"1 or 2 Signings...." Who would be the second?

[bojed]

Don't be surprised if he signs me.

 

[ricky1985]

KY: More of a speculative thread, I think.

I think we'll sign a DM and, dependent on who's leaving and who's staying (I'm counting on a couple of fringe players like Silvestre and Senderos to depart), probably one younger prospect in the age bracket somewhere around 19-22. A promising rightback isn't unrealistic. Adams did say that we were scouting an italian defender, for example. He also said that Vermaelen was too short and not good enough though so who knows? But if true I think that player might be Inter's Davide Santon. Wenger is an admirer of him, apparently, and he's a fantastic talent. He's on about the same level as Gibbs is currently. Plus, he's only eighteen so he's in no hurry to break into the starting eleven yet. I'm thinking he might be involved in a player+cash swap deal.

If Santon is rated as potentially the next Paulo Maldini, then why would Inter even consider letting him go?

 

[atmosphere]

4 solid wingers (Arshavin/Nasri/Walcott/Rosicky)

Arshavin and Nasri are more CM kinda players (although both effective out wide) and Walcott is more of a striker.

This is then next weakest area IMO.

I think Nasri will be played in CM next to Cesc with a DM behind both of them in a 4-3-3 in a similar way to how Barca play.

Meaning we have Arshavin/Walcott and maybe Rosicky as the wide players on the front 3. That doesn't seem that strong to me.

 

[TomasCR]

Ha, ha!

You read only what you want to. Let's not forget what the other part of the interview was:

"I want to add to the squad and I have identified one or two targets. But identifying players and buying them are two different things."

But yeah, a central midfielder would be enough if everyone else stays.

 

[est]

Depends on the formation Wenger is about to play next season.

If he's going to use 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, then a (right)winger.

However If he's about to use the 4-3-3, I do think we have the required personnel to do so without any further signings(providing we don't lose any players during the summer).

 

[otfgoon]

I think the "or 2" may depend on whether or not certain players leave (Senderos, Kolo, Ade etc). As I can't imagine Arsène making a 3rd major signing without anyone leaving.

 

[Hunta]

I think the "or 2" may depend on whether or not certain players leave (Senderos, Kolo, Ade etc). As I can't imagine Arsène making a 3rd major signing without anyone leaving.

That is what i mentioned in my first post..i just cannot see Arsène buying a third player after spending around £20 million plus on two players already (if he signs Felipe Melo). I have a slight feeling that Arsène may buy a young attacker (winger maybe) though, and buy that player from maybe selling a few youngsters for example, Barazite (£3 million?) Traore (£4 million) and obviously Senderos for around £5 million - just a thought though..

 

[ibby]

Would you say Santon is better than Hoyte (or at least a better prospect) then, seeing as Hoyte is the RB we have that's the same age?

Put it this way, in the next World Cup Santon is going to start for Italy. No way Inter are going to let him go.

 

[JGooner]

The thing is:

We've got 4 great strikers (Ade/Eduardo/RvP/Nick)

4 solid wingers (Arshavin/Nasri/Walcott/Rosicky)

4 solid midfielders (Cesc/New DM/Denilson/Song)

4 great fullbacks (Clichy/Sagna/Eboue/Gibbs)

4 decent Cbs (Gallas/Touré/Vermalean/Djourou)

2 good goalkeepers (Almunia/Fabianksi)

If the above were true, we wouldn't have finished fourth, 18 points behind the champions, who weren't even that good. That's e-i-g-h-t-e-e-n points behind. As in, 10 plus 8.

What Fabianski has done to be considered a good keeper escapes me, and anyone else who actually watched him last season. If Clichy, Gibbs and Eboue are "great", I'm a leopard. Denilson isn't solid. I could go on but the basic point I am making (and have made before) is that it is not tenable to argue that almost all our players are just fine and dandy when the league table says the opposite. It just metaphysically cannot be true.

We can disagree reasonably about who the problem players are (hence the debates about Denilson, Diaby, RvP, Adebayor, Almunia, Gallas, Toure, etc that we all have) but let's not pretend that there are no problem players, or only one or two. If that were the case, we'd at least have the same kind of season that Liverpool or Chelsea had.

Any road, if there is a signing in addition to the CM, I suspect it might be a solid, experienced stop-gap keeper who can deputise for Almunia while Fabianski gets his act together. A bit like the Mart Poom signing of a few years ago.

 

[Clrnc]

Santon is one of the biggest prospect in the world right now, comparing to Hoyte is abit ridiculous. He is both sided as well, can play leftback and in the center. Inter will never sell him though.

If Wenger is going to sign 2 more players and assuming one is surely a DM, we are actually covered in every single position with at least 2 players assuming no one leave. We could even let Silvest and Senderos go as well.

The last signing after a DM I would want would be a young talent. Maybe someone like Marin, Kroos, Hazard kind of signing.

 

[progman07]

TG: After the DM we are all waiting for, I'd be delighted with another good player for either the wings, central midfield, or the defense. Of course he needs to be good enough, so not another Silvestre, please.

 

[fabo]

Delete

 

[fabo]

Ahh just deleted both there.

Involved Melo anyway and selling Diaby...:wink:

 

[atmosphere]

If the above were true, we wouldn't have finished fourth, 18 points behind the champions, who weren't even that good. That's e-i-g-h-t-e-e-n points behind. As in, 10 plus 8.

What Fabianski has done to be considered a good keeper escapes me, and anyone else who actually watched him last season. If Clichy, Gibbs and Eboue are "great", I'm a leopard. Denilson isn't solid. I could go on but the basic point I am making (and have made before) is that it is not tenable to argue that almost all our players are just fine and dandy when the league table says the opposite. It just metaphysically cannot be true.

We can disagree reasonably about who the problem players are (hence the debates about Denilson, Diaby, RvP, Adebayor, Almunia, Gallas, Touré, etc that we all have) but let's not pretend that there are no problem players, or only one or two. If that were the case, we'd at least have the same kind of season that Liverpool or Chelsea had.

Any road, if there is a signing in addition to the CM, I suspect it might be a solid, experienced stop-gap keeper who can deputise for Almunia while Fabianski gets his act together. A bit like the Mart Poom signing of a few years ago.

Putting last season's poor show SOLELY down to player deficiencies is very short sighted and to me seems just like you personally just don't like the current team.

Injuries to key players played a MASSIVE part in our downfall last season IMO.

Santon is one of the biggest prospect in the world right now, comparing to Hoyte is abit ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous? As someone who avoids Italian football like the plague, I've never seen him so I was asking how he shapes up in comparison to the player we have for that position of a similar age. I'd say that makes perfect sense?

 

[NWgunner]

I'm fairly sure Santon is in or thereabouts the Italy squad, I'm sure I read he performed well when given an extended run in the Inter side.

Realistically though, he's not going to get many games unless Maicon is injured, but would he expect to have many more here outside of the Carling Cup? I don't see an offer that we could make him that would tempt him away from Inter short of the financial.

All that said, I think he'd be a decent buy if Eboue leaves, and he could very easily surpass Sagna in a couple of seasons.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

If Santon is rated as potentially the next Paulo Maldini, then why would Inter even consider letting him go?

The simple explanation: because they've got José Mourinho, one of the most skilled talent ruiners around, as their manager. Players like Santon and Balotelli will never make it for as long as he's at the club.

That, and the fact that we might throw another player plus cash at them. I'm just speculating here though.

 

[Lord Dula]

Perhaps another striker - that Bordeux kid perhaps? As Fergie says, Wenger just cant resist buying attacking players.

 

[ibby]

I'm fairly sure Santon is in or thereabouts the Italy squad, I'm sure I read he performed well when given an extended run in the Inter side.

Realistically though, he's not going to get many games unless Maicon is injured, but would he expect to have many more here outside of the Carling Cup? I don't see an offer that we could make him that would tempt him away from Inter short of the financial.

All that said, I think he'd be a decent buy if Eboue leaves, and he could very easily surpass Sagna in a couple of seasons.

He can and has played as a left-back.

 

[Clrnc]

Santon is one of the biggest prospect in the world right now, comparing to Hoyte is abit ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous? As someone who avoids Italian football like the plague, I've never seen him so I was asking how he shapes up in comparison to the player we have for that position of a similar age. I'd say that makes perfect sense?

Fair enough, didn't know you never seen him though.

But for a player who is going to be playing first choice for the Italian NT tells the whole story

 

[tam1886]

I've been thinking about something similar to this for the last couple of days. It's been interesting seeing a host of ex players interview and most of them predictably say we needed a new defender and midfielder. Nothing surprising in that, everyone can see it.

However, quite a few of them have been calling for a new striker too. Charlie Nicholas said we should sell Adebayor, and now in this months Arsenal magazine both Lee Dixon and Charlie George also claim we need to add a striker as well. Now I know with the odd exception such as Kel, most of us feel that we have a good variety of striking options and are relatively happy with them compared to the rest of the squad. Especially with Eduardo coming back from injury. Compared with the others in the big four, we also seem to have more depth there.

It's got me wondering though, are these ex-pros seeing a problem there that we either aren't seeing, or are missing having spent too much time looking at the more pressing issues in the team elsewhere?