Konstantinos Mavropanos: Our New BFG

[TromsoGooner]

I get this feeling that Wenger isn`t too much involved in this signing. Obviously he has approved it, he still makes the decisions but for instance he didn't`t say much about him in his press conference, just that he will go out on loan and is not ready to play. Nothing about his strengths, how happy is is to sign him and so on.

 

[Masterdon]

Well if they have taken transfers out of Wengers hands it’s about time. Any man who would turn down Xabi Alonso to develop Denilson/Diaby can’t be allowed near transfers.

 

[RoadrunnerReloaded]

These are exactly the types of signings we have desperately needed. Good to see the change even if this type of thing should have been started 2012-14 era. But better than late than never!

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

These are exactly the types of signings we have desperately needed. Good to see the change even if this type of thing should have been started 2012-14 era. But better than late than never!

Exactly the types of signings we have desperately needed?

Really? Is this the key to the premier league title?

 

[VancouverCanuck]

I hate players from a different culture to mine!

Don't tell me you one of Trump's deplorables.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Well if they have taken transfers out of Wengers hands it’s about time. Any man who would turn down Xabi Alonso to develop Denilson/Diaby can’t be allowed near transfers.

We actively tried to sign Xabi Alonso?

Rafa put him up for sale to make room for Gareth Barry (yep). We didn't turn him down. The dream was to partner him with Cesc.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

We actively tried to sign Xabi Alonso?

Rafa put him up for sale to make room for Gareth Barry (yep). We didn't turn him down. The dream was to partner him with Cesc.

Rumors are that Liverpool wanted 2 million pounds more than we were ready to pay so we said no.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Rumors are that Liverpool wanted 2 million pounds more than we were ready to pay so we said no.

If this is true, that's not turning him down. An extra £2M stretched our purse strings more than you could imagine back then. Our interest in Alonso was concrete.

 

[IslingtonBornandbred]

Doesn't it mean we turned him down because we didn't want to pay an extra two/three million to get him. How can you substantiate that we couldn't afford an extra 2 million because it stretched our purse strings more than we could imagine?

Maybe that was the thinking at the time but in hindsight I think had we stretched the extra couple of million it obviously would have been the right decision. Sticking an extra 3 million of debt onto what we already owed or digging the money out from somewhere would have been the right decision and I don't believe we were ever that restricted that we couldn't get a deal like Alonso's over the line. Had I been Wenger, with the personal riches he's earnt over the years I'd have dug my hand into my own pocket for Alonso!

I think in a couple of situations in the past the club could have easily stretched the budget to get important deals over the line but we stuck to our self imposed policy which meant we missed out on key signings which not only would have improved the team massively but also prove to be great assets going forward with inflation and player value.

Weren't we in for Modric at some point as well, as well as the likes of Hazard and others? Wow. Had things been slightly different we could have been looking at an unbelievable team, it just comes down to decisions in the transfer market and finances.

 

[GDeep™]

We didn’t turn down Alonso to develop Diaby and Denilson, talk about inventing a new narrative.

 

[A_G]

It was obvious that Wenger made those comments about not killing Diaby and Denilson only because he couldn't get Alonso. It would've affected the confidence of two young players knowing their manager was actively looking to sign a player in their position, he just wanted to publicly back them.

 

[MutableEarth]

It was obvious that Wenger made those comments about not killing Diaby and Denilson only because he couldn't get Alonso. It would've affected the confidence of two young players knowing their manager was actively looking to sign a player in their position, he just wanted to publicly back them.

It's not like they weren't promising either. At that time, they hadn't become the empty shell players they became in the end.

 

[Trilly]

Well if they have taken transfers out of Wengers hands it’s about time. Any man who would turn down Xabi Alonso to develop Denilson/Diaby can’t be allowed near transfers.

 

[Trilly]

Don't tell me you one of Trump's deplorables.

I was cheekily re-wording your post. Unless you can’t read well in which case every player’s name would be difficult to pronounce.

 

[NieThePiet]

 

[Zaza]

Doesn't it mean we turned him down because we didn't want to pay an extra two/three million to get him. How can you substantiate that we couldn't afford an extra 2 million because it stretched our purse strings more than we could imagine?

Maybe that was the thinking at the time but in hindsight I think had we stretched the extra couple of million it obviously would have been the right decision. Sticking an extra 3 million of debt onto what we already owed or digging the money out from somewhere would have been the right decision and I don't believe we were ever that restricted that we couldn't get a deal like Alonso's over the line. Had I been Wenger, with the personal riches he's earnt over the years I'd have dug my hand into my own pocket for Alonso!

I think in a couple of situations in the past the club could have easily stretched the budget to get important deals over the line but we stuck to our self imposed policy which meant we missed out on key signings which not only would have improved the team massively but also prove to be great assets going forward with inflation and player value.

Weren't we in for Modric at some point as well, as well as the likes of Hazard and others? Wow. Had things been slightly different we could have been looking at an unbelievable team, it just comes down to decisions in the transfer market and finances.

Modric apparently it was because we didn't feel he could handle the physicality of the epl. Imagine Modric and Cesc in the same midfield...God we'd probably have gotten very close to the league.

 

[redanddread]

Seems to me Arsène has lost the touch of knowing what type of player is needed to really compete in this league. Not surprising really since it's almost 15 years since he last won it. We're getting excited about a kid we know not one fart about simply because he's been supposedly signed by Guru Sven - a kid that might not play any part in our 1st team for God knows how long. Hope springs eternal here at AM I guess. Wish we'd stumped up 75M on VVD personally.

 

[al-Ustaadh]

This signing reminds me a lot of Bielik's (as far as the feelings and level of expectation). I don't expect anything from him for a while.

I hope I'm wrong, though.

 

[RacingPhoton]

This signing reminds me a lot of Bielik's (as far as the feelings and level of expectation). I don't expect anything from him for a while.

I hope I'm wrong, though.

I had totally forgotten about Bielik. What is he upto now? Are we running a secret operation with him?

 

[BobP]

Modric apparently it was because we didn't feel he could handle the physicality of the epl. Imagine Modric and Cesc in the same midfield...God we'd probably have gotten very close to the league.

It's interesting, I think if we had signed Modric he wouldn't have played through the centre, at least not in his first couple of seasons with us.

Wenger probably saw him as someone who would play as a wide midfielder, similar to where he played when he initially signed for Sp**s.

With that in mind, it would have been a bit pointless bringing in someone like Modric when you already have two WC options in Rosicky and Hleb ahead of him. He wouldn't have been cheap either.