According to a report by Algerian football specialists La Gazette du Fennec, Arsenal are in talks to sign Porto’s Yacine Brahimi.
The 29-year-old left winger is available on a free transfer this summer after five years at the Estadio do Dragao.
Brahimi, a regular in the France set-up before he switched allegiance to Algeria in 2013, has long been linked with a move to the Emirates. As far back as 2009, when he was at Rennes, the player’s agent talked up the chances of teaming up with Arsene Wenger.
Since then the player has spent single seasons on loan to Clermont and Grenada, he went on to sign for the latter on a permanent basis in 2013, before he switched to Porto a year later.
While Sport Witness, relaying a translation of the original report, says we’re in ‘very advanced negotiations’ it feels like this is probably an agent – well aware of our need for a left winger – trying to chuck our name in the mix to hurry up interest from elsewhere. He’d be a lot cheaper than the other names being bandied about but we’re just not convinced.
It’s said that a trio of Turkish clubs – Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas – are also interested, as are Nice.
Brahimi is currently playing for his country at the African Cup of Nations.
I hope this isn’t true. It just shows how far we’ve fallen
Have to agree. Save the wages, play the youngsters and go from there.
Damn right
Raul: Yacine nothing yet!
Christopher Samba is available on a free after being released by Aston Villa ?? ?♂️
Hes a decent player and free so this isnt the worst thing ever.
Would definitely demand something around 120k/pw or a big sign on bonus. And a 29 year old with no sell on value to block the path of our promising youngsters. No thanks.
He’s also a right-footed left winger, which means he’s most likely to cut in and take the shot or loop a low curling cross, two aspects PL defences are very wise to, especially against Arsenal (Sanchez pretty much did it so much that he has now been utterly figured out in the PL). We already have a bunch of right-footed players who can do this; Aubameyang, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, lads coming through like Nelson. We need someone to provide a natural quick left-footed cross from the left (variation too, not just Kolasinac’s style drives – no offence to him as I… Read more »
Leave the rambling to Rambling Pete.
He relies on his right foot, but he can pass the ball with his left foot across the goal on the ground. Good vision of the field.
Sky are reporting it too, say he wants about 6m signing on fee & 14m over 3 years (about 95k per week). He’s pacey and 20m over 3 years in total isn’t that bad. He’s been lively and quite good for Porto when I’ve watched them. I get that it’s an uninspiring signing. But think of it as a Welbeck replacement (adding chaos factor and taking Welbecks wages). Considering the club have zero experienced wingers, would still mean plenty of minutes for Nelson, Smith Rowe etc. Don’t think this would be a bad signing.
I think any new signings will cut into the minutes for the younger players, especially under Emery. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sign anyone, but it does mean we won’t be giving our youngsters the same responsibility. I think based on our current reality, we are better off integrating the young talent we have and creating a coherent team that thrives on the attack. It could go a long way to rebuilding the club on the pitch and on the balance sheet.
Agreed. I don’t see the need of buying experience for experience sake. I know Emery is all about experience, but without hindsight I can guarantee you that I would’ve preferred to see Saka play more in the 2nd half of the season than sign Denis Suarez.
I don’t know anything about this guy, but he sounds more Suarez than he is something that will take us forward. These type of getting-by players is why we’re where we are now.
Are we in danger of loading too much weight of expectation onto the shoulders of inexperienced youngsters?
I’m all for blooding them but feel we do need a balanced squad for the hectic season ahead.
e. g. Nelson kicked off at speed in Germany before falling back to earth somewhat.
I wonder how many of these fans have even seen Smith Rowe or Nelson play a full 90 minutes?
Did we learn nothing from what happened to guys like Jack Wilshere? Someone like Brahimi makes sense because Arsenal needs a deep squad, and young talent needs to be integrated slowly.
Our finances are no reason to throw a promising crop of young men into the lion’s den before they’re mentally and physically ready.
Not at all — our youngsters are well-shielded by the veterans, and I actually think it would be good for some of our older players to feel the youthful eyes looking up to them every week. The young players need to feel like they are being counted on to produce, like they have a legitimate role to play, weekly — they need to be coached properly and have their expectations managed accordingly, but the names bandied about that want to play (Nelson, Bielik, Smith-Rowe, etc.) look ready for more responsibility.
If you think youngsters should be shielded by veterans, you should have no problem with us signing a cheap, experienced winger to deepen our rotation.
And tbh nearly every young 1st team player had a brutal season. Holding and Bellerin’s injuries, Iwobi’s merciless criticism online and at the Emirates, and Torreira was dead on his feet by the end of the campaign.
Only Guendouzi came through unscathed, and we’ll be extremely lucky if any of Saka, Nelson or Smith Rowe have a solid break-out season like he did.
We have enough veteran players in the squad at key positions to help guide the younger players. Iwobi can handle the criticism, and just needs a little more help from the coaches with decision making — he had some great spells last season. Bellerin and Holding, once fit, will be just fine. Bielik has Championship experience, and seems to be captain material already — he’ll be fine. Torreira needs help in the midfield; Emery didn’t do a fine enough just securing it last season, but hopefully will with a more resolute style of protagonist possession to give us more security… Read more »
I agree, Gooner 14. Quite a speedy guy, and he can dribble the ball around and through defenders. Yes, he’ll block the path for Academy prospects, but I doubt that there’s anyone that we can promote this year who will play with half his skills. Here’s a different 3 minute highlight video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1kI1zhIvSY
Maybe we should start looking for weekly offers at Lidl and Aldi- saw they had some some hot chicken wingers last week.- Sorry folks- it’s Monday
always go for the middle isle if you’re looking for quality goods! 🙂
If you concentrate exclusively on one isle, you run the risk of getting Rockall…
Raul rifling through drawers, scouring the back of cupboards, and rumaging down the sofa looking for discarded transfer lists from a decade ago, is it? What a joy to support Bargain Bin FC
Maybe Sven as a parting shot, picked up one such old list circled a couple of name and scribbled some notes, to renew our interest!
Honestly don’t believe the state of this club. Kronke will soon turn us into a top 10 club.
Sad to see how our fans are a bit content with that happening. Liverpool drove their owners out if we as fans get together and stand as one we can do the same! Or at least exert some pressure on the owners.
I’m not a Kroenke fan but much of this mess is down to Gazidas and Wenger badly mismanaging the club the last few years of their tenure. Commercial income didn’t grow at all while we massively overpaid completely average players both in terms of wages and fees and sold players for massive discounts b/c Wenger didn’t want to make hard decisions on players & as a result let tons of contracts run down.
This is right on the money. And whilst no fan of the Kronkes who are happy to oversee decline – other peoples failures do not help. The frustrating thing is that it is almost like Wenger and Gazedis never left. The same old procrastination ; the same old half hearted gestures to make it look like we are trying. There same inaction. And it just won’t do to say that others are moving because they are stronger. Man Utd obviously are. But Brighton and West Ham aren’t above us – yet. We are getting close to one month before the… Read more »
You know, if you blame Wenger and Gazidis for the way we did transfers, and then say everything is the same since they left–hmm, maybe something else is going on.
Note–you’re not talking about, “well, they’re Wenger’s players and have learned certain habits.” Instead, you’re talking about management and “the same old procrastination; the same old half hearted gestures to make it look like we are trying. The same inaction.”
Something else is going on alright. The same mistakes are being repeated by different people.
As for the players ‘habits’ this amounts to instructions from the coaching staff. The current mob are making only a marginal difference of – so far – five points and one place, with the same number of goals conceded.
Absolutely right.
Ha I just wrote a post saying the same thing. You said it more succinctly, mine was a rant. Yes, yes and yes.
Another average player on an inflated wage due to bosman. No thanks.
If all we can aspire to is signings like this we’ll be lucky to qualify for the Europa League.
If Kroenke doesn’t start investing in the club the spiralling mediocrity we’ve seen on the pitch over the past few years will seem like a happy memory.
Let the youngsters fill the gaps, at least they’ll try.
lets just do a sp*rs and dont spend a penny. Lift up the youngsters and give them a chance. The players we are linked with are depressing or have a ridiculous fee on them (zaha, malcolm) wich we will never sign anyways.
We need to watch how hong kong did their protest and replicate it at Emirates
Know him pretty well from the Portuguese league.
Brahimi also know as Mr. Roundabouts.
Lots of tricks but super inconsequential.
Put more poo in that. We could chip in some more too.
Well that will scare the shit out of the teams around us in the top 10
We’re spending like Everton and West Ham if this is true. I would much rather prefer giving the likes of Chambers, Bielik, Willock, Nelson, Smith-Rowe, among others first team minutes even if it means missing out on the Champions League. If it is to make up the numbers, just do a one year loan deal.
More like Burnley & Norwich.
Absolute shambles.
Lets just say if nothing is done to salvage this situation we find ourselves, it might just be the beginning of the end for our dear club. Krooenke must go.
Honesty don’t see the point in playing high wages for a free agent when we have youngsters who could be given a chance
Things look very bleak on the transfer front. All I am relying on for next season is Emery’s coaching skills to get the best out of whatever we have.
Hmmm, a 29 year old, free agent, journeyman that no one else wants and not many else have heard of. This sounds so very…. oh never mind.
Let’s just say I think it deserves less poos.
It’s a signing that doesn’t get me excited should we actually sign him. Would rather give someone like Nelson the nod. I realise free agent is an alluring prospect but Rabiot was a free agent and we didn’t even go sniffing around him. I would say pass on this one, and either sign Zaha/Carrasco and given Nelson the nod.
This is getting ridiculous. Stop with all this nonsense already, if we don’t have enough money to spend, just save that little money to try and lure defensive players (even if is just Tierney!) and give chances to our own young players! It won’t take us back to CL right now, but at least we won’t be in the position we’re right now (lots of unwanted players with high wages that we can’t get rid of), besides at least I expect our youngsters to be hungry and willing to fight for the team, something I can’t expect anymore from our… Read more »
All this shit is happening because the Arsenal fan base are a bunch of pussies. Stan is taking the piss now: he has to be driven out of the club. We’re a joke.
Yes. Most of Kroenke’s sport clubs are mediocre.
He is happy with that.
I am just curious how the heck Liverpool fans could kick those swindlers out of the club? We should look at their book.
So now we do not need an experienced winger? Come on!
Being experienced doesn’t mean he’s good enough.
We don’t want more signings for the sake of it (Denis Suarez).
Bosman: heads we lose a player for free, tails we lose by buying a player at inflated wages
Starting to feel like we’re not so good at this whole transfer business thing
A lot of unrealistic people on here. He’s probably better than Mkhitarian, He’s definitely better than Ozil. He’s not for want of a better word “soft” He’d just be taking up the wages that Welbeck left and Welbeck is only 1 year younger than Brahimi. Furthermore, Brahimi has far more career goals and assists than Welbeck and can play in midfield. You do actually need experience in the team even if you are going for a rebuild or have we STILL learned nothing for the countless times Wenger led an inexperienced team out to be slaughtered? Still if he wants… Read more »
Something tells me you probably said the same thing when we got Litchsteiner last season.
He’s not better than Ozil or Mkhitaryan ffs. Not that I even rate them highly these days
And just cos he’s old doesn’t make him experienced. I’d argue that just about every member of our current squad has way more relevant experience than him, even the likes of Maitland Niles
And besides, aim to bring in squad filler and you end up with absolute dross. No exceptions
This has made my day!!!!! Sign him up!!!
How sad
Just agent posturing likely. So many options in market at the moment unless we want to short change ourselves buy second tier. You pay for what you get generally in the creative areas. Ziyech, Carrasco at 30m+, Zaha at 25m (never mind wild 80-100m quotes from Palace trying to play hard ball…and failing miserably) Then there is Lozano, Neres, Everton, Thauvin etc. Pepe and Fekir priced too high at the moment. But as the competitors and apex predators in market fall off, prices will cool. Which is again why traditionally most of our business done at end of window. Nothing… Read more »
What we need is to load up the squad with more Mkhitarians, we can’t let the youngsters get any game time!
Awful lot of rumours about incoming players, to be expected, but naff all on out goings. I assume we will offload some more dead wood this summer. I like Jenko, I’d give him a shot, think he’s been unlucky, but if he’s not getting near the first team get rid. There’s probably at least 5 or 6 to shift, not including Ozil who will at the Emirates longer than the statues outside (and moves less too). I don’t mind bringing in a couple of freebies to help the youngsters but need to be the right ones. I can’t believe we… Read more »
As for financial fair play (which is a farce anyway) but sure most supporters would take a years European ban to assemble a decent team.
And despite whatever we do the only real goal is to be better than spurs again, we’re such a million miles away from the top 2 right now due to piss poor signings over the last 5+ years.
Please God no……….
i would rather we use our youth player rather than wasting time for him.
Let sign him
Here’s what Porto’s Yacine Brahimi looks like in his highlight video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHcwZE0wkKY
Speed along with excellent ball control.