Too bad we won't sign him.

Money should be better spent on a type of player we actually need IMO.

I wasn't convinced initially, but he really is too good to turn down at that price. If we can turn him into a new Arteta, it could be great.

Rex wrote:

Money should be better spent on a type of player we actually need IMO.

we rarely ever spend money on what we actually need.

2 years ago, it was clear we needed a striker...we signed ozil
this past summer, we again needed a world class striker and we signed sanchez. the sanchez signing has been brilliant, obviously, but just saying.

it was also obvious on deadline day we needed a CB and CDM and we ended up getting a striker. wenger is firmly against having a balanced squad with cover in all areas.

Arteta always had the ability to play DM and has been a very solid, consistent contributor for us. Gundogan is physically tough and has an excellent passing range, question is whether he can curb his attacking instincts and position himself the way Arteta does.

Not sure this makes sense if Schneiderlin is attainable. But I guess Wenger doesn't like him that much, otherwise we would have bought him already.

mdgoonah41 wrote:

Rex wrote:

Money should be better spent on a type of player we actually need IMO.

this past summer, we again needed a world class striker and we signed sanchez. the sanchez signing has been brilliant, obviously, but just saying.

it was also obvious on deadline day we needed a CB and CDM and we ended up getting a striker. wenger is firmly against having a balanced squad with cover in all areas.

These two lines don't make sense. In the summer we needed a striker, but signed Sanchez. On deadline day we needed a CB and DM, but signed a striker? If Sanchez isn't a striker, we still needed one on deadline day. And if he is, then we signed that striker we needed in the first place.

Also, our wingers were Theo, Ox and Podolski. We needed a winger.

If the quoted price for gundogan is correct I would imagine Schneiderlin's price would be much higher. That's probably a factor.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

mdgoonah41 wrote:

this past summer, we again needed a world class striker and we signed sanchez. the sanchez signing has been brilliant, obviously, but just saying.

it was also obvious on deadline day we needed a CB and CDM and we ended up getting a striker. wenger is firmly against having a balanced squad with cover in all areas.

These two lines don't make sense. In the summer we needed a striker, but signed Sanchez. On deadline day we needed a CB and DM, but signed a striker? If Sanchez isn't a striker, we still needed one on deadline day. And if he is, then we signed that striker we needed in the first place.

Also, our wingers were Theo, Ox and Podolski. We needed a winger.

no one intimated that welbeck was a world class striker. he was a panic buy on deadline day after giroud got hurt. prior to giroud's injury, we weren't going to buy a striker. after selling vermaelen, it was clear we were short at CB. and if i remember correctly, arteta had gotten hurt before deadline day too, so people were worried we were short in the middle. point being, what everyone here (and most arsenal fans) thinks we need normally doesn't agree with what wenger thinks we need.

everyone's been saying how badly we need a DM, and the names we are linked to (beyond the 17 year old from poland) are more attacking-oriented options.

could see wenger being interested in gundogan for that deep lying position. he hasn't really bought power/size in midfield since diaby, or diarra perhaps.

a healthy gundogan would be an asset i think, playing that arteta/carrick role

He's a damn sight better than Flamini as our pivot, so I'm for it. Would rather a big fella with good feet, but this is certainly better than doing nothing this January.

I'd have been a lot more excited about signing him at the start of the season. Needless to say, if he's our only signing I'd be seriously concerned as he will do nothing to resolve our defense's limited numbers.

Oh yea, we'd better get a defender in, but I took that as a given.

He seems to be turning into one of those players who constantly gets linked to us and everyone else, but never actually moves. Dont really have any belief in him moving.

Really not excited about this, I'm sure he'd be good when fit but he's just not what we need imo.

Wenger is doing everything he can to not sign a big, physical midfielder who actually likes defending.

It's just difficult to find one with the ball playing ability we need. Most would just clog our ability to pass the ball out from the back under pressing. If only Liverpool sold us Alonso back in the day.

To be honest even Vieira didn't work as the deeper midfielder with cesc. We just need someone with his attitude and physical ability and footballing skill and footballing intelligence but with even more defensive ability. I wish Wenger would just sign him already. There must be tons of 6 ft 5 defensive shield pirlos around.

Spurs sign tons on dm's and it's never improved them.