Thursday 25 August 2011

Arsenal Team and Transfer News – 25th August 2011


  • Wojciech Szczesny's effort for Arsenal last night in Udine is being dubbed the '£25 million save'.
Szczesny's superb second-half penalty save from Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale was the key to a 14th successive Champions League group stage jackpot.
"Yes, that was a turning point of the game because it was at 1-1," said Gunners manager Arsene Wenger afterwards.
"You could see mentally it has an impact on their belief and they were not the same team after they missed the penalty."

  • Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was delighted with their Champions League victory at Udinese.
Wenger was confident this win would lift the gloom that has surrounded the club following the double departure of captain Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, a winless start to the Barclays Premier League season and a raft of injuries and suspensions.
"We have been a little bit under pressure and for us not to play the Champions League and with the players who left, that pressure would've increased, understandably," he said.
"Since the beginning of the season, I feel a very strong, determined attitude within the team."
That determination has so often been lacking in recent seasons but it was in evidence tonight after Arsenal tailed at half-time to Antonio Di Natale's header.
Admitting his relief, Wenger said: "We responded in a very positive way, even being down 1-0.
"We had a fantastic second half.
"I'm very happy because we kept composure.
"We kept dominating, playing the football we want to play."

  • Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was defiant after victory at Udinese last night.
Wenger hit back at his critics after seeing his team qualify for the Champions League group phase.
"We live in a society where everybody has an opinion on everything," Wenger said after watching Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott turn the game on its head.
"I'm like somebody who flies a plane for 30 years and I have to accept that somebody can come into the cockpit and thinks he can fly the plane better than I do.
"But that's part of our job and we have to accept that.
"I just would like to say that the club is in overall a very strong position because tonight, for 15 years on the trot, we play in the Champions League.
"We have a new stadium and a fantastic training ground, a very good financial situation and a very strong team."

  • Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was delighted with Gervinho's performance in victory over Udinese.
The Ivorian was outstanding in the 2-1 victory.
"I told you yesterday and many times that he will be a big player for us," Wenger said.
"Sometimes the quality of the player is linked with the transfer amount and it is not always the case."

  • Manchester City signing Samir Nasri fired a taunting wind-up at his former Arsenal fans yesterday.
Nasri went straight on the attack after completing his £24 million switch.
"The (City) fans remind me of Marseille," he said. "Arsenal have good fans but they are not that passionate since they moved from Highbury to the Emirates.
"I remember when we lost 3-0 to City, the crowd was amazing, and that's what I want. I'm here to play football and to enjoy it and to win titles.
"I spoke with Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure a lot, and with Patrick (Vieira).
"Patrick said City is the place to be because they are the club of the future and they want to win everything.
"It's a big relief because there were long, long negotiations between the two clubs. Now I'm finally a City player and I'm really happy.
"I was a little a bit frustrated because I said to the manager (Arsene Wenger) that I wanted to leave. I wanted to do pre-season with Manchester City and to meet my new team-mates. It's a new start and I'm looking forward to it."

  • England have named Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong in their U21 squad.
Frimpong represented England at both Under-16 and Under-17 level but is also eligible to feature for Ghana, having been born in Accra.
England face Azerbaijan at Vicarage Road in their first European Under-21 Qualifier on Thursday, September 1, before hosting Israel in a friendly at Oakwell on Monday, September 5.

  • Arsenal have failed with an audacious loan bid for Real Madrid star Kaka - but could still buy the Brazilian.
Arsene Wenger tried to act quickly to appease fans in the wake of Samir Nasri’s move to Manchester City, which followed Cesc Fabregas’s switch to Barcelona.
But his bid for the Brazilian former World Player of the Year on a season-long loan was dismissed.
Wenger must now decide whether to try and buy Kaka, with Real boss Jose Mourinho known to be keen to off-load him.
Real want to get his £153,000-a-week salary off the books. They will want around £17.5million.

  • Bayern Munich midfield ace Bastian Schweinsteiger is a target for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.
Flush with the cash from the sales of Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona) and Samir Nasri (Manchester City), Wenger has the funds to test Bayern's resolve for Schweinsteiger.
Bayern have already warned Manchester United off their star man this month and rate him in the €35 million class.
Wenger is planning a bid for Schweini in the coming days.
The Frenchman confessed last night: "We are short in midfield at the moment and that is where we want to strengthen."
The prospect of Schweini quitting Bayern increased this week after a withering attack from club icons Franz Beckenbauer and Oliver Kahn over his captaincy.

  • Arsenal intend to make an improved offer for Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila.
Arsenal are ready to make an improved bid of £22million for M'Vila as Arsene Wenger desperately looks for a solution to his midfield crisis.
Wenger needs new personnel before the transfer window closes next Wednesday and hopes the extra cash will tempt Rennes into doing business after their director of football, Pierre Dreossi, ruled out a sale amid reports of a £15m offer from the Gunners earlier in the summer.
M'Vila, a 21-year-old holding player, has been linked with Liverpool and Chelsea and is under contract with Rennes until 2015.

  • Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is expected to focus on an English signing to boost his defence.
Having qualified for the Champions League group phase last night, Wenger is now set to launch a late market spending spree.
Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill and Birmingham City's Scott Dann are the leading targets to fill the defensive vacancy.

  • Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is pondering a double raid on Shakhtar Donetsk to boost his depleted midfield.
Having qualified for the Champions League group phase last night, Wenger is now set to launch a late market spending spree.
Shakhtar Donetsk pair Jadson and Willian are under review in midfield.
Both Brazilians have confessed an ambition to play in England this summer.

  • As the transfer windows edges closer to the end so does a conclusion to the Gary Cahill transfer saga.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Bolton’s strong solid leader Gary Cahill all summer, and with only one season remaining before leaving on a free it looks like wenger is about to pay up and get his man for a reported £16.6 million fee.
This deal could drag on until the final few days of the transfer window but a source inside the club has confirmed the bid is being lined up if, as reported, a third Jagielka bid fails which looks very likely at the moment.
It is being reported that the third bid for Phil Jagielka is around £13.4 million and Everton are still demanding a fee closer to £15 million mark.
Arsenal have finally made an enquiry for Gary Cahill: “Wenger does not want to spark a bidding war in the final few days of the transfer window for a player that is in his last year of he’s contract, so he is trying to keep this on a low.
“The reason Wenger did not go in for Cahill earlier was because of his age. Cahill is younger then Jagielka and he’s peak is from now and possibly for another 5 Years, whereas in Jagielka case he could possible only have another 2/3 strong seasons.”
Wenger has a lot of faith in Koscienly, Miquel and Bartley and does not want to ruin their future progression at Arsenal, Wenger believes they will become World class centre backs in the next couple of years.
The source added: “Wenger wants to gradually bring in Miquel and Bartley in the squad in the next few years, he has a lot of belief and faith in the pair and he currently sees Vermaelen and Koscienly as perfect pairing with a lot of ability and strength to push Arsenal into winning silverware.”

  • Arsenal have had a new bid for Everton defender Phil Jagielka rejected.
After seeing Samir Nasri sold to Manchester City, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger suffered a further setback after Everton rejected his latest £15m bid for Jagielka.
The Goodison club want £18m for the England defender.

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