By Tony Attwood
So, now the papers are picking up one story. “Arsenal have agreed to buy Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia, according to the player’s agent.”
That is pretty much what each one is saying. There are still some finer points and details to be resolved however “according to reports,” like the fee.
Valencia reckon he’s worth £25m. The player came to Valencia in 2014 for €8m after having been at Sampdoria and before that Everton but they wouldn’t let him play. So presumably he can speak German, Spanish, Italian and Liverpool. Now he just has to learn English.
Here is his record thus far.
| Seasons | Team | League Games | Lge goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2012 | Everton | 0 | 0 |
| 2012–2014 | Sampdoria | 50 | 1 |
| 2014– | Valencia | 61 | 6 |
| Internationals | |||
| 2008 | Germany U16 | 5 | (0 |
| 2008–2009 | Germany U17 | 24 | 5 |
| 2009–2010 | Germany U18 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010–2011 | Germany U19 | 9 | 2 |
| 2011–2013 | Germany U20 | 10 | 3 |
| 2013 | Germany U21 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014– | Germany | 12 | 1 |
Whoscored has this on his strengths:
- Aerial duels
- Ball interception
- Tackling.
Which pretty much covers it.
Is this actually the one that will happen and will drag the ability of newspapers to spot a transfer just before it happens up to 5%?
Maybe so. Everyone seems to be getting very excitable.
The other players whose names are popping up today are Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann. But there is a very funny around saying that Riyad Mahrez has changed his mind and wants to come to Arsenal after all but that Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil want to leave.
Just another day.
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Bbc predicting Arsenal to finish 4th behind city chelsea n Manu.
Anyone remember what they predicted last year?
Ah, 4th, that’ll do nicely.
I think it’s reasonable to think that Wenger was actually happy with Kos, BFG, Gabriel, Holding and Chambers as his CB options. That’s 5 players. With Debuchy stuck in the Outbox, the defender he may have been looking to bring in may have been a versatile or utility player who can play backup to Bellerin, or perhaps at CB if needed. The injury may well have adjusted our targets and switched our attentions to CB.
Football365 covers the media nonsense brilliantly.
Ozil never said he wants to leave and instead stated in the original article that he’s close to agreeing a new deal (strangely omitted from the piece in the tabloids!
Vale
What I’ve read and heard from Aw is we were always in for a CB. Holding apparently being readied for a loan.
I hope Debuchy stays and fights for a place. He can also play CB as well.
Now all the anti-arsenal negative reviews have started to come out can you believe the headline in Daily Mail has something like Wenger closes in on Everton reject “REALLY” DM when will the English media appreciate what Arsene and Arsenal has done to English football do they want us to bid for stones.
Will the signing of centre-halfback Shkodran Mustafi hindered or affected the continuous development and progress of Cullum Chambers, Rob Holding and Kristian Bielik at Arsenal centre-halfback positions? I wouldn’t think so. If at all anything will happen, the arrival of Mustafi should enhance their progress and development at Arsenal centre-back positions as they could learn some defensive strategies from Mustafi to grow for Arsenal. And besides, Arsenal have had it in their plans to sign a new senior centre-halfback this summer as option and cover to the ageing Per Mertesacker – alias Rhinosacker while the 3 young defenders now at Arsenal CHB positions will continue to improve in their defending CHB jobs for Arsenal.
Des, I don’t think the Boss will force the quick to adapt to Arsenal way of playing and surprised to see him to become very good at cenre-halfback job – Rob Holding to go out on loan this summer. But If at all the Boss will loan out one of his 3 young cenre-backs because of the envisaged arrival of a new senior centre-back, the axe to go out on loan could fall on Bielik in January if he fails to make the centre-back grade according to the Boss.
I suppose if papers continue to say that this player and that player will or won’t join, means that they are always right. Gives them a sense of superiority I suppose.
My diagnosis is that football pundits in this country must suffer greatly from Athazagoraphobia.
A German in place for another German sound logical.
Fingers crossed !
Arsenal PL2 opens tomorrow versus Reading.
http://www.arsenal.com/match/report/1617/pre/under-21/u-23s-arsenal-v-reading-preview
The U19 squad that went to Durban, SA just got back on Tuesday, so who knows what the squad will be.
The game is at Meadow Park, with free admission.
I think with the start of PL2 and if we do sign mustafi or another CB, we will likely see chambers holding and bielek return to the youth teams for a season or two. If holding and chambers can build on the partnership they formed at the U21 toulon tournament, playing together regularly at U23 while providing back up for the arsenal first team when needed, they could be unstoppable in the future.
Can you believe that Pogba’s agent made a whole £20 million out of the transfer to United? It’s no surprise that Arsene is known for not liking doing business with agents.
It probably all gets left to Dick Law to deal with these days.
@ Norman14 – August 11, 2016 at 2:50 pm – Can nobodies like ‘them’ suffer from Athazagoraphobia ?
Don’t you have to be of some importance or of some significance to qualify ?
After having a quick look on transferleague I wondered how that would leave other clubs if some ‘top top quality players’ became available.
This is IMO (and I have been wrong before) based on some logic.
DisUtd have spent around £150m on 4 players and MaureenO said quite clearly that he was only looking for 4 players. That’s not to say he won’t buy more if they become available (as he’s a sack of shite filled skin) but I get the impression he may have difficulty getting board agreement for any more serious money.
So they’re pretty much done for the summer.
$iteh have also spent around £150m but although they have a never ending wallet, their biggest problem will be that they have to buy ‘Home Grown’ players to comply with squad limits.
So they’re also pretty much done for the summer for ‘international’ players as well.
Chavski have only spent £60m but they already have an eye-wateringly expensive squad. Like $iteh they have too many player but not enough quality ‘Home Grown’ players to allow them much flexibility.
I’d guess that although they’re looking for some Home Grown, they also have a bit of money for ‘international’ players, so they’re a possible transfer competitor.
Liverpoo have spent 70m but earned 40 from sales, however they do have a very expensive squad for their results, and Klopp lools for specific types of player. Lack of CL football makes them less attractive but they are still (just about) a big club.
So they’re a dark horse as a transfer competitor, but I can’t see them splashing out on any more £30m+ buys this summer…
The Blue side of Liverpoo has £30m burning a hole in their pocket, together with what’s believed to be a decent transfer budget and an ambitious manager. However very few (if any) of the top players would want to join them as they’re a small club without CL football.
No need to discuss our neighbours as they must be careful with their money for the building fund. They’re in the CL for a change but will they be there next season??
I can’t see them spending much more this season.
State Aid Utd have spent £40 and reputedly have some more available, but a top player wouldn’t go there and I can’t see them spending more than $30m on any player this window.
So that leaves the champions. Which top player in their right mind would go their? Sure some young potential would or some old experience but not the level we’re looking for.
So our remaining competition in the Transfer market at The moment is European…
I’ll have to think about that.
Following my PL comment above,
Here’s some European thoughts (again all IMO);
Germany; there’s only one team there with real money at the moment. When VW sort out their problems maybe Wolfsberg will start buying again but for the moment it’s just Bayern and they appear to have done their business early.
Sanches is a good player whilst bringing Hummels back looks like a wise move.
If they renew Lewandowskis contract with the rumoured big salary then I can’t see them buying anyone else just for the sake of it. That’s not the way they work, although they’re always up to buy German talented youths.
BvB did some very decent business but they certainly don’t have any spare cash for a big buy.
France; PSG is a difficult one. They also have very deep pockets but they’ve already spent good money and have a squad that doesn’t really have any holes.
I can’t see them buying big in the remaining window but it’s a possibility.
That’s about it for the French big spenders. Lyon like a few others will only have big money to spend if they sell for big money and there aren’t enough buyers to put many of them in that situation.
Spain; Well RM and Barca are the 2 with money but they both look pretty settled at the moment. They’re more likely to buy solid back-up than headline performers… Although that could change (more likely with RM than Barca).
Athletico try to make players rather than buy them and their ability to get work permits for young South American players make that their most likely hunting ground to fill any remaining gaps in their squad. The rest of La Liga are very tight money-wise. Like france, the lesser teams can only spend what they earn through sales and none of them will earn enough for a big buy.
Netherlands and Belgium don’t buy big as they don’t have the money.
That leaves Italy. Probably the most difficult to judge for me as I haven’t kept upwith Italian football for a few years. I could easily be wrong but I think these 5 clubs are all good financially.
Why Juve would spend £75m on a 29 year old that will cost them at least £50m plus salary (Although I can’t see them getting even £25m for him in 3 or 4 years time). Seems like a poor way to spend the Pogba money. At a more realistic £ 45-50m I think Napoli would have shaken Juves hand off. I don’t think Napoli need the money but who could turn that down. I’m sure Juve have more money to spend but they won’t make another big buy.
Whilst Napoli bought Milik, they also have money to spend but they need to plug a few gaps, so they could be a big buy competitor but it’ll only be using the balance of the Higuaín money. Icardi maybe…
Roma has done some business as it usually does but not spent much, as it usually does.
The 2 Milan clubs seem a bit restrained this summer.
De Boer at Inter hasn’t had long to look at his big squad and he’s used to working with a tight budget, So I’d guess he’ll be quiet in this window whilst he works out how best to use his talented players. If Icardi goes then he may have that money to spend…
AC Milan has bought a few player and spend some money… Do they have more? If they have then they could be a transfer competitor…
And all this guessing will go for nothing if Icardi goes for £60m which will start the merry-go-round … 😀
But it’s fun guessing sometimes 🙂
Gord,
I’m intending to go to the U23s tomorrow night, should have report posted on Saturday. No idea who will play, all depends on which of the youngsters will be required for the first team squad on Sunday, also who is fully fit and rested following the U19 triumph last week in Durban.
@Andy
I really enjoyed your analysis but with the money flowing out of the Epl now you never know. Westbrom wants to sign Benteke and Liverpool wants to get back most of the £32.5m they paid for him. Maybe this will start a merry go round of expenditure. You never know.
All in all, I don’t think any other club will spend in excess of £30m for another player unless Arsenal succeeds in getting their 1st choice forward target. Who is he? We don’t know.
Nonny, as you see, I agree. There are one or two clubs that could compete with us at over say £40m, but apart from Napoli (and I’m not certain they would), I can’t see who else would…
It’s telling that West Brom and Crystal Palace have that level of money but they just couldn’t attract the top level of talent with their club size/history and no CL or EL even.
I try not to take much notice of the rumours, but the actual confirmed transfers do paint an interesting jigsaw 😀
At least some people are positive…. I concurr…
http://dailycannon.com/2016/08/its-the-hope-that-kills-you/
Get the feeling this will happen, and this looks like a tough defender who will be a good signing, and another World Cup winner, and by all accounts, a pretty good friend of Ozil. Just to get a pal of Alexis in now.
@Mandy,
Good insight. In regards to a pal for Sanchez, I wouldn’t be surprised if the club brought in Vargas, only 26 years old playing for Hoffenheim and would add to our forward competition.
Vargas …interesting one!
Need a pal for Ramsey as well……but he might be a bit expensive!
One negative on this potential signing, if we do sign MS, a President Trump may have to ban Arsenal from America, too many practicing a religion he seems not to like very much. Maybe that is why we have stayed away from Mahrez ?
@Mandy: I doubt that is true, Arsenal have had many players who are Muslims in the past. And AW has always firmly believed that it is the ability and character of the player that are important.
Riyad Mahrez will not come to Arsenal. 100%. We didn’t sign Cesc when he was avilable because of Ozil, I seriously doubt we will sign an overpriced Mahrez either.
The maximum that will come in is *1 defender*, and that too is a maybe. I’ll be very surprised if AW buys another forward, knowing him.
He’ll count on Walcott, Sanchez and OllyG for the first 3 months, give Chuba a few sub appearances, ease Welbeck in by January, send Chuba out on loan in January (unless he scores a ton of goals) – and buy a striker in January or definitely at least have him scouted for next year.
1 defender is a certainty if Debuchy goes. If not, I doubt anything will happen. If some one does come, so be it – but if not, I look forward to Chambers and Holding replicating their partnership at youth level, with Arsenal. That’s way way way more exciting than a readymade defender coming in.
Sure, we might lose some games but really, if they both develop well – that’ll be so cool. We could be set for another 4 or 5 years at CB. What’s not to like? 🙂
Person 1 – ” What is hypnotism ? ”
Person 2 – ” Taking control over someone and making him perform as per your wish .”
Person 3 – ” Nonsense ! That’s marriage !”
Survey results on Friendships are out now:
1- 88% wives hate their husband’s friends ..
2- 98% husbands love their wife’s friends …
Men are so kind and loving !
Brickfields:
Well, they are full of self importance which may qualify them.
Perhaps it more the fear of being ignored rather than forgotten that drives them in this example 😉 ?
Slightly off topic, I noticed this rather blatant discrepancy.
From the article “Wenger’s latest quotes on transfers” dated 12 Aug 2016, on The only reliable source for Arsenal’s transfer news, This is the information that is reported:
Meanwhile, this shameless embarrasment of a website in their article titled “Wenger refuses to discuss Mustafi move”, also on 12 Aug 2016, give us this line…
You just can’t make this stuff up.
…or indeed, as they consistently prove to us, You can make this (and lots other) stuff up!!