Various reports say that Arsenal have targeted Valencia centre-half Shkodran Mustafi as their need for a central defender intensified in the wake of Per Mertesacker’s injury.
The BFG damaged his knee in the friendly against Lens last week and is expected to be out until well into the new year, and Arsene Wenger has already admitted that they need to add an experienced defender to the squad.
His name first surfaced yesterday and a story on Plaza Deportiva – which appears to be a Valencia based web portal – says that Arsenal have been in touch with the La Liga side about the German international who joined them from Sampdoria two years ago. The player is apparently keen to make the move.
Valencia have been a bit strapped for cash in recent times, and another Spanish based journalist Tweeted this a little while ago:
Just announced on @DepCOPEValencia, Mustafi has been made available for €25m by Valencia.
— David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) July 27, 2016
Whether that’s Valencia trying to start some kind of public auction we’ll have to just wait and see. Mustafi does have some experience of England, having spent time with Everton between 2009-12, but he was young and didn’t start a Premier League game for them in that time.
Since then he’s gone on to represent Germany 12 times, and at 24 he does fit the bill in terms of the player profile we’re looking for. Wenger could also get some scouting updates from Mesut Ozil and ex-Gunner Lukas Podolski if he really needed them.
As ever though, it’s hard to know how much truth there is in it, so we’re going with a fairly neutral 5 on the Poo-o-Meter until we get a bit more info. Feel free to rate yourselves.
Note: The new Poo-o-Meter will crash the iPhone app so please use Safari until we can get that fixed.
Him. Mahrez. Lacazette or Morata.
Well said, that will keep us happy and give us no reason to complain. COYG
Let’s be honest. If we purchase 2 of those 3, and no CB, then some of us fans would definitely complain before the year is over. Some of us will complain all the way until we win the title, and then i wouldn’t doubt we’ll start complaining that winning the title just means we begin another 10+ year wait for the next title.
Some of us will always complain 😉
It’s a hobby of mine
I like complaining. And turtles.
And for God’s sake get on with it.
We have to be careful with our transfers
“We can’t afford to outgun competitors that have far more money”
Given our injury record, I’m hard pressed to trust Cartlidge on anything.
Get it done Dicky
Apparently Wenger is going to stick his Coq and Shkrotum in the center.
He’s good on Football Manager. That’s good enough for me.
And FIFA 16 Career mode!
Spend some fucking money.
What you at Wenga? Story has been on Arseblog news now for almost 2 hours. You must immediately sign that player I’ve never heard of before or you are a waste of space.
The new Poo-o-meter is the most incredible invention since the wheel.
Too man-pretty to be a centerback.
We need an ugly brute with violent tendencies.
COME BACK TO US BENDTNER
Christopher Samba anyone?
🙂
Be Dench or get Frimpong’ed.
Gabriel has all the pretty boy looks we need at the back.
Gabriel?
What’s your beef? You’ve got Gabriel. Needs only more confidence on the ball.
Obviously we mustafim.
Then our defensive Shkodran will be complete.
I gave it a three. I’ll take a German international anyday
So did I. I think this is sensible business and considering their circumstances, I think Dick Law can close the deal within a reasonable fee.
We must have Mustafi.
This would be a good signing. In case Wenger gets him I really hope it won’t be the last one this summer..
TTA-FG? (taller than average)
Do it and do it quickly, theres no time to waste
Still think Aleksandar Dragovic would be a good signing too. But sure, Mustafi is great and his price, if that is true, is not that much higher…
I’m afraid that an extra spending of 20-25M will not have a positive effect on our pursuing of those so called of World-class attackers…
Dont get me wrong hes a good CB but I dont know what Wengers obsession is with going for relatively small CB’s, hes admitted we have problems dealing with areal threats, just get in some enormous brute who can deal with balls in the air then have the other CB as someone who’s better technically
Site banjaxed again – love it, so exciting! That’s “transfer hungry” isn’t it? Keep rowing Bloggs!! 🙂
Hurry up Arsene…cant let the kids to go against Liverpool and Leicester…
Mustafi and Lacazette please. I love watching them both play so put them in proper footballing colours.
“Super, super Shkodran super, super Shkodran”….doesn’t work does it…:-(
Anyone noticed the difference between the statements of Arsene Wenger and The Club Re spending power. There is a battle going on behind the scenes with AW on the side of spending. Be interesting to see who wins.
Hey, it’s Sami Zayn!
Woooahhh-oooohhhhh-aaaaoooooh-ooooo.
Can you make the poo symbols a bit bigger for those of us who have fat fingers? I meant to give this 8 poos but ended up giving it 9.
Can’t we just outbid Chelsea for Koulibaly??? In a dream world huh?
He’s good (if not absolutely spectacular) and the price is reasonable in this crazy day and age. Wish he was a couple inches taller – but honestly, I think that’s less important than it used to be. Forwards are a lot shorter than they used to be, particularly top team forwards. And if you use zonal marking your cbs aren’t going to beat an attacker in the air anyway in a straight-up contest due to the running start the attacker gets, it’s more about attacking the ball well to stop the attacker from getting there in the first place, or… Read more »
These are important matters. How about adding a flushing sound to the poop button?
If we’re going German again Benni Höwedes would be an even better option in a perfect world, but prising the older Schake captain away probably far too expensive and unrealistic at this stage…
That’s what I thought. And considering Wenger was in for him a few seasons ago I’m surprised Howedes isn’t being linked.
Agreed. He can provide coverage as a full back too.
He had a very good game in the Euros when I think Hummels had to miss a game and was unlucky to be left out in the next game I thought.
I live a stone’s throw from the Mestalla and have watched him consistently for the past two years. He was really underrated in a great partnership with Otamendi in his first year and last year he had the almost impossible task of carrying Abdennour and Santos in a season of chaos. I really like him and think he’d partner Kos really well. He needs a settled side and I think we’d be a really good fit for him.
Can someone enlighten us a bit on his playing style? When I’ve seen him play it seems he often clears the ball rather than pæaying it out. I’ve come to like Koulibaly quite a bit as he is both tall, fast and also capable of carrying the ball forward. At reported €38m he however looks a bit too pricey for what we would normally pay, so Mustafi rumours carry more weight. Have anyone seem them both enough to compare them better than I did here?
He’s a little bit more no nonsense than Koscielny, but that’s only because he was playing with a team suffering a big lack of confidence. When he was alongside Otamendi they finished 4th and he was the calmer defender while Otamendi was catching the eye with the big tackles and goals.
I don’t know Koulibaly though so I couldn’t compare the two of them.
Napoli just sold Higuain, I find it hard to believe they’d also sell their best defender for anything less than absolutely silly money, i.e. 50 million or more. The fans would absolutely revolt.
Yeah, that seems like a reasonable argument. Maybe the rumours are more about that contract he isn’t quite satisfied with.
I pooped!
Mustafi is from my home town, he just got married few days ago at my Home town, I wil try to ask some frineds if the rumors are true and if Arsenal is trying to sign him and will get back with exclusive news. He is still here on vacation.
Shoe him how to use the poo-meter.
We’ll take him and if there’s enough left Mahrez before a striker. We have 15-20 goals from Giroud, mahrez will bring 10-15, sanchez after his rest can bring another 15-20. I’d love to see sanchez, ozil and mahrez supply Giroud
While I agree we could do with a bit more experience at the back isn’t it time for Chambers for have a run at centre back?
Unless Arsene doesn’t think he’s going to make it I see no point in loaning him with Per out, let’s see what he can do, otherwise what’s the point in having him?
Besides the fact that he is short, he has all the other qualities of a good defender and he’s still young with much room for progress.
Just seen on Eurosport (France) that Coquelin has been playing CB on tour, and apparently been, absolutely “bossing it”…..just saying.
People are looking too much into it.
Coq is playing as a CB on the tour because we only have 3 CBs. He’s partnering Beliek as 4 CBs are needed for training.
As for CBs? I heard from an insider that we are looking st Ashley Williams. Probably bollocks but fits the bill.
Holding Mustafi??!
Our defence will be impregnable!!
Our transfer policy need to be a bit more flexible. For players of potential or who will improve on what we have already we can be patient and hunt for bargains. When it comes to positions we NEED like CB or striker we have to be decisive. Find the player we like and buy him (or her… no definitely a him) even if we pay more then we would like to. I do the same when I go grocery shopping, I don’t care how much M&M’s cost I am going to buy those delicious candy coated chocolate drops of happiness….… Read more »
IF available, which they could be, my priority CB list would look like this, anything else is not really interesting for AFC in my view:
1) Koulibaly
2) Varane
3) Javi Martinez
4) Marquinhos
5) Garay
6) Höwedes
7) Laporte
8) Dragovic
9) Murillo
10) Iñigo Martinez
11) Rakitsky
Mustafi? hmm :/
Is it just me being an old fart…….? How are so many of you so immediately familiar with his height, especially as the main thing to comment on? Is it a life spent watching players through the prism of Football Manager & FIFA12/13/14/15/16 etc.?? Do you look at the way he plays and judge him, or do you look him up on FIFA or Wiki, then make a decision? Just interested. For the purposes of balance, I’ve done neither, I’ve never heard of the fucker. But a 24 year old German defender with a bunch of caps as a replacement… Read more »
Wenger says he is looking for experience at CB, right? Most likely scenario, we get another useless signing like Squillaci
Football manager 14/15/16 sir rich but yeah we also like the fucker
He is a good player and there is every possibility we can utilise him. All depends on pricing. Should be under 20m IMO for Wenger to bite, preferably 15m.
Bielik looks the part in the few snippets I’ve seen of him – and he a big bugger and Arsene has been nudging towards centre back rather than defensive midfield. Yes, he’s young but as the saying goes: if you’re good enough… you’re old enough.
Mustafi, Ben Yedder and Mahrez wouldn’t break the bank
Can Ben Yedder play as a lone centre forward??? Lacazette can and has (at 5′ 9″) but my guess is that Ben Yedder (at a mere 5′ 7”) can’t, or at least not consistently in the Premier League (I admit I’ve not watched him play except on youtube). If I’m right, then people suggesting he offers a bargain alternative are barking up the wrong tree; this seems to go hand in hand with the tired suggestion that we should switch to a formation in which Giroud plays next to a shorter/faster guy. This makes marginal sense if that lil guy… Read more »
Debuted for Germany in 2014, so looks like he kinda replaced Per there too?
Anyway, I want him. Only defenders better than German defenders must be Italian defenders.
..Defenders
My worry is Mustafi’s another CB on the small side. Would prefer Howedes, but I reckon he’d be too expensive. For a short term, experienced solution, what about Jose Fonte? Likely to be too expensive as well?