of role. I think Wenger may be more concern with what Santo brings us in terms of ball retention. We have Coquelin to provide the ball… Read more »
For no other reason than being a Kenyan. I’d love to see him at Arsenal. Just to get a taste of it. Make me go crazy.
Wanyama is a beast!
We had “The Beast” playing for us a few years ago. Turned out not very beastly at all.
I like the idea of him as a squad player but he’ll be in the African Cup of Nations. Seen as that’s the time we usually need rotation the most (along with November apparently), there must be better options?
Kenya last made it to the African Cup of Nations in 2004, and have no hope of making it in the near future. Their Football Federation’s management is shambolic
He kept Ozil quiet in our game at Southampton.