Vermaelen agent sure of switch
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RATED AT £10m ... Ajax defender Vermaelen
ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger was last night on the verge of sealing a £10million deal for Ajax star Thomas Vermaelen.
The 21-cap Belgium centre-half, 23, is considered one of the top defenders in the Dutch Eredivisie.
And SunSport understands Gunners chiefs were trying to thrash out a deal with Ajax general manager Rik Van Der Boog.
An Ajax insider said: "It's true. He's a very good player and could certainly be a success at Arsenal."
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Huh who the hell ?
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wah.. i played FM he good lolx..
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good news la.
we need to buy midfielder and defender.
arsenal dont need striker.
if we can get yaya toure, alonso, also good news.
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He's kinda small for a defender tho.
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typical stingy voyure
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Vermaelen coy as Gunners close in
As negotiations between Ajax and Arsenal continue regarding a potential summer transfer, Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is reluctant to comment on whether he will move to Emirates Stadium.
Vermaelen, 23, has emerged as a likely summer signing for The Gunners as Arsene Wenger finally looks to recruit the commanding centre back that he first identified as a priority 12 months ago.
Players such as Brede Hangeland and Giorgio Chiellini have been mentioned as potential signings but strong reports in both Belgium and England claim Arsenal are in direct talks with Ajax regarding Vermaelen.
A figure of £10 million has been mentioned but it is believed that some hard negotiating from Arsenal has ensured that talks have failed to come to a swift conclusion.
Vermaelen, with a potentially lucrative move to The Premier League in the offing, is understandably reluctant to speculate on where his future lies.
“Officially I still know nothing,” Vermaelen told De Standaard.
“I leave everything to my agent. Personally I have no voice.”
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Vermaelen heading to Gunners
Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen has claimed he is poised to complete a move to Arsenal.
With Gunner boss Arsene Wenger admitting he needs to strengthen his defence over the summer, the Belgium international has been tipped as a likely target.
And a switch to Emirates Stadium could be completed before the end of the week, with the 23-year old confirming further discussions are due to take place.
Reports suggest a fee of around £11million has been agreed for Vermaelen, who can operate in the centre of defence or at left-back.
Challenge
Vermaelen told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad: "Moving to Arsenal is the right path for me.
"It is a great sporting challenge and I will also be financially better off. I think everything is going to be OK.
"In the coming days there will be more talks."
But Gunners legend Tony Adams has warned Wenger against splashing out on Vermaelen, who stands at 5ft 11ins.
Small one
Adams fears that the Frenchman's top target lacks the height required to dominate in the Premier League and believes he has been playing at an inferior level.
Adams told the Daily Mirror: "Thomas is a very good player but I don't think he's ready for the Arsenal.
"I don't think the punters at Arsenal would like another small one.
"I have been looking at the Dutch league, but it's been decimated. It's a poor league at the moment, there's one or two players, but they're leaving too early as well."
skysports.
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Vermaelen agent sure of switch
Thomas Vermaelen's agent is confident the Ajax defender will soon seal his transfer to Arsenal.
The Belgium international has been strongly linked with a move to the Gunners and reports have suggested a £10million fee has been accepted by Ajax.
News on Vermaelen's potential arrival at Emirates Stadium had recently gone quiet, but the player's representative is sure a switch is on the near horizon.
"It's more a question of when than one of if it will take place," Swart told Ajaxlife.nl.
The 23-year-old centre-back's current contract with Ajax is due to expire in June 2012.