Arsene Wenger says he didn’t include Alexis Sanchez in his squad for the game at Bournemouth because the striker is on the cusp of making a decision about his future.
The Chile international is being heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and Manchester United and the boss admitted he was reticent to use a player not completely focused on Arsenal.
“Alexis would have played, but it’s a difficult period for him,” Wenger told his post-game press conference.
“He has always been committed until now, but he could have moved yesterday, today or not at all.
“It will be decided in the next 48 hours, it was a bit different for him because he was on standby a little bit, that’s why I decided not to do it. He did not refuse to play.
He went on: “If Alexis goes we need to replace him. When you look today we missed many players in our squad and you see that we have a weight in the team, and if players like Alexis go, we have of course to respond to it.
“Will he go or not? I do not know, but at the moment it’s the transfer period and in this kind of period you try to use the players that are completely focused at being at the club.”
The Gunners have been tipped to sign Bordeaux’s winger Malcom as a possible replacement. Unsurprisingly, the boss was coy on about his interest in the 20-year-old.
“There’s nothing concrete there. It’s better that I don’t come out on any specific name.”
However, it’s believed that the Brazilian has had discussions with the club today, and if personal terms are agreed then the deal should go through imminently.
Aubameyang
This situation is sooo ideal….
Huntelaar
Kalou
Hi, Vera Wang
Malcom could be a really top talent? But signing a 20yr old Brazilian who doesn’t speak English in a team that just doesn’t function certainly isn’t the answer.
We desperately need some established quality.
Gervinho mk2
Sounds like an upgrade on Welbeck, then!
I think he will only come if he knows Wenger won’t sign another contract.
@Rich
Since he cant understand a word they’re saying, hopefully that way he wont have his game ruined by the moronic coaches at the club giving him instructions at training sessions.
IMO no matter who we bring in, even Ronaldo, the damage has been done a long time ago. They knew so many players were potentially leaving by this summer but have preferred to find a big profit instead of sound investment in replacements.
We must unite to end the decline. If you care for Arsenal, find your voice and force the manager out. No more spending at the club shop or restaurants.
Enough is enough…
u
c
l
yours should have been the K !
I don’t know what you guys were trying to spell, but the writing is on the wall. Wenger needs to go. Also frankly if Sanchez does go, and I know there really isn’t much of an if about it as things stand I would prefer the team spend on defence instead of spending on a like for like replacement. With this sh!t defence that Mr. Bean has put up at Arsenal, even signing Messi as a replacement for Sanchez is not going to alter results. Focus on defence, be tough to break down, be well organised and once the def… Read more »
I did start with an ‘F’ lol
You are correct, all great teams have great defence, it is where the team should be built from. We do have good defenders but we need someone like Tony Adams in place to coach the art of defence under a new manager.
If they do bring in someone, it will make very little difference because trying to replace Sanchez is almost impossible.
Another player out there of his stature (and there are very few) will look at this club and say no thanks.
Steve Would????
*Bould* Apologies
I don’t know what has happened to Stevie, I had such high hopes that he would make a big difference as he was one of the original back 4/5, maybe it is the regime he is under limiting him somewhat?
Or maybe, being a good player has no bearing on your ability to teach/coach others, and Bouldy is a bit shit at being a defensive coach.
But would he though? So far the evidence points towards more of a Won’t than Would.
Even if you bring the best defenders they will falter. what we need are good defensive midfielders who can protect the defence and also link-up the defence with attack without giving the ball away.
Problem is not defence but defensive midfielders
Its not just the manager mate, the board as well. They’re the ones that you never hear from but drive home in massive Bentleys smoking cigars.
Time for Wenger to go but he does love the club. The board dont give a shit. As soon as we dropped out of the top four they decided something needed to be done. Why? Because they weren’t going to get as big bonuses.
What did they do? They still haven’t sacked the guy who is in charge of the football side.
too many arsenal fans are too soft to make there voices heard, if we were Chelsea Liverpool or Newcastle fans wenger would have gone long ago
Really? Last I checked we’re known and ridiculed for having the most toxic home support and atmosphere in the league.
Sadly it’s not only wenger. The job will require the removal of the Kroenkes and gazidis.
Would be surprised if Malcom looked at us today and thought “Naa fuck these cunts”
*wouldnt, I meant wouldn’t
Let’s hope Jack doesn’t!!
lets hope wenger does!!
Let’s hope Kroenke does!!!
Still better than his current team, so there’s that
I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to face Bordeaux with this lot right now.
Looked on the so called supporters pages you mean!
Yeah but you only say that so he won’t come and compete with your lad.
Would he go to Real Madrid after the way they played against Villareal?
May the cunts be fucked!
He should be a good signing, however we still need more experienced names.
Who is this Malcom kid though? Is he any good? I’ve genuinely not heard of him before. Wary of buying players from the Ligue Un because it seems to take them a while to adjust to English football.
I am sure most of the Arsenal fans wouldn’t have even heard his name before but right now they all want to get him signed. It is quite funny when you think about it and how the media could well influence you. Market it right and you could sell even shit. ( Definitely not calling Malcom shit here). We are all like dogs chasing cars.. even if we caught one we wouldn’t know what to do with it. But the reality is given the state our club is in right now we have to unearth some real gems to save… Read more »
I’ve got a bunch of Brazilian friends. They say he’s just as rated as Man City’s Jesus over there. He’s only 20 but he’s bagged quite a few screamers in the last year or so in France. If it wasn’t for the whole ‘replacing sanchez’ part of deal I would be really excited… but unfortunately that’s what it is. The kids going too be walking in to difficult scenario. Unfortunately our problems are bigger than just a new left forward right now. Let’s hope we’ve got a bit more up our sleeves than just this signing and try salvage something… Read more »
Based on my extensive scouting (read: watching a YouTube video) he plays on the right and cuts in on his left.
We’re not a selling club. We can’t get players to sign contracts, which is even worse.
We want him as he is half the price of lemar. Plus lemar probably watched pool today and thinks that’s slightly more attractive
The club is a shambles. Players leaving contracts expiring within 18 months and still nothing
Shameful that the press don’t ask aw the same questions they do other managers in regards to their jobs and are they the right man to do it
I think the best case scenario is that we sign Malcolm as Alexis’ replacement in the next few days, resign Ozil and Wilshere, and then bring in Lemar in the summer.
We need to sign the lot of them mate
sell ozil, sign jack, and we wont get lemar
what makes you think Lemar wants to come to Arsenal right now? This is the worst Arsenal team and lowest morale for many years
Changing players makes no difference it’s Mr magoo behind the wheel who needs to go
We need a world class central midfielder more than Lemar. I’m tired of having Ozil drop deep to do the distribution job of our supposed CMs.
And sack Wenger
This whole United talk has got me fuming. I’d come to terms with Sanchez going to City, and was kind of looking forward to moving on from him. And then this United shit popped up. At first, I was so sure it was just his agent’s work in trying to get City to offer a better deal, but the longer it’s gone on the more it’s become clear this could be a genuine possibility. United are now heavy favourites. I can’t believe we’re even considering selling Sanchez to Mourinho. WTF is going on?!? I don’t care if they’re offering players… Read more »
Damn straight. After rvp left Wenger said we’ll never sell to utd again. Wenger is a fucking traitor, and therefore we will sell Sanchez to utd.
Easy Tiger, Can you show us where he said that?
It really doesn’t sound like something he’d say.
Mate it’s unthinkable. Deafening silence and zero leadership from the higher-ups. Absolutely sick of Wenger being the only voice of the club during tough parts of the season.
We don’t seem interested in exerting any control over where Sanchez goes. With him at either Manchester club, even if we get an Ancelotti, a Simeone or a Jardim, we’ll have less than a 10% chance of winning a title in the next 3 seasons. What the fuck are they smoking in the boardroom?
winning the title?
lol
I don’t mind the United talks.
Remember, we could easily lose Alexis for free, and he’s as good as gone since the season started. I understand they’re scum, but if they’re offering more than what City would, it’s a no brainer.
Utd beat us at home in less than 15 mins. What do you mean it’s a no-brainer selling them our best player? To Mourinho? After RVP? Nah come on.
Why should we as fans care if the club makes 10m-15m more selling to Utd? We made a profit in the last transfer window for god’s sake. We’re not accountants, we’re football fans.
Jeez, if he picked players today who were ‘focused on [playing for] the club, then our problems are ten times worse than anybody could have imagined.
Why not play hard ball with Utd & try to get Martial? If we got him & Malcom at least we’d have two players ready to go next season. This season is dead already.
Because he has a brain and will never play for Wenger as destroys talent.
Actually Wenger does pretty well developing attacking players. He just can’t keep them here.
Does he? How has Walcott turned out? Welbeck was a shrewd purchase, was he? How about Iwobi? Any progress this last year? Where are Gervinho and Chamakh these days, I wonder?
Wenger did not develop Alexis, by the way. Nor Ozil.
The last attacking player Wenger developed successfully was Robin Van Persie.
What’s poor purchases got to do with it? That is another argument altogether. As we can all painfully see some turds can only take on so much polish. Gervinho, Chamakh, Welbeck – they never had the composure in front of goal (and Chamakh was just plain slow footed). Fact is, that is exactly what has hampered the end product – limited potential. Theo is actually a quite good finisher – it’s defending and things people project that they think he should be but isn’t that is his problem. He’s not a tricksy winger. Never will be. He’s a fast wide… Read more »
A fully fit and on-form Alexis is worth Martial *and* Mkhitaryan. I don’t care what his haters say.
Agreed Kaius …I think some of the shit written about Alexis on here is insane (all the ‘bad for team spirit’ bollocks for starters)……. but we need something out of this deal (if it happens) other than more cash to sit in the bank. As it stands Iwobi & Welbeck are certain first 11 players for rest of season once Alexis leaves and that is terrifying.
At this point I probably be happy if we took Pires out of retirement. Prolly still miles better than welbeck and walcott. ( i just watched him play for Arsenal Masters last november lol)
Sign Malcom and keep Sanchez. This team needs creativity before the club turns poisonous and less attractive. The game is changing and we need to spend and show our ambition.
You can’t keep somebody who doesn’t want to be here, can you?
You also can’t get one without getting rid of the other. There is no money lol
Wenger out.
Arsene Wenger.
Forever protecting players.
Why not buy a player first and then sell Sanchez, that way you get roasted a little less. Instead they’ll sell him and pay a premium as selling club will know they’re desperate and have cash.
Maybe I’m not thinking straight today but Benitez for Arsenal anyone??
Agreed. Why cant we have sanchez and ozil and malcom and lemar and draxler all together? I tell you why, its because we are a small club. The mancs already have aguero, sterling, jesus yet they still come for sanchez. Batca cunts already have messi, they add mcBitey and neymar. Even psg.
Totaly agree.
We don’t have the money. You need the funds first before you can buy. Unless SK willing to float the money with the strict budget it can’t happen unless you are talking about a player in the 20-25M range
Then that begs the question. Where is our damn Money? Looking at our books and the crazy TV deal. We should be able to fork out 100mil per season and even if I am wrong, we have sold Gabriel, Ox and Coq for 35-40Mil(and Sanchez to come) ? So with the addition of Laca.. we’ve spent 15 Mil nett? Surely there’s a sizable amount of cash left
Is it Kronke or Wenger that’s holding back our funds?
Don’t wanna see another penny spent under Wenger. Let’s save everything we can for a new manager so he can choose his own players.
We’ve been signing “top, top quality” players for such a long time that we deployed a middle table squad today against better-looking Bournemouth.
Meanwhile Liverpool are signing Salah, van Dijk and Keita.
That’s fair. Up until a year and a half ago he would arguably not have been leaving the club in a worse state than when he came in. Now it feels like any move he makes will hurt us in the future, whether or not he’s still here.
The board have got to go too. How can they sit there and let this happen.
Theo sits there happy to not play and take the money. Bouldy sits there doing fuck all and takes the money. Stan does fuck all and takes the money.
The club is infested with people that dont give a shit about anything other than how much they’re earning.
You at least have to give Gazidis credit for bringing in football people this year to make moving on from Wenger possible. The board sucks but at the end of the day Kroenke alone controls the board and he has let Wenger have free reign.
I just want to know is our lack of spending down to Wenger or Kronke? We’ve sold Ox, Gabriel, Coq and now Sanchez. That’s roughly 60 Mil? Are we building another Stadium somewhere?
We bid 90m for lemar – he simply didn’t want to play for Arsenal and turned us down so there is money there. I still wonder if Wenger really is controlling transfers anymore as so many of the players we are being linked with are players that Mintelstat found at Dortmund or was linked with at Dortmund (Malcom & pavon).
I think all of them apart from Jack were not focussed and haven’t been for ages. For the love of God Arsene please fcuk off.
What a shambles.
Keeping Sanchez, buying Malcom, whatever wont do any difference. We need about half the team to be changed to even be top 4 contenders. Non of our defenders besides Koscielny would have been in any of the other top sides(maybe Mustafi at liverpool). We need atleast two goodwingers, a good leftback, two good central defenders, a good central midfielder, and ofcourse stop playing with players like Welbeck and Walcott, who offers absolutely nothing.
Hey there is some good news today, the Invincibles can break out the champagne as their record will continue for another year.
I was actually cheering for Liverpool today as the game progressed. Then Liverpool started playing like Arsenal and they almost blew it!
Ox has been looking great right now too…that hurts a bit as well.
The club is rotten, manager, board, moral, culture. Alexis is a true winner, with the exception of this year, imo he has given his all. I wish Alexis well and thank him for the memories. Arsenal and Wenger have had plenty of time to give Alexis and Ozil ultimatiums, either sign or we’ll have to sell you. Wenger said he would not sell Ozil or Alexis, more lies and to top it all he would sell our best player to Mourinho. Manchester United who aren’t running away with the premiership but yes give us an extra 10 million and he’s… Read more »
Balague is reporting Aubameyang is a done dela for 60mil, let the rebuild begging add the malcom boy plus mikitarijan for alexis and evans it will look good but then there is wenger still at the club.
Aubameyang and Malcom means it’s a good window for us. Plus, if we can do cash plus player deal with United i’d be over the moon.
1. Aubameyang
2. Malcom
3. Mkhitaryan/Martial
4. Mavropanos
Re-sign Ozil and Wilshere.
Out
1. Alexis
2. Coquelin
3. Walcott
4. Chamberlain
Let the games begin.
Ps:I hope i don’t regret posting this
a good window ? and who’s going to coach them? the quicker people realise that it doesn’t matter who we bring in or sell unless they are coached and organised we are fucked. any manager in the league and i really mean this could get us to where we are today and maybe half would get us slightly higher with what we are, the problem is wenger simple as that.
A good window is when you get quality players and balance the budget.
I still believe in this club and the manager. I have not reached a point where you go ‘enough is enough’. It’s frustrating but we’ll get through this period.
We haven’t gone backwards..we just stagnated while our rivals spent huge sums to move forwards.
I believe we have changed quite a lot of things since last year on and off the pitch. Starting with the formation, bringing in academy players and changing the back room staff.
We are just a bit late to the party. COYG.
Well said Ramgooner – not to mention injuries to key players!
Aubameyang would be a bad signing. He has been dropped by Dortmund three times for ill-discipline – and that’s pretty serious. He will be 29 this summer, so ask yourself why no big club has come in for him before?
Like Vardy, another terrible idea, Aubameyang can only benefit in a counter-attacking side (not Arsenal). His first touch is miserable, he’ll never track back and his team mates don’t like him. Typical Wenger signing, hanging round the bins looking for expensive club rejects.
Do you actually think Aubameyang would come to Arsenal? Deluded. I’m sure if Laca got given the choice of staying at Lyon for another 6 months and then going to Atletico he would have done that. Massive regrets from him no doubt. He just got a water taxi over to a sinking ship.
You will
2/3 MAX
How would the money even work here for those transfers?
I think we could buy the best of PSG,RM, MCFC and Barca and still AW would turn them into a steaming pile of dross
I say we better but them and have aubameyang malcom plus mikitarian and cahs for alexis, give ozil new contract as now we can afford one also wilshere. As for the manager it is better to sing these players and have them as I am sure that if he is not going in the summer he will certenatly not be offerd new deal he will be gone in 2019 and we need these strong base of players for the new manager and sell all the deadwood. I will be a good start for the new manager to have Aubameyang, Malcom,… Read more »
I really tried to understand what you wrote, I really did.
Aubameyang is not better than Lacazette, and they play the same position. Faster, yes, but the guy wastes so many of the chances he gets.
IDK either way. They both have pro/cons. Maybe Auba gets to more chances then Laca?
If he makes near-post runs instead of pulling off to the edge of the box, then I could imagine that might be the case.
I just don’t see how signing a 20 year old relatively unknown player constitutes as a replacement for a player of Sanchez’s quality. I don’t care if we sign Malcom or not, but we can’t seriously say that is our replacement for Sanchez. Lemar barely counts a “replacement” we should be signing an expireneced top quality player. Not young, future prospect barley ready for first team football in the premier league.
Is the weight Wenger can see in the team not Deadweight?
Boring… literally don’t give a fish’s tit anymore. The football flame is not burning inside me right now.
Not true mate or you wouldn’t be on here. Youre a Gooner
Fancy wasting your precious time to tell people you don’t care- i don’t care if you care or not!
Watching that liverpool team (w/o Dijk and keita) makes me think there might still be value for money signings out there if you look competently Mr wenger.and maybe,just maybe try to use some particular tactical plan while you are here.that will at least hopefully secure top six..and maybe just drill every ounce of energy towards Europa?That might just Add some frosting to this shit sandwich of a season. 🙂
Or maybe pay the officials not to give offside goals as goals, disallow good goals and give penalties to diving cheating scumbags!
Liverpool have spent an awful of money on their squad.
In recent years they’ve also bought and sold a fair few at a loss.
It’s the sale of Suarez and Coutinho that make their net spend only ‘very big’.
Malcolm is just the sort of player we desperately need…but it’s very hard to see us finishing in the top 4 this season no matter what we do at this point.
We’d be lucky to get him at this point, honestly. Time to start the rebuild job, find a new coach for next season, start putting the pieces in place. We’ll be lucky to finish 6th this time around, giving Arsene a new contract (and him taking it) was a huge mistake and the club is just going to have to write off this season.
And next season and probably two more….
sanchez is going, ozil is not far behind, don’t know who Malcolm is, and we aint going to get lemar, now you are all up to date ok
How poeple can defend this clown is beoynd me.
Calling Names won’t help,Full blown protest from our next league match might just make this final season tho.
It doesnt hurt neither.
I wish I could feel excited about new signings, or about anything Arsenal related right now for that matter.
Wenger reminds me of that comic figure “the Wizard of Id”, a hapless wizard whose successes were significantly less than his failures.
Its really sad to see this wonderful man, stumbling along, seemingly quite unaware.
Fuck off wenger
Maybe you should ! He’s done far more for my club than you ever did !!
Makes sense though. Take a guy who is taking the club into a downward spiral and put him into a position of power upstairs? I like your logic.
Maybe you should too. I’m entitled to my opinion. Whilst he’s done so much he has gradually destroyed everything. It’s my club as much as yours and it’s Arsenal not Arsene. I was all for a dignified exit and defended him when others didn’t but seriously?
I think its time for him to go, but telling him to ‘Fuck Off’ is overly harsh.
He’s given us some great times but time to go upstairs Arsene
Not harsh at all. 14 years without a title challenge is one of the most barren periods in the club’s history. I wish he’d never joined.
And I quote ‘ we will never sell to united again’. Looks so like another lie.
Where did he say that?
14 years is poor, but there’s a good reason for the first 5+ years of that. It’s only a justified comment since we’ve stopped having to raise money selling our better players.
Why would we want him upstairs? As far away as possible please.
Is it? Being a patsy and lightening conductor for those money grabbing shitbags on the board? Rolling out the same platitudes every time we fail (increasingly often too). The good times are a very long time ago. Yes I would like him to have a dignified exit but that he won’t do. He won’t walk so he must Be pushed
I work for a tv channel. A lot of reports about Aubameyang on the wires
Guys, I’m not defending Wenger here because he has his faults, but I feel much of the blame goes to him even when he is not at fault. As a Manager he should be responsible for how the team performs on the pitch. But I feel the board does not know what they are doing that they kind of let Wenger control everything which is wrong. Arsene is an employee , he shouldn’t have as much control, he doesn’t deserve to be fired but should never have been given the new contract but they did, the board did that. Does… Read more »
Thats the whole point. He needs to or should have let go years ago. Just focus on the Sr team and let others take care of everything else. How much worse could it have been by now?
This seems to be the ONLY comment that has made complete ‘objective’ sense.
Kudos Jonathan!
Love (for Arsenal) has sadly made even a true LEADER (not JUST a manager!) like the eternally great Arsene Wenger blind. :/
Yes, he will join utd if Sanchez joins city.
PR leaking department in overdrive. Looking forward to hearing about how we nearly signed him.
He would be a brilliant signing but feels too good to be true.
On another note we haven’t signed any technically gifted midgets in a while.
The once great man is now just a clown.
We bought Sanchez from Barca when he was in his prime. So, Wenger must be taking the piss if he thinks Malcolm from a shit French team is a replacement. We are making the team worse.
Wenger just can’t get the best out of the players anymore. We are just to easy to play against. Every now and then we look good. When we came back against Liverpool we all knew we would blow it and give it away. And that sums us up under Wenger right now. It does not matter who we sign it can’t get better with him in charge.
It’s not really Malcom. It’s some bloke called Malcolm.
Can you ever imagine Utd, City, Chelsea or any other ambitious club allowing their two best players to get to this stage and then selling one to one of the above clubs mid season. A season where you’ve made a profit on transfers already and are light years behind the top five? This club is a fucking joke, ably abetted by a hapless, sorry joke of a manager and a board utterly clueless to the ways of football and seemingly not keen to learn either. I think we’re going to be the best of the rest, outside the top five,… Read more »
We need a new manager and a new team. That isnt a team its individual players and a new goal keeper his best days were at chelsea thats y they let him go to us cos he done with now. We need a different way off thinking time to get rid
Fish rots from the head.
Even if we sign this dude tomorrow he won’t be of any use for months.
Please let Wenger spend any more money. I can’t stand the underwhelmingness of the averagilistic players he buys.
Why on earth are we waiting? Sell him. We should have sold in the summer truth be told bbut there was a flicker of hope we would be competitive this season back then and we did not want to strengthen a rival. As is, we are no longer rivals. Wenger is too sentimental to the detriment of the club. He did the same foot dragging with the Ox. Gnabry was pushing for first team. Instead of promoting him and forcing the Ox as well to put pen to paper, he let Gnabry leave and in the end we lost the… Read more »
Never fails with Mahrez
Unless we stop being the most loyal fans in the country and reduce the emirates to a half empty shell, he will never leave or be sacked.
Stay away from the Emirates.
My fellow Gooners. As much as it’s difficult to comprehend and even more difficult to accept… Arsene Wenger is not the type of man to walk away from a contract. Simple. Moreover, Our board and owners understand that he’s the best manager football has seen for a long time, in the sense that he consistently makes them wads of cash every season with minimal investment. He maintains a semblance of being a top team without actually winning anything major for nearly a decade or so. And that’s why i beleive it’s better for us to accept he’s going nowhere even… Read more »
Dont know much bout melcolm, but sure jope ges tricky and dribbly.
Dream – Sign 5 new players and get Ancelotti.
Reality – Sell our best player in 10 years to our so called rivals, finish 6th and be shit for another 5 years.
It’s too late to be signing players Wenger. We should be signing new players in every window, not at the last minute.
‘During transfer window you should only call players who are fully committed, therefore I played Ox against loserpool two days before he was gone.’
It looked like we were the new Tots, dreaming of top 4 without quite making it a reality. Now we seem to be going a level further down, selling a ‘top top’ talent and buying a diamond in the rough. While I’m happy if we sign Malcom (don’t know much about him), as say a replacement to Walcott. However for a 20 year old to come and replace Sanchez, is not what a top club does. We need further additions. Ofcourse we need a change of manager but we can’t let our club to sink down the table. We don’t… Read more »
I hope soon we can say goodbye Sanchez and hello Malcom.