Thomas Vermaelen (Out)

[Hunta]

Vermaelen and £30M and we'll have Cavani, cheers.

 

[Vela]

Arsenal shouldn't sell Vermaelen for anything less than 10 Million IMO.

 

[Pea-Tear-Griffin]

I would like Vermaelen to be sold as although he can be a good CB, I feel we need a more reliable defender who can complement both Koscielny and Mertesacker adequately in the case of injuries,.

Like who though? Who do you think realistically is going to come to us who is a reliable defender (which i'm guessing means he's a great defender) that wants to sit on the bench behind Koscielny and Mertesacker. If we sell Vermaelen then it will then mean we'll need two centre backs.

People have too short memories in football. Not so long ago Vermaelen was flavour of the month.

After the Chelsea and City games at home and the nightmare that Koscielny had in both those games everyone wanted him sold as he was a liability. Now he's the golden child and 'one of the best centre backs in Europe'.

Vermaelen has had a poor season yes - but he isn't a poor player and nor is he an old past it player neither. He just has to raise his game and I think has done enough in his Arsenal career to deserve that chance.

I didn't put forward a name as I couldn't think of one :wink: I'm sure there are defenders who are very tactically astute e.g. To be more aggressive with Mertesacker and more conservative with Koscielny.
I agree, he can be a potentially top class CB, but the balance of our defence is upset.
I feel he could thrive at a team like Napoli, as the 3 man back line would allow him to advance with the ball, and he would join a ambitious club (replacing Cavani decently).

 

[DanDare]

Vermaelen should go for more than what he was bought for. He is older, more experienced and now proven in a top league (despite what some people think of him.

 

[leo_ense]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10075222/Arsenal-manager-Arsène-Wenger-urges-Thomas-Vermaelen-to-stay-and-fight-for-his-place.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... place.html</a>

Telegraph reporting that we want Vermaelen to stay.

 

[SA Gunner]

I wouldnt want to sell Vermaelen because in him we have a viable defending option at the back.

Added to this experience and a player who is capable of delivering good form. He is still on the right side of 30 and thus able to give us good performances.

The key here is to keep players who can supplement the squad, getting rid of those who drain it.

 

[Therapy Inc]

From a purely footballing perspective, I think Vermaelen is third choice CB hands down. However, as a third choice CB, he is the best option available. He knows the system well and isn't really horrible.

What I definitely do not want is to trade him with Ashley Williams. I don't see the point in bringing in an experienced 28 year old CB who will sit on the bench. If Vermaelen forces a move, I still think we should go younger (maybe around 23) and buy someone who can play once Mertesacker declines. We should stop buying stop-gaps because we don't need them anymore especially at CB. Buy a talented younger player who will start in a few years.

 

[WengerFaithful]

Maddness wanting to sell Vermaelen:-

1) It would just strenghten another CL team
2) He is a competent Left Back and with our history in that regard esp Gibbs great third choice behind Monreal.
3) We had one of the strongest benches in the run in due to his presence on it.
4) Proper Competition is required all over the pitch and we finally have that in the CB
5) We have given worse dross longer chances to turn around poor form he deserves if he wished to fight for his place here at The Arsenal.

 

[RammiXP]

AS much as i hate to say it I think Verms is gone.

I think when you look at it brining in Williams and letting verms go make sense.

Williams could come in for either Kos or Mert and compliment them. Verms can only replace Kos.

Ideally we would bring in Williams and keep Verms but i cant see us having 4 CB of that quality on our books.

time will tell.

 

[Tourbillion]

Where the **** is Miquel? He's fallen off the radar.

 

[MDGoonah41]

i think rotating at CB is a bad idea. the communication and partnership between the two centerbacks is the most important relationship on the pitch. i think the goal should be to buy someone like williams who is solid, and then buy a very young CB with tools to succeed and slowly break them in. kos is young and isn't going anywhere for a while, but injuries happen.

kos/mert is fine.

then williams/??

maybe zouma.

if we buy williams for £10m, sell vermaelen for £12m (BARCA!) and then buy zouma for £9-10m, that is smart business.

 

[ArsenalCRO]

Not sure why would Barca buy him anymore, if they've looked at him at all this season they will turn around...

however these Napoli roumors sound more beliveable to me, but lets wait and see, he might end up staying and fight for his place, it was only his fault he got dropped

 

[CurryFlavoured]

He isn't good enough to start, he has been poor for 2 seasons running, he isn't versatile and he isn't willing to sit on the bench to get limited game time. It isn't that surprising and I don't reckon he will be a massive loss, I feel this is a perfect time to try convert Sagna to CB though.

 

[Macho]

He isn't good enough to start, he has been poor for 2 seasons running, he isn't versatile and he isn't willing to sit on the bench to get limited game time. It isn't that surprising and I don't reckon he will be a massive loss, I feel this is a perfect time to try convert Sagna to CB though.

He can also play LB and at a stretch DM? as a defender you don't realistically get much more versatile than that.

Sagna on the edge of leaving himself, Verms has more time on his contract and until Wenger says different, club captain.

Going out of our way to sell Vermaelen just to convert an indifferent Sagna makes little sense to me.

If a club goes out of their way for Verms than fair enough sell him, but I am more than happy for him to stay. He is not quite as dead-end as some have made him out to be.

 

[CurryFlavoured]

Vermaelen was very poor any time I saw him play LB, plus even if he was half decent there he wouldn't get a look in with Gibbs and Monreal playing there (probably the best competition we have for any position on the pitch), and this whole myth that he can play defensive midfield : he has never once played there in his 4 years at AFC, so unless he played there regularly at Ajax (which I don't think he did) I wouldn't consider him a viable option at DM.

And on the Sagna point, I just think it would be disappointing to see him leave with us not getting another look at him playing CB since his MOTM performance against Sunderland.

 

[leo_ense]

Vermaelen: "The situation at #AFC is completely new to me. It frustrates & it's not pleasant." Says "ready" if needed


Vermaelen on his future: "I'm not worried because I've always played in the past. I know my qualities." #afc

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.voetbalnieuws.be/news/63879/vermaelen:_situatie_bij_arsenal_frustreert_en_is_niet_plezant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.voetbalnieuws.be/news/63879/ ... et_plezant</a>

 

[Macho]

and the English version:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/8741228/Thomas-Vermalen-I-m-happy-at-Arsenal-and-battling-hard-for-recall" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www1.skysports.com/football/news ... for-recall</a>

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Good attitude from Vermaelen if he don't want to leave the club so there is no need to sell him.

 

[tap-in]

Vermaelen always shows a very professional attitude and you have to respect that BUT I still think we will sell him simply because an offer will come in that he and the club will both want to accept. He understandably wants to be a first choice CB and that is only going to happen at Arsenal if we have an injury.

 

[dpt49]

I don't understand why we would sell him.
He didn't have a great season, but if that was the criteria for getting rid of a player, we wouldn't have many left.

The other factor is, if we sold him for around 10m, there is no way we are going to get as good as player as he is, and we will probably buy a cheap potentially good player, like we usually do.

He can't be that bad, all the clubs linked with him are fairly big clubs. All he needs is to get back a bit of confidence and we have a decent player again.