The Goon Blog claiming we made Connor Wickham a VIP guest at the Barcelona game:

Connor Wickham, the young Ipswich striker, was a VIP guest at the Emirates for the first leg of our Champions League tie against Barcelona last week. Considering I was of the mind we aren’t really that interested in him it was quite a surprise to me, I don’t have any further information and your man over at YoungGuns is far more informed on this matter than I am. However, it is interesting so I thought I’d mention it..

YoungGuns hasn't mentioned anything yet.

Not keen. Looks like a bendtner type

I want a sharp intelligent mover, rather than an aggressive lumbering type

Looked good in the first leg up at Ipswich. Better talent than I previously gave him credit for, but still not sure I'd want him here if I'm honest.

Wouldn't want him here. Don't look better than Bendtner

As in...

ARGH! Why do people still respond like this!

not...

ARGH! NOTANOTHERYOUNGSTERILOVEFERNANTOTORRES!!!

Doesn't look like anything special to me, but then I've only seen him 3 times and he's 17.

19 days later

I think we should put in a 30M bid for Schweinsteiger.

Yeah I know I'm insane......

yeah that's crazy talk

he'd kill frimpong as much as wenger's killing steve boulds opportunity

Crazy talk when we have Ramsey to be fair.

Spending £30M on a position where we already have Fabrgeas, Wilshere and Ramsey, when we have limited funds, sounds like crazy talk to me mate.

When did Schweinstieger become a true leader? You honestly think one player would be able to make up for the lack of experience that runs right throughout this team? Even then quality is still the most fundamental thing that we lack.

he'd go a long way to helping. we're talking about a genuine world class player here

Yeah, but it wouldn't change the fact that Fabianski/Szczesny, Vermaelen, Walcott, van Persie and Fabregas miss half the season through injury and we have shitsters like Squillaci, Denilson, Diaby, Rosicky, Bendtner, and Chamakh coming into replace them. Schweinsteiger would get swallowed up by the mediocrity surrounding him just like most of our other good players do, as nearly all good players would.

We need to improve the areas where we'll be weak going into next season, that's where our money must go, not on an area of the pitch where we have some of best talent in world football. That's how I see it anyway.

fair enough, but if we're adding true class, this is a guy we should look at - defensively we need a left back, and uptop we need a striker and/or a pacey wide man

I think we need a top class wide man with serious speed and goals in him, and a proper alternative to van Persie - seeing as Chamakh's playing like his feet are tied together at the moment.

Hazard out wide would do nicely, but I can't really think of a striker.

Still not convinced by Benzema. Plus he'd cost a fortune and is probably on considerably more money than Cesc is

Esteban del la Sexface wrote:

Benzema

Maybe a few months ago, but each day, he's looking more andmore like a Galactico-in-the-making. I adore Benzema, but doubt he'll be available unless he fights Mourinho

7 days later

Apparently we're in for Thiago Alcantara.

Would be a massive coup.

Why would Barcelona sell him to us if he is any good?

Wenger making a statement of intent!

And I'm not even joking.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Why would Barcelona sell him to us if he is any good?

Well, they probably won't. But apparently his contract is quite short.

Fair enough, Asa, so they're not in total control.

Is he actually any good? Or his good like Gio Dos Santos was "good"?

Seems like our response to them wanting Cesc back is us trying to poach all of their prospects 😃

Haven't seen enough of him to really know if he's really that good, but he's been good from the little I've seen. Massive reputation though.

Probably can't get him though.

He must be one of the many players of Wilshere's quality in Barca's youth set-up that Guardiola was referring to.
If we get him, I just hope we don't hear anymore of this madness of DNA and people going home.

Saw in one of the rags that United might be leading the race for Oxlade-Chamberlain at 10m pounds. If that's the fee, let United win

Alcantara looks like an absolutely quality player.

Just from watching a few youtube "every touch" videos of a couple of his games this season, I'm not overly keen. He has great technical quality, and looks a decent dribbler too, which is quite rare for a good passer, but, for me, doesn't have that genius about him that Xavi, or Cesc, or Jack have - an awareness of the right pass, at the right time, nearly every time. Only a snap reaction, but we'll see.

Where did you get the piece of info from Asa?

Not everyone has to play like Xavi mate and especially at 19.

Captain wrote:

Not everyone has to play like Xavi mate and especially at 19.

No, of course, I'm not saying that. But he has been compared to Xavi, and looks similar in style, but, for me, he doesn't have his genius, and I feel at that age you either have that or you don't. Jack has it, that's a fair comparison.

Anyway, like I said, it's a snap judgement based on very little.

Xavi didn't have his genius at 17,18,19.

But anyway, the guy is nothing like Xavi.

More like Iniesta but he has more flair.

Thanks for the vids. I like him, quick feets and intelligent techniques

We're being strongly linked with young Charlton right back, Carl Jenkinson, apparently we're favourites to sign him in the summer, although Man United are also very interested.

All I know is he turned 19 in February, is 6'1", and has rejected the offer of a new contract at Charlton, despite their best efforts, and as a result is out of contract in the summer.