SUMMER TRANSFERS - Your thoughts on who did and did not sign

[highburyJD]

wasting time googling Grenier, apparently Lyon rejected our offer
I thought he was excellent the one time I watched,
unfortunately half his seasons highlights are from the one game I saw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4P8EGtnEgU

[Chippy]

Time to post this again.
http://www.samaritans.org/

After 8 years I really thought you might understand what is going on, but no you live in hope, damn fools.

[augie]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... um=twitter

Personally, and I know that I have said this before, but I wouldn't be adversed to taking a gamble on Torres IF the price was right (certainly no more than £10m imo). I wouldn't want him as our main striker or alongside Giroud, podolski or any of our other current forwards but as a the 2nd striker in a front 2 I reckon he could be a good buy

[Red Gunner]

Arsenal join chase to sign QPR goalkeeper Julio Cesar

Arsenal are to compete with Roma and Fiorentina for the Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar, with Queens Park Rangers braced to receive a formal bid for his services in the coming week following the conclusion of the Confederations Cup. Cesar will play for his country in the tournament's final, against Spain at Rio's Maracana on Sunday evening. QPR have made no secret that the 33-year-old is effectively available despite his fine form during a traumatic campaign that culminated in relegation from the top flight. There is a desire at Loftus Road to shift the Brazilian's £70,000-a-week salary from the wage bill and they would only anticipate generating a fee of around £1.5m for a player who joined from Internazionale last summer. Arsene Wenger is keen to secure an experienced goalkeeper to compete with Wojciech Szczesny and has considered testing Liverpool's resolve to retain Pepe Reina after the arrival of Simon Mignolet. But Cesar, so impressive in his only season at QPR and scouted by his prospective employers over the last two weeks, has indicated a desire to remain in London next term and, despite interest from the Italian clubs, his representatives expect to resume talks with Arsenal once his international commitments are complete. He would be joined in London by Gonzalo Higuain, whose £22m move from Real Madrid should be concluded over the next few days after the Spaniards' new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, sanctioned the transfer.

Wenger's interest in the Swansea defender Ashley Williams and Everton's Marouane Fellaini may be frustrated, however, with Arsenal apparently unwilling to meet the Welsh club's £10m valuation of the centre-half or meet the £24m release clause, which expires on 15 August, in the Belgian's contract at Goodison.

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Harry Redknapp: Julio Cesar 'close' to QPR exit

Harry Redknapp claims Julio Cesar is close to a QPR exit – as Arsenal plan a raid for the goalkeeper.

The Gunners are looking for a new shot-stopper, after an indifferent season by current incumbent Wojciech Szczesny, and have targeted the Brazil No.1.

And Rs boss Redknapp believes the 33-year-old’s days in west London are numbered.

"Julio Cesar will move on," he told talkSPORT.

"He’s a top class goalkeeper, Brazil’s No.1. He’s been in great for Brazil and I presume there’s a big club out there for him.

"He won’t want to play in the Championship, he’s a goalkeeper for a big club."

[storrmin571]

A new-look Arsenal frontline could feature 29-year-old Chelsea striker Fernando Torres partnering Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain, 25, if Gunners manager Arsene Wenger gets his way.
Full story: Sunday People

[spendsum4uckingmoney]

I think the Torres rumour is bullshit. Can I see him leaving? Yes. I am sure Mourinho wants him out but I can see what goes through AW's mind:

Is he above 28? If so is he a shite French defender? No? No sale

[highburyJD]

??? Squillaci is now our 'typical' transfer??
It's like me saying Meatface wouldn't sign a player unless they were homeless

[1989]

As I'm sure has been said somewhere on this thread in the absence of any tangible progression on a deal that looked very likely 7-10 days ago it's not unreasonable to look at the way we've conducted negotiations with clubs in the past; and it's no secret that our negotiations have often been protracted as we haggle to an unnecessary and often unrealistic degree on the fee.

Or do you need a credible source like goal.com, caughtoffside or "some bloke off Twitter" for it to be a credible suggestion?

It doesn't always come down it being about haggling over fees though. You can't assume that just because a transfer seems protracted that it must be because we're trying to lowball the selling club. There are recent examples of when we wrapped up deals swiftly too, like Podolski and Giroud last summer. The Cazorla deal took a bit longer but we still nabbed him. It seems to me that people are too scarred by the Mata failure and that is causing them to feel negatively about any transfer for a top player that seems to be dragging out. But it's not like we always lose out at the final hurdle on players. The Mata thing was an exception rather the norm. It's understandable to be a bit cynical due to that, but it's being overstated imo.

Personally, and I kid you not when I say this, but I am still scarred by the kluivert saga all those years ago when he was 100% certain to sign for us - to this day the missus still gives me abuse over that story everytime a fcuking transfer window opens

On a more recent story I think the one that scarred me most was the schwarzer bid a couple of years ago - how embarassing was it as an Arsenal supporter to watch your team make a derisory bid for the guy that was dismissed by fulham only then to see us go back in with the very same bid just a couple of months later ? For me it made us a laughing stock and it was even more annoying cos 99% of Gooners at that time were begging for a new keeper to oust below average al from number 1 choice but yet the most we could spring for was 250k ??? This, correct me if I'm wrong, was in the same summer that we gave out new deals to the worlds greatest danish striker, denilson and flaps to name but 3

Impressive memory recall there Augie. I too remember how excited I was about a potential Bergkamp-Kluivert all Dutch partnership. Ahh fuck it.

And yes, the Schwarzer debacle was deeply embarrassing.

[greengooner]

This thread is a torture
1: the Rooney rumours are BS, he would never sign for us and tbh I would not want the fat scouse granny shagging c**t anywhere near our club
2: 90% sure the Fellani stories are BS, while I think he would a good addition to our powder puff tippy tappy midfield I doubt Lord Wenker would shell out the amount it would take to seal a deal
3: Higuain....I'm getting a bit worried about this one, it all smells like the usual haggling over pennies that will lead to us losing him
4: Stay tuned for the signing of shit League 2 injury prone tosspot on long term contract for huge wages who will unsurprisingly not fulfil potential before being loaned out for three seasons until contract is terminated

That is all

[begeegs]

This thread is a torture
1: the Rooney rumours are BS, he would never sign for us and tbh I would not want the fat scouse granny shagging c**t anywhere near our club
2: 90% sure the Fellani stories are BS, while I think he would a good addition to our powder puff tippy tappy midfield I doubt Lord Wenker would shell out the amount it would take to seal a deal
3: Higuain....I'm getting a bit worried about this one, it all smells like the usual haggling over pennies that will lead to us losing him
4: Stay tuned for the signing of shit League 2 injury prone tosspot on long term contract for huge wages who will unsurprisingly not fulfil potential before being loaned out for three seasons until contract is terminated

That is all

I agree with all of this. Tomorrow is the fabled day of July 1st and if no one comes in then, I expect that no one will until towards the end of the transfer window when we are about 10-15 points behind the leaders.

It is the usual Wenger bs of making sure that we have navigated into the Group Stage of the CL before money will be spent. At that point, Higauin will probably be gone and most of our rivals (and the whole PL) will have strengthened while we scramble to fund a last minute trolley dash.

And people wonder why we want him out of the club?

What boggles my mind is that Gazidis is even contemplating a new contract for this buffoon and then stands by and watches nothing happen for the entire transfer window. At least this year, he has more or less made it more than clear that if money isn't spent, we will know why.

If no one of significance comes in to strengthen us, last years boos will be even louder this year. I remember them with fondness (because I want him out of the club), but they will spread and the atmosphere will turn even more poisonous.

We really have a chance to crack on if we maintain that defensive outlook that had us almost picking up maximum points towards the end, but we need some proper flair, finishers to do it.

Anyway, wake me up when the season starts...

[SteveO 35]

Higgy isn't coming
Rooney isn't coming
Torres isn't coming
Villa isn't coming
Fellaini isn't coming

Will be fun getting 300 odd pages though dreaming that any of them are coming

[greengooner]

Higgy isn't coming
Rooney isn't coming
Torres isn't coming
Villa isn't coming
Fellaini isn't coming

Will be fun getting 300 odd pages though dreaming that any of them are coming

And
Christmas is coming
And our season will probably be over before it arrives

[SteveO 35]

Higgy isn't coming
Rooney isn't coming
Torres isn't coming
Villa isn't coming
Fellaini isn't coming

Will be fun getting 300 odd pages though dreaming that any of them are coming

And
Christmas is coming
And our season will probably be over before it arrives

Father Christmas would be a more likely signing for Wenger than any of the above. Once a year he shows great technical quality and a very good spirit before going into hiding for months on end

[afcforever]

Higgy isn't coming
Rooney isn't coming
Torres isn't coming
Villa isn't coming
Fellaini isn't coming

Will be fun getting 300 odd pages though dreaming that any of them are coming

What to the BBQ

[SteveO 35]

Higgy isn't coming
Rooney isn't coming
Torres isn't coming
Villa isn't coming
Fellaini isn't coming

Will be fun getting 300 odd pages though dreaming that any of them are coming

What to the BBQ

You took the last ticket I'm afraid