The 89 transfers that Arsenal will make in January (as predicted by the media)

62 Replies to “The 89 transfers that Arsenal will make in January (as predicted by the media)”

1. Wouldn’t it be great if we had several teams, and we could share all these players around.

2. Nice one, Anne,
   We can see from just one team’s sampling what a massive contribution the transfer gossip makes to keep fans/readers in the thrall of so-called football; and, so, we get a sense of how much money this ginned up interest brings to the media lenscrafters, the leagues and the clubs. The gossip mill is clearly a major – albeit indirect – revenue stream into their coffers, and the fans are willing, witting and starving for more. It also panders to the “gimme now” and “hands off, it’s mine” tribalism that keeps us at a low developmental ebb.

3. Oh my god….amazing… well one thing is for sure: the sure have a lot of fantasy those news inventors…LOL…

   I must say I don’t go to such “news sites” (only land there by accident… ) but I never realised how much rubbish they can come up with.

4. I actually got a little overwhelmed and only made it to 12 before I had to give up

5. Thanks Anne.
   After the January window closes we shall be able to put a number on the chance that Wenger will buy a player he is linked to…

6. @bob:

   Do you think that that’s the only motive? I personally think that there are more of them, and I would be curious to hear people’s takes on that.

7. @J:

   That’s about as far as I can read myself without having to reach for the advil. Not good considering that I eventually have to grade the damn thing. I have to say that this is the most utterly miserable research that I’ve ever done for this site, especially considering that I’ve also done the last summer window as well 🙂

8. @Shakabula:

   I don’t know if my numbers are solid enough to actually come up with a figure on that. Although we could try to come up with some sort of approximation. As I said above, I also did the most recent summer window, so we’ll be able to look at that as well when I publish the results of this one.

9. @Tony:

   I’m afraid it would take more than “several” teams. 🙂 And I should also probably have pointed out that there are 90 predictions in there, not 89. You would have to look closely to see that I actually included a number “13.5” between 13 and 14. I realized at the last minute that I had left one out, and I didn’t feel up to re-numbering the whole thing. Sorry, I guess that’s what I get for being lazy 🙂

10. @Walter:

    I find it rather funny myself. Now that I’m finished, at least 🙂

11. i can see wenger possibly signing a player in january but i think if he does it wont be someone that people expect. i think arsenal are expecting transfer fees and wages to drop in the next few years, and are quite content to be patient and see what happens as they feel we are in a strong and stable financial position.

    also im not sure that these ‘reports’ are all that damaging. my guess is that within the arsenal camp, theres a focus on ignoring all the rumours and getting on with the job. if a players head is turned ala hleb, flamini, ade, nasri etc they probably arent the players that arsenal want and need. so good riddance.

    i think the damage is done more in regards to the fans that buy into the rumours. after hearing about gotze being signed a hundred times, they create a sense of entitlement that this should and will happen. when it inevitably doesnt happen, they are disappointed and start to whinge. it also helps the media to portray arsenal and wenger as stingy, lacking in ambition and just down right crazy. all based on a story that very likely never held any water.

    i ignore the transfer gossip as best as possible, dont have any expectations that we will sign anyone, and am pleasantly surprised and excited by the signings we make because i have complete faith in wenger and the arsenal scouts.

12. Owen, drogba and kaka would be nice =)

13. The sole “transfer” Arsenal really need is a left-back loan for 2-3 months

14. @ Anne, some things never change – every January window, one of the Milan teams and Juventus are going to buy one of the in form first team players for peanuts. The bids are normally about £6 – 12m and we are considering selling even if we have no cover.

    I have heard of quite a few of those names on the list above, but some still were suprising, like being linked to perma crocked Micheal Owen and Defoe. Apparently John Cross is the hack with the inside scoop on Arsenal transfer dealings which normally end up being rubbish. So I can just imagine him doing articles on all of the above players and atributing this very site as an ‘Arsenal source’ close to the club.

15. @Gooner Gal:

    Wow… I would be very disappointed in myself for writing this article if that happened 🙂

16. Even though it is not listed above, I will be watching with interest, what transpires with the Gary Cahill transfer. As stated else where many times, Cahill is a decent player, but not good enough for Arsenal – not even with his English premium and EPL experience. He was never ever worth £17m when you consider his serious blood clot, 18 months left on his contract, slow decision making and general lack of technique. If I were Chelsea, I would offer Cahill big wages and Bolton £2m in instalments over a five year period. Bolton should be made to regret publicly insulting Arsene Wenger and Arsenal FC.

17. @ Anne, I hope John Cross is man enough to attribute this site in his next exclusive scoop.

18. @Gooner Gal:

    I agree with you about Cahill not being good enough for Arsenal. It’s always seemed to me that even Bolton was desperate to offload him (albeit for too much money). Otherwise, why would they try to generate all this hype around a transfer in the first place?

    Although I can’t believe that I somehow left Cahill off the above list. I was thinking I had him in there when i first did the original research. In fact, I’m almost positive I did. That must have been an oversight. (and here we have an example of what i said to Shakabula, above, about my numbers not being “solid” enough to actually calculate statistics).

19. @Gooner Gal:

    Haha… I think I’ll die of shock on the day that happens. 🙂

20. Talksport always catch my eye on the BBC Transfer site, with news of Arsenal failing to get …. / or being behind (club of your choice) for …

    Metro comes a close second

21. Totally off topic, but I’m watching Gol TV right now, and they just advertised a holiday special called “Football For Kids with Jose Mourinho.” During this special, Jose Mourinho is going to “educate children about all the secrets of the beautiful game.”

    I weep for the future… 🙂 (Unless, of course, Jose is actully serious about coming clean about all of his “secrets.” That would be quite educational, I’m thinking).

22. Every January we are linked to Kalou, Gourcuff and Taarabt for some reason and I am not sure why. I must say that I am suprised that we haven’t been linked to Hleb. Perhaps someone forgot to get that rumour going again.

23. On the question of the motive behind some of these transfer rumours, I thought this article, and particularly Arsene’s comments, were quite interesting:

    “Arsene Wenger has insisted Arsenal are not interested in controversial Mexican midfielder Marco Fabian.

    Chivas star Fabian’s family insist in the Mexican press that he is on the brink of joining Arsenal in a £6m move in January.

    But when asked if he was interested, Wenger said today: “No. It is just an agent who wants to sell a player.””

    http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Arsene-Wenger-denies-Arsenal-are-set-to-buy-Mexican-striker-Marco-Fabian-article837530.html

24. But in relation to the post above, the question it calls to my mind is: “sell a player to who”?

25. @ Anne, Bolton showed themselves up as totally inept. At around the time the press were gunning for our manager and talking the club down. Bolton thought they could pile on the misery, when they should of been working with us to form a long term strategic partnership, which could of resulted in us giving them regularly loanees which would of kept their overhead costs down and a top quality player added to their ranks.

26. @ Anne, Arsenal are like the stand bearers of quality. Just the mere mention of Arsenal interest can get a player an improved contract (even though they weren’t leaving) or spark a bidding war with any club.

    There are a growing number of players which I categorise as ‘woulda, should, coulda’, like Pogba, Kakuta, Babel and Ngog who had a chance to come to Arsenal, where they would of had a real opportunity to develop, but went for more money elsewhere but in the end have had their careers stunted and lost out financially in the long run.

27. @Gooner Gal:

    If you look at these transfer articles more closely (not necessarily recommending that you do so), you’ll notice that, in a very large number of cases, the story seems to have originated with the agent of the player who is supposedly being transferred to Arsenal.

28. Interesting article Anne and well written as always. Unfortunately I don’t normally open “caughtoffside” as I decided some time ago that that site was a total waste of time. I suppose their inventiveness could be admired by some! However,I’m not sure there is anything anti arsenal in “caughtoffside”, rather they are trying to generate hits by discovering a new story every day. But, some sites of this type may have been used last summer to try to unsettle our team further, after the departures of Cesc, Na$ri, Clichy etc.

    I think we have at present 17 non home grown players nominated in the first team, so that factor could determine who comes in. While there may be some departures next summer, I can’t see too many leaving in January.

    It seems likely that a left back will be sought – but will a suitable candidate be found? Lets hope so!

29. @bjtgooner:

    Glad you liked the article. But I must say, I don’t see anything “unfortunate” about the fact that you don’t normally open caughtoffside. In fact, I think the list above probably validates your decision 🙂 I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see every single one of those predictions turn out to be wrong.

30. @Anne: I’m shocked you had the patience to do this article. While it just validates the amount of dross there is outside…it must have been painful as you’ve already said.

    I mean…Pogba, Owen, Defoe, Chamakh+Squillaci?…and for that matter almost everyone of them make such little sense….:cries

    I’ll just stick to Untold Transfers who have the true inside correspondent in Anne 😉

31. Oh shame on you Anne. Rumours? Just now you’ll be telling us that the old fat man dressed in Arsenal colours won’t be coming down the chimney tonight!

    Happy, happy to all Untolders. As the saying goes Champagne to Gooners and pain to sham Gooners!

32. says a lot about the media really…some of their “reports” make me laugh…anyone who knows wenger will know what a load of BS a transfer rumor is when he sees one like us signing gotze for 40m or a player for brazil,argentina,spain or any other part of the world for 30m or saying we have offered 20m for the “world class” cahill…i really do wonder why some of our fans even believe them and raise their expectations…this leads to them starting moaning and whinging when the inevitable happens(we dont sign anyone or sign players they call average cheap buys you know the likes of kos and vermy) they start calling for wenger`s head and throw personal attacks at him…they never learn do they?

33. off topic but an interesting article comparing denilson`s stats to the best player ever scotty parker http://www.eplindex.com/denilson-scott-parker/

34. As doing something over and over again with the same result
    (as in no transfers) is to be insane, well, you’ve now documented the state of the compulsive rumorites, 2011. The disease: rhumortism.

35. off topic also. I have noted Sky are going to show a program tomorrow about Cesc in Barcelona. Not sure what the motivation is, they gave him little attention – unless he was injured and apart from transfer speculation – when he still played for us.

36. Yes: 2. No: 88.

    I expect the prize money in my account by 31/Jan.

    Thank u Anne for a bit of fun on a bloody boring Saturday.

37. p.s. think of it: cubicle after cubicle of the mentally feeble and morally challenged who churn it out 24×7; and, alas, feed the ocean of fish who can’t seem to get any nourishment from it and do come back for more, as more is never enough in this game. And yet, one of these, you see, may well be right; on the principle that a broken clock is right twice a day. They’ve successfully instilled and further a “what will they have for us next” state of expectation; and it captures, diverts and channels attention away from well ____ (name anything that might add a grain of good to a bad situation). Oh, sorry: it’s just innocent fun, light entertainment someone above called it. So there, that’s my second grain of sand in partial answer to your query at 9:15 above. Instead of ending in a whimper or a bang, perhaps “it all ends” in a transfer rhumor. Think of it, not.

38. bjtgooner,
    The Beeb on Cesc. Hmmmm, methinks you’re on to something rich. Maybe (spoiler alert) to reopen the sutures and remind us (and all) of what we so recently just had; and spin it so that epl-fandumb can dwell (once more) on how a certain hapless north london club couldn’t hold on to a crown jewel like this one. Please watch carefully and please do report on details. (I would if I could, and hope you can.) It really is an intriguing prospect you’ve raised here, and maybe it will signal some juicy new turn in the keep ’em down campaign (at least: out of the top 4 and thereby not relevant, etc., bah, humbug). Cheers for this.

39. Excellent, says it all really. Trouble is, as has been posted many times on this site, these tabloid rumours raise expectations in some, and before you know it, Wenger / the board are being crucified for players they were never interested in the first place.
    But we do need a striker, heard Kerry Dixon may be available!

40. Mandy Dodd,
    Yes, you’ve nailed this: it’s the “perfect” ambush: we’re damned for not being interested in whom we’re not interested. I wonder if other clubs suffer this same treatment by their local (if not national) media, and to our extent?

    Anne,
    Would you know if caughtoffside does such extensive speculation for all sides? Also, another grain of sand in answer to your 9:15 is that by prodding AFC with rumor after rumor, they try to erode our fanbase’s backing of the self-sustaining model in principle at least, whilst discrediting our failures to splash the cash as especially egregious in the eyes of the rest of epl fandumb.

41. Anne,
    Regarding you point that agents often stoke the fires, many of the RVP leaving stories could be whipped up by Dein the Lesser to dramatically raise the salary demand whether RVP stays or goes. I would think that any widening perception that RVP is in demand everywhere (very many suitors) would put intense pressure on AFC to open the coffers to the max.

42. bob

    Unfortunately, Dein Jr.’s record suggests he prefers the big payday from engineering a big money move, rather than getting his clients a better pay packet.

43. Shard,
    yes, that’s his record – coal in the xmas stocking for us, unless, I suppose, RVP treasures the combination of a big pay hike plus our captaincy plus our future trophy winning prospects (the biggest for him, I’d guess), plus being the status prince of London. It’s so tense and crazy going up against the oilygarchs.

44. @shard agree with you and it really does put to question the claims that david dein is the saviour we need..if he loves our club then why cant he keep his son in check? if im not mistaken darren was cesc and nasri agent and look up where they are…and now he is rvp agent.. i really do hope he fires him and is banned by the club to come close to any of our players(do they have that power?)…truth be told darren dein is nothing but a money grabbing twat

45. @bob i really do wonder why he doesnt get himself a player at city..would suit his money hunting desires very well

46. Mahdain,
    Dein the Lesser is Cesc’s agent but not $amir’$.
    Sami’s agent had it in for arsene and especially arsene’s assistant Boro Primorac dating back to that agent’s being caught-up in a match-fixing scandal involving Marseille in the French league. Dein the Lesser also helped broker the deal that brought Gail Clichy to ManShitty (where Patrick Veira has a management position), enabling us to get 7M in return. And Dein the Lesser was Thierry Henry’s agent at Arsenal as well, helping, most recently, to broker his deal with the Red Bulls in New York. Alas, this man is RVP’s agent. Some say he convinced Cesc to stay last year, but he’s obviously capable with that kind of personnel under his wing and surely capable of making a meal out of our limits/sustainability model. Business is ice cold, but if we do well (top 4/CL) and AFC pays beaucoup bucks to retain our world-class captain, and London is he and his family’s calling, well, fingers and toes crossed for good luck…

47. I’m quite certain I’d read somewhere that Darren Dein is also Alex Song’s agent. He has the same number of years left on his contract as RVP. As does Walcott. Though I don’t know who Theo’s agent is.

48. That tosser Darren Dein is probably scheming to get rvp out of our club

49. Theo’s agent is Colin Gordon. He was recently named in the press when he coyly damped down rumors of Juventus considering a big January swoop for Theo. Anyone have info on him?

50. I’d say the Goetze bid was realistic, don’t forget we could easily add the Cesc fee into the pot even before cashing in on Nasri.

51. Dein clearly has made a meal of moving Arsenal’s witting assets. As anyone can research, he has/has had big-time connections to Barca, Madrid and ManShitty and, in the US, the NY Red Bulls; and has moved is moving these former Arsenal players — Thierry Henry (to Barca, to Red Bulls), Clichy (to ManShitty), Adebayor (to ManShitty, loan to Madrid, loan to T-scum), Cesc (to Barca), and probably more. I don’t know about any Dein-Anelka link; but someone like Dein just brokered the biggest acquisition in Chinese football history, to a hugely-bankrolled Shanghai club. Anyway, the point, for now, is that he is agent for RVP which given his track record with the moneybag$ is, well, to be determined…

52. It’s a shame the football agent industry is so unregulated. My industry (recruitment) had a similarly bad reputation many years ago and is just beginning to get back on track. We voluntarily operate to an ethical code of conduct where by if i poach a candidate i place i can be fined lots of money (except temporary candidates which may be perceived as loanees) . Something needs to be done about agents and their methods before it’s too late.

53. @stuart agreed…i remember there was a talk of getting rid of agents alltogether and cant say i would be against it…they are the main reason for lack of loyalty nowadays and they have played a big part in making what the transfer market is today….shit average players bought by hefty prices

54. Nearly had a fit when I heard on Malaysian radio this morning that AW is going to sign Bobby Zamora . Seriously ?
    Not sure if his name has appeared in the above list ( it became
    blurry after some time – probably yesterday’s wine !), but Wayne
    Bridge ‘s name has been doing the rounds all of last week.

55. Does anyone know the latest situation regarding the possibility of a work permit for Pedro Botelho? If he was eligible to play for Arsenal in the new year can he be recalled from his loan spell? I believe that recently he has been playing left midfield and his geatest asset is going forward running at defenders. Nevertheless, would he be an answer to our short term full back problems?

56. ha ha!! This is brilliant Anne! Any thoughts on how speculation like this affects the stability of clubs? Surely you can make a direct analogy between this and Insider Trading? I remember a case a few years ago where a couple of journalists went to prison for buying shares and then tipping the same ones in their column. Constant, made-up speculation over the future of a player could conceivably make them leave a club, which could, down the line, have a major effect on the finances of a club…Maybe I’m being a little over zealous there…anyway, thanks for more stirling work Anne. As hilarious as it is irritating. I doff my cap to thee fair maiden 😉 Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!!! And 3 points tomorrow!!!

57. @jon:

    I actually think that’s very smart. I myself have been drawing analogies between these sorts of transfer rumours and stock tips. Glad you liked the article.

58. @Brickfields:

    I missed out on the Wayne Bridge rumour with the timing of my research, and I don’t think i got Bobby Zamora either. It just never ends, does it?

59. @Mahdain:

    Great link on Denilson. Thanks.

60. @bob:

    I don’t have any numbers but it looks like caughtoffside does in fact cover other clubs as extensively as Arsenal.

61. @bob, Shard, Mahdain and Stuart:

    I really enjoyed this discussion about Dein and agents in general. Hopefully we’ll have the opportunity to discuss these issues in greater detail on some future articles.

62. Just generally, thanks to everyone who took time to register a comment. I’m afraid I’m too behind on the thread to respond to everybody (as I usually try to do), but still, much appreciated. 🙂