WENGER GOES FOR £15m MARTINS
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ARSENE WENGER has the green light to splash £15million on Obafemi Martins to bolster his paper-thin squad.
Last week's ousting of chief executive Keith Edelman frees the financial shackles at Arsenal and could allow Wenger to compete on a level playing field in terms of transfer fees and wages. While Edelman always insisted there was money for Wenger to spend, Arsenal sources believe the Gunners boss felt restricted in the transfer market.
Newcastle striker Martins tops Wenger's list, with the French gaffer confident he can land his target — even if it means paying the Nigerian £75,000 a week. Wenger, whose side face Everton on Sunday afternoon, accepts he must stick to a wage structure as the Gunners' move to the Emirates Stadium has created a £360m debt.
Screw
But it is understood Edelman had turned the screw too tight. His business acumen had helped the club successfully make their move to the Emirates and increase profitability but, according to one source, he was cutting costs to the bone — thus affecting the football side of the club.
I understand Wenger increasingly missed the support of former vice-chairman David Dein who fell out with Edelman over potential foreign investment and was ousted last year. Other players on Wenger's radar will be Aston Villa's Gareth Barry, Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson and Miralen Pjanic of Metz.
Wenger does not believe he needs to radically reshape his squad but he knows he has to inject more power and experience throughout the team.
Wenger will also be looking for another centre-half and goalkeeper — possibly West Ham's Robert Green. While a loosening of the purse-strings may be too late to satisfy midfielder Mathieu Flamini's staggering demands, it should enable Wenger to add to quality to his squad and, crucially, keep Cesc Fabregas out of Spanish clutches.
Wenger said: "The priority is to make sure we keep hold of the players we have at the moment. "We do have a transfer budget but that includes any renegotiating of current players' contracts. "I believe we need to strengthen the team but don't feel we need to kick some players out and replace them.
"We have a tremendous future but maybe we need to add some experience. "Last season we had 68 points and were far behind. This year we can make 83 and who knows?"
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but i don't think strikers is what arsenal lacks.. they have eduardo, van persie, adebayor, bendnter..
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Arsenal need a world class striker like torres and tevez, and definately nt martins
can just kick bendnter out
can also get rid of diaby dennilson, hoyte and senderous, and make eboue play as defender
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Originally posted by stellazio:
but i don't think strikers is what arsenal lacks.. they have eduardo, van persie, adebayor, bendnter..
I think Eduardo will still be out for most of next season... Earliest he will be back could be Jan or Mar next year... And they can't seriously depend on bendtner right? -
maybe he should consider peter crouch.. a different striker to what they already have, and he wouldn't mind sitting on the bench as compared to martins..
i mean when all 4 are fit? eduardo, van persie, adebayor and martins.. they're gonna be unhappy man..and not to mention he would have 1 less striker that likes to score against arsenal.
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Well, of the 4 you mentioned... Martins could well end up as the best of the lot... He is faster than the rest of them, can shoot well too...
Crouch is quite similar to Adebayor that they are both good in the air... Martins on the other hand brings something that gunners are lacking this season... Intensity upfront... His willingness to run and chase lost cause situations is something I didn't see in the gunners team this season... Adebayor seem too relax and can say lazy at times... And since Wenger prefer to play at fast speed mostly on the ground... I feel Crouch is too slow for their style... RVP injury prone... Eduardo probably will miss more than half of next season... and these 2 players don't seem to have a physical presence unlike Martins...
Anyway, Wenger being interested in Martins isn't something new... Maybe its because he see Martins being able to fit in with the style Arsenal plays... But all this will depend on weather Kelvin Keegan wants to sell Martins...
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we need defenders la
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Originally posted by stellazio:
maybe he should consider peter crouch.. a different striker to what they already have, and he wouldn't mind sitting on the bench as compared to martins..
i mean when all 4 are fit? eduardo, van persie, adebayor and martins.. they're gonna be unhappy man..and not to mention he would have 1 less striker that likes to score against arsenal.
Adebayor can do things better than Crouch, of course in my opinion and he's definitely faster and can dribble the ball better than Crouch and do you think that van persie can actually stay out of injury? he's like permanently injured.
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Originally posted by gunner77:
we need defenders la
Yes, they do need another defender and another striker as well... and if Flamini does leave, they will need another midfielder too... So expect to see at least 3 to 4 new faces at Arsenal next season...
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we need martins. he can give muscle to arsenal attack.
eduardo and RVP is 1/2 season player. cant depend on the bendner or walcott to cover adebayor.
arsenal midfield are not providing enough goals for arsenal. they need to get midfielder who can get forward to penalty area more often to score goals.
flamini is almost Gone!! let get barry , it almost an instant replacement.
sell senderos, hoyte who are mistake prone.
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Originally posted by reyes:
we need martins. he can give muscle to arsenal attack.
eduardo and RVP is 1/2 season player. cant depend on the bendner or walcott to cover adebayor.
arsenal midfield are not providing enough goals for arsenal. they need to get midfielder who can get forward to penalty area more often to score goals.
flamini is almost Gone!! let get barry , it almost an instant replacement.
sell senderos, hoyte who are mistake prone.
Don't liddat say Eduardo 1st..Eduardo only got his first horror injury, if not for Taylor, i guess we would still be in the title run because of Eduardo and he would still be fit right now. Flamini, just let him go and i guess Wenger can try on Villa too, since Villa claims that he is interested in becoming a Gunner. Barry has Liverpool snatching with us so..not confirm but if get him is best lah!
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wads the use of having billionaire investors when the club seems like so poor?
if we add last season + this season transfer funds, there should be like 80 million pound? no?
Where is all e money !
and ya, Villa fits into the idea as world class striker
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i dont know what's with all the hate on bendtner. dont know what happens off field as an arsenal fan in singapore. but on the field, to be short, he does everything i wish ady does. taking the initiative as a lone striker to barrage up the field with positive running. frigging FIGHTS for headers. hassles defenders. is fucking selfish but he knows how to get the goal with a pass.
the kind of player i'll rather cheer. does what i'll do had i the ability. ady has ability, but doesn't blah blah whatever im tired gtg do work