Arsenal have been linked with a number of left-backs recently, and last week the name of Ricardo Rodriguez came to the fore.
The 23 year old Swiss international currently plays for Wolfsburg, and Arseblog News is aware that there’s definite contact between the player and the club – although to what level we’re not sure.
In today’s edition of Tagesanzeiger, a Swiss newspaper, Rodriguez talks about his future and says that remaining at Wolfsburg next season is ‘not impossible but unrealistic.”
Then there’s a question about his international colleague and room mate, Granit Xhaka, who signed for the Gunners last month.
Q: You share a room with Granit Xhaka in the national team. Is it a possibility to play at the same club in the near future?
A: (smirks) That would be exciting, yes, especially because the room arrangement at Arsenal would be fixed as well.
He says he’s focusing on the European Championships, and isn’t stresseed out about the potential destinations he’s linked to – which also include Real Madrid, Dortmund and Liverpool.
Is that because he knows he’s already signing for Arsenal? Or is he just a really chilled out guy? We’ll find out in due course.
Poo-o-Meter solidifying on this one now.
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Thanks to Florian for the heads-up and translation.
I’ve always thought highly of R.
Two from Wolsburg ? Is TGSTEL Arsenal scout ?
Granit is from Borussia Monchengladbach
And if they were both from Wolfsburg, you could be sure they didn’t go to Arsenal because TGSTEL said “you should play for Arsenal”. It’d be because they both thought “Arsenal is the only place I can get away from this clown Bendtner because Arsenal will never have him back.”
TGSTEL – He impregnates taxi’s when he wants!
Bring him in.
Not a big fan of pony tails on men but each to his own.
However it is lucky for him that Tony Adams isn’t still captain as I’m sure he would have got some ribbing for it from that squad.
‘Man buns’ I gather they are called. Still not good, though happy to hear anyone’s views on why they are attractive.
Manu Petit survived Big Tone’s ribbing on that issue. Should be OK.
And David Seaman’s.
Ahh, those were the simpler time.
Big Dave Seaman says hello:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41000000/jpg/_41000934_ponyseamancut2300.jpg
Wait…so they’d be bunking together at arsenal? This is Flamzil levels of Bromance…
Flamzil need competition. Competition in the squad is never a bad thing and we’ve often lacked it in the past. Kudos to Wenger for this signing, Xhakdriguez will hopefully bring the best out of Flamzil and failing that, they’ll give us another option in the bromance department. Fantastic signing.
Would help Xhaka settle as well.
If we are in the business of buying our players’ friends, maybe we should buy a new best friend for Mesut?
Is he close with Thomas Muller?
Good question. With our luck he’s attached to Mario Gomez. Ugh!
Any idea how close he is with Muller? That’d sort our striker issues right out.
Well, the Khedira love didn’t last.
i always hoped ospina would help us land james rodriguez
I think James is a nice player, but not worth the money it would take to get him.
His best friends that I have heard of are Khedira, Boateng, Podolski, Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Gnabry, Flamini.
Great name, by the way. Go IU!
Bring him in to keep Monreal on his toes
We need cover in the position with Gibbs likely to leave this summer. Also, this guy is seven year’s younger than Monreal, so could be a great short-term understudy/long-term solution at LB.
He’s also Spanish speaking (Spanish father, Chilean mother) which somehow I think might help…
New best bud for Alexis? Joel Campbell is probably leaving anyway
His Wikipedia description has excited me, he may have wrote it himself mind. To be honest I know nothing about him, but according to that he’s decent at set pieces & is Wolfsburg’s penalty taker. I don’t know why, but I love penalty taking full backs, could he follow in the finely trodden path of Dixon & Lauren?
His ‘World of Football’ YouTube review says: no specific weaknesses. Sounds good to me
He’s a bit slow, that’s the only real thing I can think of. Not Per Mertesacker slow, mind you.
He’s really tall for a fullback though so I think it just takes him a few extra yards to accelerate. We have bellerin for that on the other wing anyway and we could definitely do with fullbacks that can put a decent cross in for Giroud’s noggin
We need a penalty-taker. Santi has a good record on paper, but in reality he’s gotten lucky a number of times. For that reason alone I’d welcome Rodriguez, though it sounds like he’s got lots more to offer too.
Yes we really need a penalty taker for all 2 of the ones we got last year. Definite need there. 😛
Haha I know it doesn’t happen often with us, but I don’t have complete confidence in anyone in our squad to take one at the moment.
Scorer of that gorgeous penalty against Madrid?? YES please!
All I know is he’s awesome on FIFA16, particularly at free kicks
Good enough for me. Sign him up!
whilst a CB (Koulibaly) and a target man are our priorities I’m afraid we are not going to pay big money for 4 players in one window. any top player is welcome though and he is one.
You have to think that we will sell Kieran Gibbs if Rodriguez arrives, and he’ll go on a premium. He’s English, he’s a good age, he has Champions League experience and he still has a couple of years to run on his contract. We might even get more for him than we pay for Rodriguez.
we might get 10 million max…
sorry man, but the reason Arsenal don’t get as much for selling their English talent is because usually when they are sold its because they haven’t cut the mustard and don’t play dropping their value
10m is okay considering that we can get Rodriguez for 19m due to his release clause. 9m for one of the best LBs is a bargain, especially since there aren’t many top talents in fullback positions.
no he’s not a prospect anymore. given his age hes supposed to be at his peak. so I dont think hes worth that much to any team even in England.
In a world where Luke Shaw is worth north of £30m, I’d be disappointed if we didn’t get at the very least £15m for Gibbs.
again Shaw was 18. my point I dont think a 28 year old Shaw still struggling with injuries and playing 10 matches a season would cost even half that much.
I’d be a bit sad to see Gibbs go. I’ve always liked him, and that glorious sliding tackle on the final day a fre seasons ago was pure class…
*a FEW seasons ago.
Damn you, Swedish autocorrect!
As a norwegian, I do wonder what “fre” means in swedish?
tenkte akkurat det samme selv!
“Fre” is short for fredag, Friday…
That’s text speak. Have you not read the rules?
My phone obviously has not…
and that clearance off the line v Hull in 2014 FA Cup final to stop us going 0-3 down. Quality … hate to see him go.
And the equalizer against Spurs this season
Rodriguez would be a dream signing, and it would definitely spell the end for Gibbs’ Arsenal career.
Unless it’s Monreal that is leaving, mind you. There have been occasional suggestions that his family wants him to go back to Spain.
Of course, they could both leave I guess, Monreal to go back to Spain and Gibbs if we buy another 1st choice LB and he’s still going to be backup.
I think if ever there’s an opportunity to up grade in any position you have to take it, and this appears to be the case with this guy.
Monreal is a very good player but he doesn’t offer us another 7 or 8 years whilst this guy does, get it done i say.
If he is a good player let him come all we need next season is to collect trophies
I’ll praise the Lord if we get him.
Because I’m sure he must have put in a good word for us last season when they were teammates.
With Monreal now 30 years old, do you think it might be him that goes and not Gibbs if we did sign him?
Interesting call.
Could Gibbs be going back to his roots and be converted into a Left Mid. He’d be pretty good at tracking back and knows how to get forward.
I’m bracing myself for thumbs downs for this. Don’t think it’s the most insane idea.
Assuming Campbell is (unfairly and unfortunately, in my opinion) being shipped out, I’d much, much rather have gibbs playing left mid/ wing than Walcott..
why does Arsene not like Campbell?
Only person who knows that answer is Arsene 🙁
There were a few occasions where Gibbs played Left Mid last season so it definitely isn’t insane
Big thumbs up from me.
Play-wise it’s not the worst idea, but he’d have to up the end product a bit. But He’s scored a few great ones for us and helped close out matches up there on several occasions, so maybe it’s possible. If we do play Alexis more on the right, without Welbeck we’re well short of options on the left wing. Unless we play Santi out there, which we did early in his time with us. I’m making an assumption here, but It seems it’s all down to if Kieran is happy with what’s on offer and given how good of a… Read more »
Two more and we’ll be down to one poo o meter rating
I like this trend
That is a Michael Owen level stating of the obvious.
So that’s our new striker sorted then?
RvP was occasionally a left back when he played in Holland. Just saying.
Wenger continues to fail to address priority positions. Where’s our new striker?
Jesus christ what makes you think its not a priority?
Logic dictates you try and get the ‘easy’ transfers out the way lest they be snapped up then focus on the hard ones.
I do hope we get a striker though
A little early for that comment, no? Are you saying that AW should have signed a “world class striker” last week? Two, if he were really serious about winning the EPL? Are you implying that its easy to pry a Lewandowski, Benzema, Higuaín, Dybala, Suarez, Messi, or Neymar loose? I know and you know that World Class strikers grow on trees, none of their clubs have any interest in retaining them, and we are the only big club looking for a unicorn. Shame AW hasn’t figured that out.
Wenger should have signed a better striker two seasons ago, so I don’t think it’s a little early at all.
You know the transfer window ends September 1st, right?
Lol if the past is any indication we won’t be getting a new striker. We needed a world class striker ever since RVP left. What makes you think Wenger is going to address it this year?
Because it’s been all over the pages of Give Me Sport and Goal.com.
Now I get it. You control time. Since you can move backwards in time maybe you can move AW and Dick Law back two seasons and have them bid 10 million on Suarez and offer some indoor grown THC to Liverpool as well.
Get a grip with your gripes. Let go of the past for your own tortured sake. Hmm. Your name suggests that you don’t do that well, doesn’t it.
Knowing how things go at Arsenal, Giroud will have a great EURO and say Wenger does not have to buy which Wenger always likes to hear.
Vardy for 20million
I.d very happily.take him, good passer, good tackler…can.cross the ball!! Oh yeah and great at a set piece. Top top.quality in short
Personally I’d still give it four poos. Solid ones though, admittedly.
Bloody hell!!! i was in denial before, but Granit really does look like Ronaldo, not sure if that’s a good or bad thing :-0
Minus the grease, and the neck of death!
Hopefully he doesn’t look like an advert for anabolic steroids when he takes his shirt off too.
I, too, am starting to realize that Granit is a very beautiful man indeed. HSB.
If we sign this guy, then expect wenger ball to be at full flow. Him and Hector would bomb down the flanks while Xhaka drops back and acts as a third cb. Not only that, he is a great passer so our build up play from the back will be much better and quicker. My only worry is if wenger signs him and decides not to go for a cb and make Monreal 4th choice cb. That would be horrible. But if can get him, a cb and a striker, it would be great. Oh and with him, Giroud will… Read more »
Trez – I like your thoughts on the potential Rodriguez signing, as I was scratching my head a bit, thinking starting LB was a solid position for the next year or two with Nacho. Your theory makes a ton of sense, as Xhaka both will create more chances and make normal chances more probable goal scoring opportunities as he finds Ozil more frequently and with better passes that give Ozil more time and space. The move for Rodriguez makes more sense to me if it means Nacho moves to CB. I do think he can serve well enough in this… Read more »
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and hurt you
You’ve just been RicRod’d
… I’ll get my coat.
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Signing RR and selling Gibbs might also suggest that Monreal is featuring in the manager’s CB plans. He’s performed admirably in that role in the past, declining pace isn’t as detrimental at CB as it is on the wing, it’s obviously a move Wenger likes (see Sagna), and it’s arguably less risky to cohesion/chemistry than buying a CB from abroad. I think I’d support that move this summer and if it doesn’t work well enough in the year ahead then get more serious about another CB purchase next summer. For now, save as much of the transfer budget as possible… Read more »
Bromance doesn’t even begin to describe it. Seems Granit has given up his beloved tattooed 34 shirt so Rodriguez can wear it (wears the 34 too!)
Seems also up for a long raking left foot pass like Xhaka and who doesn’t love those… Rodriguez and Bellerin up the wings is very tasty
Oooohhh….that’s a most intriguing explanation for why Granit didn’t take 34…because honestly I’ve been scratching my head wondering why he didn’t take that number when it was available.
Coquelin wears number 34. Xhaka didn’t have the option of taking that number.
Wasn’t he pictured recently wearing 27?
If we have a chance, we should definitely go for him. One of the best LBs in the world. Since we will sell Gibbs, it doesn’t put our striker and CB needs in jeopardy.
Selling Gibbs is pure speculation, not fact.
Well, am I the only one who thinks IF we get Rodriguez, he’d become our 1st choice LB with Gibbs as his backup and Monreal moving to CB? Monreal was really solid whenever he played there.
Will be sad to see Gibbs go, really like him, but rod adds a dimension to the attack that has been lacking, great crosses from the wings. Our fullbacks rarely cross the ball and usually give opposition defenders time to maintain shape.
Giroud would score a lot more if only we had that, not saying I won’t mind an upgrade there
Dortmund just bought a left back and Liverpool are…well not in any sort of European competition, so they should both be out. And Marcelo is just 28 years old so it would be stupid of Rodriquez to go to Madrid.
Granted Monreal is 30+ and Gibbs is injury prone, do not see the need for another Lback. Simply not priority at the moment. We do need a future Lback, Rodriquez at 23yrs doesn’t fit the bill. With regards Campbell, who was the one who played Campbell in the first place. Certainly the fans (you lot) were saying Campbell would never be good enough for Arsenal.;) The flanks have plenty of competition. Why Wenger would persist with Walcott is a better question. Campbell is in frame to compete. Alexis is guaranteed one flank and I think Iwobi has been excellent which… Read more »
I am actually content with things remaining as they are at the LB position. I am more interested in the other full back position. Will we get Jenko back. Word is that Chambers may go on loan. I’m guessing we will try to get rid of debuchy.
Gibbs is at the stage of his career when he must move on and good enough to be first choice left back for many PL clubs. Monreal has had a good season so would not be surprised if went for a younger left back and cheaper player than Rodriguez. Quality centre back and quality striker is where the funds should be invested and hopefully a decent winger too as we have too many unnatural wide players that even Girroud ends up playing down the flanks many times. Hopefully we will learn from last season and stop trying to place square… Read more »