Mertsacker is top of Wenger’s wish list, with Vertonghen in reserve
Arsene Wenger got a shock yesterday when Sol Campbell decided to take the offer from Newcastle rather than return to Arsenal, and now he is in desperate straights defensively and needs to find another solid centre-back immediately, or maybe even two!
The Mirror reports this morning that Arsenal have given up on prising Phil Jagielka away from Everton, and have now turned their attention to the big German defender Per Mertsacker. The Werder Bremen defender has been linked with the Gunners for some time now, but as others have dropped by the wayside the 25 year-old has risen to become the Number One target. Arsenal have no time to lose now and the Mirror reports that Ivan Gazidis has given himself 48 hours to wrap up a £10m deal for Mertsacker. If that fails he will move on to try and get Jan Vertonghen from Ajax, with Pape Diakhate as the final back-up.
Although Wenger has Koscielny and Vermaelen as the two first choice centre-backs, Johan Djourou and the youngster Havard Nordtveit are lacking in big-game experience. Arsenal have just two weeks before the start of the season to replace Campbell and time is running out…..
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Don’t need him.
@Arsenal Royalty, are u f’n made dude? we need both of them(Per & Jan). With AW saying that he was going to sign one more defender before Sol left, I hope that he does buy 2 Defenders.if we do then i would be happy and i think we’ll be much better off than last season, even if AW doesn’t buy a GK which it looks like he is not going to.
I seriously think Per and Vemaelen would make a great set up at the back.
We need to really sort out our transfer dealings….
We procastinate all the time…. If we want someone let’s get him.
I seriously think we would negotiate over a £20 difference in valuation.
Example:
Arsenal: we will give you 6 million for him.
Werder: he worth 12 million.
Arsenal: ummm okay… How about 3 million up front and 3 million over the next 2 years.
Werder: that’s still 6 million
Arsenal: it’s a great offer !
Werder: it’s worse then the first and still doesn’t add up to 12 million
Arsenal: umm okay..let’s think about this…how about 4 million up front and 2 million once he has played 40 games and Arsenal has won the premier league…and the clincher is you can play in next seasons emirates cup.
Werder: I’m speechless ? How about you pay 12 million or f*ck off.
Arsenal: okay u drive a hard bargain.. How about 6.5 million and silvestre, gallas & senseros
Werder: u don’t have any of those players f*ckhead !
Look, Arsenal are one of the richest clubs in the world we can afford 2 new players !
This is so typical. Again, AW has been left exposed due to his lack of transfer dealings. Why does he always wait and leave it to the last minute? Imagine, if he was a little more pro active we would have seen the likes of Drogba and Ronaldo playing in the mighty Red and White. He said that he wanted to get all his deals sone before the WC, and all we got was Chamakh on a free. We then eventually sign Koscienly (another saga) who openly admits that he needs to bulk up for the rigors of the EPL. (Feck me….!)
Again he has put all his eggs in one basket by relying on Campbell in staying, like he did when Sol signed for Portsmouth and alas he has been totally been made to look a twat!
Why does he not learn, and be so bloody stubborn? He has said and the board has said that the money is there so why are we quibbling over a further 4 – 6 million on the likes of Cahill and Jagielka.
After Djourou limping off again yesterday, I would concur we need another two centre defenders, if they are Merts or Ven I am not sure as Alan Hansen, slated Mertsacker during the world cup for being cumbersom and slow, and Ven is left footed as Verminator, Clichy and Gibbs. I believe Nordvelt needs another season on loan because, after yesterdays showing I think he still unsure what is favoured position is. Also, Songs name is bounced around as cover as a CB, but who will cover the CDM, Denilson and Diaby, me thinks not?
As much as I trust in AW, I gotta’ another feeling he is gonna stick by his guns and screw this season up again. And we wonder why, people like Hleb, Flamini and maybe Cesc’s head is turned by the lure of clubs that actually compete and win competions.
And please don’t get me stated on the Goalkeepers…:)
The positives though are Wiltshire, Frimpong and JET I believe are ready. I really hope they push next season to start.
C’MON YOU GUNNERS!!
I am pretty sure Djourou is Swiss. Yes offcourse we need defenderS. Sol leaving and Dj getting injured is a blessing in disguise. This will force wenger to buy defenders. I just hope its not a Sol/Silvestre(old pensioners) type of signing but a real beast. Maybe Gary Cahill and Jageyelka.
but what about clichy he is a great defender is he 2 old or sumin?:(
Vertonghen and Vermaelen wouldn’t be good together because they are both left-footers!
AW really needs to sort it out now, we cant go “another” season without winning anything, we clearly have money to spend, we always make money on our players sold so why not use this on some quality defenders and goalkeeper!!!! Lets forget Mark Swarzer… we will only get 1 season out of him, for an extra 3 or 4 million we could get the likes of Seb Frey or Ajax’s no1… much better investments in my opinion. Per Mersacker would be a good choice for me for a CB, abit slow but he gives us so much more height which is definately what we need for set pieces defensively and attacking, forget jagielka… he is the same height as vermaelen… and slower… and for £18m thats a rip off!!! If Song does get pushed to a CB covering then lets go buy Nigel De Jong, he is a no nonsense battling MF… again something we need! Anyone else agree with me on all this??
Come on AW get your wallet out and show them the Queens Head!!
bring on PER MERTSACKER HE IS PROFESSIONAL WITH HIM WE COME STRONG FOR SURE
nickerless b,
you are right in what you’re saying. the premiership this year s going to be very hard… no more small teams. we need to improve our defense quickly, good defenders and good goalkeepers are ready to play for us and what’s the board s doing? nothing… wait until the last minute to try to do something. we are not asking the board to buy big players every years but our defense is not good so we need to resolve that problem and that is it.
PER AND A GOLIE NEEDED,BUT ONLY HAV BOUT 2,3WEEKS TO SIGN 2 PLAYERS… WE TOOK BOUT A MONTH TO GET OUR 2NEW SIGNINGS….WENGER IS JUST TOO SLOW JUST TO SAVE CASH,AND I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY COZ WE HAV ENOUGH MONEY…????….
Vermealen and Vertonghen were partners in Ajax for an entire season and he can also play at left back and is a reliable deputy at DM. It’s like killing 2 birds with 1 stone.
Also Mertesacker may not be the quickest player but he reads the game well and is extremely good in the air. We should buy both, then well have mertesacker and TV as the starting pair, Djourou, Kos and Vertonghen as backups and give Nordveit experience in cup matches.
Per would be a good signing for 10 million, but I have doubts about his ability to handle the premier league. Hangeland or Cahill would fit Arsenal better. Hangeland of Fulham would be the perfect partner for Vermaelen, he’s an almost 6′5″ stay at home, no-nonsense CB that has proved his quality in the premier league for 2yrs. While Vermaelen charges up field in attack, Hangeland will keep things locked down at the back, at 29 he still has years to play his best football and cost half of what Cahill or Jagielka would.
Djourou, Whatever Nationality he is, whatever language he speaks, HE IS NOT WORTH FOR A FIRST TEAM SPOT FOR ARSENAL. NOT EVEN BOLTON, SUNDERLAND WOULD LIKE PLAYER LIKE HIM.
wenger must buy mertsacker now because arsenal need experienced defender, koscielny must be a back up not a full time defensive player so wenger must spend good money in order to buy a good defender like of mertsacker
Buy buy buy Mertasacker he reads a game so well!! If we only got him id be happy enough cause i dont think Djourou is the worst and we have Koncienly. Also keep Noerdvert and Bartley if it got really bad. De Jong would be a great signing. If Cesc does leave we need 2 players. Ozil and Mata of valencia. We have no attacking midfielders that are left footed and dont look balanced. That Italian keeper we where linked with in the sun today looks decent IF Wenger doesnt want to spend big money..his name is Federico Marchetti. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3071183/Gunners-eye-Marchetti-swoop.html
That the link if anyone wants to read it.
Buy mertesecker,,he is a tower defender. He can make a superb addition to the first team..Vertonghen also, buy him. Sell djourou cause he is more prone to injuries. Buy right back too,,to reserve for sagna cause coquelin and nortveidt not good enough.