might as well kick it off.

loads of rumors buzzing around atm. latest was that we're apparently in for bale (35 mill). eh, no...

will be interesting to say the least. i expect a lot of movement both in and out. santos and mertesacker looks like done deals. bendtner will leave.

Grimandi has confirmed that Mertesacker, Santos and Park are all in the bag.

I want Montolivo and Kagawa/Götze. I think we'll fail a late bid for Hazard and decide to call it a day though.

grimandi has? when?

i think we need a central midfielder and a creative "forward". especially the latter. with nasri and cesc gone this team is crying out for some creativity and flair. i'd take anyone of kaka, goetze, kagawa or hazard.

i order of wantness my big wow players are:-

1) Banega
2) Goetze
3) Hazard
4) Kaka
5) Andy Polo
6) Kagawa

1 earth-shattering signing would leave me content.

M'Vila and a playmaker who can play both centrally as well as on the wing should make for a satisfying end to a rather distressing summer.

I don't think we are getting that one big attacking signing we are all hoping for.

Kel Varnsen wrote:

grimandi has? when?

About thirty minutes ago on french television, apparently. People reporting it all over Twitter.

GoonerTalk Chris Wheatley
Arsenal's French-based scout Giles Grimandi has confirmed the three signings of Chu-Young Park, Andre Santos & Per Mertesacker.

GoonerTalk Chris Wheatley

Grimandi is currently on a new French TV show 'The Specialists' which covers English football. More quotes to come from @TahsinOv tonight.

Kel Varnsen wrote:

i think we need a central midfielder and a creative "forward". especially the latter. with nasri and cesc gone this team is crying out for some creativity and flair. i'd take anyone of kaka, goetze, kagawa or hazard.

Agree wholeheartedly with this.

How the fuck is Banega a "wow" player?

Anyway, I really want a proper central midfield that can actually tackle and defend and pass. So M'Vila basically. For me, that's far, far more important than getting a new playmaker in the squad (although Montolivo would be nice as well).

How is Banega NOT a "wow" player? Kid's a little genius.

Curtis wrote:

Anyway, I really want a proper central midfield that can actually tackle and defend and pass.

You're describing Banega pretty much to the letter there, Vikes. Defensively solid, extremely skilled on the ball and has a very good range. In my opinion M'Vila is more of a holding player who likes to sit back and play it short.

It has all gone a bit quiet now, reeks of a Benayuon type signing 🙁

Klaus wrote:
Curtis wrote:

Anyway, I really want a proper central midfield that can actually tackle and defend and pass.

You're describing Banega pretty much to the letter there, Vikes. Defensively solid, extremely skilled on the ball and has a very good range. In my opinion M'Vila is more of a holding player who likes to sit back and play it short.

Well in that case I'm in.

But I'm still not sure his name is really "big" enough to be a wow signing - but I could easily be behind (I don't really follow much other football than Arsenal these days, sorry to say).

From what I've seen of M'Vila (and read about him) he's not the player you notice the most, but I'm not of the impression that he prefers playing it short. But to be frank I've wanted a midfielder that can defend and win balls and also add to the offense (aside from Song) ever since the summer of 2008, so I might be biased here.

Rohit wrote:

It has all gone a bit quiet now, reeks of a Benayuon type signing 🙁

It was totally quiet yesterday. Then we signed Santos all of a sudden. Then it went quiet again and we woke up to the news of Mertesacker emerging.

I was just thinking we would have to finish negotiations today as players are with their National teams. There would be all kinds of noises if we were in for a name like Gotze or Hazard.

Unfortunately the Dortmund CEO has just said there has been no bid and his agent has said he will stay put for atleast 2 more years.

I am just getting very anxious, we need a CM (hopefully M'Vila) and a playmaker (i don't know who).

Wenger in his recent interviews has acknowledged we are short in midfield, so hoping atleast one of the two positions will be filled.

Wouldn't be surprised if they tried to sign Kaka last minute, it didn't hapen and they said "but we tried..."

We need Banega and Kagawa, but will end up with Park, Mertesacker, Santos and Dempsey, which lets face it, are midtable signings. We need two guys who will challenge Van Persie as best player on the team.

I was afraid Wenger would replace 1 world class player with 2-3 average ones, and it seems he's just as dumb as we feared.

More positive way of looking at it is that we're only spending what we'll get from selling our scrubs, and we still have massive funds to move for 2 world class players when they become available. I don't think that's likely, though. Even if that's our thinking, top players no longer want to come here.

Rumours of an enquiry for Eriksen now doing the rounds on twitter

That would be almost as good as getting Hazard. Not as good as getting Kagawa or Götze though, but I'll take it.

I'd rather both Hazard and Kagawa over Gotze. Would probably rather Eriksen too.

i'm just going to say we need a big signing tomorrow. not necessarily a "big name", but a proper quality player. i don't care if it's banega or whoever, but wenger sure damn better pull something out of his pants tomorrow.

True story - one of my friends from my university is friends with Eriksen (she grew up with him). So when she went to visit him I made her bring my old Arsenal jersey from '98 with Bergkamp on it to be signed by the man himself (because Bergkamp works at Ajax where Eriksen plays). He was too shy to ask though 🙁

I wouldn't mind him here, but I doubt he's what we need. Haven't watched him much for Ajax, but judging from the Danish national team he has some way to go. Bags of talent though.

Anyway, Kami, I think you're being too negative man. I'm pretty sure the club are working to get some quality players in (and I mean better than Dempsey).

1 quality creative player and we'll be back in business. Not saying the team would be the complete package or anything, but we'd be properly competitive again.

Tim would you settle for say mvila plus someone like jadson, arteta or marvin?

Marvin Martin is our number 1 target according to Auclair. That geeza usually knows his french onions when it comes to Arsenal.

YossiBenayoun15 Yossi Benayoun
by arsenalreport
I am supposed to fly in the morning to London to speak with Chelsea and try to close a contract in one of the teams mentioned

It really, really, really better not be us.

would be fucking angry if we ended up with either benayoun or dempsey and no "big names"...

Ricky1985 wrote:

YossiBenayoun15 Yossi Benayoun
by arsenalreport
I am supposed to fly in the morning to London to speak with Chelsea and try to close a contract in one of the teams mentioned

It really, really, really better not be us.

This has become my number 1 fear :gah:

Kel Varnsen wrote:

i don't care if it's banega or whoever, but wenger sure damn better pull something out of his pants tomorrow.

I would prefer he didn't, thank you. :o

😆 "Cocks out, everybody! We've signed Andy Polo!"

Lol. In my native language, Tswana, 'polo' is the slang word for a cock. And I don't mean a cock that crows.

Is M'Vila really that good?