Tag: Sagna

Wenger reveals why Debuchy is perfect for Arsenal

After making the Arsenal fans wait for well over a week, when the deal was reported to be done and the French right back had already seemed to let slip that he was heading to north London, Arsene Wenger was yesterday finally able to announce that Mathieu Debuchy had signed a long term contract with Arsenal Football Club.

Debuchy is coming in as a direct replacement for our long serving right back, Bacary Sagna, and the two are already very close competitiors for the starting role in the France national side. And it seems to be the fact that Debuchy has very similar attributes in defending, getting forward to help with the attacks, as well as top class experience, that has convinced the Arsenal boss that he is our man.

In the Arsenal.com report where Wenger talks about his new player, it comes across to me that the manager is keen for there to be as smooth a transition as possible. With Debuchy about to celebrate his 29th birthday before the new season starts, many thought that Sagna’s replacement might be a younger player, like Serge Aurier or Seamus Coleman, but the fact that the Frenchman will hopefully provide the club with a seamless transition seems to have been the key to this transfer.

Wenger said, “They are competitors in the French national team. The obvious replacement for Sagna was Debuchy and he’s a player who has experience, he’s played in the Premier League and he will also be in competition with Jenkinson, who I expect to move forward as well. There’s an interesting fight there but of course he has experience and he’s a guy who will bring something to the team with the departure of Sagna. We needed to sign somebody and I think Debuchy is the perfect signing.

“He knows what to expect and that’s of course a huge advantage. I would like to thank Sagna for his contribution to this club. He had strong mental qualities and we wish him well. But Debuchy is also mentally strong and dedicated, with a big passion like Jenkinson so I think at right back now we are in a strong position.

“I think he’s very good going forward, he’s very quick in transition. He’s sharp in his marking, good with interceptions and quick to go from defence to attack. You feel he always has the desire to go forward. I believe he will be perfectly suited to our style in that aspect.”

It also appears clear that Wenger expects our young English right back to push on this season and challenge for a more regular place in the starting line-up. Jenkinson will have an early chance to state his case, with Debuchy joining up later because of his World Cup duties. Crack on Carl, and Welcome to Arsenal Mathieu Debuchy!

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Arsenal told to cough up £12m for Debuchy! Is he worth it?

I sat and watched the France v Nigeria match last night with my Arsenal goggles on. There was a lot to see from a Gunners point of view, with Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny both starting the game. Unfortunately for him and us, the QPR striker Loic Remy did not appear and the Real Madrid star Karim Benzema was not at his best.

But the main point of this article is the man that the Daily Star is reporting as the one Arsene Wenger wants to replace yet another Frenchman, Bacary Sagna. Newcastle United’s Mathieu Debuchy has apparently overtaken the Toulouse and Ivory Coast star Serge Aurier in the prof’s thoughts.

And Newcastle, who are well aware that Arsenal are planning a transfer swoop, have slapped a £12 million price tag on the French right back. So is he worth it and is he the right choice over Aurier? In my opinion, the answer to both of these questions is no.

Debuchy may have more experience than Aurier and is proven in the Premier League, but the young Ivorian looks to me like he is going to be one of the very best in the world. He stood out on the World stage in Brazil, so he is not going to be overawed at White Hart Lane. Debuchy is a specialist right back, but Aurier is like Sagna and can play anywhere in the back four. All that and he is cheaper than the Frenchman.

For me the choice is obviously Aurier, what do you lot think?

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Aurier to Arsenal transfer off?!? WTF are we doing??

Am I missing something here? It seems that Arsenal have not actually sealed the deal with the Ivorian full back Serge Aurier, who was thought to be on his way to the Emirates from his French Ligu1 club Toulouse. The media are reporting that Arsene Wenger is now interested in the France international Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle, but why?

Aurier was awesome for Ivory Coast in Brazil and I thought his World Cup performances would only have strengthened Arsenal’s resolve to sign the powerful and pacy 21-year old. But apparently not, because the Daily Mail have reported that Arsene Wenger was keen on getting the Everton defender Seamus Coleman in, until he snubbed us and signed a new long term deal with the Toffees. So, according to The Mirror, the Frenchman has turned his attention to his countryman Debuchy.

I find this incredible, because Aurier has practically begged Arsenal to sign him and he would only cost around £8 million according to media reports. I am not saying that Debuchy would not be a decent replacement for Bacary Sagna, as he is pushing the outgoing Arsenal man hard for his starting place in the France national team, but why ignore Aurier?

There are unconfirmed rumours that the problem may be the payment up front to Toulouse. If this is the case, it would be the most stupid transfer move by Arsenal since signing Kim Kallstrom with a back problem that would rule him out for almost exactly the amount of time he was needed to cover for Aaron Ramsey. Genius from the Gunners!! And we wonder why rival fans take the mickey….

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Aurier proves to Arsenal he IS perfect Sagna replacement!

The Ivorian international has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal this summer in countless Arsenal transfer rumours. Both the French and English media have also reported that the 21-year old Toulouse star has already agreed personal terms with the Gunners and the transfer fee is apparently agreed between the clubs.

But Arsene Wenger is notoriously cautious and has most likely been using his duties as World Cup pundit for French TV to make doubly sure of the young defender’s suitability to play for Arsenal in the Premier League. Hopefully the Frenchman has seen enough to convince him, because Greece inflicted an unlucky defeat on Ivory Coast last night which saw Aurier and his team mates crash out of the tournament.

Aurier was certainly not at fault, though, and is one of the few Ivorians who can hold his head up today. He proved earlier in the tournament that he can offer a great deal going forward from full back and also that he can play on either flank. He did so again last night, but his defensive ability was really put to the test as well, and the Greeks got no change out of him all night.

His positioning was sound, while his pace, strength and work rate were truly remarkable. I have seen suggestions that Arsenal could have another unreliable player like Eboue if we sign Aurier, but he looks to me like he will be better than Sagna? What do you think of this Arsenal transfer target?

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The 2 defenders that are top of Arsenal transfer list

Arsene Wenger has already suggested that he will not sell any of his Arsenal players if he does not want to, so the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, who is reportedly looking for a move away from north London to find a regular first team place, may find themselves frustrated.

I am not sure how well this would work out, especially when you consider that the Belgian has just one year left on his current contract. Do we really want our only back up defender being a player who is at the club against his will? Come to that, surely we should have more than one back up defender.

But there is nothing at all our French manager can do about Bacary Sagna, unless the right back changes his mind and decides to accept the, in my opinion, quite generous contract offer that is currently on the table. The upshot of this is that the Gunners will have already been thinking about signing a central defender and another full back in the summer and, according to a Mirror report, we have identified the two perfect men.

Aurier

Serge Aurier seems quite keen on Arsenal, as the picture shows, and he has had a storming couple of seasons with Toulouse in the French Ligue 1. Strong, fast, talented and versatile, the 21-year old is seen as the ideal replacement for Sagna. Wenger may already have agreed terms with the Ivorian.

Adil Rami is a French centre back who is on loan at AC Milan, after falling out with the management at La Liga’s Valencia. He is a quality player but, because of the situation, he could be available for quite a bit less than the £7 million he cost over two years ago. The 28-year old already has 26 caps with the France national side, so should have an instant understanding with Koscielny.

Could these two defenders be on their way to play for Arsenal next season?

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Wenger vows to leave Arsenal – but not yet!

Arsene Wenger is going to begin his 18th season as the manager of Arsenal in August, ending months of will-he-won’t-He speculation. According to the Frenchman, there was never any doubt, at least not in his mind, but there must have been some reason for the delay, as the offer has been on the table from the club for some time.

Wenger has often said that he would not want to stay in charge if he thought he was not the right man for the job, so the fall from the top of the table and the criticism from the media and his own fans has perhaps been playing on his mind.

As reported by ESPN, the boss spoke after yesterday’s win over West Brom, and he was in a light-hearted mood, joking with the media and promising that they would be rid of him sooner or later, just not quite yet, as he has got unfinished business. But he also denied that he was waiting to see if Arsenal got the FA cup and Champions League football.

Wenger said, “”Don’t worry, don’t be too impatient, my last time will come, you’ll get rid of me one day, don’t worry!

“I’ve said many times, my word is my word. I’m from a period where you didn’t need a pen to commit. Look at me, look at me. You will see me again. It’s not linked to the FA Cup final. It was important, of course, to be in the Champions League – that’s for sure.

“No. I’ve had no moments of doubt. If I had moments of doubt it would have been a few years ago when I had to say no to many offers and commit to this club and I was under a lot of pressure.

“I want Sagna to stay and I hope the reception from the fans convinces him that we love him here. We have two players at the end of their contracts – Sagna and Fabianski. If it’s down to me, they both stay.”

Unfortunately, it is not down to him, although Wenger has more chance than anyone to convince them to stay and face the Arsenal future alongside their long time manager.

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Can Arsenal build title winning team with £70 million?

There have been reports in the papers this week that Arsenal Football Club are going to hand Arsene Wenger a transfer kitty of around £70 million. I am going to be optimistic and assume that this is true, and that the club thinks that Wenger can build a team capable of winning the Premier League title with it. Is this realistic?

First, the positives: the Gunners already have a great core, with Szczesny, Mertesacker and Koscielny providing a rerally solid foundation. Gibbs has really blossomed into a top quality left back as well. In front of that we have Arteta and Flamini, one who can help to pass the lesser teams off the park and the other who can battle against the bigger, higher pressing teams.

Moving forward, Arsenal really start to look good, with Ramsey, Ozil, Wilshere, Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski, Giroud and the upcoming talent like Gnabry. With a few quality additions, Arsenal have the creative and attacking potential to rival anyone.

Now the negatives: it looks like we are going to lose Fabianski, Sagna and maybe Vermaelen, so that is three positions needing filling before we even think about strengthening. We need a Vieira type character, a world class striker and a proper winger. Can we get all that for £70m?

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Great news as Arsenal tie up 3 key men with new contracts

Not much could make times better for Arsenal at the moment, despite some who will claim that a couple of transfers could help. But the main focus is that Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League table for another successive week in the campaign, following on from the Gunners close 2-1 win over struggling Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Arsenal attained all three points in what was certainly a game of two halves. Arsenal pressed in the first, then Villa in the second, however the only thing that is being pressed after the game, is the pen against contract extensions for three Arsenal members. According to the Daily Express, the trio of manager Arsene Wenger, and defensive players Per Mertesacker and Bacary Sagna are all about to sign extensions with the club.

Arsene Wenger, who is coming to the end of yet another contract with the Gunners, is likely to sign a 2 year contract that will take him until 2016, a whole 20 years after taking over the Gunners in 1996. Hopefully Wenger would have added a few more trophy achievements to his personal collection as well as Arsenal’s by then, and he could possibly do that with the help of his defenders in Per Mertesacker and Bacary Sagna.

29 year old Mertesacker has gone from a donkey panic buy to a world class defender and club fan favourite in just over two and a half years. And now because of his fine performances and influential position on the pitch, Mertesacker has supposedly agreed to be rewarded with a new bumper deal that’ll see both his wage and position at the club increase in accordance to his ability. Mertesacker has been allowed to captain the team several times over the course of this season in the absence of Captain Thomas Vermaelen and vice-captain, Mikel Arteta.

The BFG made his 100th appearance for the Gunners last night and once again captained the side to all three points.
Sagna on the other hand is dealing with a slightly more complicated saga in regards to his contract because, despite the report, I think he may be the only outstanding player left to commit. According to rumours, Sagna is holding out for a longer deal than the 1 year extension originally offered, not to mention a £100k weekly wage, which is a dramatic increase from his current earnings. I think Sagna is a good player but he isn’t worth the touted £100k and in such circumstances no agreement signifies his desire is no longer with the club for the love of it, but rather just the money.

Tomas Rosicky also needs to renew his contract, whilst Fabianski and Frimpong are two other players that are due renewals from the club, should the Gunners intend to keep these players on the books at Arsenal?

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Sagna scares Arsenal fans with exit talk!!

Arsenal have seen many players from their successful squad from the previous decade move on from the club, with Robin Van Persie being the last man that was a winner in the Arsenal squad. Such players like Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna have all been with the club for quite some time now, however none of them have been successful with Arsenal as of yet and it’s a great shame considering their dedication to the club, especially the latter two who are coming towards the end of their respective careers.

And it’s the latter man, Bacary Sagna that is the focal point here because in light of Arsenal’s promising season, the Frenchman has dropped a bombshell that he could leave the Gunners soon. Whether it would be in January or come the end of the season I think it would be a great shame to see such a fantastic player leave, one who has been consistent and dedicated to Arsenal for many many years, joining the club back in 2007. Sagna was speaking on French television show ‘Club du Dimanche’ on beIN Sport, admitting he could leave North London.

He said, “I’m still talking with Arsenal about a contract extension. I feel good here, I like everyone in Arsenal and I hope that something good will come out from our talks. If I can sign a contract as a free agent from January for another team? It’s an option for me. I have positive feelings in Arsenal, I love this club and I still hope to win a major trophy here. But, that’s true, Arsenal lost a lot of good players, almost a whole competitive team since 2007 and Arsenal could have been better with all these players.”

From his quotes it seems that he is still very much committed to Arsenal and this campaign, however it’s also clear that consideration towards leaving the club is beginning to creep into the Frenchman’s mind. As already stated I think it would be a massive loss to the club if Sagna was to leave, especially on a free transfer and so that why along with Rosicky, it’s vital the club begins serious contractual talks with the pair as soon as possible. Both hold experience and quality and in Sagna’s case, with Jenkinson still not quite up to scratch, we need the right back more than ever.

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Team news and Preview of Arsenal clash with Man City

It hasn’t been the best of weeks for Arsenal during this early Christmas period, and after a draw with Everton and a defeat to Napoli that almost saw us fall out of the Champions League campaign, Arsenal will now try to fix the issue and raise the christmas spirit in our next game.

This Saturday, Arsenal will travel to Manchester once again, this time to face Manchester City, in what is sure to be the toughest test of the season so far. Arsenal may have played the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Dortmund already, however I don’t think any of these sides pose the same sort of threat Manchester City does, especially when they are at home.

The mega rich club is also looking to put together a strong string of performances following on from what has been a relatively inconsistent campaign so far. Whilst Arsenal also need a response and to achieve all three points at the Etithad stadium, not just to beat our potential title rivals and extend the lead at the top of the Premier League but also to raise our confidence once again.

I think confidence is key and considering the way the last two games have gone, the Gunners may now be starting to lack this quality. There is so much at stake for both teams in this fixture, as an Arsenal win will not just extend our lead even further or at least keep that gap at 5 points, but it will also set back one of our main title rivals for this season. As for City a win will of course flatten the Arsenal mood even more, as well as close down the gap on the Gunners, who at the moment are steamrolling away at the top.

In terms of team news I don’t think there is anything major to report apart from the fact that both Sagna and Podolski could be ready to feature in this match after respective injuries. Sagna has been out for a few weeks and although Jenkinson hasn’t done anything wrong in my opinion, Sagna should once again take charge in his normal role. As for Podolski, it’s unlikely he will feature from the start but he should be available for the match after an extensive period of time out.

I therefore expect the line-up to be a full strength team, dependent on Sagna’s situation.
Szczseny
Sagna Mertesacker Koscinely Gibbs
Flamini Ramsey
Cazorla Ozil Wilshere
Giroud.

I actually think Walcott has a chance of starting this match perhaps in place of Cazorla, but once again this is a decision Wenger will have thought about very tactically.

Overall I don’t know what to expect from this game. Arsenal have the potential but based on our current form as well as the fact that City have been immense at home, this may not go as planned. We cannot expect Arsenal to win every single game. The thing is however, Arsenal vitally need a result now!

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