By Sir Hardly Anyone
It’s called “Ramping up the lingo”, or “Finding a new twist”. Anyway to keep the excitement on the rise everything and anything is on the table. Or at least underneath it.
And I have to admit the notion of Arsenal signing two £29m players in the January transfers did persuade me to have a little peek.
Several newspapers have stories along the lines of “Arsene Wenger has indicated Arsenal are looking to sign two players during the January transfer window,” which appears in the Independent.
But the Mohamed Elneny fee is reported at somewhere around £7.3m and this will be announced when the work permit comes through. (As mentioned here before, because Egypt is not in the top 50 nations at the moment in football terms transfers of regular internationals are not automatically waved through the UK’s ever stricter immigration policies.)
On the other hand Mr Wegner was more positive than normal.
“I don’t give much away because I don’t know,” he said. “I want to talk about them and hopefully we are capable of doing something in the next 10 days.
“It’s more about quality than quantity because our players will not stay out injured forever. Francis Coquelin is starting to run, Santi Cazorla will be back in mid-February, and Mikel Arteta is back now so, hopefully, if we can add one and, if needed, two maximum.”
So that sets the scene. Now what about the £29m? That obviously doesn’t include Mohamed Elneny.
Or does it?
Done Deal – Arsenal Completing £29million Deal After Club Announces Player’s Replacement
Arsenal have agreed a 5-year deal for Elneny, with a wage believe to be in the region 0f £65k-a-week -which is around £29million when summed together.
People write in to Untold and say each week, “you can prove anything with statistics” and they’ll probably be quoting Gunnerscity as their example, except that it is a misuse of language so doesn’t count.
The Telegraph is now split into two factions. One is insistent on taking up the traditional stance of Wenger bashing, as with,
‘Spurs to beat Arsenal to Lavezzi signing’
Notice the negativity around “beat”, as if somehow Arsenal haven’t trained enough, worked hard enough, haven’t got up early enough haven’t eaten enough porridge. But transfers don’t work like this – they are not a race. Clubs and the player either agree or they don’t – or the player and club tries to wait to the last minute to see if a better offer comes along. There is no race.
Mind you even the Telegraph has woken up to the fact that spending a fortune on one player is silly, as they run the headline
Will once brilliant Hazard ever return to form?
The answer is “who knows?” All transfers are gambles, that is why getting the players in young and seeing how they go is a much better, although less headline grabbing, approach.
So what about the second big time deal?
2nd DONE DEAL: Arsenal Finally Complete Term For Sensational Star, Medical Almost Done
That is in Goonersden which means it ought to be taken with enough salt to sink a nation’s health, and so it turns out to be…
Wenger himself confirmed he would sign only “top players” in winter, and this has seen the club linked to an avalanche of star players in recent weeks.
According to the Daily Mail they report Ligue side Lyon has shown sudden interest for out-favored Arsenal man Mathieu Debuchy.
However, Arseblog report Debuchy is about to pen a deal with West Brom after terms have been agreed.
Well no, because it comes from Daily Football Blog in the headline
After Mohamed Elneny, Arsenal Set To Sign Danilo Pereira For £29m
The Gunners midfield has been reduced to the barest with several injuries to the players in the centre of the pitch as about 6 of the Gunners midfield players are out injured and this might end up hurting the team’s chances at getting the long-awaited English Premier League title as the earliest of these players might be returning in February and this will be terrible news for Arsenal fans….
[That sentence is around 70 words longs, and I didn’t quote all of it. That’s a bit excessive don’t you think?]
Reports are now stating that Wenger may be ready to add more players to the ranks as he is also targeting FC Porto midfielder Danilo Pereira.
The reports are stating that Wenger still wants the player as he believes Elneny is not a total defensive midfielder and needs a cover till Francis Coquelin returns from injury.
Frontman’s £37m release clause: Arsenal to finalize the second largest transfer in the club history
Oh we are back at the races!
Barclays Premier League giants are desperate to sign PSG’s Brazilian winger Lucas Moura.
Desperate!
The rapid attacker has struggled for the first team football this season, but still he is one of the most promising attackers in the World.
Promising!
So it’s believed that Lucas will change club this January with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all interested in him, but the North London outfit is said to be leading the race.
Race!
As the rumors suggest, PSG will let Moura go if any team pays £37 million for Brazilian’s services.
But wait what is this:
Now it’s Official: Arsenal agreed deal for German-born midfielder
OK we are in the silly zone now.
Arsenal midfield starlet Gedion Zelalem has extended his loan spell with Scottish giants Rangers and it was officially confirmed.
There is more, this in Gooners Den…
BOOM!Arsenal To Announce Deal Screamer, Agent Confirms Deal Will Be Done
Arsenal’s signature in Napoli’s forward Lorenzo Insigne has been confirmed by the player’s agent, via standard sport.
The Gunners have been linked with a move to sign the Italy international and reportedly made a concrete offer for the 24 year old last summer, as per the Metro.
However, the strikers agent Antonio Ottaiano has confirmed the Gunners interest in the striker but insists the player will remain in Naples for the main time.
“We enjoy the interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal,” Insigne’s representative told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli.
Not to be outdone the Telegraph says,
In case you thought the bitter north London rivalry needed anything else to ramp it up, it has been reported that both Arsenal and Tottenham are after the same man – and the team in white are going to win.
Arsenal have long shown an interest in Ezequeil Lavezzi, reportedly failing to agree a fee for the Paris Saint-Germain winger last summer.
Arsene Wenger still wants to bring the Argentina international to the Emirates Stadium, but so do Tottenham. And, according to French TV station Telefoot, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are going to win the race to snap him up this month.
But, wait, what’s this…
There is better news for the Gunners faithful keen to sign another striker with reports that Wenger is looking at making a bid for Borussia Dortmund man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed an excellent season since Thomas Tuchel took charge last summer, scoring 24 goals and creating five more in all competitions.
The Sun says the deal is on too, so that should wrap it up.
The Croatian midfielder is currently on-loan at Inter Milan from Dinamo Zagreb but is set to join the Italian club permanently in the coming days.
Meanwhile
Arsenal want Marcelo Brozovic. However, he will immediately sold again and La Repubblica says Arsenal are set to make a £18.3m bid to bring him to north London.
One player unlikely to make the move to the Emirates this month is former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, who will not be sold by Bayer Leverkusen this month, according to the club’s sporting director.
“We’re not selling Chicharito to Arsenal or anyone else,” Voller told Sky Germany.
“He’s not for sale.”
Oh, never mind then.
From the anniversary files
4 January 1992: Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1 FA Cup 3rd round. On 29 July 2011 BBC Sport described the result as one of the biggest cup upsets of all time, although it has never obtained the historic significance of the defeat to Walsall under Herbert Chapman.
4 January 2014: Arsenal 2 Tottenham 0. Walcott was injured and missed the rest of season and World Cup. As he was carried from the ground Tottenham fans hurled missiles at Walcott and the ambulance team, an event which led to a police review of safety at the away end of the Emirates.
More anniversaries on the home page
Insult of the day (details also on the home page) Will you credit this base drudge’s words that speaks he knows not what? (Henry VI Part 2)
Just published: Arsenal in the 70s, part 14. Jan to June 1975 – trying to send Tottenham down
And a reminder: The Untold Arsenal Banner is now on permanent display inside the Emirates Stadium
That could be the most tedious article in the history of the entire universe.
My guess is that it is the Bender twins – Lars and Sven , who are known to have be very highly competitive sibling rivalry among each other. So the fee has to be identical , as will the financial terms as well as the playing time .
Sounds so logical to me – what with Arsenal on the look out for defensive midfielders .
And with both looking alike , it will be a nightmare for those near blind PIGMOB refs to spot the fouls and infringements . They could get away with bloody murder .
The refs have erred before in sending off the wrong Arsenal player , and they weren’t twins , or brothers , or didn’t even look alike .
Me like .
Life was so much more simple when we were just linked with Frey, Scott Parker, some Fulham defender and Samba.
Great insult today!
oh dear… it’s that time of the season again….
We are signing teenage sensation Bob smith a 7ft 5 Powerhouse of centre froward a cross between Hesket and andy Carrrol at only 17 for £60 million. He has scored 60 goals in 52 games. Plays for Mars Fc. Only problem he is injury prone with an arse injury for the last 18 months!
The headline “…….. Agent confirms deal will be done” is a big clue as to why a lot of this crap is circulating.
If an agent can persuade a client that a big club like Arsenal are after one of his clients, then there’s leverage to increase that player’s wages (and his agent’s cut).
Secondly a lot of journos are lazy. The front pages (Celebs, Royal family stories) and the back pages sell papers.
In the two transfer windows journos will leaf back through the cuttings and trot out all the familiar names ….Benzema, Higuain, Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Benders, Wanyama, Krychowiak, carvalho and many more as likely targets for AW.
As you’ve said before this is not an X-Box game where you can pick-and-mix the best players in the world. It is real life! Players have to want to move, clubs have to want to sell, the transfer fee and wage expectations have to be feasible, and there has to be a gap for these players to get game time, not just to warm the bench. And as AW says, any purchase has to STRENGTHEN the team.
Whatever crap the AAAs spout about Merts, Ramsey, Giroud, being rubbish and needing to be replace, be careful what you wish for. Remember Angel di Maria, Falcao, Schneiderlein, Balotelli and many others that we were linked with, who failed to deliver.
January is a crucial month – as in February we hope to see a number of important injury returnees – with away games at Liverpool and Stoke and a home game against a rejuvenated Chelski.
I would play Calum Chambers with Flam and Ramsey to stop the opposition overpowering us in midfield and to protect Ozil – with two from Theo, Ollie and Joel Campbell upfront.
We need to hang in there for the next few games as we did against Bayern (at home)
COYG
Insult very appropriate!
I can’t remember what it was like before the Internet. Real newspapers probably didn’t have enough space to publish endless rumours & gossip so we’re likely to be more accurate with the transfer news. It’s all so pointless now because nobody believes a word of what they read on these sites.
Re transfer rumours in media: One example is story that Robben will join Man Utd.
In the unlikely event that this turns out to be the case, we can at least note that his undoubted diving skills will be a good “fit” and that his example may rejuvenate Rooney and Young in their own diving practices.
The only insult appropriate for the AAA:
Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.
It is poetic, written by Catullus.
Premier League clubs in a real mad scramble to woo Rafa Benitez as he leaves Real Madrid to the sounds of boos !
@ Ray from Norfolk, Virginia – January 4, 2016 at 11:30 pm – I take it that you really hate ‘them ‘? Had a start when I found what that means ! From..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catullus_16
Anyway , you get 1 million likes from me for that . The button has still not been fixed yet !
This one is right up my alley !
Castigat ridendo mores – (laughing corrects morals) … generally means “one corrects customs by laughing at them,” or “he corrects morals by ridicule.” Some commentators suggest that the phrase embodies the essence of satire; in other words, the best way to change things is to point out their absurdity and laugh at them.
Even in the old ages thaey had some fine words to describe ‘them ‘. Take your pick . Mix and match to make sentences to your heart’s content !
Pediculous – Lice-infested. From Latin pediculus (louse).
Ructabunde – Gasbag. From Latin ructus (belch) and abundus (abundant).
Flagitious -Thoroughly wicked, villainous. From Latin flagitium (shameful act).
Quisquilian -Worthless, consisting of trash. From Latin quisquiliae (waste matter, rubbish).
Fissilingual -Fork-tongued. From Latin fissus (split) and lingua (tongue).
Quidnunc -Busybody, gossip-monger. From Latin quid nunc? (what now?).
Excerebrose -Brainless. From Latin ex (out, without) and cerebrum (brain).
Furfuraceous -Flaky, dandruff-covered. From Latin furfur (bran, chaff).
Morosoph – A learned fool. From Greek moros (stupid) and sophos (wise).
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