NOTW are reporting that Arsenal are about to go head-to-head with Man United for the signature of Lyon striker Karim Benzema. It is the NOTW so I wouldn’t get too excited.
It seems like Adebayor will leave Arsenal in the summer, with AC Milan being the team linked to the Togo striker over and over again, and the Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani admitting that Milan have contacted Arsenal over a deal for the lanky striker.
I’m not really sure where I stand on the whole Adebayor thing to be honest. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he could become a top player for Arsenal, but his heart hasn’t really been in it since the rumous of him leaving last season. On his day he is unstoppable, and at Arsenal he can improve, but he even mentioned himself that he doesn’t feel loved anymore, so its time to move on. Shame really, because whoever replaces him is going to take some time to adjust to the Premiership.
Onto Benzema. If we sign Benzema, we are getting the real deal, and possibly the most exciting young striker in world football. A lot of people have mentioned on forums and blogs that he won’t hack it in the Premiership and he’s this and he’s that. I’ll tell you right now, this boy is special. I’ve watched a lot of French football over the past three seasons and Benzema is the finest player to grace the French league in quite some time. He is not just a ‘you tube player’. He’s quick, he’s has two great feet, and I mean great feet, he can header, he’s strong, he’s confident, and he has the arrogance to go with it. He is the closest thing I’ve seen to a young Alan Shearer, and that’s some compliment.
I’d say it’s unlikely we’ll sign Benzema, just because of the price tag, but it would be a dream.
A player we seem more likely to sign is Bordeaux’s Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh. An interesting one, check him out on YouTube and he don’t look that great, but he’s not a bad player. The sort of player Arsene Wenger could turn into a great player, but I do feel that at 25, it may just be a little too late.
Who do Arsenal fans want? Do you want Adebayor? Is Benzema unrealistic? Would you like a bit of Chamakh?
I’m sure we’ll just sign a player nobody is linking us with, and one which nobody has ever heard of.
19 Comments
June 28, 2009 at 12:48 pm
The first person i’ve read who agrees with me about Adebayor. I hated all the Milan flirting last summer but he is very good and if he could show his passion again then we’ve got one of the best in the league already playing for us.
Chamakh seems good but i’ve only seen the youtube footage with him missing 3 minutes of easy chances at the start so i’d go for Benzema if we’ve got the money. I’ve heard talk of Ribery as well, early Christmas?
June 28, 2009 at 12:48 pm
The thing is that he (Benzema) wants to work with Wenger. I think i read it a year ago or so……..
So when ManU and Arsenal would offer aboz 25-30 Mil. then its still the players decison where to go.
PLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
Almunia
Sagna Gallas(Toure) Vermealen Clichy
?
Fabregas
Walcott(Rosicky) Arshavin(Nasri)
v.Persie Benzema
That WOULD be great!!
June 28, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I dont see Wenger signing Benzema for €30M cos his purse is locked with a combination lock dat i guess he has forgotton his password. Rather, i see him signing Owoeri of Enyimba FC Aba, Nigeria for $150,000 and then selling him to Milan at €45M or Madrid at €70M. Pls we ought 2b realistic. Dont u think its high time we fans contribute and sign our sought players less we die of heart attack cos if Wenger had a heart, he ought 2b dead by now..+2347031019196
June 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm
nah.. the benzema thingy is not gonna happen. He is simply to expensive for arsenal. Selling adebayor will not generate the kind of funds needed for benzema. Adebayor would likely bring around only 15-18 millions. 25 million is too over for adebayor. But given the inflated markets these days, i would say adebayor can fetch us only a maximum of 20 million, not 25 million. How much is benzema??
Benzema cost around 21million, together with other teams like man utd, chelsea, barcelona, real madrid, benzema’s price would likely to go up. Secondly the player does not want to leave lyon this season, given that next summer is the world cup. Thirdly, we are talking about lyon, the team which like to inflate the price of their players.
So even with adebayor leaving and our remaining funds, we have only like a maximum of 30 million. Given reports that the board would sanction deals of up to 40 millions, without adebayor sale, we would most likely have only up to 60 million to spend even by selling adebayor. But i doubt this is true, we cannot afford to spend so much in a single season, you know that too.
The most important position to date is still the defensive midfielder role. Felipe Melo is the target that we have identified and hopefully we can get him. If possible get another DM just in case Melo gets injured or wat.
There is no news regarding toure or gallas leaving and this is great. With Gallas Toure Djourou Vermaelen, we have a fearsome CB quartet (albeit abit short).
Wenger come on and work your magic. The pre-season is coming soon. We need more players. DM, DM and another CB (that can play RB).
June 28, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Felipe Melo is the priority right now. I don’t think we need a RB though, as Vermealen can play anywhere across the back four (I think!).
Song would be our back up DM if we sign Melo.
June 28, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I have to agree that adebayor does have some potential. However, when we needed him the most this season he didnt deliver, and his heart wasnt in it. Theres no need for a player like that.
We arent a team thats winning things every season, so we need people who are really hungry for it, and who will go out of their way to try and get it. I dont know many people out there who can do that, but I hope whoever we get they atleast try.
June 28, 2009 at 4:19 pm
im an estate agent in the north london area and karim benzema has been viewing 3 luxury apartments in the finsbury area
June 28, 2009 at 6:59 pm
There’s no such thing as a luxury apartment in finsbury park. Do you mean a bedsit?
June 28, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I believe Benzema would be a grea player. Has anyone thought of a Defensive Midfielder like ANTHONY ANNAN of the Black Stars? He is 22 yrs now.Had tackler and ball winner. Essien will tell you Annan is a pillar in the Ghanaian Midfield.Check him out since breaking into the Black Stars’ first eleven. He is better and less costly than Melo.
June 29, 2009 at 5:14 am
i guess adeb doesnt have a fierce right foot to score goals when defence is gud .. tats why he gets caught out against big teams .. he can jus place it in the corner of the net ..so we need to sell him for €20M somehow n get benzema or if its not possible better retain him for next season .. cos he’s better than most of the guys being linked wit arsenal this summer .. also get melo but not for 20m at which he’s been rated .. So my personal opinion is Lorik Cana of Marseille .. he wont cost tat much n he’s one who can break a player’s leg with his tackle n he’s so so strong .. those who havent seen much of cana , pls check this link..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL_bZAdOKhk
So if all these happen wich is very much possible n if they retain the remaining squad, i don see Arsenal missing out on the trophies next season.. So don lose hope Gunner fans .. we’ll deliver next season!!!
June 29, 2009 at 5:19 am
Please answer me.. What’s with NOTW? Does the news always wrong? Or they just made it up?
June 29, 2009 at 8:36 am
i wonder if benzema join arsenal.wenger learns from his mistake. in addition melo is vital.
June 29, 2009 at 11:17 am
Would love to have Benzema join Arsenal though the price tag is high… as u said Arsenal will always spring a surprise by hiring someone totally unexpected… that the way the Gunners work
June 29, 2009 at 11:17 am
Would love to have Benzema join Arsenal though the price tag is high… as u said Arsenal will always spring a surprise by hiring someone totally unexpected… that the way the Gunners work
June 29, 2009 at 3:00 pm
i like arsenal just because of arsene wenger is there
June 29, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I don’t think Benzema would be a surprise anymore, so Wenger will sign someone we have not been linked with at all. A french 19 year old.
June 30, 2009 at 12:56 am
Does anyone know about this plan by Alisher Usmanov to underwrite 100mil.
Apparantly this would free up ‘substantial’ money for wenger. Around 100mil of funds for transfer. I don’t know why people are so against alisher.
I know there is a dislike at arsenal for the state of modern football, but we have to wake up.
The days of arsene pulling out a double on a cheapo squad that he forged into international superstars are gone.
If we win nothing next year, because of the board and/or wenger we can kiss fabregas goodbye, v.Persie will leave, Arshavin will be off.
I say we test Usmanov’s loyalty, a gift, Ribery, Benzema, Villa etc.
Melo. Veloso, Hangeland we can buy by ourselves.
Does anyone know about any rumours that arsene is actually sitting on a rather large transfer fund 80+mil but is keeping quite as not to be ripped off by the likes of lyon.
It would make sense to be honest. I know the star is not a reputable paper but more and more rumours are cropping up.
We could suddenly launch a salvo of bids. Would be nice, i’m sick of our current state.
June 30, 2009 at 3:12 am
I’m a keen admirer of Ade but a player without heart for his team can never be a great player. I hope Arsenal with sign Benzema. We really need someone special upfront this season. Another year without silverware will definitely shove our big players off the edge.
But no matter what, fans should stand by Arsene Wenger. Only an idiot would think he doesn’t want to spend money on GREAT players. But if he has only enough to spend on GOOD ones (which we already have), then might as well invest in those with POTENTIAL …
Let’s just pray we get enough $$$ from the Ade sales to buy us a new heart.
July 1, 2009 at 7:05 pm
I think Benzema just signed for Real, 38mil apparantly. Arsenal need to pull their finger out. Stop flirting with players like Melo and just go straight for the hole!
The board is meeting this week to discuss Usmanov’s proposed underwriting of 100mil.
This means shares would become available and each shareholder would have to plough multi-millions into the club.
Those that can’t/or won’t (Lady Nina, Hill-Wood, Fizman etc) would have the majority of their shares bought by guys liek Kroneke and Usmanov.
Kroneke-28.5% at the minute
Usmanov-25% at the minute
This is what worries the purists!
Hypothetically, if the board accept this proposal (please god they will) then Stan Kroneke could just decide to put the minimum in and maintain his shares, around 20mil.
Usmanov however, as we know will hoover up the shares and plught tens of millions in, as well as undercutting 100mil of debt as he promised.
This is called a capital raising excerise and is practiced by many MNC’s.
Basically if all went to plan, wenger would have a war chest that would make Man U, Real Madrid, Barca, Liverpool and the like’s eyes water.
Probably over 100mil. Now as we all know wenger is likely to spend pennies of it. Evem though he is without doubt a great manager, he does have an ego he must stroke through the development of unknowns into little Fabregas’s and Van Persie’s.
We must sign Melo AND Cana, no matter what the cost if this plan went through.
Benzema is lost now by the looks of thins (what a shame!) but fabiano or dzeko would be welcome.
Hangeland or Sakho CB.
Aikenfeev GK
And then a gift, a treat of a player with spark and passion. A streak arsenal lack, someone like Ribery.
Aikenfeev
Sagna Hangeland Gallas Clichy
Ribery Fabregas Melo/Cana Arshavin
v.Persie
Fabiano/Dzeko/Benzema