Reports this week suggested that Arsenal had stepped up interest in the Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak.
Lost in the desire for those reports to be true was the fact that they stemmed from the Telegraph, quickly catching up with Metro for unreliability when it comes to transfers.
Asked directly about the Polish international, well … take a look:
Q Any foundation in reports you are interested in Krychowiak? Wenger: "No." Also expects Flamini to stay.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) August 14, 2015
And despite reports from yesterday, it seems there are no plans to let Mathieu Flamini go, despite the fact the Frenchman failed to make the squad for the Community Shield or the season opener against West Ham.
When was the last time Wenger came out and said “we’re interested in that player” before a deal had been reached? It always confuses me when managers talk openly about their desire for a player who they haven’t actually signed yet, not only could it hurt their bargaining position but if you say you want that player and fail to land him, it sends a bad message to both players and supporters.
I can recall the Bielik situation, but that’s tottally different.
On the subject of CDMs, i started thinking about who I might like.
I then looked up Kondobia, can you beleive that guy scored only 2 goals last season (4 in total professional career) and obviously 1 was against us! What rotten luck.
Ridiculous! He’s mad if he thinks Arteta and Flamini are good enough back up for Coquelin, who given the nature of his position is likely to miss games due to suspension, and realistically can’t play every single game over the course of the season.
People giving it thumbs down like he’s not telling the truth. Anyone who thinks we can challenge on 4 fronts with Arteta & Flamini as back up for one of the most important positions in our team! Arteta is capable of being deputy to give our Coq a rest against lower opposition or in the CC but will struggle if needed for a run of games. Flamini is just terrible, how he is earning 65k a week at our club is beyond me, he literally just shouts, points and gets booked. This is the point when someone says ‘But Chelsea… Read more »
They might find themselves with a few more injuries if they don’t start treating their medical team more nicely…
Yes, thabk you Aaron. And on the point about Mikel, he’s nothing special as backup to Matic but better than Arteta and Flamini. Which makes our situation pretty sad.
I think a lot of Nigerians wouldn’t agree with you there, certanly accept Mikel Arterta over Mikel obi anyday anytime
I’m giving this comment a thumbs down because that sort of thing appears to upset you.
It’s not just Flamini or Arteta who can play there…Santi, Ramsey, Wilshire, Chambers and Rosicky can play there (as well as Bielik).
It’s no coincidence that every season we’re one or two players short of being title challengers. It’s obvious to everyone that Arteta and Flamini aren’t good enough to sustain a title challenge with, yet Wenger is too bloody stubborn to sign a new DM. I suspect he wants Benzema, but isn’t being aggressive enough to make the deal happen. Unless Madrid suddenly decide he isn’t needed that deal won’t happen. Still few weeks to go so trying to be optimistic but In all honestly Wenger lacks the ruthlessness and aggression in the market to make us champions again.
I can’t help but feel the DM link that emerges every year is more the media playing up to the fans thinking we need one rather than Wenger genuinely wanting one. I get the impression that Wenger has a budget (let’s pretend it’s £60m) and is waiting to see what happens with regards to a striker (perhaps Benzema) before buying a midfielder and being short of the necessary funds if said striker becomes available. I think he’ll bide his time and get a striker, then see what’s leftover and get a midfield player in afterwards. Either way, I’m quite confident… Read more »
Exactly. It would be mad to think he isn’t after a “top quality” player. If it’s benzema or not that’s not the point. You also have Lewandowski and Higuain who could be bought by offering enough money, as a plan B. I think a midfielder is coming but as you said the available funds depend on the striker
To my mind, our DM situation is not as critical as many a pundit would make it appear. Flamini, Arteta and Coquelin can see us through the season, I believe. Apart from a striker, I think we are reasonably well stocked in other areas.
Let us not be fooled by the West Ham result; we have a solid team that will either win the league or push it to the very last kick of the season.
Our greatest challenge is how to keep this Injury monster at bay.
just like how we didn’t need a DM and a defender last year….or the year before and again and again…and again….
I agree. Lets not be fooled by the result in the first game of the season. Against West Ham (pfft). At home.
How dare you be rational during the transfer window.
The man is the same old stubborn guy every year and with his mentality Arsenal has no chance ever to win the title.Sack him
Or maybe it’s just not that fucking easy… It’s real life not football manager.
even barcelona with a transfer ban signed more players than us…I’m not saying go and blow 60m on a player..c’mon even 25m for a decent enough player that’s better than arteta?
Come on you can’t honestly believe the DM trio of Coquelin/Arteta/Flamini will match up to Utd’s, City’s and Chelsea’s. Matic is world class, Schneiderlin is better than Coquelin and Yaya is one best midfielders in the league even with his blip last year! We need a world class DM who is commanding and provides leadership and who Coquelin can learn off…
Who is that? Serious question.
Blogs, this mystical player doesn’t *have* to exist. Just as long as we get him. Somehow.
De Rossi, Matuidi and Martinez.
Do you sincerely believe that their clubs would be willing to sell?
Would Arsene sell Ox to a team in need of a winger just because they want him? This is the real world pal!
Everyone has their price and that’s a fact. We have a lot of money that we are not spending… We pay the highest ticket prices in the Prem, we have the money to bully our way in
@RT1986. Rank bollocks.
More and more do we see clubs slamming doors in the faces of potential suitors. After all, that’s exactly what we do.
Your problem here is that we obviously have money available but, as of yet, haven’t spent it. And it seems to be causing you a not inconsiderable amount of pointless grief.
It’s not the money element that bothers me, it’s knowing we haven’t got a good enough side when we could have one. We are 2 players away from winning this league and that’s just not my opinion. If it means we pay pittance for those players then I don’t really care as long as we get them
@RT1986. 1. In many people’s eyes we’ll always be 2 players short of the ‘perfect’ squad. 2. Who are the players you’re talking about? 3. This is the tricky one. Just how competent are you in getting it right? I’m assuming you’ve no experience with regard to any of the qualities necessary in the transfer market. Have you watched the endless tapes, talked to coaches, assessed the playing styles, contacted clubs, evaluated the player to the nth degree … Moreover, you have absolutely no idea on the thousand and one factors that influence a signing. What we see is just… Read more »
I got bored half way through that jibberish. But not once I have I said who we should or shouldn’t buy, I don’t have the knowledge or the in depth study to judge that. I can only judge facts, and the facts are we have not seriously challenged for the title for 11 years now. And that we didn’t come close last year and the only improvement from last year is Cech… It’s down to Wenger to find the players we need and right now he is failing
@RT1986. Of course we seriously challenged for the PL title: perhaps our best efforts being 2007-08 and 2013-14. Your understanding of the word ‘fact’ seems to be synonymous with the word ‘opinion’. As for your assertion that we need to buy 2 players and that AW is “failing” us if he doesn’t … that statement only makes sense if there are actually 2 players out there who will definitively improve our squad. You seem to think there are. In which case you would have had to have identified them. So, who? Messi? Ronaldo? Pogba? Who the fuck are these players?… Read more »
Do you honestly believe we have seriously challenged for the title? Dropping out of the race by Feb/March isn’t a title challenge please don’t be so deluded. Again none of us on here are experts in judging a player, who says Pogba would work well in our team? We are not to judge that, that is for the manager. Either he buys proven world class or he finds it from elsewhere but that elsewhere definitely isn’t our team right now
First off, no we don’t want a WC DM because Coq deserves to at least compete and not be forced to the bench by the price of an incoming option. But lets break down the 3: De Rossi 1. is never going to leave Roma and 2. way too old to even be considered an option. Matuidi is good for a b2b option, but he’s skinny as a bar rail and, while tenacious, is not as good of a tackler as Coq. Oh and we’d have to shell out for him (ballpark 25m), and I don’t think he’s that big… Read more »
Who was that you mean. Schweinsteiger would have been perfect. Young enough to do an excellent job and old enough not to stifle the development of a younger player. A real lack of vision if you ask me.
But back in the now….. Bender brothers , Martinez, Gundogen, Wanyama
Schweinsteiger left to mainly to play under LVG again. He’s also logged quite a bit of time under the knife in the past couple seasons. I wouldn’t push Flamini out the door for someone who we’d only give maybe a 2 yr contract and could just be hurt the whole time he would be at the club.
Yaya Toure is not a defensive midfielder
it doesn’t matter, any player that’s dynamic enough like Yaya is good at the CM spot…look there are many types of defensive mids and many ways you can play them but we truly missed out on Schneiderlin and Vidal…heaps better than what we have….the excuse is always that there’s no player that’s “world class” then why are clubs signing players left and right…the excuse is our players are better…really? coquelin has only showed what is possible because of the ineptness of arteta…and it is suspect to think he won’t have some kind of dip in form…he has only played at… Read more »
Clearly you never saw him prior to his Man City career… And he has played their for City plenty of times. Do we have another midfielder providing that kind of versatility? I can’t imagine Ozil sitting in deep and making a challenge
Please can you name the “World Class” DM in the United team that won the league three seasons ago? Look; despite what the Mourinho- loving pundits say, my sincere analysis of the league is that winning enough matches against mid-table and lower-table teams is what gives you the title. If you relate that to the DM issue; I think that these three – Coq, Arteta and Flam can hold their own against 80% of the teams in the division. Just like the striker issue, I challenge you to name 1 “World class” DMs who is available in the market and… Read more »
To further buttress my point; Chelsea finished about 7 points ahead of City who dropped 5 points against Burnley alone. I think they also dropped points against Swansea and CP also. One may also say same about Chelsea (though they fared a lot better in those games) but the point I am making is that with all the big-game prowess of Chelsea, it would have come to naught if City did better in the games above. Don’t forget that they lost to us, Man U and Liverpool.
yea but wenger is not alex ferguson…he doesn’t adapt his tactics from game to game…you are right the problem is not a world class DM but a better manager that knows how to make use the most of his resources to win the title and not settle for champions league qualification
BS, Schneiderlin is yet to prove himself in a top team. City have Fernandinho and Fernando as DM who aren’t better than Coquelin atm. Chelsea have Matic, Ramires and Mikel of whom only Matic is perhaps a better DM as Coq. Would rate Mikel on about the same level as Arteta though they have different playing styles
So are you saying Coquelin has proved it at a top club?? After 6 months. Don’t make me laugh. Also, as you say Matic is better than Coquelin, which surely emphasizes the point we need a better quality DM to compete?!!
Yaya Toure is not a DM. Sorry, he’s just not. He may have been at Barcelona but he sure as hell isn’t at City. Their DMs are Fernando and Fernandinho, both of whom are not as good as Coquelin.
So are you saying he can’t play that role?
Arsene isn’t silly, deep down I think he knows he needs another striker but will only do a deal if it’s a striker of the highest order. I can’t see him buying for the sake of it, apart from Benzema/Reus who else is potentially available (bearing in mind Madrid and Dortmund are in no position where they have to sell) that is actually better than what we have? Forget Aguero, Messi, Neymar, Suarez, Ronaldo etc. who is actually available?
Is that Bacca any good? Can he click in the PL?
Who, Bacca?
At DM it’s not a question of numbers, but rather of quality. The idea that there is NOBODY if Coquelin gets injured is nonsense. If you need a distributor in the role, then Arteta. If you need a tackler, then Flamini.
Just how good those replacements are is where a lot of fans differ with Wenger.
it does seem like he will not be buying a holding midfeilder. It does seem a bit funny that the one position that probably provides him the biggest headache in terms of selection is where he would look to complicate further by adding an extra body. Arsene did however show with the goalkeeping situation that he is capable of suprising. I do have a huge appreciation for the skills that Aterta brings to our play. Thats not to say we dont lose, but that we seem to have a sturdier teamshape and our game is more dominant in terms possession… Read more »
There aren’t that ny options for Steiner. Benzema, Reus, Higuain, Lewandowski(?). Anyone Else? Lacazette? Which would be a guarenteed sucess? Who could we even buy?
He had “no interest” in Arteta in 2011, Cazorla in 2012 or Cech in 2015 either. Can’t remember but he probably denied at least one of last summer’s transfers too. What Wenger says in press conferences and what he actually does in the transfer market are two very different things. I’m not saying we’ll definitely sign this Sevilla bloke, I’m just pointing out that listening to his public statements is pointless. He’ll never compromise a negotiating position by going public and he’s too classy to tap players up using the media a la Real Madrid, or like Chelsea are currently… Read more »
You mean the £22M Sevilla bloke with the broken ribs?
I think we can all safely say we’re not that interested.
Who knows. Perhaps in the world we now live in where Schneiderlin and Fernandinho cost almost £30m, Wenger might consider that a good deal. I don’t know. I don’t think a rib injury would make much difference to be honest, there’s no career-threatening risk in an injury like that and he could just continue his rehab at Arsenal.
This is what it’s come to. People clamouring for Arsenal to buy someone/anyone despite not having a sodding clue who the guy is or how good he is.
But then again, if his release clause is €30M it stands to reason, doesn’t it? Or, at least, that’s what the fucking Telegraph says. The same fucking Telegraph who’s still insisting Benzema remains in some sort of transfer-window limbo wotnot (ten days and counting) between Madrid and London Colney.
Only during the Premier League Transfer Window does a fuck-off-you-dickhead translate into he’s-all-but-on-his-way.
Typical Wenger to stick by his mediocre or injury prone players for as long as it takes them to come good. I allways feel we are like 2 proper signings away from challenging each season 😛 Abit frustrating. Hopefully this season we will do what is neccesary in the transfer market to mount a real title challenge. It is not a human right to play for Arsenal and the players not good enough for Arsenal could still go on and earn millions playing for the likes of West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle etc. No need to feel sorry about selling players… Read more »
We went from needing to sign a DM to needing to sign a backup DM, as if are current backups aren’t good enough to even back-up a DM. Ya’ll sill af.
it’s true they are not good enough even as backups…arteta is not a DM…since when did he become one? he was pushed into the position because Wenger refused to sign one in the first place
What really gets to me is the fact that we are always 2 or 3 players away from properly challenging for the title. I mean why take risks on flamini and arteta when we could buy a better defensive midfielder. we could guarantee even the amount of injuries that we have wouldn’t derail our season. The striker position is a bit tricky I will give Wenger that because of unavailability of world class st. that are truly on the market. But we should have a competent squad with two players for each position, not like flamini. It is just sad… Read more »
To be fair, Flamini is third choice DM, so it makes your example a moot point. I’m sure you can find weak links in every club’s third choice players…
No to say that I wouldn’t be happy with a couple of additions.
fine who is your second choice? Arteta right? I like him but I cant stress this point enough, he is not o DM. he spent most of hid career as a central midfielder(box to box) or attacking midfielder. he was just a stop gap till we found a competent DM. all I can think about is that Dortmund away champions league game where arteta tried to track back the likes of aubemayang and failed. If we want to compete we must be ruthless, no more sentiments. and I think everybody agrees flamini is worse than Arteta. so my point is… Read more »
* not a DM * most of his
Why do you fill you need to correct yourself? we know what you meant.
*Feel*
Kind of glad to be honest. Couldn’t bear trying to pronounce that name, and was struggling hard to think of a nickname. These things are important.
Just call him Dave. We need to reclaim that Only Fools and Horses gag from the Chavs in honour of John Sullivan, the die-hard Gooner who came up with it.
At the end of the day,we still lack that physical presence in midfield so until that is sorted,we’ll still be getting bodied by a singing n*…oh I meant by smaller teams not to talk of the big ones.
Say we go out and spend 25 mil on an experienced holding midfielder. You really think he’s going to be happy sitting on the bench looking out at the Coq every week.
Buying the famous “2 signings away” doesn’t guarantee the title. I hope we add someone or a couple players but I’m hoping more on beating Crystal Palace and getting our heads back on track for now. COYG!!!
These Krykchokhwiak rumours have been around for a few seasons now and it just sounds like rubbish. If we were genuinely interested we would have signed him in a previous window or not left it this late in the current one, I can’t see any reason for it having been delayed so long, especially since N’Zonzi arrived over a month ago.
I know Wenger says that he’s open to buying someone but – despite the best efforts of the Telegraph – I don’t anticipate him buying any senior players in this transfer window. The “top quality” players he stresses are all he would consider are just not available and those that might have made sense for us have already moved or signed new contracts where they are. The reality is (IMO) that, for better or worse, we will be campaigning this season with the squad we currently have.
What about the Portuguese guy Carvalho?