http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2102152/Lee-Dixon-Emmanuel-Petit-rip-Arsenal-Milan-massacre.htmlWith Emmanuel Petit claiming Arsenal must sign 5 to 6 solid players, who would you sign if you were Arsene to strengthen their team?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Realistically I would go with:
1.
Giorgio Chiellini – (CB) Juventus £15m
2.
Christopher Samba – (CB) Blackburn £6m
3.
Domenico Criscito – (LWB) FC Zenit £18m
4.
Andrea Pirlo – (Midfield Playmaker) Juventus £4m
5.
Marek Hamsik – (Attcking Mid) Napoli £20m
6.
Hulk – (LW/ST) Porto £20m
Total £83m (Roughly)
Comments
I think you're a ways off with your valuations there. There's been a lot of chat about Hulk going to Chelsea and the figure quoted is £80 million as that's his release fee. They also received silly money for AVB and around £35 million for Falcao so they're not going to be accepting other than a crazy bid for Hulk. City are also sharking around Hamsik so I don't think £20 million will be enough to get him away. I think Arsenal need a CB, a LB, CF, two wingers and a really strong central midfielder. Who they could get for the amount they are willing to spend I really don't know though.
It's in the game
sagna koscielny *samba/perea* *baines/cissokho*
*inler/tiote* wilshere *gotze/honda*
ox rvp *danny/giovinco*
bold = first choice
Tim Krul or Michel Worm
Chris Samba
Clint Dempsey
Chiek Tiote
5 PL signings who would slot in straight away at Arsenal and all could realistically move in the summer for an achievable fee.
2. Hummels
3. Criscito
4. Honda
5. Eriksen
6. Podolski
2. Buy some anti-smug pills and some humility cream.
3. Drop the false frog twang after 20+ years living in London.
4. Stop sulking in defeat and shake hands with opposing coaches.
5. Forget about Terry "handball" Henry as any kind of solution.
I definitely think Criscito would be a great addition to that though.
Plus Pirlo for his pure creativity, class and experience.
Dempsey would slot in perfectly floating behind RVP with Tiote clearing up in mid with pirlo picking out the passes and spreading the play.
THEY NEED TO SPEND!!!!!!!
But for the first time in 8 yrs we are manageble, and on the up...
What I think im saying is the stake s go up hugely when you reach the prem ... ludicrously so .. overspend and you can end up in a 10 yr cycle that could mean administration..
But get it right and you get a new stadium ... like we did .. in the first 5 yr cyle...
Samba is half decent for their defence but not necessarily the best bet. need a solid partner for vermaelen.
they need a left back - id genuinely look at Rhoys Wiggins
a ball winner like Cheik Tiote (Parker would have been perfect for them but they overlooked him)
And a striker. Someone like Demba Ba who I personally don't know enough about but he has a habit of scoring.
Hazard Wilshere Gervinho
M'Vila MoussaSissoko
Wiggins Vermalean Hummels Sagna
Ter Stegen
Cherno samba is not top four quality, a bit better than Bassong but still one that suffers when the game breaks down. It's no surprise they've not won anything since Keown, Campbell, Cole and Parlour retired or left. The only reliable defensive midfielder, and a leader by example, they had was Flamini. Yet Wenger didn't want to pay him anywhere near his shit-midgit players like Arshavin. If they'd have kept him, they wouldn't have fallen apart in so many matches. I can not understand him not signing Cahill, or mark Noble. There is no will to beat the odds in Arsene's current team. Personally I'd see if I could nick Di Natale. Small he may be, but disappear he does not when I've seen him.
I have to agree with sam, Podolski would be an excellent Arsenal player. He is an absolute metronome when he plays on the wing, something Arsenal desperately need so that they're not so fooking deep most of the time against top teams. He can play up front, and in a tight three. Everything that Arshavin is not as a player. Young and possibly cheaper than similar players, as FC Koln aren't that rich.
Clint Dempsey, Cheik Tiote for midfield
These kind of players come long once in a lifetime and are the cornerstone of the club and team, when they leave it leaves a hole so big it cannot be filled for years to come.
Sorry to have wandered off subject slightly but thought it might dove tail the subject matter.
the pain they are in is a true joy, and long long long may the tossers feel it.
Hummels and Subotic at Dortmund are very good centre backs. So is Mamadou Sakho, who could play centre back or be a more solid left back than Santos or Gibbs.
Real Madrid have Alonso as their main centre mid alongside one of Diarra and Khedira, with Sahin to come back from injury, Coentrao playing there off and on, Granero... they could realistically get Diarra or Khedira for the middle.
Gourcuff at Lyon has been a bit off this season, but he missed pre-season - give him a full one and he could easily replace Nasri. Tiote, Hazard, Eriksson, Dempsey are good shouts too.
Goetze would be a great signing for the midfield, as would Lewis Holtby.
Up top, Benzema is in the team ahead of Higuain, and he is class.
There are plenty of players out there, it's just whether Arsenal spend the cash to get back to where they want to be. They should have gone for Parker and Jose Enrique in the summer, Alex in January but are so slow to spend.
I think those who said about signing a keeper are harsh - I like Szczesny, he'll be a top keeper and is solid enough now.
So in answer to the initial question, if they were really prepared to spend:
1. Hummels/Subotic
2. Sahko (centre back/left back)
3. Tiote/Diarra
4. Hazard
5. Goetze
6. Higuain.
Cheaper options Samba, Baines, Demba Ba (£7m release clause?), or people's who's contracts are running out (I think) - De Rossi, Menez, Maicon, Abidal....
Equally depressing is the dearth of English names on these lists and that is why we ain't going to be winning anything soon...
The other big issue is that things are fluid. The current Arsenal squad won't be the one that they start next season with. As a minimum I expect RVP to want top end football and top end wages. Man City or one of the Spanish giants might be a better bet for him. I for one find the manager and it's fans pretty unlikeable and am quite enjoying their spiral and can't see them fixing it in the short term.