(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread

Vela sold back to Sociedad for £8.8m +

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/carlos-vela-transfer-arsenal-agree-3746079. 

Good bit of business for everyone concerned.

Gazidis and Kroenke must be happy. Extra 15 million in the bank from Vela and Fabregas without having to do anything. Bonuses all around no doubt.

Yeah we got some portion of the profit they made on Fabregas. The total from Vela and Fabregas comes to around 14-15 million I believe. So net spend this summer already positive!

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/484459/Wen...

Thoughts on Sanchez? He's in the Fabregas boat for me, a nice to have option but not someone we have to have. 

That said if we're starting the season with Walcott crocked and the Ox not at full fitness it wouldn't be a dumb move, we have less depth out wide that we do through the middle, and I think Sanchez would start over any of our current wingers, excluding perhaps Cazorla.

Joel Campbell says hello?

Would you start Campbell over Sanchez?

I'm sold on Sanchez having seen him in the group stage. Unlike with Fabregas, we don't have an abundance of specialist wide forwards. Only really Walcott, and he won't really be ready for half the season anyway. Ox is also injured and will probably end up a central player anyway, while Cazorla is really a 10, and Podolski is a striker in a 4-4-2. A striker should be more the priority, unless Sanchez could alternate between central and out wide?

Wenger is wanting just that - someone who can operate centrally or out wide, so he can play with Giroud or as an alternative.

Poldi seemingly fits that bill but unfortunately Wenger has not seen enough from him to trust him up top on his own.

Balotelli, Sanchez, Draxler, Suarez, these are players who fit the bill, and that Wenger has shown interest in over the last 12 months (among others). 

I'd be happy with one of them, probably Balotelli to be fair as he's a little more accomplished in the striker role than a sanchez or a draxler (I'm assuming Suarez is a no-go, especially after this morning).

I really don't think we need another wide player if we get a player like this.

We also have Gnabry coming through strongly, as well as Campbell who is equally accomplished on the flank or in the striking role. 

With Italy going out Balo should be a gunner by next week LOL Wonder how long bitey will get

Not sure Balotelli is really much good out wide and I'm not fully convinced on him either. Think he'd be more trouble than he's worth. Fully convinced on Sanchez now though. There would be a lot of options for who plays where with him, but posting formations that include players we don't currently have is something I won't do so I'll leave it there for now!

Sanchez. Balotelli. Aurier. Javi Martinez. That'd be some solid additions.

Both Balotelli and Aurier are now a bit easier to access, Aurier especially we want over the line ASAP.

yup sign Aurier today please. 

I'd sooner have Sanchez than Balotelli.

Gossip today was Puma want Balotelli in before the new kit launch. 

Business 1 Football 0. 

Paul I'd like to see Zelalem get a heap of game time. 

OX to the centre

Coq back onboard 

Speaking of the Puma Kit, the Arsenal Fans in NZ group have managed to organise an event with Puma to launch the new kit in Auckland. Details are:

Why does everyone want Aurier? He is Eboue 2.0.

Based on what? Just because he is an Ivorian right back?

http://news.arseblog.com/2014/06/aurier-v-coleman-by-the-numbers/

Some cold hard stats for you.

All they have in common is that Aurier took his national team spot?

Yea I guess balotelli doesnt look like a wide player but he played well with other strikers at Man City, so I feel he'd be ok in tandem with Giroud

As opposed to a mandzukic type...

Sanchez strikes me as a purely wide player, not sure I can see him leading the line, much rather have Walcott up front in that case. However Sanchez does look very very good, I'd still take him!

Zelalem, yes, he looks so so good for his age. Can't wait to see a bit more of him next season.

http://www.soccersouls.com/2014/06/world-cup-stats-show-why-arsenal-shouldnt-hesitate-to-buy-this-sagna-replacement/

Speaking of top talent have you seen the Colombians? That striker Martinez has been in superb form, and Rodriguez who is only 22 scored a very nice goal today.

yes I have Brumbys

Monaco won't want to let James Rodriguez go

Martinez on the other hand is from Porto? if I remember correctly and they are always willing to sell

yes Porto, buy out was huge IIRC

Was that before or after he was banging them in left, right, and centre at this world cup?

before

My thoughts on JM where hardly groundbreaking, there has been hype on him for 24 months.

We've been linked with him a bit over the last while

He certainly looked quite good in the last game

Wenger pouring cold water on balotelli rumours

The more I read the more I like the idea of Javi Martinez to fill the DMF role

Bonus versatility with him able to cover CB, perhaps we'd only have to purchase one new CB if we got him

That's always a falsehood though Paulm, like woot he can cover CB, but the reality is we're left exposed in DMF because it's not our strongest position, in fact I'd say it's the weakest in the squad. It's a bit like saying 'woot Musct can play RB' but when he does the Nix are exposed at DMF.

With Arteta and Flamini we'd be fine in the event of an injury crisis at CB

I once knew a dyslexic Owl.

Just a thought gents, is the fact that Vermy is injured, and both Kos + BFG are still going at this world up make getting another CB an even bigger priority? Both Kos & BGF will need time to recover from the cup, but I can see them going quite far...

Anyone else see Wenger being a beach bum and showing off his skills in Brazil?

Wenger in Brazil

Absolutely must keep Arteta. He's a leader and an integral part of the squad. Makes absolutely no sense to let him go. We can't really let anyone go. We already need enough new players, letting players go would just make it too much work. We'll spend too much time trying to replace and end up not getting the what we already needed before.

Don't really rate Debuchy that much, but he is experience in the league and wouldn't be going to ANC so maybe a more solid choice than Aurier. I'd love Coleman though.

pay the $ for Aurier

hopefully less than the Chq Book Champs splurged on Shaw. 

Aurier is Eboue 2.0 in that he can't defend but is a good attacking full back.

We've had the most success with defensive right backs - Lauren, Sagna. A blog on arseblog made a good point that having Mertesacker as the right centrehalf means we need someone more defensive at right back to cover for him and make sure he doesn't get in a foot race with any roving left hand sided attackers.

Aurier would not help with this.

!0 million less that you paid for the Turk.