Alberto Zapater

[Grampus_Eight]

Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger is eyeing Real Zaragoza midfielder Alberto Zapater.
The News of the World says Wenger is ready to splash out £7 million for the Spanish youngster.

Zapater only signed a new bumper deal with Zaragoza at the start of this season, but remains on the radar of bigger clubs and Arsenal can expect competition from Barcelona should he become available.

The deal is worth a cool £600,000-a-year and carries a buyout clause of £7 million.

Tribalfootball article of the News of the World article......
Neither exactly reliable sources :roll:

So he'd be on the lowest wages at the club? £11,500K per week...

I'm glad to hear that we are at least being linked with DMs as Denilson likely isn't one, Diaby certainly isn't, Song isn't ready and Cesc looks like he needs to play with one...

Have hardly seen Zapater play, so I can't comment at all on him. Transfer fee seems a little high though.

 

[GoonerGurjit]

Arsenal are doing everything in their powers to catch the man they call "The Bull"

21 year old midfielder Alberto Zapater is reportedly the subject of a £7 million interest from Arsenal who are considering making an offer for his services to his current club Real Zaragoza.

The News of the World claims that Arsenal have sent scouts to watch the player on several occasions during this past season and quotes the player as saying:

"I look at the Premiership matches and see how exciting they are. I do not mind the pressure."

www.all3points.co.uk/cat/arsenal/bul210507.php

 

[trisoman]

But with all due respect, I'm not sure a Central Defensive mid is the person we need to boost the team as of right now. Unless Zapater is miles ahead and proven to be much better than the host of CDM's we have now, I think we should focus more on outside midfielders who can create and shoot, since most of our problems stem from the flanks.

 

[kooldawg]

If we're in for this guy, and we seem to be linked to quite a few defensive minded CM's, then i can only surmise that Gilberto might be on the way out to Juve and probably also herald the fact that Wenger doesn't think that Diaby or denilson are ready to partner cesc full time at the present time.

Don't know much about him, but from what i hear he sounds decent.

 

[kamikaze80]

we cant lose gilberto now, not after what we've seen happen to our team after losing vieira and edu.

we lose gilberto and our CMs next season will be 19, 21, 18 and 20. that would guarantee no trophies for a 4th season - i know cesc is as experienced as a typical 25 yr old already, but thats not enough, imo.

if we sign this guy, he has to be gilberto's understudy, with song being sold and denilson dropping to 5th choice, which is about right given his age.

 

[Mr. Hotshot]

I think this guy is coming to Arsenal. It will be either Liverpool or us but considering the poor quality of our DM's I think he'll come to us. There is no way he's going to push out Xabi Alonso or Sissoko or mascherano in the Pool team but this guy can replace Gilberto right away when needed. I've seen him play a couple of times and he's the no nonsense type of DM, like Albelda.

 

[dos1986]

I think this guy is coming to Arsenal. It will be either Liverpool or us but considering the poor quality of our DM's I think he'll come to us. There is no way he's going to push out Xabi Alonso or Sissoko or mascherano in the Pool team but this guy can replace Gilberto right away when needed. I've seen him play a couple of times and he's the no nonsense type of DM, like Albelda.

No doubt he's talented but I would have my reservations of him taking gilberto's place straight away,he's quite small and alongside Cesc and our two small Centre Backs,we would be too small collectively with only Thierry in our first 11 over 6 foot.

 

[Zico]

I doubt Wenger would sell Gilberto to replace him with an unknown. Overall, that would add up to releasing Gilberto, Vieira, Edu and Parlour to replace them with Cesc and some merry men who might be good in 2010.

Zapater would come in addition to the players we used in the second half of this year.

Does anybody have a reliable scouting report on him?

 

[Mr. Hotshot]

I think this guy is coming to Arsenal. It will be either Liverpool or us but considering the poor quality of our DM's I think he'll come to us. There is no way he's going to push out Xabi Alonso or Sissoko or mascherano in the Pool team but this guy can replace Gilberto right away when needed. I've seen him play a couple of times and he's the no nonsense type of DM, like Albelda.

No doubt he's talented but I would have my reservations of him taking gilberto's place straight away,he's quite small and alongside Cesc and our two small Centre Backs,we would be too small collectively with only Thierry in our first 11 over 6 foot.

No no, I think you got me wrong. In my earlier post I said that Zapater can replace Gilberto when NEEDED e.g through injury or suspension. Is he an automatic starter? I don't think so but if he comes to Arsenal, I rate him as 2nd choice DM ahead of Diaby who isn't really a DM, Denilson and Song (if he stays).

 

[Legend#1]

How tall is this fella?

 

[GoonerGurjit]

His height is 180cm.

 

[Paddy from Sweden]

Legend#1,

According to that Wiki link Zapater is 1.80m.

 

[Legend#1]

Well, that's a bit small, I've never seen him play though.

 

[Lord Dula]

I think this guy is coming to Arsenal. It will be either Liverpool or us but considering the poor quality of our DM's I think he'll come to us. There is no way he's going to push out Xabi Alonso or Sissoko or mascherano in the Pool team but this guy can replace Gilberto right away when needed. I've seen him play a couple of times and he's the no nonsense type of DM, like Albelda.

No doubt he's talented but I would have my reservations of him taking gilberto's place straight away,he's quite small and alongside Cesc and our two small Centre Backs,we would be too small collectively with only Thierry in our first 11 over 6 foot.

I thought van Persie was over six foot.

 

[longrufus]

Lehmann is a midget too...

 

[dos1986]

Lehmann is a midget too...

You knew I meant oufield players,anyway Van Persie might be over 6 foot,barely thought,says it all when our 2 most skillfull players are the only outfield players over 6 feet besides Gilberto in our first 11

 

[Mr. Hotshot]

I know people will be saying "crap he's short, we don't need short players" and then someone will reply "makelele is not the tallest in the world but he's awesome". But seriously, we need big players for that DM role especially if Gilberto is going to be replaced. We have short defenders and midfielders in our starting lineup. Height is vital in english football

 

[longrufus]

Im not so sure why people continually confuse height with aerial ability or power. Essian is small yet is one of the most powerful players in the league. Cannavaro is small yet will rarely lose a header.

 

[dos1986]

Im not so sure why people continually confuse height with aerial ability or power. Essian is small yet is one of the most powerful players in the league. Cannavaro is small yet will rarely lose a header.

As good as Essien is for a small guy he still couldnt compete with a tall guy like Heskey,Carew,Samaras,Viduka,Davies etc..

Essien or Cannavaro are no better than Gallas is in the air yet he still struggles in this team..Essien at Centre Back has been poor in the air and Cannavaro even at his peak would have struggled in the air in the prem imo,unless he was protected like at Chelsea.But there is no one here to protect a not so good in the air guy,Gilberto does what he can..

 

[longrufus]

Thats a quite ridiculous post to be honest.

Essian can hold his own against any player in the league, he is one of the most powerful players around. He not only competes with these players, but wins battles. Lets not forget he is a midfielder!

And what has this apparent height and power done for these players...
Heskey.. never good enough
Carew.. always a nearly man
Samaras.. cant get on for Man City
Viduka.. erratic nearly man
Davies.. not good enough
So what exactly is your point, we should bring someone like this is as they will vastly improve the team?

Cannavaro makes Gallas look like a kid when comparing aerial ability. He is one of the best headers of the ball in Europe.

Anyway, this thread is about midfielders, not defenders so im not sure why your talking about fowards.

Height is not the determining factor as to how powerful a player is, neither is it the determining factor for aerial ability. That is fact. Sure it can help but is every tall person reat in the air? Diaby is tall, does he win everything? Crouch is actually very mediocre in the air yet barely needs to jump.