Bolton HOLDING off Arsenal!
Arguably one of the first players Arsenal were linked with this summer came right at the first sighting of the end of the Premier League season. The football league had finished, Bolton were relegated and Arsenal were linked with Bolton’s young centre back prospect Rob Holding. Something about the rumour seemed very Arsenal like and many believed that he would be likely to be join up with the Gunners during the summer. However Since then it has all gone very quiet on the Rob Holding front.
Arsenal have reportedly had one bid turned down by Bolton for Holding already, as it was apparently nowhere near their valuation for the player. The bid was rumoured to be around the £1.5 million mark, which in today’s inflated market would be an absolute steal for a very promising English centre back. That kind of price tag would undoubtedly be risk free and so Arsenal were unlucky to have their approach rebuffed. It is uncertain as to whether Arsenal have followed up their interet any further, however according to local new sources in Bolton, Premier League side Bornmouth have also registered their interest in Holding, by making a bid greater than what Arsenal originally offered.
Arsenal may be on the lookout for a new centre back and if Holding was to join in a ‘cheap as chips’ deal, then I’m sure nobody would complain. Arsene Wenger shouldn’t be hassling too much over a player who is unlikely to cost more than a few million and with the investment he could bring to Arsenal at 20 years of age, it makes him a very promising target. He could be a decent youth investment and someone who could partner Chambers in years to come, because personally I think Gabriel is going to struggle to become a leading Premier League defender. If Arsenal were to sign Holding, then it gives us another option in defence, however it’s also vitally important that Arsenal also sign a top quality, experienced centre back this summer to partner Laurent Koscielny, otherwise the Gunners can be in fear of struggling at the back when the inevitable injures start to kick in.
By AH
OT. I don’t understand the hate for Asano from Arsenal fans. If rivals fans are mocking him that I can understand but our own fans, it is ridiculous. He didn’t come begging us to sign him.
We don’t know how will he perform,may be turn out to be disaster but still his Salary will be peanuts as compared to what we are paying many players who doesn’t stay fit for a month also.
This is a decent signing. Prefer Subotic or any of the other rumors. I was reading about Soufiane Boufal today and realized he would be a great signing for us. He plays with a lot of confidence, which our wingers lack and he is very versatile. We could definitely use him or a player like him.
I was the one to thumb you down.
” He plays with a lot of confidence, which our wingers lack”
STFU. Alexis doesn’t lack confidence. He is our only real winger. We could add Ramsey into this as Wenger plays him as a wide right man… no lack of confidence with Ramsey either. Iwobi hasn’t looked out of his depth.
Our wingers do not play with a lack of confidence, you have been watching the wrong team, maybe the spuds?
Yes, I don’t understand either
We probably got him to please the Asian Market anyway
and I doubt he has been bought to replace Welbeck
He was known as a Top prospect so give him a few years and see how he progresses
No need for hatred or panic
We do get Asian players from time to time, shame they haven’t worked out better but we can’t say a few didn’t make it so they all can’t make it…
I still feel a bit sad over Ryo, so much promise but never realized it with us 🙁
@mall-gooner
It’s unfortunate if there has been hate directed at Asano, but from what I’ve seen, the hate is more for the man who signed him…Wenger! It’s similar to the Welbeck, and Sanogo signings in many ways. We were desperate for a top striker, so Wenger in all his wisdom signed those two rubbish players! I supported them because they became Arsenal players, but I was depressed, and angry at Wenger because they were both clearly not good enough, and proved to be.
Good luck to Asano, I will support him, but I do expect him to fail given his record, and the very poor league he was playing in. Yet again, it’s another baffling signing from the delusional one!
Real talk mate !! mahrez was bought 500k … . It’s all about Heart. Leicester and Portugal have showed us that recently. he could be deadly or not.
Still need a striker with pace and a center back though. A winger will be a bonus.
I’m scared we will end up with this rob guy as our last signing.wenger will say he got us a cb,cm and a striker. Holding,xhaka and Asano.get it?
I am not sure how among all big clubs, we are the only ones where in last 10 years, every Brazilian has flopped, Asian has flopped, we do not buy most South Americans or North Americans for that matter, and our fabled English core is crap compared to Spurs, the coaching staff and Wenger should be blamed to narrow down their searches always in Europe
Don’t sweat it my friend! Even this deal ain’t happening and Wenger who chose to skip Gary Cahill who is a tremendous player for Chelsea failed to pay Bolton 10 million for a steady defender. Wenger has now been happily linked with Higuain which he wanted to. Now that the transfer saga will go on we know where this is headed.
he might have been bought with the Asian market in mind “might”
or he might even turn out to be a superb signing… especially with all our midfielders creating so many chances
let’s support the kid. he is an Arsenal player after all
Welcome Asano
“let’s support the kid. he is an Arsenal player after all”
Well said ^.^
Fingers crossed he can develop into a player than makes the doubters eat their words ^.^
Let’s all be patient. The transfer market closes at the end of August and we still have more than a month to go before it’s closed.
Arsenal could still sign Rod Holding if they still want him despite being rebuffed by Bolton FC at the initial stage of their bidding for him.
I also believe Arsenal will sign a top graded striker to partner Olivier Giroud for option and cover during this coming summer campaign. That incoming striker doesn’t have to necessarily be a very costly one. As a matter of fact, Arsenal should sign Hal Robson-Kanu for free who I believe could surprise many with a great performance for Arsenal this summer if the Boss signed him up.
And for more prowess at Arsenal’s central attacking midfielder option and cover, Arsenal should explore the opportunity at signing Moussa Sissoko to the fullest and sign him if he agrees to come to us and his argent and Newcastle FC will reasonably lower their asking price for him to enable Arsenal to sign him.
What will we need again if those 3 players or their likes are signed up? A LB? Yes, a stronger, taller and of course pacy left back will be needed to be signed to improve the performance in that department which was short last season.
We know the player is very keen on joining us, of course, sure why wouldn’t he be. He has one year remaining on his contract, so free in a seasons time. He would likely be loaned out for a season after he came, so it sort of makes sense for us to leave him there for another year, and get a pre-signing agreement in January. Bolton should be worried about this, many clubs would wait, and get him for nothing once they know the boy’s keen. If there were other big clubs interested in him they would have payed up already.
Manolas, it came up a few times already, but if we fancy this player and at the same time are looking to sell Szczesny. It makes sense to come to an arrangement, also might leave that bit extra for a new striker.
I watched this young man holding and chambers in the toulon tournament recently in one game, i thought to myself this could be arsenal pairing in a couple years time, Chambers looked quite commanding, while Holding seem quicker and about 2 inches taller than chambers, very strong in the tackle and passes the ball well coming out.
Holding was not first choice CB but you can see the potential, would have been nice to have him on tour and watch his development.
Just give bolton the 5-7 million and get it over with, its one area of arsenal academy development i find to be very weak, we can always find young talented forwards, midfields, but when it comes on to defenders that area is quite lacking
If ever there was a boring man in the field of sport it must be Arsene Wenger. How this man can motivate a side is beyond me. Like thousands of others I should be looking forward to the new season with bated breath but Wenger has already thrown cold water on it. How you guys in the (new) UK can fork out thousands of pounds for a season ticket again beggars belief.