How many times over the past couple of years have we seen players and officials associated with Barcelona speak about Cesc Fabregas? We now have the manager of Manchester City pretty much begging Samir Nasri to join him in Manchester.
The first few times it is a bit irritating – after a while it becomes maddening – eventually it’s just humiliating.
Arsenal are powerless to stop it. Reporting them would get nowhere as these two clubs are feasibly the only two destinations for the players for different reasons. Personally I would keep Cesc and sell Samir, however much I would like to see him rot in the reserves for a year – the thing is we just can’t afford it and letting him go for free would blow next seasons transfer budget.
Barcelona officials are in London for this week on business, undoubtedly the main objective is to get some kind of agreement with Arsenal over Cesc. The fact is if they pay £40m they will get him, if they don’t they won’t. Barca have tried to dress up many offers to try and come up with something slightly appealing, but when it comes to claiming some sort of compensation in hindsight (we have signed Barca youth products Jon Toral and Bellerin), they are playing a stupid game. It is worth saying that Arsenal have already paid compensation for those two players, as we also did with Fran Merida and Cesc. All above board – nothing dodgy – unlike Barca’s conduct towards us over the past few years but lets leave that there…
One thing is certain and that is the next two weeks are absolutely huge . We are in the middle of one of the most important summers in the history of the club; it is under new ownership and with two of our best players looking to leave – with no direct replacements in sight – we are at a bit of a crossroads.
Someone – anyone – needs to start getting things into order. The wage bill is horrific in contrast to the quality of players we actually have. Nicklas Bendtner and Abou Diaby (as an example) earn £112,000 per week between them. Now, I am one who thinks that footballers wages are obscene but I understand why they are so obscene. However, understanding why those two players earn that sum of money between them per-week is something I will never understand in my lifetime.
Bendtner, for me, has considerable potential, as does Abou Diaby – but I would sell them just to release those funds. Speaking about Nicklas Bendtner the manager said that he was free to talk to clubs, finding a club to agree to his personal terms may just prevent him moving permanently though:
‘How many will leave the club? I said from the start I will fight to keep everybody. Nicklas Bendtner might go and Emmanuel Eboue might go. They can talk to clubs, but the rest I will fight.’
If a player has to take a pay-cut to move, but at the same time could just sit on the bench at Arsenal picking up huge wages, is there any wonder they are not exactly busting a gut to find a new club? Even if they leave on loan Arsenal will probably still have to subsidise a certain percentage of the wage. Look back to the Eduardo sale, Arsenal had to lower the fee they wanted because of Eduardo’s personal demands – Shakhtar couldn’t afford him otherwise. Taking a hit on the transfer fee is the only way we can rid the club of a couple of the leeches that are kicking about.
Looking at things rationally, Arsenal are a top four club and that is the expectation. Look at the money spent overall (wages + transfer fees) and you can see we just can’t compete financially, still. Premier League betting odds won’t have Arsenal as anywhere near the favourites next season for a variety of reasons, like I have said a few times though, I do feel we will spring a surprise. I won’t get ahead of myself though…
It does seem that things will take shape very soon though. Samir Nasri’s conduct has possibly made his stay a somewhat unrealistic prospect and you can’t imagine Cesc leading out Arsenal next weekend for the first games in-front of a home crowd since the slump at the end of last season. Either way, those situations should be ended shortly.
Not just for the sake of the team, but the club needs a little direction now too.
Some harsh, swift decisions need making along with some positive moves.
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I agree with much that is being said and in particular players wages. Arsenal need to take the following actions:
Report Barcelona to UEFA, I know it will not achieve anything but over the last few years there have been more comments from presidents, managers, players and friends to warrant some investigation.
Sell Cesc to any team other than Barcelona, I think a really good team for him to join given his Spanish background is Real Madrid, come on Real Madrid put in a bid.
Nasri making play in the reserves year, keep fining him for discipline problems.
We’re consistently told that we don’t need the money and we are a well-run club and we do have a transfer budget, so we really can take a loss on both these players just to annoy Barcelona and the players.
Revenge is best served sweet.
Keeping Nasri for his final year is stupid.He wont have same commitment and will always be looking at the greener grass.I wud rather keep Eboue at the club who in my opinion will show more commitment if he stays.
Nasri won’t slouch or slack, if he stays and leaves Arsenal on a free than teams all over Europe can bid on him and the better he plays this year the bigger and longer the contract he gets will be; it is in Samir’s best interest to play well and stay healthy. I love Eboue but his complete commitment does not make him a better player than an uncommitted Nasri.
I am highly concerned abt Nasri. Why wil Wenger allow a player he acquired £16m some years ago, leave d club as a free player next year? Pls, sell him now 2 ve ur money back or wait till next year and ve nothing. As 4 Cesc, there is nothing Wenger can do 2 stop his move 2 Spain. I wish them gudluck in d respective clubs, they play 4 next season.
20m for nasri is good business. He’s another ade in my opinion and his career will derail after us like many others.
Cesc clearly wants to go so sell.
Buy top drawer replacements with the funds and we are ready
nasri is a shit player anyway. In my books, if you are consistent, you are not shite. He has 6 months out of 3 years to show for at arsenal, and anything higher than we paid for him is good. If he makes it elsewhere then good on him, but I doubt he will. IMO if he leaves he will be crying like hleb.
anyway, do you know whether the cazorla rumors are true? Fantastic player, that.
I told Samir in other blogs that he must stand up and be counted.
If he wants to leave he should make a written request and not stay at Arsenal without committment at all as we saw in Koln last week,and go for free next year
If he opts to stay to go out on free let him stay at the Reserves..no more and no less
Let them go!..dey r not relevant anymore!..hope dat Wenger will sign both Mata and Cazorla….both r excellent lad!
If we can get 60m for the pair no matter how it splits out then take it. ie. city pay 23m for nasti and barca 37m for cesc. if we could get a player exchange deal with either club then all the better. thiago plus 25 is fantastic. Affelay villa and abidail would also interest me. city have the 2 johnsons richards milner and even bellamy that i would find appealing. EIther way cash or part ex just sell these 2 players and quick. to be honest i would rather see lansbury and miyaichi than cesc and nasti now. eboue bendtner almunia diaby rosicky squillci and arshavin can also go as far as i am concerned.
Yeah better EBOUE to stay he is as good as he can play anywhere and let FABREGAS and NASRI and we make agood signing of those $55M. To me they seem no longer committed to the club. CARZOLA( yeees)
Please tell Arsene Wenger to leave Cesc Fabregas to move to Barcelona. He just dont want the progress of his players. Moreover Arsenal are not going for the Champions League (The biggest and most cherished competition in Europe) Bayern Munish is goin to woop their ass.
Get Eboue out of here… seriously do some people have amnesia? How many times has antics cost us free kicks and goals conceeded? We would need a replacement but he needs to go. Big liability.
Where is the news here?