Showing posts with label Arsene Wenger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arsene Wenger. Show all posts

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Lille Starlet Eden Hazard Would Be a Great Signing for Arsene Wenger

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report) If the Gunners could find a way to pull it off, the signature of Belgian starlet Eden Hazard would be one of the best moves they could make. His ability to cut through a defense as well as pass around one makes him an ultimate forward.

The Arsenal target scored two goals this weekend as he looks up and ready for the clubs opening round of the UEFA Champions League that kicks off this week. He will be an influential part for their possible success and will need to continue to be on the top of his game.

However, if not in January, Hazard could be a strongly chased target over the summer with Arsene Wenger eager to find a player that can take the place of Andrei Arshavin who has at times acted like he wanted out.

So far his performances for current side Lille have helped to show that the defending French Champions are still strong despite losing Gervinho to Arsenal already.

At only 20 years old Hazard is in the age bracket that Arsene Wenger like to buy in. The recent signatures of multiple players over 21 was one of them most aggressive offensive gambles that Arsene Wenger has taken in a long time, but it should pay off.

For once the Frenchman has purchased players that are experienced and they are the kinds of players that are versatile and interchangeable. Their experience and advice could go a long way to assisting a young incoming player like Hazard if Wenger can get him in the summer.

Earlier in the summer Hazard was rated as £26 million, but giving his recent continued high octane form that price could raise to £30 million plus by next summer.

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Tuesday, 13 September 2011

Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Eden Hazard and 3 Players Arsene Wenger Will Chase

Clive Mason/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report) Arsene Wenger can finally breath at least a small sigh of relief as his club pulled of a narrow 1-0 victory over Swansea City thanks to Andrei Arshavin.

The Russian scored thanks to an error by Swansea keeper Michel Vorm, who has been sensational since his arrival from the Eredivisie up until that one moment. The keeper rolled a ball out to an inattentive defender allowing Arshavin to pounce and put the Gunners on top.

It would prove all that was necessary for Wenger to lead his club to their first victory of the season and hopefully kick off a better September than they had in August.

Wenger had spent big on the final day of the transfer window, and he included all of his new signings in the 18-man squad that came out to face his opponents, with both Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta getting the start.

So far it looks like these could be signings to get them through their tough year ahead, but not all will make the cut for the long haul as he will undoubtedly pursue more strength for the club come January.

Check back here for updates as they are added below......Click to View the News.

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Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Arsenal Transfer Deadline Targets: Per Mertesacker & 6 Players on Wenger's List

Alex Livesey/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report) After a horrid Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, Arsene Wenger looks to finally show true signs of life in the transfer market.

He has brought in £60 million to stock his transfer kitty with the sales of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City.

However, until this weekend's 8-2 humbling defeat to rivals Manchester United, he has looked content not to spend.

It is now down to the fact that his team is just not good enough and he cannot simply rely on his youthful talent. He needs proven players with veteran leadership to ensure he has a fighting chance of turning out the same result as in 2006-07.

That was the last season Arsenal sat on only one point after three games and the Gunners still finished fourth. But this season looks to have already proven it will be a tougher battle for fourth than ever as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all at the top of the table and ready for a fight to the finish.

Here are seven players he is considering......Click to Start Slideshow.

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Sunday, 28 August 2011

EPL Preview: Predicting the Manchester United Starting XI vs. Arsenal

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: Danny Welbeck of Manchester United celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on August 22, 2011 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
(Bleacher Report)Manchester United currently are joint top of the table as they look to keep their streak going against an Arsenal team that is experiencing loads of change this season. The Red Devils have had great success so far this season with an invigoration of new youthful talent.

The Gunners made their way into the Champions League this week thanks to a superb effort in the second leg to assure they went through against Udinese. It means there once again is hope of an all English semi-final round but Arsene Wenger has to sort his team out in the league as well.

Sir Alex Ferguson has managed his team well through the first two games by securing victories over a tough West Bromwich Albion team, as well as an unimpressive Tottenham Hotspur club last week.

However, the Red Devils have experienced an injury crisis of their own with their two star center half's in Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand being out for the time being as well has having lost Rafael Da Silva. Patrice Evra is touch and go but should once again be in the starting line up.

Great performances against Tottenham by both Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have many believing that the returns of Vidic and Ferdinand will be met with a tough test to get back into the first 11 automatically as Smalling in particular has shined since the FA Community Shield Victory.

I expect a great matchup as even though the Gunners are down, Wenger always has them ready for a good hard fought battle against his old rivals up north at Old Trafford.

Keeper

David De Gea is sure to start. Despite his early rattlings in the opening match's, most notably being caught out at times appearing to be behind the pace, the young Spaniard has shown much promise. I believe he will only get stronger under Ferguson's tutorship.

The Back Line

Jonathan Evans and Phil Jones are my believed men to hold their places at the center of defense. Both have continued to display poise and class beyond their years and they look very promising for United's future.

Patrice Evra will start on the left and will be his leadership at the back that will guide the three youngsters and his keeper to keep making forward moves. Chris Smalling has proven a great stand in at the right back position and his versatility will see him get much playing time this season.

The Midfield

Ashley Young has been excellent since his arrival and I expect nothing less of him as he retains his place in continuance of his great form. Nani as well has been on top of his game and his creativity has had great influence in what could be the season in which he comes of age.

The center of midfield has been held down by an unlikely duo that emerged as the summer preseason went on. Tom Cleverly returned from a great loan spell and has been a permanent fixture in Sir Alex Ferguson's line-up since. Just as well Anderson looks to finally have developed to his potential and is reaping the rewards.

The Attack

Wayne Rooney as always is one of the most deadly and well rounded strikers in the game. Rooney also has already gotten himself into the top of the scoring charts with a goal in both the West Brom and Tottenham victories.

Danny Welbeck returned from loan this season after having a good showing for Steve Bruce and Sunderland last year. He scored against Tottenham last Monday night and looks to have a good run of form going as he is holding the place of Javier Hernandez while he recovers to complete fitness.

Supersubs in Waiting

Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez will most likely be the striking options on the bench. Berbatov could be leaving the club before next week, while Hernandez is still not at 100% fitness as he is making his way back from the head injury he picked up in preseason.

Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick and Ji-Sung Park will be the likely candidates for a possible run out in the middle or wide areas of the park should the need arise.

Rounding out the last two places on the bench are Fabio da Silva and Tomasz Kuszczak. Fabio will be the only real option available for a defensive run out as the United defenders available and still fit are slim.

Conclusion

The Red Devils will surely be looking to take advantage of a much weakened Arsenal, and are the most likely to take the majority of the points. However, you can never count out Wenger and any group he puts on the pitch as he has the ability to prove you wrong every single time.

I think it will be cagey for the first half with United getting ahead 1-0 around the 30th minute. Arsenal should hold until after the break and despite getting at least one past De Gea I see the Gunners going out 3-1 away to United.

You can read my full match preview from Thursday here.

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Friday, 26 August 2011

Samir Nasri: Manchester City Transfer Saga Finally Comes to a Close

Alex Livesey/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Nearly two months of constant controversy and speculation surrounding Samir Nasri has finally come to a close in the past few days.

With the French International finally getting his move away from London, he has since been in the news for talking poorly of his old clubs' fans, but he has praised Arsene Wenger.

Manchester City shelled out £25 million to prize the midfielder away from the London club, who will have turned a £9.5 million profit on the player who cost them £15.5 million from Marseille in 2008.

The recently-turned 24-year-old was nothing short of sensational for the majority of his time with Arsenal, and despite all the speculation, he still put in a great shift against Liverpool in the Gunners 2-0 loss last weekend.

It is unknown if Nasri will start in the Citizens Sunday afternoon clash with Tottenham Hotspur, but he will most likely at least get a substitute cameo in front of his new adoring public......CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE UPDATES.

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Monday, 22 August 2011

Yoann Gourcuff Could Be Arsenal's Best Bet for Another Frenchman in the Midfield

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)If you want to trade apples for apples or Frenchmen for Frenchman, Arsenal could look no further than Olympique Lyonnais 25-year old Yoann Gourcuff. The former AC Milan player found his feet while on loan at Bordeaux in 2008-09 and has been a sensation in Ligue 1 ever since.

He scored 24 goals and provided 26 assists in 95 total appearances for Bordeaux in his two seasons at the club and proved that he was a top class talent. His performances earned him a move to Lyon at the start of last season.

However, his first season at Lyon saw his form drop as he struggled to fit in with his new teammates and only scored four goals and dished out five assists.

With his career in need of a boost Arsene Wenger could possibly get him for a much better price than Modric as he would likely cost around £15 million, which is £10 million less than Modric.

The sticking point for the player could be his remaining four years of contract that could cause the Gunners to try and meet a buyout clause which would most likely see the deal squashed.

Wenger could be the one manager to truly get his young fellow countryman back on his path to success. His proven scoring ability is a need for an Arsenal midfielder as his ability to provide the creativity as well. Gourcuff could be a total package in disguise if Wenger were to go after him.

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Luke Modric to Be Next Traitor of North London Derby as He Could Join Arsenal

Gallo Images/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Chelsea look to have filled their midfield void with the impending transfer of Juan Mata from Valencia. The Spaniard should be debuted to the Blues faithful in the coming days and will most likely end the speculation of Luka Modric moving across the City.

However, the ending of one London transfer saga for the Tottenham player could signal the start of another one as Arsenal could possibly look to the Croatian play maker to fill the role of Samir Nasri in the Gunners Line-up.

Much of Arsenal's transfer speculation is hinging on them qualifying for the Champions League. They travel to Udinese on Thursday afternoon, and a loss could end much of their chances at high profile talent while a victory could almost guarantee at least two new signings before the window closes.

Modric still is looking for a way out, and Harry Redknapp has admitted that selling the player could actually strengthen his club in the long run.

The only sticking point could be the price of the 25-year old as Arsene Wenger much prefers value priced talent that he can mold into his squad, but the signing of Modric could take upwards of £25 million out of the believed influx of funds from Cesc Fabregas and possibly Samir Nasri that would total around £60 million.

With another £35 million left over I think it is safe to say that Wenger should splurge on the Croatian if he so chooses as he is one of the possibly long term replacements the Gunners could snag in the remaining days of the window.

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Alberto Aquilani Could Be Great for Arsenal but Milan Are on the Brink

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani transfer saga has been in the wings from those surrounding Cesc Fabregas, Luka Modric and Samir Nasri. With him looking destined to make a return to Italy, it is still interesting to look at him as still having more to offer the English Premier League.

His first season in the league for Liverpool was unfairly criticized in many ways. Most fans and pundits alike made him out to be the next Xabi Alonso for the Reds. The problem is that there really is only one Xabi Alonso.

With unfair belief loaded on his back, anything he did that was different than the Reds beloved Spanish playmaker would have done made him a poor signing. However, he had flashes of brilliance in the brief time he actually got to make his claim to a midfield spot.

Rafael Benitez's departure further unsettled the Roman, and new boss Roy Hogdson was quick to ship him off to Juventus on loan when the Reds could really have used him last season alongside Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles when Steven Gerrard went down.

In total he has only gotten 28 appearances for the Reds with two goals to his name and he has had no time to show his quality now that he is healthy.

Arsene Wenger could take advantage of the highly talented Italian at a cut rate if he wished, and at only 27 years old the Azurri International still has plenty of gas in the tank.

Aquilani also has the age left to grow with Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Alex Song. He could form a lethal partnership with Robin Van Persie as both like to drift between midfield and attack.

That characteristic of the two in combination would possibly ease the problems of no one being in position for Theo Walcott's crosses if Aquilani pushed into the center forward role when RVP had his roving moments backwards.

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Former Red Could Be Great Stop Gap for Gunners in Transition

Ian Walton/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Yossi Benayoun proved to be a game changer during his time at Liverpool. He made 134 appearances scoring 29 goals for the Reds from 2007-2010 until he signed a three year deal to move to Chelsea at the start of the 2010-11 season.

The Israeli international has suffered a long hard road since moving to Stamford Bridge however. He was believed to be a key super sub for the club that could make stand in starts as necessary. The role was most likely to be very similar to the one that Ji-Sung Park fills for Manchester United.

But none of that has materialized as he has spent the majority of his time in London on the recovery table having made only 10 appearances and scoring only one goal.

With the new regime under Andre Villas-Boas in full swing Yossi Benayoun look increasingly on the fringe of the Blues plans and a move to another London club could do him well.

Arsene Wenger is always on the lookout for a bargain, and with Villas-Boas looking to add more players, the 31-year old Benayoun looks access to his plans for the future.

Arsenal are stuck on a limited time table, and they most likely will not have time to negotiate any big deals with only nine days left. Benayoun could provide an excellent value signing at around £4 million and fill a vital role in the middle of the park on a part time basis.

His experience and skill give him the traits necessary to succeed in Wenger's system. With the youngsters still learning their trade, having a skilled veteran to assist in their development and to fill in when crunch time comes could be a great asset for the Frenchman.

You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my personal WebSite

Yoann Gourcuff Could Be Arsenal's Best Bet for Another Frenchman in the Midfield

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)If you want to trade apples for apples or Frenchmen for Frenchman, Arsenal could look no further than Olympique Lyonnais 25-year old Yoann Gourcuff. The former AC Milan player found his feet while on loan at Bordeaux in 2008-09 and has been a sensation in Ligue 1 ever since.

He scored 24 goals and provided 26 assists in 95 total appearances for Bordeaux in his two seasons at the club and proved that he was a top class talent. His performances earned him a move to Lyon at the start of last season.

However, his first season at Lyon saw his form drop as he struggled to fit in with his new teammates and only scored four goals and dished out five assists.

With his career in need of a boost Arsene Wenger could possibly get him for a much better price than Modric as he would likely cost around £15 million, which is £10 million less than Modric.

The sticking point for the player could be his remaining four years of contract that could cause the Gunners to try and meet a buyout clause which would most likely see the deal squashed.

Wenger could be the one manager to truly get his young fellow countryman back on his path to success. His proven scoring ability is a need for an Arsenal midfielder as his ability to provide the creativity as well. Gourcuff could be a total package in disguise if Wenger were to go after him.

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Luke Modric to Be Next Traitor of North London Derby as He Could Join Arsenal

Gallo Images/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Chelsea look to have filled their midfield void with the impending transfer of Juan Mata from Valencia. The Spaniard should be debuted to the Blues faithful in the coming days and will most likely end the speculation of Luka Modric moving across the City.

However, the ending of one London transfer saga for the Tottenham player could signal the start of another one as Arsenal could possibly look to the Croatian play maker to fill the role of Samir Nasri in the Gunners Line-up.

Much of Arsenal's transfer speculation is hinging on them qualifying for the Champions League. They travel to Udinese on Thursday afternoon, and a loss could end much of their chances at high profile talent while a victory could almost guarantee at least two new signings before the window closes.

Modric still is looking for a way out, and Harry Redknapp has admitted that selling the player could actually strengthen his club in the long run.

The only sticking point could be the price of the 25-year old as Arsene Wenger much prefers value priced talent that he can mold into his squad, but the signing of Modric could take upwards of £25 million out of the believed influx of funds from Cesc Fabregas and possibly Samir Nasri that would total around £60 million.

With another £35 million left over I think it is safe to say that Wenger should splurge on the Croatian if he so chooses as he is one of the possibly long term replacements the Gunners could snag in the remaining days of the window.

You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my personal WebSite

Alberto Aquilani Could Be Great for Arsenal but Milan Are on the Brink

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Liverpool's Alberto Aquilani transfer saga has been in the wings from those surrounding Cesc Fabregas, Luka Modric and Samir Nasri. With him looking destined to make a return to Italy, it is still interesting to look at him as still having more to offer the English Premier League.

His first season in the league for Liverpool was unfairly criticized in many ways. Most fans and pundits alike made him out to be the next Xabi Alonso for the Reds. The problem is that there really is only one Xabi Alonso.

With unfair belief loaded on his back, anything he did that was different than the Reds beloved Spanish playmaker would have done made him a poor signing. However, he had flashes of brilliance in the brief time he actually got to make his claim to a midfield spot.

Rafael Benitez's departure further unsettled the Roman, and new boss Roy Hogdson was quick to ship him off to Juventus on loan when the Reds could really have used him last season alongside Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles when Steven Gerrard went down.

In total he has only gotten 28 appearances for the Reds with two goals to his name and he has had no time to show his quality now that he is healthy.

Arsene Wenger could take advantage of the highly talented Italian at a cut rate if he wished, and at only 27 years old the Azurri International still has plenty of gas in the tank.

Aquilani also has the age left to grow with Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Alex Song. He could form a lethal partnership with Robin Van Persie as both like to drift between midfield and attack.

That characteristic of the two in combination would possibly ease the problems of no one being in position for Theo Walcott's crosses if Aquilani pushed into the center forward role when RVP had his roving moments backwards.

You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my personal WebSite

Eljero Elia Could Bring a Dutch Attacking Flair to the Arsenal Midfield

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Hamburg HSV and Dutch International left midfielder Eljero Elia could bring his attacking flair to Arsenal in the absence of Samir Nasri. The young player made a huge splash in the 2009-10 season as he scored six goals and provided eight assists in his first full season in the German Bundesliga.

Since then he has been linked all around Europe and England with Chelsea, Liverpool Juventus and Arsenal all possible suitors for the 24-year old. At his age he is in that age niche that Arsene Wenger likes to exploit.

He is just young enough to have loads of improvement before he reaches his prime, but he is old enough to have valuable experience in a top European league.

Wenger has a history of honing his young players skills at that age, and Elia has a unique skill set of speed and quick passing that also plays well into the Frenchman's fluid playing style.

In most cases the young Dutchman could be a remarkable value at around £6 million and it would allow plenty of left over funds for Wenger to continue spreading around the park to bring in at least another midfielder, defender and center forward.

The most recent rumors for the player have him said to prefer a move to Arsenal or Chelsea over Italian giants Juventus whom reportedly are the current highest bidder for his services.

You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my personal WebSite

Former Red Could Be Great Stop Gap for Gunners in Transition

Ian Walton/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Yossi Benayoun proved to be a game changer during his time at Liverpool. He made 134 appearances scoring 29 goals for the Reds from 2007-2010 until he signed a three year deal to move to Chelsea at the start of the 2010-11 season.

The Israeli international has suffered a long hard road since moving to Stamford Bridge however. He was believed to be a key super sub for the club that could make stand in starts as necessary. The role was most likely to be very similar to the one that Ji-Sung Park fills for Manchester United.

But none of that has materialized as he has spent the majority of his time in London on the recovery table having made only 10 appearances and scoring only one goal.

With the new regime under Andre Villas-Boas in full swing Yossi Benayoun look increasingly on the fringe of the Blues plans and a move to another London club could do him well.

Arsene Wenger is always on the lookout for a bargain, and with Villas-Boas looking to add more players, the 31-year old Benayoun looks access to his plans for the future.

Arsenal are stuck on a limited time table, and they most likely will not have time to negotiate any big deals with only nine days left. Benayoun could provide an excellent value signing at around £4 million and fill a vital role in the middle of the park on a part time basis.

His experience and skill give him the traits necessary to succeed in Wenger's system. With the youngsters still learning their trade, having a skilled veteran to assist in their development and to fill in when crunch time comes could be a great asset for the Frenchman.

You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook or visit my personal WebSite

Sunday, 21 August 2011

Gary Cahill the Ideal Target to Partner Thomas Vermaelen at Arsenal

Michael Steele/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)While Everton's Phil Jagielka and Blackburn Rovers Christopher Samba are great candidates for the gaping hole in Arsenal's defense, there is only one player that truly has the all around skill set to be Arsene Wenger's next central defender.

That player is Bolton Wanderers and England National Team defender Gary Cahill. The 25-year old is the most gifted on all levels of the three players believed to be heading to fill the role of Thomas Vermaelen's partner.

Jagielka has the gift of speed over Cahill, but the later is better at player defense out of position, and is more technically skillful in attack as he scored a goal just this weekend against Queens Park Rangers when the Wanderers demolished the EPL new boys.

Cahill has 12 goals in 112 league appearances for the Trotters and he could be on the move for a fee int he region of 17 million. Liverpool have also been in the hunt for the player as he would be equally as appreciated by Kenny Dalglish as his counter part Wenger.

The player is believed to be on his way to the Emirates, and if the Gunners truly want the deal to succeed they could off Nicklas Bendtner as a deal sweetener. Kevin Davies is in need of a new partner after the departure of Johan Elmander, and the Gunners want away Danish international is a more proven Premier League talent than Elmander ever was.

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Arsenal's Defense in Need of Strength and Experience from Chris Samba

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(Bleacher Report)Blackburn Rovers defender Christopher Samba has been on Arsenal's radar for most of the summer. Arsene Wenger knows that despite his apparent lack of defensive worry in front of the press, his squad is ripe with defensive falterings in the middle.

Thomas Vermaelen is top class but he has spent far to much time injured in the last seasons. Laurent Koscielny is decent but not world class, and SƩbastien Squillaci in all honesty is not worthy of the Gunners kit.

Samba is estimated to cost the Gunners around £16 million, and now that Fabregas has moved on the London club have the funds available to make the transfer happen if Wenger and Blackburn both wish it to be so.

For the sake of Arsenal fans I hope that the deal could be done for them as Samba I believe would add great stability to the Gunners defense, and could be an additional goal threat to Vermaelen in the middle with 16 goals in his five years at Ewood Park.

Rarely injured, and premier league battle tested, the Congo international could be a great addition to the squad with his next five years the prime time of his career.

On top of it all the players Champions League ambitions are more likely to be scene through at Arsenal than Blackburn despite the past six years having been trophy less.

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Mauro Zarate Could Be the Next Attacker to Join Arsenal

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(Bleacher Report)SS Lazio and Argentine forward Mauro Zarate has been linked with a move to Arsenal since early January during last season. However, a move is yet to have materialized.

Given the recent sale of Cesc Fabregas, it could prove that a real attempt to lure the player away from Rome just might be in the works.

Zarate has some English Premier League experience when he made 14 league appearances with Birmingham City during a loan move in the 2007-08 season. He scored four goals for the side during his time in England.

His success on loan in a major league was largely to thank for his move to SS Lazio where he has made 101 league appearances scoring 25 goals. His attacking prowess and creative instinct would be welcomed under Arsene Wenger.

Currently the player is still on holiday from Italy but his links are being played down by his agent. However, the arrival of Miroslav Klose in the close season could see the youngster look elsewhere for playing time and career advancement.

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Juan Mata a Clear Need for Wenger but Chelsea May Beat Him to the Punch

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images
(Bleacher Report)Juan Mata was originally a Liverpool target as the Reds had been tracking him since January. However, his performance in Spain's U21 European Championships was a stock raising moment if there has been one.

With the Reds most likely out of the running as the player was destined to want Champions League football, Liverpool turned their full attentions to the signature of Stewart Downing whom they signed in the early part of July.

Arsenal brought in Gervinho from Lille and the Ivory Coast international has shown he will be most likely be quality. However, with the departure of Cesc Fabregas and the impending departure of Samir Nasri, Arsene Wenger is in desperate need of additional midfield players with experience and top class skill.

Mata has all of that in a 23-year old package. The Valencia winger has been in the first team of a top four Spanish club since breaking into the squad in 2007-08. In his four seasons in La Liga has has 174 total appearances with 46 goals and 43 assists. The Gunners could use both of those stats in their line-up.

However, recent rumors show that Wenger needs to lock in a deal now as Chelsea are strongly linked with the media plastering a possible €27 million move on all corners of the market.

Wenger needs another midfielder of this quality but he may have left it all a little to late to capture the Spanish youngster.

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Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Samir Nasri, and Cesc Fabregas Are Causing Transfer Holds Says Wenger

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(Bleacher Report)Arsene Wenger is accusing the transfer sagas of both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas as the reason for their not being more signings for the Gunners this summer. Two days ago he promised that a signing of "Super Quality," would be arriving next week.

Let us hope that he was not referring to the addition of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain because I will be horse laughing and most Arsenal fans will be cringing at the thought as they start calling for the Frenchman's head.

The under pressure manager had these words published in a recent ESPNsoccernet.com article:

"Ideally I would have finished all [our business], but it doesn't work like that,"

"We work very hard, we are non-stop working throughout the summer. It's all kinds of things you meet during the transfer market, but I can understand the impatience of people."

"We want to add not quality, but super quality."

"We hope to give you some good news soon. Next week, something might happen."

In all honesty it seems his desire to hold on to player desperately wanting out is causing the real problems with the summers dealings. He has been offered over £50 million between both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas.

Fabregas wants to go so bad he is willing to use his own £4 million in bonuses to get out of London. How much more convincing to you need Mr. Wenger?

That amount alone could purchase which ever combination of defenders from amongst his targeted Gary Cahill, Scott Dann, Chris Samba, Phil Jagielka and Jose Enrique.

The signing of there of them at the most would have been worth the £35 million offered by Barcelona for Fabregas that was rejected once again. That still leaves another £22 million that Manchester City have on offer for Samir Nasri.

Out of that he could purchase a new quality keeper, he could have bought Maarten Stekelenburg for only £4.6 million which is what Roma paid for the 28-year old Dutchman. Then that would leave another £17.4 million to add an additional attacker to cover for the Robin Van Persie who despite is amazing talents will probably get injured once or twice this year. Wait actually RVP is already injured and the season has yet to start.

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Arsene Again Puts Money on Youth with Signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

(Bleacher Report)Arsene Wenger is at it again as he has signed yet another U18 starlet in Southampton’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. There is already news of a fan backlash for the youngsters signing as the Gunner’s faithful are in deep despair over the defensive and goal keeping situation at the Emirates.

Chamberlain joins the Gunners for an initial fee of £12 million that is set to grow to a grand total of £15 million and had these remarks upon his revealing as the newest Gunner:

'I'm so excited to be joining Arsenal. It's a fantastic club and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of playing football at the highest level.

'Arsenal have a great manager in Arsene Wenger, top quality players and an attractive style of play. These were all important factors in me choosing to sign for Arsenal.

'I'm now looking forward to meeting all my new team-mates and giving absolutely everything in an Arsenal shirt.'

The Saints have collected quite a solid return for the rather unproven Premier League capabilities of the player who scored nine goals in the Championship last season in 34 appearances. Gareth Bale is the last big name to come out of St. Mary’s and if the young attacker can do as well as his former club mate he will do quite well.

However, with the gaping holes that Wenger appears to have at the back, and with an already over bearing youth contingent the fans may not be able to understand the signing of a youngster for such a high price when the Gunners could be focusing where it seems more needed.

Both Gary Cahill, Scott Dann or Chris Samba could have been secured for that type of money, and any of them would have been to much more immediate benefit to a squad that is losing its winning ways over the last few season thanks to a porous defense.

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