Parlour: Toure is a big loss

Former midfielder Ray Parlour is lamenting the likely departure of defender Kolo Touré from the club to Manchester City.

Manager Arsène Wenger today admitted that he would be willing to let Touré go as there are too many central defenders at the club, to the disappoint of Arsenal fans.

Parlour thinks that Touré's departure is a big loss to the club, especially as the player has been at the club a long time.

He said: "It is a big blow because he is experienced.

"He's been there nine years, he knows how the team is run, he knows how the manager works and he is a very good player.

"But that's football these days. A big bid has come in and it's good money for Arsenal. You're looking at £15million which is a lot of money.

"There's a lot of centre-halves out there who you could get in for cheaper than that, who are maybe on the right side of 25 or 26.

"Arsène Wenger will be looking at centre-halves if he does go because you need four quality centre-halves, just as you need four quality centre-forwards."

User Comments

kolotoure

Posted on 30 Jul, 2009 at 07:27 PM - Reply

i have been giving my best for this club with my heart thats all i wanted to say thank you for the loyal fans i will never forget you but football his not only a game this days

Katuramu Absolom

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 07:10 AM - Reply

Some fans make comments as if they understand football best. The same fans are the ones who have been urging the manager to sell off some players and get better quality players. When he (mr Wenger) does that, the same fans are in opposition! This is lack of consistence. Why don't we fans leave the manager to do his work?
For the last four seasons Arsenal has not won anything with some of these players and yet you are saying they should not go!
Let the manager see how he can make the team strong.

styut

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 06:53 AM - Reply

telling wenger to leave if he gets rid of kolo is a bit much. But seriously wtf is he doing??????????

ramz

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 06:16 AM - Reply

i think wanger lost his mind!! he bought silvester to help and now want to sell even more experience player like kolo!! i believe wanger days are numbered!

Caleb Lim

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 06:16 AM - Reply

I am very sad to hear that Kolo may be leaving the club
To me, he is a very experienced and committed Arsenal player..
not to mention that he is very good as well ...

It may be true that we have too many Centre-halves and should
sell of some of them
but Kolo is definitely not one of them
Silvestre, Senderos (i rate his potential highly but he does not seem
to me to have the heart to stay) and even Gallas should be the
one leaving, not Kolo whom i rate above the 3 above mentioned
names

In addition, Koko is be a good alternative to Sagna as right-back,
especially when it seems now that Eboue may be leaving too.

hoping that the deal will not pull through and some other club
come knocking on our doors for Silvestre and the other two
mentioned centre-halves whom i mentioned i would prefer to
leave instead

Even if the deal is to pull through in the end, i hope that it will
be at least 16 million pounds

Cheers

Mellisha

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 05:46 AM - Reply

How can you stop someone who wants to leave, who has one year on his contract?
That does not make sense, has never been Wenger's way and I support him through and through.
Teams are built on cohesion and he will not achieve that with someone in the team who wants to leave. Wenger has proved a master at letting people go at the right time!! Y SHOULD YOU ALWAYS QUESTION LIKE YOU HAVE MORE INSIGHT THAN HE DOES. WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO TO PROVE THAT HE IS WORTH TRUST. THIS LOST IT NONSENSE IS SIMPLY THAT - NONSENSE.
Arsenal is a brand name globally and that will pay its dividends.

Make profits is part of ambition. Only that when we stay short-sighted we will never knw

aixzer

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 04:21 AM - Reply

let's just hope he'll bring some great men into the team :)

Dean

Posted on 29 Jul, 2009 at 12:19 AM - Reply

He is past his best and wanted to leave in January. Why try to keep a player who don't want to be there?
This is football, not a soap opera.
Get real people!

GoonerInfinity

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 11:40 PM - Reply

When Wenger said he had 7 centrebacks and that it was too many, that clearly meant he was including Song as able to play at centreback, which probably means Toure's replacement will not be a centreback but a defensive central midfielder.

If Toure leaves we still have Gallas, Vermaelen, Djourou, Senderos, Silvestre and Song. That's 6 centrebacks. Plenty. So who do we have that can play as defensive central midfielder? Diaby, Denilson, Song. Only 3. Bearing in mind that for some games Wenger will wish to employ 2 DM's, there is now room for another DM signing to make it 4 players who can play in that position.

I was hoping Toure could play as DM for us this season but Wenger has obviously decided against it. I'll eat my hat if he doesn't sign a good DM before this transfer window is over.

goonerbaby

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 11:23 PM - Reply

if thats wat wenger wants, then its fine with me.

sell eboue as well.. thats 3 players we wont have too worry about for the africans cup.

plus 50million too spend on a DM and maybe a striker.

sweet

boris.rados

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 11:02 PM - Reply

I can not believe my eyes.
if toure leaves we will lose our best Central defender.
such a disgrace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dan

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 10:55 PM - Reply

gooner4ever dont talk rubbish, if wenger lets him leave its good buissness, wenger knows we he is doing and that is why he is manager of arsenal are you are not. who are you to say ill be the first to ask him to leave when you have no clue what you are talking about, and as if you asking for him to leave will make any difference anyway lol. yea kolo has been a dedicated arsenal player but if he wants to leave let him if his heart isnt at the emirates then it makes more sense for him to leave

Gunnerwithabrain

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 10:49 PM - Reply

So happy he's going! He's been making mistakes regularly for a couple of years now. Often the wrong side of players he's supposed to be marking, and often clumsy when trying to catch them or tackle them. Don't forget he won't play for at least a month because of african nations cup. Getting 15million, is incredible, he was once a really good defender, when he could rely on his pace to get him out of trouble. I must say he's looked less and less fit, and thus a fair bit slower. Without that pace he's not the defender people give him credit for. Couple that with the fact he's fairly short as centre backs go (like every other arsenal centre back) i think his departure is a positive sign.
Finally i belive toure could play 100 more matches for arsenal and still never learn from his mistakes, playing for 9 years doesn't mean anything, if you're not improving. Fact is he's never played worse.

Gavin

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 10:44 PM - Reply

You need 4 CBs...Gallas,Djourou,Vermaelen,Song. Thats it were sorted. However really one of these should be sold if someone else is bought.

Allgrownup

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 10:43 PM - Reply

A good bit of business! 15mil - 150,00.

Gooner4life&beyond

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 10:07 PM - Reply

Hold on, that makes no sense. Too many centre halves at the club, so he's leting Toure go and then he's going to bring someone else in????? Plus Senderos is free to leave as well? Huh??????

GOONER4EVER

Posted on 28 Jul, 2009 at 09:55 PM - Reply

IF KOLO LEAVES OUR CLUB WITH THE BLESSING OF ARSENE,THEN I WILL BE THE FIRST TO ASK WENGER TO LEAVE ARSENAL.
TOURE IS A DEDICATED PLAYER AND HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE,EVEN IF LATELY HE WAS NOT THE SAME PLAYER WE KNOW

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