Maybe Arsenal are interested in signing the Portugal international Jose Fonte from Southampton. We could certainly do worse than bringing in this highly experienced centre back to cover the gaps in our back line caused by the injury problems of Mertesacker and Gabriel.
Fonte is a proven performer in the Premier League, with almost 150 games under his belt for Southampton, and he was one of the major reasons that an unfancied Portugal team were able to lift the European championship trophy in France this summer.
Having said all that he is 32-years old and although he should still have a few years left at the top level I think Arsene Wenger would still rather sign a slightly younger player. Fonte is also being linked with a move to join Jose Mourinho at Old Tafford, as reported by The Mirror, and Wenger suggested only last week that he could not compete with Manchester United in the transfer market.
So could it be that someone connected with Arsenal is behind these Fonte rumours, with the idea that Valencia might begin to worry about missing out on the cash boost they would get by selling us Shkodran Mustafi? With the news that the German defender is training alone it appears that his club may be ready to sell, and if they think that Arsenal might look elsewhere, perhaps they will be ready to accept our offer.
What do you think, Gooners, am I being too suspicious?
Bob.
I don’t know What to believe anymore……..
@uzi,
Me too. I’m tired of all these rumours.
The truth is that EVERYONE and their grandmothers KNOW that Arsenal are DESPERATE for a striker and CD. With the transfer window almost coming to a close, the price for our potential players are probably upped between £5-15m. Our haggling will only make other competitors to snap up the players, or that it’ll be too late for the selling team to find a replacement, thereby refusing to sell…and we the fans suffer the consequences AGAIN.
My conclusion on this matter is that someone is lying to us fans. It’s either Wenger or the Board, or both.
Im with you two guys on this I have no idea of what the truth is and what is just smoke and mirrors?
I cant help but recall the first time we were seeking to buy in Higuain and how that just died on the vine.
Could Mustafi be another one of Wengers “we nearly signed him” stories ?
who knows ?
On a non-rumor note, has anyone noticed how well Serge Gnabry is playing in the olympics? I watched several games of his just to make sure that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan, and he has consistently been very good. It looks like he has regained most of his form that he had before his injury and then some. Wonder what the plans are for him. He will be back before Iwobi and Ramsey come back from injury, and his fitness is not a question cause he has been playing. He could play on the opposite side from Alexis.
I always have confidence in that kid making like I had always believe in Le coq before.
Hope I am wright for the 2nd time.
He is good but given that the focal point of the attack for Arsenal is Giroud, he won’t fair well, I’ve always said if you where to give our “wingers” artistic license to play as inside forwards instead of on the overlap trying to cross it in to Gioud they will be a he’ll of a lot better, Walcott and Ox preseason and Campbell world cup and Alexis Sanchez Copa America and now Gnabry are all self evident having a deep lying forward/ target man is impeding their ability to perform well because there spending 70% of the time trying to cross instead of run at opponents
I agree wholeheartedly that our play often lacks that directness from our wide players. But while Campbell and Theo have a lot of great traits, the ability to consistently face up their marker/s and take them on genuinely doesn’t seem to be one of them. Ox is a different story though, and what I’ve seen recently has given me a lot of hope as his confidence seems sky high and is putting his down and doing some serious work on his direct opponent. Gnabry has shown shades of that directness.
I do disagree in regards to the suitability of Giroud playing with IF’s. I know he has quite a few very apparent weaknesses.. But ability to create space for team-mates and linking play definitely aren’t in that category. Ideally if the widemen do what they’re supposed to and beat one or two opponents creating space Giroud is pretty deadly on the pullback as well, particularly if the cross/low cross comes in from the left.
But there in there lies the problem, he is not mobile in the box, he has those traits as you mentioned but prefers to wait for the ball to feet. The reason he often goes on goal droughts is he often ends up isolating himself uptop, waiting for a cross that when the likes of Walcott and Campbell are put under pressure never comes, in my opinion he should be dropping back when he realises this, and this is the reason he can never be that 20+ goal striker. You need to show versatility and mobility to get goals which is why correct me if I’m wrong people prefer Welbeck ahead of him, which is not saying his better, but at least he provides options
Good that Gnabry is doing well.
However I wouldn’t look too much into the Olympics. Let us remember they are basically U23-competition. Even Sanogoal did well for the youth teams..
Exactly! ?
If the boy had any real class, he would have proved himself at WBA, Instead of sulking in their reserves.
True.. But his end-product has been first-class. The latest ball he put in had the narrowest of space and the perfectly weighted pass completely opened the opposition. A few of his finishes there’s not a keeper in the world who would’ve saved either.
Thesame fans who are calling on Wenger to buy a RW are the same fans who are calling on Wenger to give OX, Serge and Iwobi a game. Make up your minds Arsenal fans.
For example I want 2 CB and i want Chambers and Holding out of the club top the championship on loan or a premier league team or even go abroad on loan. For me the kids are not ready.
Serge Gnarby is not ready as well, as Joel campbell ,Ox and iwobi are all better than him. So he should go on loan. May be to germany, Bournemouth , southampton , Burnley etc
Wenger is a clown. How can u send and Arsenal player to Tony Pulis. And Arsenal defender yes but and Arsenal attacking midfielder sent to Westbrrom is total madness.
Next story you will hear is Southampton Rejected Arsenal bid for Fonte, followed by, Mustafi extends is contract with Valencia. See my fellow Gunners, dont expect Anymore signing! Wenger is suffering from old age syndrome,Never give up on your club, lets just hope that one day, I mean soon, Wenger will leave,but for now erase your mind from any new signing, Leicester vs Arsenal I will give Leicester 1x
Couldn’t more.Just forget this season and just hope he hasn’t th nerve to sign a further 3 year extension to his contract
What should we learn from this transfer window is that we are no longer negotiating from a position of power, players no longer feel compelled to come to Arsenal especially when we make a half arsed attempt to sign them…
Ozil and Sanchez not being in a rush to sign a new contract is a clear warning to any potential target.
It already seems as if Sanchez has had a belly full already, we can only wait and see what happens in the next two weeks or so, But the early signs suggest that the misery is about to get Worse,mate.
Preaching to the choir there, as hard as it is to accept for most people I said Ozil and Sanchez will be gone, should be gone next window especially if the best thing we can offer them is a top four place and the ocasssional FA Cup, not discrediting it but for players of their stature it’s an insult.
Mate, I would not be surprised if Sanchez forces a move before this window shuts!
I can’t see Wenger keeping hold of an unhappy player, especially if the rumours of Sanchez having words with wenger, stating that he wants out and with Juventus planning on putting in an improved bid for the player.
Tired of the transfer window already, it is doing more harm to us (Gunners) than good.
Can this window just shut right away for good??
Am done been optimistic, I am just following Arsenal like the middle table teams do, with little or no expectation at least until a massive turn around has taken place. #PEACE.
Wenger did say categorically
“I will sign another CB before Sept.”
If he has decided there is no one out
there worth spending money on
what does he now do to deliver on that promise?
Buy/loan a cheap as chips short term CB maybe.
Or if Bielik was promoted to the senior squad
would that qualify as signing another CB?
Hahaha Wenger didn’t promise anything mate and it wouldn’t be the first or the last time that he has contradicted himself.
He is the Original Artful Blagger!
The Master of Contradiction!
The Riddler and Joker combined!
Only Batman, can save us now! ??
Humbug!
Ebenezer is just looking out for his yearly bonus, its probably a percentage from the clubs annual profits.
You know it makes sense! ?
As for Mustafi, there’s other club’s who are also interested in signing him, So Errrrrr, Bob’s theory just flew out of the transfer window.
It will take a humiliating defeat against Leicester for Wenger to make a REAL attempt to sign a World class Striker!
We can only wait and see, We as fan’s are Champions at doing that!
The plan is simple:
Buy Lacazette, buy Mustafi. Business done!!!
What is wrong with this club?!!!!
Lacazette is not an upgrade on giroud but would add depth. Signing lacazette depends on price and salary. If it is a fortune then best to keep money for new manager to use next summer on a striker who is an upgrade on giroud.
Everone keeps saying about a CB and CF but big player needed is DM. Yes at the back we need help but the Liverpool game AW should have played HB RH & NM and KG. holding is far better then chambers by a mile. Again this was AW picking the wrong team. Ox and SC should have started. You no we can all pick the team but AW gets it wrong. So who will take the full for this ? TW for 1 but I think he had a good game 2 goals 2 games but AW will drop him for that French dick that Ozill rips to bits on Twitter. Fact not good enough but I think TW can play with a CF who has pace where he don’t need to think to much. AW go buy the 4 players we need yep 4 then we can play 442 and piss over the lot of them
we will end up with the guy from West Brom I can feel it in my bones, Wenger above all looks to save the club money and for whatever reason this is ALWAYS his priority like with transfer windows past he goes through ALL the flim flam of approaching clubs and players with 40% less money than what they are asking for ONLY so it can be claimed later that “We tried to sign the player but it was too complicated and the seller was asking too much” same old Arsenal same old Wenger