marv3llous wrote:

Özil is world class. Benteke is not. We will never pay more than £15m for his kind. And Villa will not sell for our valuation.

Benteke scores against everyone home and away and so far this season he is hitting the back of the net with 40% of his shots. He would be top notch here and would take his game to the next level, he also has probably put a release clause in his contract renewal so he could be available whether villa want to keep him at all cost or not.

If we are in contention come january then we won't be able to get a top class striker, so annoying that we walk into a season again with a massive question mark over a key position.

evoh wrote:
marv3llous wrote:

Özil is world class. Benteke is not. We will never pay more than £15m for his kind. And Villa will not sell for our valuation.

Benteke scores against everyone home and away and so far this season he is hitting the back of the net with 40% of his shots. He would be top notch here and would take his game to the next level, he also has probably put a release clause in his contract renewal so he could be available whether villa want to keep him at all cost or not.

If we are in contention come january then we won't be able to get a top class striker, so annoying that we walk into a season again with a massive question mark over a key position.

Im not saying i wouldnt pay £25-£30m to have Benteke in this form but you know very well what i mean with the 'world class' comment. He does the business, but Wenger will never pay what Villa values him at.

'world class' seems to basically work on the basis that you have reached that level with a top team and done the business regularly.

Benteke isn't at a top team, and hasn't done it for long but 18 goals in his last 21 games IS world class, I'd take him over suarez at the moment as I think he has the potential to be even better.

Clrnc wrote:

Definitely. And nobody would have thought so when they sold Gotze, with Lewandowski on the verge as well.

Really well played Klopp.

Really? I thought that Gotze was at best their 3rd or 4th most influential player. He's a bit like our Jack. Both players have the potential to be right up there in future, but their last few seasons they were nowhere near most important player on their respective teams.

I was never in awe of Gotze either, also it helps that it's a straight dash to the title between Bayern and Dortmund meaning that they'll always been ready for Bayern to slip up.

Gotze was their best player last year.

I think Lewandowski just about shade it with his performances in big matches. But I do remember lots of people saying Dortmund is now a selling club after Gotze, and so many news paper reporting the big exodus that never arrived. Instead they use the money wisely and built an even better side. Michitarayan is like a like for like replacement for Kagawa, a proper goal scoring midfielder. Aubameyang provides much needed depth to take pressure off their only CF last season. They even strengthened their defence with Sokratis and sold all their deadwood.

I think Gotze will be a top top player, but he is going to stagnate a little at Bayern.

Captain wrote:

Gotze was their best player last year.

People are really eager to jump on players' backs.

evoh wrote:

'world class' seems to basically work on the basis that you have reached that level with a top team and done the business regularly.

Benteke isn't at a top team, and hasn't done it for long but 18 goals in his last 21 games IS world class, I'd take him over suarez at the moment as I think he has the potential to be even better.

These are world class numbers but he is not the guy Wenger would pay £30m for. I know it, you know it. Wenger buys players like Giroud for £10m and gets the exact same numbers from them. So our only hope for January is if he finds one.

Linked with Fernando Llorente by some rags. This rumour might have some legs as Conte does not seem to rate him at all.
From what I have heard, it was more of a Beppe Marrotta signing and not the player Conte wanted.

From the Mirror

Arsenal look set to rival Liverpool for Schalke's Greek defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos in January.

Because Liverpool are in desperate need of another defender...

I swear I remember Liverpool had a deal agreed for him, wonder if it fell through or the papers were just making it up.

JazzG wrote:

I swear I remember Liverpool had a deal agreed for him, wonder if it fell through or the papers were just making it up.

or the agent

5 days later
JazzG wrote:

I swear I remember Liverpool had a deal agreed for him, wonder if it fell through or the papers were just making it up.

As far as I know, he was still injured all summer, so maybe that put a stop to any potential deal.