The transfer window will be upon us soon, and speculation about what Arsenal might do during the window is beginning to increase.
There’s talk of Theo Walcott going out, and this morning the Gunners are being linked with a move for Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi.
Steven Nzonzi has been left out of the Sevilla squad ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match and has travelled to London to discuss a transfer. #Arsenal and #Everton interested (L'Equipe)
— Matt Spiro (@mattspiro) December 5, 2017
The 28 year-old has had a serious falling out with coach Eduardo Berizzo and hasn’t played for the Spanish side since their 3-3 Champions League draw with Liverpool last month.
N’Zonzi, who has two caps for France, has Premier League experience with Blackburn and Stoke, and could be seen as a boost for an Arsenal midfield that hasn’t functioned quite as well as it should have in recent times.
It remains to be seen how keen Arsene Wenger is to add to his squad in January, particularly if it might impinge on a possible summer recruit.
We’ll give this one a 6 on the Poo-o-Meter for now.
Yay….. let’s sign an Ex Stoke player….. FFS
Dixon and Bould weren’t bad..
We’re too fragile and graceful; its about time we got some players who trained with the Orcs.
no, but then again they never played for Blackburn either
That’s just poor rationale… plus Shaqiri is better than Feo…
Every time I see him he’s good. Not sure where he sits on the Cunty Scale but surely not worse than Arnautovic.
@ Lingards\’ Milly Rock
May be dribbling and ball control but no where near at making runs and scoring, ditto Harry kane.. plus theo can run past him twice in a hundred meter..
Theo ain’t that bad just not suited to wengers system. I’ll always respect the guy who respects fans’ sentiment and shows loyalty to the club.
I think we’re already loaded with midfield options. I’d like us to look for wingers and attackers please!
Thumbed this up as I’m convinced there’s a thick dollop of unappreciated sarcasm here.
Great! I think so too.
He will definately be a big upgrade on the coq or elneny
And Xhaka..
Sorry no, am I missing something – why all this hate for Xhaka? I agree he can work on his concentration but he is technically superb. He is left woefully exposed in a two (one) man midfield every game and needs help, not replacing. It is no coincidence last game petered out after he came off.
His problem is that, while he is technically superb, he needs to work on his concentration.
I think technically superb is pushing it. Santi is technically superb. Wilshere is technically ‘nearly superb’. Xhaka is not on the technical level Arsenal need in midfield. Basically a player who can beat a man, play quickly between the lines and play one touch football. Xhaka is good. But not a fast enough Arsenal midfielder. Somehow Arteta played as our deepest lying midfielder because he retained the ball an awful lot. Arsene’s old adage for better or worse is basically to defend by keeping the ball a lot. Watching on, if it were up to me, I would sell him… Read more »
Today’s Xhaka is tomorrow’s Seri. They come, they impress, they hit a slump and suddenly they are enemy number one. No one is exempt from that. We have good players but we are failing to get the best out of them. That to me is the problem.
I do agree we don’t get the best out of Xhaka. But I think Seri is in the mould of the player we need. No point getting the best out of a player who doesn’t ultimately fit. Xhaka will never be able to play the kind of one touch football that was the best of Arsenal midfield play. Why not get the best out of a player who can do that and does fit a plan – that will in the end be more productive. No point buying Ibrahimovic – as good as he is – if what you really… Read more »
I wouldn’t say he’s technically superb, if anything I think his technique in general is quite limited except for his passing ability and range. That’s the one real attribute he brings to the team but right now, in a two man midfield partnership with Ramsey, we need more than that. Nzonzi is very good at shielding the defence but is also an underrated passer of the ball.
I Agree hes too 1 footed and he can’t handle the press.. even Eleney better at this
I have no hate for Xhaka. Just think N’Zonzi would be an upgrade. Granit is not good enough (right now) to be starting every week. Plain fact. Doesn’t mean I’ve given up on him. N’Zonzi would suit perfectly with Ramsey. Wanted us to sign hin even before he left the orcs.
Because he’s a bum
Xhaka is not a bad player, but he is not what we need. His strength is passing, but only when he has time and space. He cannot handle a press, and has given the ball away under pressure countless times this season. He’s a very poor tackler and tries to hide his weakness by lunging in time after time. He’s the opposite of what Arsenal need in midfield really: a quick passer of the ball who can recycle possession and beat the press, and a solid presence that will stop us from being dribbled past in midfield more than anyone… Read more »
Haha, hardly. He might help us get more out of Xhaka though.
Besides, more height at the centre won’t hurt.
Two seasons ago, Ngolo Kante is available… Wenger thought Fk that, Here’s 35mill for Xhaka…
Xhaka came to Arsenal and was flying, then after about 4-5 games, he seemed to lose it. Imagine being told NOT TO SHOOT?
ITS THE outdated TRAINING and Arsenal(AW’s)outdated philosophy, which is obviously not working today.
Arsenal are boring boring boring a.t.m with flashes of brilliance when the players decide to do their own thing and disregard AW.
AW is now ruining players instead of developing them. I fear strongly for Edward Nketiah (and the other youth players coming through) if he stays at Arsenal and AW is there, he will ruin him.
We need a ‘presence’ in midfield as Vieira likes to say. someone who can mix it. but surely wenger wont go and get nzonzi.
If ever there was comment of two halves.
I’ve honestly wanted us to sign him for years. Always seemed a better fit with more experience than Xhaka in my opinion. No Xhaka hate he’s just a player I’ve admired from afar and would have loved to see him develop under wenger.
I think Xhaka’s main issue is that he’s not really a defensive player. Not a huge tackler, not known for his positioning or ability to see danger. The only defensive stat where he massively out-performs Ramsey is clearances. At the same time he’s probably not mobile enough to play the Ramsey role either.
I think him and Ramsey would both benefit from playing in a 3 with a more defensive minded player behind but that causes tactical issues either side of the pitch (and would probably put Xhaka under even more pressure from Wilshere).
I think you’re on to something here, I suspect it would see N’Zonzi coming in to play with Xhaka and Ramsey. A much more secure midfield and it would allow Wenger to revert to his favoured formation over the years. We will certainly be back to 4 at the back by next season. It would have the added benefit of suddenly putting Bellerin in a more comfortable right back role and generally give us more defensive options at CB and LB. I don’t see Wenger throwing in the towel with Xhaka just yet and Wilshere will be a genuinely be… Read more »
Has Wenger ever signed a player who fell out with his coach and stormed out? Just asking.
Thinking there must have been drama with Bendtner before he came here.
Not that it happened so a moot point but Ibrahimovic, who Wenger showed interest in, has had a few severe fallings out with various managers and players. Not least Guardia who he threatened to beat up if he didn’t sell him.
I think Podolski!
Blogs why are my comments always moderated? Am I on the naughty list or something? I’ve never abused anyone here, only offer criticism of the current regime similar to many of fans particularly the match going ones.
I don’t know, it’s nothing personal!
Cheers man!
He scored a cracker against us in the Emirates Cup!
Bendtner? Good player, top entertainer and prime idiot. That’s why he’s TGSTEL!
“Loaded with midfield options..” Which is why teams skip through our midfield like children in a field. Big mobile defensive upgrade and not a bad passer of the ball. Could this be Sven’s hand showing already..
So true. It’s hard to notice at times whether we even have a central midfield when we don’t have the ball (no matter who from our current options plays). N’zonzi would be a very astute signing for us
Ozil out and a 3 man midfield of N’Zonzi, Xhaka and Ramsey playing the Ozil role. I’d be down with that.
OR a 3 man midfield with Ozil continuing to play his inside forward role
I recon the team would lack width..
Width is overrated if you’ve got brilliant mobile attackers comfortable switching positions.
4-3-3, in other words: Ramsey-Xhaka-another in midfield, Ozil-Laca-Alexis up top.
I wanted us to sign him when he left Stoke in the first place. He went for peanuts at a time when Arsene was moaning that the fans wanted him to spend big money for the sake of spending big. I remember being at a 0-0 at home to Blackburn (at a time when everyone and his dog was creaming their pants over Phil Jones), thinking he was their best player (although I think he might’ve got sent off in that game!). In a way, I’ll be a bit miffed if it does happen, purely because we should’ve done it… Read more »
We need better options in midfield, especially an imposing DM that would push Xhaka to the bench.
What’s Nzonzi actually like? Can’t say I remember anything specific from having seen him before in the PL. Is he actually good?
He works hard, breaks games, and keeps things moving. A mix of Ramsey and Matic, albeit 80% the quality of both.
I won’t claim to have watched every single game he’s ever been in, but…
Fifa 18 gave him an 83 rating which is decent.
He is actually good… very good. Would be happy to see this one get over the line.
Midfield Beeeasstttt! Get it done!
We don’t any more players. We have more than enough players to mount a title challenge.
*Intense sobbing*
Think he’d be perfect with Ramsey.
About 4 seasons too late but fuck it, get it done (or Carvalho, Gueye, etc)
He’s well over 6’ft and wanting away from his club… Wenger’s new type.
I’m really not enthused by this rumour… He’s been off his game this season & I’d rather Kondogbia if I was going for someone in this position.
I’d really rather see Maitland-Niles get a chance though, it would require some patience, but why not?
The Coq gives his all, but A M-N should be ahead of him by now.
As for Xhaka, there’s a player in there, but how many more ‘switches off’ can we allow? If we keep being patient with him why not a decent youngster instead?…
I have watched that third united goal again (I assume that is one of the switch offs you’re referring to… the other being Watford?). I think xhaka does 90% of the job right. He tracks back. He is actually in the position he should be in to intercept. Then Koscielny goes ham and gets done by pogba and suddenly that pass is hit at an angle he wasn’t expecting to have to cover (he backed Kos to win that duel as he we all did). Now, you could argue that final 10% of the job isn’t something you can teach,… Read more »
yep. pretty much. (and a front three of Alexis, Laca, and Ozil would have enough width, as they all take turns getting wide.)
The guys actually a proper defensive mid. Aside from coquelin who I still have a soft spot for, he’s about the only midfield enforcer we have.
Would of liked to see him join after Blackburn. Always thought he was decent. Not to mention his belter of a goal vs Everton (definitely had to Google it, I watched the game live but who the fuck remembers Blackburn vs Everton)
And so it begins…
I am 100% sure he can defend better than Xhaka.
Would be nice if wenger got him and then actually started to change the midfield shape/players depending on the opposition, rather than only make changes due to injuries or when chasing a game. Those past 3 games in a week, but stick to the same players happens to often.
would just love to see Walcott go, but I hope we sign another second rate midfielder
hope we DONT sign another second rate midfielder
fingers crossed
Cech
Bellero. Koz. Mon. Kolassy.
Nzonzi
Rambo. Xhaka
Ozil. Laca. Sanch
Upgrade to mustafi in games where we dont need 3cbs without loss of aerial presence. Free up ramsey and take pressure off xhaka.
Better than coq and elneny.
He is in London to see his son, not to negotiate a transfer.
I don’t know anything about him but this story has still MADE ME SOOOOO ANGRY SACK THE BOARD
I’d love this one to happen. Will Arsene buy a player who actually does have “cojones”? DOUBT IT…
Not remotely excited about this.