Just get Javi Martinez.

speedy wrote:

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.

Massive DM and Hummels. Distribution issue solved.

Well ManU went for Hummels with unlimited funds and couldn't get the deal done. So although that sounds easy we both know that's impossible or at least has been up until now.

I think the summer is the time to make a move for Hummels too. It's too soon right now. Dortmund might actually be relegated this season, that's how bad they are. No way will they sell their best defender under those circumstances.

Thanks to the transfer ban Barca won't be in for him this summer, so our odds just improved a little. You'd expect United or Real to come in swinging, though. Great centrebacks are as rare as great strikers, and he's pretty much the best on the market.

and if we end up in the top 4 and united somehow slips up and finishes 5th, thats another feather in our cap. sure, they can offer him obscene wages, but i doubt he'd be happy playing in the europa league next year.

If Hummels is available United will almost definitely be in for him IMO, and they're going to be better positioned to get him. Real are set on center backs though, they have 3 of the best 6-8 CBs in the world.

Schneiderlin is the best DM option IMO until he's off the table. Better than Martinez even. Better on the ball, better suited to sitting deep rather than pressing. He should be priority #1 for this club. CB market is a mess, but there's a player out there who's publicly said he'd love to play for us and would improve us immensely so we need to do everything to get him in.

Schneiderlin is not better on the ball than Javi Martinez, be serious. The only advantages he has over Martinez are being younger, not suffering major injuries in recent years and PL experience.

healthy martinez is the ideal player, size, technique, nasty streak, and can dictate play.

there haven't actually been solid links to gundo have there? this all stemmed from the daily star/express and the like

Martinez can't dictate play, he's not that type of player. He's closer to Khedira. He has good technique but in the end he's a power player. Schneiderlin is a better short passer and has a better first touch. IMO he's a better partner for Ramsey.

Wenger ruled out us being after Gündogan in his presser today. Can't say I'm very disappointed with that.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

He didn't rule it out

Yea he was coy he suggested his focus is on defenders. I never watched the AGM / meet the fans thing apparently egghead suggested there wasn't much funds maybe 20M or so. We prob got a few million for Afobe. I guess it would be difficult to get Gundogan and a defender with that kind of restriction. But if anyone can do it its Wenger.

speedy wrote:

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

He didn't rule it out

Yea he was coy he suggested his focus is on defenders. I never watched the AGM / meet the fans thing apparently egghead suggested there wasn't much funds maybe 20M or so. We prob got a few million for Afobe. I guess it would be difficult to get Gundogan and a defender with that kind of restriction. But if anyone can do it its Wenger.

This talk about only having 20m is BS for a start - it's only what we allow ourselves after covering ALL our known operating costs from what revenue we have immediately on hand NOW, it doesn't include any revenues yet to be received this season which is how we manage to generate profits.

Further to that most transfers are paid by instalments so as to minimise the impacts on your operating costs each season.  The  only times you generally pay in full is for the cheaper deals like our deal for Bielik.  The budget figure available has little to do with the value of individual players or even total expenditure.  For argument's sake with 20m you could make 3 signings with 5m initial payment made for this season & use the remaining 5m to cover wages. 
Speaking of which we continue to make things difficult for ourselves by looking to conduct new deals for existing players mid season, which then has an impact on our transfer budget re wages to be deducted for the remainder of the season.  IMO we'd be far better positioned if we renewed current deals in the summer only.

When the players are on vacation?

Why is this thread still open btw? Wenger has ruled the player out.

Has too.

Can we trust the Weng though?
Hmmmm...