January Transfer Window - Who are we linked with??

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:38 am

From footylatest.com:

It may still be in the cradle, but Arsenal and Bayern Munich are in talks for a swap deal than involves Niklas Bendtner heading to Bavaria in addition to a considerable sum of cash in exchange for Franck Ribery to be playing at the Emirates.

Paul Meadows for FansFC:

Arsenal Football Club could yet enter the race for Roque Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City over the past few months, but it is now being suggested that Arsene Wenger will bid Â£15million to take him to London.

Post by **g88ner** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:44 am

I definately read today that Arsenal & Sp*rs were "fighting it out" for Steve Finnan!

No link though, sorry.

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:53 am

g88ner wrote:I definately read today that Arsenal & Sp*rs were "fighting it out" for Steve Finnan!

No link though, sorry.

Thanks for the heads up.
This is a baffling one, Steve Stammers is well connected at the club, but why would we want Finnan?

Exclusive by Steve Stammers, sundaymirror.co.uk 21/12/2008

Arsenal are ready to compete with Tottenham for Republic of Ireland defender Steve Finnan.

The 32-year-old moved from Liverpool to Espanyol in the summer after five years as a first-team regular at Anfield.

But Finnan has failed to settle at the Catalan club and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp wants him to bolster a defence that has been ravaged by injuries to key players such as Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate.

But Arsenal could find themselves in a similar position if William Gallas moves in the transfer window. Gallas is being watched by Juventus but has also attracted the attention of Paris St Germain in his native France.

The defender may now want to take the chance to leave The Emirates after an eventful year.

Lethal · Post by **Lethal** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:01 am

that article is stupid on so many levels let alone the fact that finnan is a right back,why would he be replacing the centre half gallas

they must be payed to write shit

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:23 am

Lethal wrote:that article is stupid on so many levels let alone the fact that finnan is a right back,why would he be replacing the centre half gallas

they must be payed to write shit

Yes some are paid to do just that, but why I am baffled is that Steve Stammers wrote this.

As far as journalists who cover Arsenal go, he is something of an insider.
An Arsenal TV regular, author of recent club Biography, and has often written about Arsenal for the Evening Standard.

Unlikely he would put his name to something Arsenal related if he did not think there was something in it.

I struggle to see why we would buy Finnan unless we are going to use him as cover, and perhaps sell Eboue to help pay for Finnan, and send Gavin Hoyte and Kerrea Gilbert out on loan again.

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:06 pm

Sport.co.uk say Elano could provide an alternative for Cesc in central midfield. Intriguing, but is he consistent enough?

Wenger tempted to make move for Elano

Author: Andrew Allen

Manchester Cityâ€™s out-of-favour midfielder Elano has emerged as a surprise January transfer target for Arsenal.

It is thought that Arsene Wenger is considering a six-month loan deal for the Brazilian international with a view to a full-time contract in the summer. The 27-year-old who signed on at Eastlands in 2007 in a deal worth Â£8m, is already the subject of approaches by Lazio and Espanyol after Mark Hughes made it clear that the player would not be staying in the North West.

With worries mounting over the fitness of Cesc Fabregas, following his injury in the weekendâ€™s clash against Liverpool, Wenger has stepped up his quest to find suitable experienced cover and is prepared to offer the tricky midfielder an opportunity to prolong his stay in England.

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:54 pm

From Skysports.co.uk via Chunky Monkey:

Valencia midfielder Edu is reported to be attracting interest from the Premier League.

The Brazilian spent four years with Arsenal between 2001 and 2005, making over 100 appearances for the Gunners.

He moved to Spain as a free agent, but has endured horrendous injury problems since arriving in the Primera Liga.

Despite his problems, though, the 30-year-old is still regarded as a more than competent exponent of the holding midfield role.

With that in mind, and with Lassana Diarra having recently completed a big-money move to Real Madrid, Portsmouth are said to be one of the sides showing an interest ahead of the January transfer window.

MyOldMan · Post by **MyOldMan** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:24 pm

Bring in Jimmy Bullard & Scott Parker! That will do for about 15M
Both can play in Champs league?

xDAVEYx · Post by **xDAVEYx** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:21 pm

MyOldMan wrote:Bring in Jimmy Bullard & Scott Parker! That will do for about 15M
Both can play in Champs league?

proof?!

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:10 am

From Daily Star, resurrecting a posible deal for a player we were linked with in the summer:

Â£10M INLER FAB FOR WENG

By David Woods

Arsenal are set to step up their Â£10m pursuit of Swiss international Goekhan Inler in the wake of Cesc Fabregasâ€™ KO blow.

The Gunners came close to signing the 24-year-old from Udinese in the summer, but with Fabregas out for four months their need has become far more pressing. A fee of around

Â£10m could be enough to persuade the Serie A side to sell Inler, who was the one impressive Swiss player at Euro 2008.

The Gunners had been keeping close tabs on the central midfielder this season, even before Fabregasâ€™ knee ligament damage.

SWLGooner · Post by **SWLGooner** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:27 am

Is the chappie Inler a creative Cesc-style player or more of a Flimflam/Vieira holding role player?

Post by **Chippy** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:22 am

He is a DM, Wikipedia calls him a "hardman" ( I know I know

)

Post by **SPUDMASHER** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:27 am

Not another Swiss player. Apart from Djourou, who still has it all to prove, has there ever been a good Swiss player.

rtpgooner · Post by **rtpgooner** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 2:05 pm

seems like the mirror link us to a few players in this article today.

Scrooge Arsene Wenger heading for January sales after Fabregas KO By John Cross 24/12/2008

Scrooge Arsene Wenger last night admitted he may be forced to spend big this Christmas after Cesc Fabregas was ruled out for the season.

Wenger has drawn up a hitlist featuring Â£20million-rated Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Andrei Arshavin, West Ham's Mark Noble, Manchester City's Â£10m out-of-favour Michael Johnson, Barcelona's Â£8m defender Yaya Toure and Villarreal veteran Marcos Senna.

The injury to Fabregas leaves Arsenal having to make a major dip into the transfer market or risk failing to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Wenger is notorious for resisting big-money buys, but even he confessed that he is "more likely" to have to spend. The Frenchman is a big admirer of Russian playmaker Arshavin, 27, but says Zenit's price tag is "not realistic" - although he is willing to do business at Â£12m.

Wenger said: "We are more likely to buy in January but we also have internal solutions, and we are not desperate because of that. We have a big game in front of us and before January I believe it is more important to focus on our games."

Wenger also put a block on any players leaving in January - including Manchester City target Kolo Toure - as he admitted Fabregas's injury blow has left them desperately short.

But Wenger insists that the Gunners can still finish in the top four, despite Boxing Day opponents Aston Villa emerging as a genuine threat.

Wenger, who has a proud record of always finishing in the Champions League places since taking over at Arsenal in 1996, added: "Of course we can maintain a challenge without Fabregas. At the moment nobody is coming in or going out."

no. 1 is Perry Groves.... · Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:45 pm

Mark Noble! - Please god no!!!