Clint Dempsey

I think that Clint Dempsey would be a great signing to add depth to our squad. He is not a world class player, but he would bring toughness, hard work and goals to our front line. Imagine watching Dempsey warm up (instead of Chammakh or Arshavin) when we are in need of an offensive spark!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2194586/Sunderland-open-talks-Clint-Dempsey.html

Looks like he's going to Sunderland . Didn't want him anyway, we have enough squad player types, we need a higher level of talent i.e. Cazorla.

Offensively we need someone who can score goals in the EPL, won't mind sitting on the bench every now and then, and is versatile. This sounds like Dempsey to me.

I wouldn't be incredibly excited if we signed him, but he would be a good option coming off the bench or starting the odd game here or there.

Glad he's not comming here. Not the type of player we need to take us to the next level.

Who exactly is: wearethenorthbank ‏@northbanklower??????????

Glad he's not comming here. Not the type of player we need to take us to the next level.

True but I doubt we'll get on of those tbh. I'd rather a useful and proven EPL player like Dempsey than nothing.

Offensively we need someone who can score goals in the EPL, won't mind sitting on the bench every now and then, and is versatile. This sounds like Dempsey to me.

I wouldn't be incredibly excited if we signed him, but he would be a good option coming off the bench or starting the odd game here or there.

I don't get why Wenger hasn't gone in for Demba Ba. I'm sure I heard Redknapp mention Ba's buyout clause in one of his drunken rambles last season, he wouldn't be that expensive. With Cisse there, and possibly Carroll coming, Ba might not be needed as much. I know he has knee problems, but if he can pass Newcastle's medical it might not be as serious as Stoke claimed. Even if he does go to the ACON, Giroud would probably be more settled by then.

Ba's buyout clause has expired. Great player though, wish we'd moved for him.

really hope he isn't comming here. Would be very underwhelming. I'd take him as a squad player, but we have other priorities

I don't get why people are so dismissive about signings like Dempsey. He's most definitely good enough for our squad- infact he'd probably start, perfect age, PL experienced. Yes he's not world class but then again neither is our squad. He'd improve us- end of.

Arteta was also mooted as an underwhelming signing, how did that turn out?

Arteta is a graduate of La Masia. His technical ability has always been suited to a team like Arsenal. If we aspire to win the Champions League we need better players than Dempsey. I fail to understand arguments like "so and so wouldn't complain about sitting on the bench". If that's a criteria for signing someone then we should be content with having dross like Squillaci. Nor "he'll get you goals" - so will Defoe, so will Crouch, so will Jelavic, so will Bent. It doesn't mean that this is the calibre of player (squad or otherwise) we should be targeting, because those "squad" players will end up playing big games for us against the best sides in Europe.

Dempsey does not represent much of an improvement on Bendtner for me and if you're a guy like Cazorla that watches Man U sign van Persie, Chelsea sign Hazard and Arsenal sign Dempsey, you have to wonder whether they are serious about winning trophies. As for Ba, he's a poor man's Adebayor for me. Went through a purple match similar to the gangly one, but just as erratic, won't get as many goals and has knees that are a ticking time bomb.

Style of play is important, and players who look good because of hogging the glory at a small club, rather than because of being genuine top 4 quality should be avoided at all costs. Liverpool suffered from this approach for many years and ended up with the likes of Downing, Henderson and Carroll, who for a combined £70m, are not even trusted as squad options.

wearethenorthbank ‏@northbanklower
Not as much news as expected but been meetings all day today. Rowley requested all scouting reports on one player in particular. Dempsey.

Will be underwhelmed if he's our only attacking signing.

Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we won't sing him or anybody else for that matter . Our signing are done.

Aren't wearethenorthbank generally pretty reliable though? At least in terms of not just making up crap?

If he is, and his telling the truth about the scouting reports then we really are screwed, we need at least three quality players to improve the team, this is no time to be tip toeing around. Dempsey should be more of an addition to compliment other signing rather than one of our main signings.

Aren't wearethenorthbank generally pretty reliable though? At least in terms of not just making up crap?

If he is, and his telling the truth about the scouting reports then we really are screwed, we need at least three quality players to improve the team, this is no time to be tip toeing around. Dempsey should be more of an addition to compliment other signing rather than one of our main signings.

I agree, we need a world class winger and striker and a decent DM, but this is never going to happen.

Rather than buying Giroud, Podolski and possibly Dempsey we should have gone for one world class striker for the same money.

It doesn't really matter how many Dempsey's you have, they are not going to be better than one RVP.

Same old Arsenal, always on the cheap.

Dempsey will be chamakh bendtner replacement and this is upgrade even if he not young but he will help us

dempsey 17 goals last season giroud 21 goals podolski 17 goals we will be fine.

the problem now is so quite nothing on the transfer we need at least DM if we buy dempsey or another striker.

Aren't wearethenorthbank generally pretty reliable though? At least in terms of not just making up crap?

If he is, and his telling the truth about the scouting reports then we really are screwed, we need at least three quality players to improve the team, this is no time to be tip toeing around. Dempsey should be more of an addition to compliment other signing rather than one of our main signings.

I agree, we need a world class winger and striker and a decent DM, but this is never going to happen.

Rather than buying Giroud, Podolski and possibly Dempsey we should have gone for one world class striker for the same money.

It doesn't really matter how many Dempsey's you have, they are not going to be better than one RVP.

Same old Arsenal, always on the cheap.

Fantastic idea.

Should have replaced our over-reliance on one great striker with over-reliance on another.

We're definitely heading in the right direction. People seem to forget that almost every quality player we've ever had was not viewed as world class when we signed them. Wenger is (in my opinion) trying to build a more balanced team where the responsibility is more evenly distirubted. Also, a team which is tougher/more resilient, yet still talented.

The way we've dictated our first two games (scoring aside) is better than most of what we did last year, where our possession totals dropped big time

Dempsey is no RVP, but he's experienced in the league, can score goals and is very versatile. If we can get him without breaking the bank, why shouldn't we do it? It's about SMART business, not spending for the sake of it.

I'd be pretty underwhelmed if he was our only signing.

I'd have Dempsey at Arsenal, but it's another classic example of a player who does well at a smaller club, kicks up a fuss and gets linked to all the big boys only to take a sideways step.

I'd much, much rather be at Fulham than Sunderland. Any day of the week.

@BigPoppa
I'm not saying we should be aiming at Dempsey- ideally we'd be setting our sights much higher. I just find it odd that people would dismiss him so wholeheartedly to the extent that with just two days of the window to go they would seemingly be happier with signing no one.

Dempsey might not win us the cl (quality wise we're so far off that even Messi wouldn't) but I'd much rather have him in the squad than the likes of Arshavin.

To put it simply, I see Dempsey as a player who will get us results, but not championships.

But tbh, this one never looked likely to happen really. Other than a couple of tentative links in the press and some ITKs shooting their mouths off, there never really was a serious link.

He'd do a solid job & would offer more goal threat than Gervinho, although scoring more than him wouldn't be much of an achievement.

Dempsey on his own would be seriously underwhelming though. Where's our facking midfielder?!

I'd be pretty underwhelmed if he was our only signing.

Well I'd be fuming, you can't go from Henry, RVP even Adebayor to friggin Clint Dempsey.

This dumbing down of the team talent has to stop.

I'd be pretty underwhelmed if he was our only signing.

So would I, but I don't think we'll get anyone better, in any position, in this transfer window.

That's Adebayor who had one good season? As opposed to Dempsey who has been consistently good? Interesting.

I'd be pretty underwhelmed if he was our only signing.

Well I'd be fuming, you can't go from Henry, RVP even Adebayor to friggin Clint Dempsey.

This dumbing down of the team talent has to stop.

No worse than going from Cesc to Arteta, and certainly better than nothing.

He is a proven Premiership player accustomed to playing in a side that plays football.You would have a point if we went for Dempsey after finally conceding defeat in our efforts to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, but thats not the situation we are in.

On the bright side, you and the other Dempsey bashers are more than likely to get your wish.We won't get him. Unfortunately I suspect we won't get anyone better either.

I like him. For some reason he is my favourite non-Arsenal player in the league, just like Arteta was before he signed.

Are people still peddling the myth that Arteta was signed to replace Cesc? Smh

That's Adebayor who had one good season? As opposed to Dempsey who has been consistently good? Interesting.

Ade had one outstanding season and the others he was in Henry's shadow.

When you say Clint has been consistent ok sure ..... but at what level?

Adebayor is capable of being twice the player Dempsey is and tbf that wasn't even my whole point as I mentioned RVP and Henry who are unarguably better.

Dempsey isn't an improvement on any striker we currently have imo hence why I don't see the point in getting him.

Dempsey isn't a striker. He plays out wide or occasionally in the hole.

Dempsey would be a fantastic buy at this stage of the transfer window. Brilliant squad player to have, brings so much bite up front. Not necessarily the most technically perfect player, but no doubt quality and loads of goals in him. Can be a third striker too

I don't see the logic in using the fact that he's better than (insert name of irrelevant flop who never plays). We need to learn that in order to retain your best players, you should buy players of at least a similar standard, or with potential to be even better, to make them fight for their place. Also, by improving on your worst player, you are not improving your chances of success, because the player you brought in might still be worse than your rival's worst player. Silvestre ans Squillaci being cases in point. This whole concept of buying someone as a "squad option" only bloats the squad with averageness and avoids addressing the more pertinent issue of a lack of quality in the starting XI. Cazorla has set the standard and we should not go below it. There should be an emphasis placed on "strength" whenever we talk about strength in depth.