With much speculation about the possibility of Julian Draxler signing for Arsenal this month, Per Mertesacker has told SPOX.com that the Schalke man would be welcome at Arsenal.
“We have already a small German Academy here,” he joked, “and that makes it incredibly fun.
“Julian has made a big impact at Schalke and the national team, even at such a young age, and such players are always welcome.”
The BFG said the link with Draxler was exciting but tempered that by referencing the time of the year and the transfer window being open.
“You always hear so much,” he said, “it’s often a case of players being offered to other clubs.”
At this juncture we’d be surprised if the move happened this month. He’s injured for another couple of weeks, it seems, and perhaps that would have an impact on the manager’s thinking when any January purchase needs to have an almost immediate impact because of the schedule.
But maybe the fact our interest has become so public will make an earlier move important lest we get gazumped by somebody else.
To conclude, who knows?
Got to be a positive flag when our players are talking about the potential of the signing. Ohhhh don’t make me sweat till the 31st again Arsene.
Is it? You forgot the summer already? Every player and their mum was talking about how we’re definitely buying for the whole of June, July and the start of August. We then actually bought someone long after everyone stopped yapping about buying.
Would you mind a “I don’t know lets see, We may be have a surprise for you” moment?
Tapping up?
No more than Arsene talking to him regularly…man, a manager or executive would get suspended for a year+ if that happened in any American sport.
Talking to him regularly is the definition of tapping up.
We gooners were accusing xavi and co of the same for each press conf questions they answered about Cesc. Probably this too was just a question put out to Per for which he couldn’t answer ‘no, i don’t want draxler at Arsenal’.
Just don’t want our club to be put in the same bracket as Barca, Real with regard to tapping up…
Then make the same comparisons when Mertesacker, Ozil, Podolski, Gnabry, Eisfield and Zelalem all come out in the press saying that Draxler has ‘Arsenal DNA’ or when they all tie him down and shove an Arsenal top over him when Germany win the world cup during celebrations watched by millions.
Then, and only then, will you be able to make a comparison between us and those cunts.
@goonerish
Pimping players through the media is a whole different level though
But a player answering a question about another player is not tapping up
Is it the complimentary remarks in the media that are the problem? I may be ignorant, but I always considered the sense of entitlement and the very public admissions of guilt in regards to personal contact made about transferring to their club. How could any player in a competitive squad not respond in the affirmative to a question that’s leading to begin with. “What would you think about young Julian Draxler coming to Arsenal,” or something to that effect. No one’s talking about him like his signing is a forgone conclusion and I would consider that the difference between what… Read more »
Exactly. I remember before LeBron James went to the Heat, a radio host asked Steve Kerr(owner of the Suns) if he’d like to sign LeBron. The manager said “everyone would want him in their team” and was subsequently fined like $10k. Here you go: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5226298
Sorry, Kerr isn’t the owner: “president of operations”
You don’t tap up a guy who would give his left nut (lol perhaps not) to be alongside the growing german contigent at the arse, well that and theres also the fact that his club is encouraging offers!
He would be a fantastic signing. not to mention *swoon*
I guess it would be a bit of a risk signing him with an injury, but he could keep diaby – Theo – sanogo – monreal – arteta in the treatment room
Keep them company that is
Maybe in the summer. He’s out till march and wouldn’t be able to play anyway!
Says the Daily Mail.
plus ‘to convert him into van Persephone II’
Bullshits! just to make it more dramatic
Who said he was an disloyal arsehole?
The reliable actual! german journalist on twitter
@JanAageFjortoft: Draxler been injured. He should be ok when the League starts again in 10 days
you first mistake was not reading the dailymail, visiting it was.
Without a doubt he’s injured. But only the DM is saying he’s out for that long.
I despise Jan Åge Fjørtoft and his “expert” panel in Champions League on Norwegian tv. However, he has lots of contacts in German football and actually called the Özil transfer a lot earlier then everybody else…
I’m curious, what do you despise about him, for those of us not privy to Norwegian TV?
I just hate everything about him and I’m not the only one… Everything from his douchy comments to his attempt at pronouncing every players name with a accent from their respective countries. “Carrrzolaaaaa, Girouuuuuuuu, Flaminiii” you get the picture!
Maybe I’m overreacting, but i just turn of the volum every time he comments any game…
At least he tries, unlike American commentators.
Suppose being douchey is unlikeable, but trying to pronounce a name correctly should certainly at least not be such a bad thing, especially after Joe Kinnear’s shenanigans.
What I’m wondering though is, is it:
a) Koss-ee-el-ny
b) Kosh-el-ny
c) Koss-chel-ny
d) None of the above
I like b) myself but I have no idea if it’s correct.
Any French speakers with a Polish background out there who can untangle this one?
Dr Gooner.
Koscielny’s name is pronounced “BOSS”
Up The Arsenal!
…or Canadian commentators…; )
Blogs, the BFG knows….
He must have arsenal DNA?!
yep, 30 years ago Arsene travelled around Germany and now we have BFG. He’s quite tall too.
I absolutely love that picture. Mertesacker struggling with an imaginary dump.
He looks like Merta Teresa.
haha
I also thought Mother Theresa had signed for The Arsenal.
Maybe not imaginary
Isn’t it great that we are now being associated with the highest class of players. We are finally shopping from the top shelf. In the immortal worlds of Sam Cooke:
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
sam cooke reference: automatic thumbs up from me 😀
Sign him up NOW! I don’t care if it costs 5m more.
Arsene’s confident that he’will pay $$$5m less if he delays it until the 31st of Jan.
Relax!
Obvious parallels with the Cesc thing. But 1) Schalke have publicly admitted what is tantamount to “we are selling Draxler” or as close as you can get in the press. Arsenal were always firm, publicly at least, that Cesc was ours. 2) Schalke have already signed Sidney Sam, an obvious like-for-like replacement. Arsenal never did that until this Summer. 3) Draxler is an up and coming prodigy. Cesc was club captain, one of the longest serving players and best player by a mile. 4) Mertesacker actually tries to play it down a little bit. 5) It’s not like we have… Read more »
That can be summarised by two simple words; Fuck Barcelona.
I mean, sure, I’ll let Cesc off, he’s safe. And that Messy bloke’s alright. Other than that, son todos coños!
and Song is singing his swan song on the bench.
Sorry…
I was kinda hoping the days if us getting gazumped were all but gone. Tugging on the heart strings is a nice contingency plan. Come join the academy, brother.
Why should we get gazumped? We already have gazidis
I say buy him. Hes clearly ridiculously talented and his price will only inflate after the world cup. If its possible to get him now we should pay that little extra regardless of a small injury. Hes a future star and i have a lot of confidence in the team. I cant see any world class strikers being available in jan. And i really dont want us to buy mediocre players. If ozil was a sign of anything its that we are now in the market for top tier of players. We’ll just play a 4-2-4 formation ha!
“to conclude,who knows?”… Classic.Sums it up nicely.
Bless you Arsene.Not like we wanna know anyway.
We”ll leave it to you.
Just go get your magic hat on…
I put on my robe and wizard’s hat…
I fucking hate this transfer business….get all excited and all you get is one of the Worlds five greatest players
We’re goin’ in for Draxler, we’re goin’ in for Draxler…. aw someone else got Draxler… Hang on we’ve just bought Messi! Pisses me right off.
Draxler great captain right there, on Per with Tony Adams.
Do it. Draxler is the nuts.
Don’t think we can wait till the last day of the window for this oil barons will start getting involved. Come on sign him up sharpish!!!
Sign him up
I have visions….
Visions of Arsene Wenger.
Arsene Wenger saying “We may have a surprise for you”.
Then giving a cheeky smile to the camera.
How injured is he anyway?
If its only a couple of weeks, then he should be just about ready for our nightmare march schedule (should we sign him of course)
I’m just hoping he doesn’t have a wrist injury that might prevent him from holding a pen. An X will do, Julian.
willkommen bienvenue welcome come on in!
Okay, we’ve got: (a) Draxler likes the idea of coming here, (b) Schalke are willing to sell, (c) Arsenal are willing to buy, and (d) the BFG likes him.
What’s the hold-up? Let’s play him against Fulham.
Oh, that was dumb, he’s too injured to play against Fulham. Southampton, then.
Schalke aren’t willing to sell, Draxler has a £38-40m release fee clause. If we match it, then we can start contract talks with him and Schalke will have no option but to sell. Still, £42.5m for Ozil and a possible £40m on Draxler in one season? Seems Wenger is ready to go big or go home. Still need other options but Draxler would be a fantastic player for us.
Did he really say ‘lest’?? I am impressed.
If the BFG wants you at Arsenal, you f*cking play for arsenal.
Throw whatever amount of £1 coins are required onto the table!
Do you want to see him play for us in 2015 instead?
For Dick Law to count the lot of 40m coins it will take more than a year.
It won’t take that long. He’ll have help from Diaby and Sanogo too. Hey, they’ve got to earn their keep as well, eh?
His name is enough to make opponents tremble haha
Everyone needs to relax and stop getting so hyped up about an unproven striker who’s only played in Germany. Sure you have bayern and dortmund but other than that the leagues a piss take. I say stick with what you know…I mean bendtner scored a crucial goal the other week and he’ll be back soon. We don’t need back up. End of story.
I’m sensing a troll in our midst 🙂
This is a sp*r fan running scared.
Its the only thing they’re good at.
I think it’s clear from his name that he’s being funny.
Is anyone else thinking that if we do get Draxler it is as a long term replacement for Rosicky and cover for Özil.
The fact the oil clubs are not sniffing around him would lead me to believe they know he has already decided his next move. I think he is coming; but in the summer.
Aaaaaaaand Sp*rs move quickly to block Holtbys move to Schalke to stiffle us from signing Draxler.
Pathetic little cunts they think we’re somehow competing with them? HAHA.
hilarious. but it seems made up like a lot of the tabloid stuff.
Daniel Levy = Dr. Evil (wannabee) from Austin Powers
What REALLY goes on behind the scenese at White Fart Lane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf0dlFSOAi4
Not a real big fan of our players coming out and commenting on potential transfers. I know how much it gave me the shits when barcelona started doing it for Cesc. Plus it just gets me all excited and then if it doesn’t happen, what a let down.
Don’t think that’s what Per is doing, he knows him personally, he’s just answering a question if he wanted Draxler around, no different to he and Poldi saying they would like Ozil at the club. Barca’s was an embarrassing PR whoring, totally different.
If he signs I shall wear a mankini in club level
And I shall altogether avoid the club level.
Blogs,
A usually well informed Dutch paper says that arsenal is trying to sign Celtic’s Van Dijk. Is there any truth to that you think? And what would that mean to Vermaelen?
No idea, got a link?
http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/arsenal-en-manchester-city-volgen-van-dijk-op-de-voet-.htm
But it’s in dutch. It says that he’s honoured with the interest shown by city & Arsenal
Lambert at 7 million as reported for mid table sides could be a decent option. Goal scorer and proven to link up play well.