Arsene Wenger says the club are actively looking for a central defender after the news that Per Mertesacker is likely to be out of action for some time having suffered a knee injury.
The German picked up the problem in the friendly against Lens, and with Laurent Koscielny not back until next week, leaving just Gabriel and Calum Chambers as defenders who have played a first team game for the club, it looks like Wenger has made up his mind a signing needs to be made.
“We have to look for an option to get a bit more experience,” he said. “We will see some of our young centre backs on Thursday [against MLS All-Stars].
“With Per being out, we are a bit short on the experience front and we are looking to bring somebody in.”
Expanding on the problem suffered by the BFG, the Arsenal manager revealed that he’d already had an operation back in his home country, and it sounds as if he’s going to be out of action for even longer than the 5 months rumoured.
“We have bad news on Per Mertesacker,” he said. “He played in Lens on Friday night, he finished the game and had a little pain on his knee.
“We found out the next day that it was much more serious than expected. He had surgery yesterday in Germany. It all went well. I know you will ask me for how long he will be out.
“I don’t know that, it’s months, but I don’t know how long he will be out for.”
It’s a real shame for Mertesacker, it might spell the end of his Arsenal career, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. In the meantime Arsenal’s search for a central defender will continue, with links yesterday to Valencia’s German international Shkodran Mustafi.
Haha
I hope you trip, fall over and land in a mighty pile of horse shit today Dan. I wish you no injury because that’s bad form, but if you do get injured so be it.
Ps: your missus is cheating on you, you were right to question that.
Dan Smith?
You sir… are a tit!
You’re a disgrace to the good name “Daniel”! Can you change your name please? I here there’s a fast-track deed poll especially for wankers like you.
You guys don’t know why I was laughing, it’s coz actually Per if not for the injury was gonna be our last man again, and the only reason we’ll buy another defender is because of his injury.. Well Wenger bought Gabriel not so long ago,I’m like other Arsenal supporters wishing for a good signing.. crucify me again fam.
I genuinely don’t understand what this means
I think what he’s trying to say is that we should have been trying to replace Mertersacker anyway, and he hopes that who ever we bring in is better than Gabriel
I think he is trying to say: I am learning that art of expression through writing. Can I practice here please?
Or he is just a wanker.
Can’t think of another option
why is this comment thumbed down so much, I also laugh histericaly when people say we’re linked to this superstar or that striker. who are we kidding if there is one person on earth to not go out and find a capable replacement its Arsene Wenger. I can almost hear him saying “we have Gabriel, Koscielny too is near (full fitness) expect Chambers to be involved more this season as a centre back and dont forget Monreal can play there too, not to forget Holding and Bielik we have good numbers and options for that position”
Be interesting to see if Mert is still named club captain, keep up the recent tradition of non-playing captains
Still better than the previous tradition of our captains leaving the club.
Arteta?
Arteta’s gone…..he’s retired from Arsènal…
Mertersacker only has one year left on his deal, this was probably his last season if we identified a replacement
Knowing Wenger, Per will probably become captain and Koscienly vice captain, but I feel Cech should take the arm band. He’s a true leader that’s won everything and will probably play most games for Arsenal. And what better way to get rid of the Chelsea image some may still have of him and make him a true Gooner (not saying he isn’t already 100% committed to Arsenal).
Oh, FFS!
Get something done quick (a Monreal/Elneney type signing, pushed forward in the calendar), then get back to securing an attacking player of some kind. Please?
All that would be good… but personally I’m Holding out for a hero… he’s got to be strong, he’s got to be tough and he’s got to be ready for the Premier League.
He better be ready, because the way things are looking, he might start against Liverpool.
Thumbs up for the music!
The origin of those Mustafi links was a fraud on Twitter by the name of Emanuelle Giulianelli so I am not believing that one bit. I hope we are looking in the Bundesliga for centre backs though. There are a lot of potentially world class cbs in Germany out there who could instantly improve us and develop even further and wouldn’t cost a lot of money too. Some examples are Tah, Sule, Schar, Ginter, Papadopoulos etc
he’s said it himself hes looking for an experienced centre half. Apart from maybe Schar (who we were linked with earlier when he was at Basel) the rest of the list youve mentioned are kids on back of 1 or maybe 2 decent seasons.
We’re still reasonably well covered there with Gabriel and Chambers, Koscielny back fairly soon plus Holding as back up (until someone else gets injured, of course – these things never seem to happen to us in isolation). In general though, it’s so disappointing to hear Wenger talking about how long we have until the end of the transfer window when our target should be the start of the season. We’ll have played three matches by the end of August. We wouldn’t want to play the last three matches of the season with an incomplete squad, so why should we be… Read more »
I’m not personally sure I buy that we get is happy to be going into the season without deals done. He’s been busy this year in the market; we already signed Xhaka, Asano, and Holding, and it’s been confirmed that we have legitimately filed bids for Vardy and Lacazette. A transfer isn’t easy to complete and when Wenger says a lot of movement comes later on in the window I just think he’s being truthful rather than happy with the circumstances. We make do with what we can get
But, if there are players Wenger still has his eye on for that final week, I suspect he could catalyse some earlier movement by flashing a bit more cash now.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bid turned down for Higuain either. We know he’s a fan from his attempts to sign him a few seasons ago. Unfortunately Napoli were busy pursuading Juventus to part with enough money to fund a respectfully sized nation.
The captains armband comes complete with an arsenalesque injury magnet….
Atleast we don’t have to worry about the knee injury robbing the bfg of any pace.
Coygs
Or do we?
We were previously linked (with everyone) with javi martinez of bayern. He has never really settled there. There is talk of a return to the basque country. Javi is quality and more than capable of playing centre half for the next 5 or 6 years. We need AW to be bold. Bold costs money.
Arsenal isn’t in the Basque Country…
But Bould wouldn’t cost much money. Stevie, get stripped son, you’re up next.
Squillaci?
Perhaps this is the excuse Arsene needed to get a top class center back with pace to replace the bfg permanently
Apparently Wenger is also looking for an alternative to Lacazzette called Ben Yedder.
Of course that’s an average player at best and quite small, not the main striker we were waiting to compete with Giroud for a place. Maybe the new Chamakh?
We’re looking for someone to complement Giroud rather than replace him. We need someone with different qualities that could even partner him like Griezman did.
We have many of those with “different qualities”, Walcott, Ox, Campbell. The guy himself is not good enough for a title challenging club. We need a TOP replacement, or at least to give him competition.
I know I agree with you, all I was saying is id rather we signed a striker smaller and more mobile and agile than Giroud, than someone with the same qualities (considering they’re both top class).
He’s been the top scorer past 3/4 seasons in Ligue 1 after Ibra and Lacazette, the fuck are you on about?
No “World class” strikers will come to Arsenal mate
Roma are reportedly close to signing Vermaelen. I hope we go big and pay the asking price for Manolas, looks top class, very fast, very aggressive and dominant in the air.
We were heavily linked to him before he went to Roma so we know wenger is an admirer, let’s hope he gets that done, or even better, hijack Chelsea’s deal for Koulibaly!
Nah, Wenger won’t pay more than 10-12m for a CB and that guys costs way more am afraid….
I wonder if Wenger will try Debuchy at centre half. I seem to recall him playing there against Newcastle and performing well. Maybe a second chance.
lol
Mustafi will sort our CB scene for the net few years. Just that it shouldn’t make us stop going for a Mahrez or Icardi because if the money.
So actually now we need 2 CB since we needed one before Per got injured. If it’s 5 months and a couple of setbacks most of the season is over.
Michel Sylvestre still knocking about?
Injury to Key player. I see we’re already in mid season form
We would have needed a centre half anyways. This panic mode whenever we get an injury is ridiculous, are we really one injury away from crisis? We should either say we are set in a position and the injured player can be replaced, or say we are short and regardless of whether Mertesacker is injured, sign a player who can cover for him.
Hopefully Mertesacker has a fast recovery, it’s never good to see a player injured.
It’s pointless I tell you. As I said in another thread, whoever we sign will be injured the moment they step off the bus. At this rate by the end of August, we’ll have a back four of the kit man, Calum’s dad, Ken Friar’s statue and a stack of cardboard boxes. Our main striker will be one of those ramps from the local bowling alley (though Walcott will still be available)….
No room for Jenko’s dad? Sing us to victory
Can coq play cb? He got the physical attributes and seems to be able to play the ball out of tight situation as well. But he need to curb his rashness as well.
Here comes Fabian Schar
It really is amazing. The injuries, I mean. Almost defies belief. Almost.
I think Wenger might go for a different defender to the one originally planned – I.e going for a first choice defender with the view that mert will (when fit) be third choice, rather than a third choice defender with mert being first choice!!!
I would have announced ‘nah mates we’ll be fine.’ and then sneakily tapped up Varane.
Isn’t he injured too?
I hope this won’t be Holding us back to add more attacking options as we search for CB cover.
Why always us?
Is it going to be a blockbuster defensive signing, or a stopgap solution that will make way for BFGs return?
Call me cynical, but I’m pretty sure which it will be. (will be more than happy to eat my words though!)
I’m looking for my hat. If I don’t find it soon I’ll have to go out on the transfer market and see what the release clause for a fedora is. Maybe a trolley dash at the summer sales. We shall see.
Oh god please don’t be a Squillaci or Silvestre
do not worry pals – Monreal will do the job 🙂
I’m pretty sure he will buy some average defender from Spain where they suck at defending (bar Atletico).
What do you think of Dragovic?
As I’m Austrian too, I would highly recommend him, quite some experience for his age and available for 20 million Euros…
We’ll probably sign some sort of Silvestre type player so he doesn’t ‘kill’ our young talent’s chances. I hope not though, because that would kill our chances this season before it’s even started.
What about Nevan Subotic from DORTMUND. Big and experienced. One year cover for cheap. We figur out if Gabriel, Holding or Chambers has what it takes to be a starter.
Didn’t move to Middlesborough because an injury was discovered at the medical, needed surgery and will be out for a long time.
I love how Wenger treats the initial games while transfer window remains open as friendlies. Didn’t we lost the opening games two years in a row? I wonder why.
I fear that buying this defender thingy AS WELL AS a striker and even a wide man will be far too much for desperate little Arsenal. Sigh.
Tony Adams, is he free?
Am I the only one that thinks that Calum should not be used at all? He is very unreliable for the back. Maybe as a DM can become a good player some day but he is way too shaky for me as a CB or RB. I think we have better options, Kos and Gab or Kos with Holding/Bielik or with Debuchy and even Monreal. The season beginning will be very tough though without Kos if we don’t bring an experienced guy in.
I’ve heard Ryan Cresswell at Northampton might be available. Don’t think he will cost anything which will please Gazidis.