Sunday, November 3, 2024

Ever Banega linked as Unai Emery looks to bolster midfield

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Sevilla’s Ever Banega as new boss Unai Emery looks to rebuild his squad ahead of the new season.

The departure of Jack Wilshere has left a whole in terms of numbers, and even with the rumoured arrival of Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria, the Gunners need plenty of depth to compete in the Premier League, the Europa League, and the cup competitions next season.

The 29 year old has worked with the Spaniard twice before, at Valencia and Sevilla, and is player the new Arsenal head coach knows very well.

He’s currently at the World Cup with Argentina, but his experience could be a real asset to the squad for the upcoming campaign. It would also provide Emery with a dressing room ally, something many new managers like to have when they come to a new club.

Banega was a solid performer for Sevilla last season, 50 appearances in all competitions so his reliability and durability would also be assets to a squad that has, in the past at least, suffered from injury absences.

We’ll give this one a tentative 4 on the Poo-o-Meter whose appearances have been sporadic so far this off-season.

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Mentalist

A good player if I Ever saw one.

myrtle

Wilshere > Banega
All day

Red-Sky

Wilshere is overrated. talented? sure. but never met the expectations.
now y’all down-vote this all you like 😉

mynk

Do you want to see a post down-voted to hell? This is it! This is not my intention however it is what I feel after years of watching Arsenal play. Ramsey has a great engine but lately doesn’t do enough either defensively or offensively to make enough of a difference which is required at a club like Arsenal. He does score the odd goal but mostly its when we’re cruising already (except the one remarkable season) Do any of you believe that any of the great clubs will go for Ramsey should he become available? Wilshere still had the unique… Read more »

Aaron

If fat Frank could run all day and score goals well into his 30s, I wouldn’t bet against our Welsh Jesus!

Rambo is no world-class but he’s been with us for almost 10 years and does a job when asked to. (I remember him playing as a temporary right wing back too in the Arsene days). I wouldn’t trade him for anyone.
As for Cesc, well, he couldn’t carry the team on his own either. We faltered and he eventually left. So let’s leave it at that.

Goonerink

Different players.
Now we have no santi or jack our midfield has no jinky close controllers. I thought torreria was coming in as emery’s banega at sevilla

Prof Wenger to Emerytus

Emery has to let El Neny go then. Not that I wish this but with AMN and Nelson who deserve to play and are future of the club, I do not see any other solution.

Rhaatid

Nelson is an attacking player/winger. What does that have to do with Elneny who is a central midfielder who is vastly more experienced and dictate a game.

clins

i love wilshere but if we are comparing him with banega then banega wins all day. he’s a proper midfielder , talented combatitive and creative with an incredible fighting mentality . when we are comparing wilshere with banega we are comparing a talented player with potential with a kind of player whos been there and done that , kind of like the players we want to buy this summer. this in every way is a good transfer. he can play at centre mid or further forward.

SB Still

Arsenal this season have a much longer shopping list than we have been used too.

Instead of a last min trolley dash, it looks like we are planning a grand party.

As it’s a new team, on and off the field, I’m both apprehensive and excited for the season(s) ahead.

trivial

poo-o-meter deserves more game time this off-season

Dr Zebra

He’s been making a splash

gooner1981

If we can get an Argentina international for relatively less money, along with Torreira, it would be a decent addition. We talk about needing to be tougher, and this guy add to that. I hope to hear some promising news about Ramsey though.

Frank Bascombe

In that he’s leaving? Yes, please God.

David C

you want our best player from last year to leave?

Red-Sky

Monreal is going no where.

Gooneron

Like a new Poo-Meter

Winger's Coq

Wow
If we bring in him and Torreira, it’ll be a real boost of our midfield

Red-Sky

By now I think we’re way past the bs 50m budget reported before.
Also this is ominous of further departures, as Banega could play in central midfield (Ramsey).

Ozilate

They are spreading payments over multiple years to avoid blowing the budget. This has beenmentioned this with Torriera deal.

Assshavin

From what ive seen of him, he’s a decent player. But wouldnt it be better if we went after a younger player we could develop? It seems we have enough experience in our squad at the moment. Also really doubt he has the necessary leadership qualities to make his experience count. Personally would rather have we went for someone like Golovin, seems like he could be world class if developed properly.

Fenners

Lucas Torreira ring any bells?

John

We have AMN and Lucas, if he comes who are not even 25, sure we can develop them further. And Granite too is 25 right now. Experience too can be used.

Gooner Sam

Good to see the poohs are back!

Arse City Blues

There was a young man named Ever, who’s heard of him? Some will say ‘never’, with Jack out the door, the midfield needs more, now let’s go for it hell for leather.

baz00r

ummm. terrible.

Arse City Blues

Yep it was a pretty poor one. I go for the scattergun approach, every now and then, it hits.

baz00r

Ah I see the ol quantity over quality approach, I can respect that. Kudos to you good sir.

BringBackSeaman

According the laws of relativity, that was so Bad, it became good again. Have a thump up sir.

Matt

I don’t speak Spanish, so relied on the Twitter translation, which seems to say that Emery “prefers” Banega. Blogs: Is this a misleading translation (i.e. Emery *likes* Banega), or is it suggesting he wants to veto the Torreira signing and sign Banega instead?

Exiledgooner

My Spanish is pretty solid for an Englishman, and I would translate that as ‘prefers’. The plot thickens…

Igbo Amadi-Obi

A 30-year old that has played in Sevilla and Valencia doesn’t sound attractive to me. If he were good enough, he would be elsewhere at this age.

ArcticMarty

He’s at a world cup with his national team, More than can be said for Jack (who i am sad to see go)

dex

I think Carzola Was in malaga also….

Martin

Cazorla

John

Arteta too was in Everton if I am not wrong.

gooner

He can still be the first man to step on mars by age 40.

Give it time pal.

BringBackSeaman

Santi Cazorla came from clubs of equivalent stature

Exiledgooner

I’ve lived in Valencia and Seville recently for work, and watched the football regularly in both cities. Respectfully, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Both teams play attractive and fast football, and there are players there who would do well for Arsenal.

Bob Le Dreamy

Kike Martin’s tweet would suggest that Emery sees it as an either/or with torreira and banega:

“despues de tener practictamente cerrado el fichaje…” having ALMOST finalised the deal
“prefiere al banega…” he prefers banega

Other than hoping to see us sign both (I really do), has anyone heard that we actually will?

Mesut's Ozil

He went on to clarify that Emery wants BOTH players

TheWengerZip

Rarely have I seen a midfield that leaves their defence as exposed as Argentina. That’s a lie. I watch Arsenal every week. This would be a silly signing.

renaissancerosicky

Oh look, we’re getting ourselves an actual midfield. How nice.

And yes, this is quite an un-Arsenal window we’re having 🙂 Nostalgia for wenger will certainly not stop me from enjoying this while it lasts!

InTheNorthBank

Would rather have kept Wilshere, to be honest.

Roof attack

I’m not sure Jack will be able to handle emerys midfield philosophy for a whole season. I think that’s why emery hasn’t fought tooth and nail to keep him. Would have been a handy squad player but at this stage in his career he wants to play week in and week out.

gooner

So let’s get this cleared. You’d wish Emery not to get who he wants but who you rate then judge him by the results he gets?

New manager, new team, new era. Players will come in, players will go. Some you might like some you might hate but they are part of why we are where we are now. It wasn’t just Arsene.

InTheNorthBank

Nice straw man. I’m not saying Emery is wrong to manage the team as he sees fit. I’m giving my personal opinion on a marginal preference, which is a fairly common practice on a football blog. Glad we got that cleared!

gooner

It is. Thumbs up to that.

Aman

So does this mean no Torreira instead we get this guys?? or is it addition.

afan

I can under stand signing one or two older players for experience, but not half the team, and we have enough midfielders, if we sign lucas we will have eight, not counting the youngsters, I just don’t get signing all these old players, im very concerned

gooner

The Wenger era is done. The new man doesn’t have time to build a team for the future. I am sure if he bought kids and we are 6th in October you’d be part of the mob justice.

Not saying he’s doing the ideal thing but let’s see if it works out.

Trez

Assuming we play a 4-3-3; we have Ramsey, Xhaka, AMN, Elneny and Torreira(if he signs) fighting for 3 positions with Iwobi and to a lesser extent Mkhitaryan able to to a job as a CM. We also have to consider we have Lacazette and Aubamayeng to somehow fit into the team. This might just be an extra CM too much. I wouldn’t mind if he’s replaces Elneny, but would be pissed if he’s Ramsey’s replacement. I get this very terrible feeling he might be. Good player back in the day – but nothing special now. Can play as a 10… Read more »

Finlay307

Agree with you on this one Trez. If we are getting another new CM I would prefer it to be a more athletic box to box.

Ach

We should get a real winger instead of another midfielder.

baz00r

I’m not surprised to see a lot of stop gap solutions to plug the large number of holes Wenger has left in the squad. Emery can’t build the team he wants in one transfer window so is getting what he can to make do. Seems fair to me.

Eligard

I would ask for zeych of MOROCCO international rather than banega

Lord Bendnter

Anyone know what’s the deal with the nonBritish players cap? Do we still have space for nonBritish players in the squad?

RobinAVanWithPersie

You’re allowed a maximum of 17 foreign players in your Premier League squad

Red Arrow

Getting experienced players is a necessary move for Emery since he needs a positive start to his Arsenal tenure. We live in a world where people want instant success and in our case anything less than a top 4 finish would be considered a failure. Once we get into the champions league we will hopefully have the funds to upgrade our squad further. Really looking forward to the new season.

dex

It doesn’t matter which club he is playing for , what Matters is for him to deliver and fit in the team play for coming season….he might become another carzola..

Gudang Bedil

Emery for Ever

215Arse

I’m all for it. Each of the top six, bar us, have two solid DMs in the squad. At the moment, we have none.

Artro

Being a glutton for punishment, I watched the second leg of United vs Sevilla in the CL round of 16 this year. I’d heard of Banega several times down the years mostly due to his misdemeanors, but I was completely taken aback by how good he was. He played Felliani, Pogba, and Herrera off the park almost single handedly. At time he seemed to canter around midfield, pivoting away from danger without thought, completely controlling the flow and tempo of the game at ease while remaining unphased by the fact he was playing for an underdog team away at Old… Read more »

Daft Aider

The definition of reliable and dependable,
would be a great signing for our squad depth

Groundhog Day

When he’s not wanking online or running over his foot he is a class act… I suppose we all need hobbies…

Mo974

Emery is going for the jugular in his first season I suspect he is not aiming at a four place trophy. He is adding experience, talent and winning mentality to a squad which has already some very good elements. I love that . If it clicks we are going to enjoy the ride. He wanted to do the same in Paris but the senior players (Motta, and the brazilian colony did not want that high pressing game he is known for). Ever Banega is an amazing talent when you loose Santi Cazorla and you replace him with Banega it is… Read more »

SG_Gooner

pooh’s back!

One of them is lying!

I still think we need a Cazorla type midfielder…who can hold the ball and skip challenges in the midfield. Banega and Torreira would make us more industrial no doubt. But when it comes to breaking down a 10 man defence, or holding the ball because there r no passing options up front, a dribbling/creative midfielder is essential. Besides, it makes football more enjoyable to watch.

baz00r

Agreed a little skilful fella would be useful. They are few and far between though (at least of Cazorla’s quality).

Michael Bolton Wanderers

I would very much welcome this

I AM ARSENAL

Being linked with all combative midfielders and guys who cna fucking tackle..A bigger problem in this team is that the defence is shocking on top of that is a midfield that is awful defensively, one of the worst out of possesion.

Groundhog Day

On his day a truly wonderful player, off his day a man that forgets handbrakes exist & rolls over his own feet… that is one of the cleaner ‘off his day’ stories about him…
I would love to see him in our squad though. Why he didn’t start for Argentina against Croatia I have no idea!?!

Flash

He’s a lot like fabregas. Nice weight of pass, good vision and awareness. Very nice long passes too, switches it up well. I think he would be a very useful signing

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