Nasri to Arsenal deal nearing? – Kranjcar – Santa Cruz – Vela

Samir NasriAs you would probably expect – given the conclusion of Arsenal’s season last weekend – there is an absolute flood of transfer speculation coming from the press at the moment. I’ve summarised the lot and listed them here for your benefit. The things I do.

  • Samir Nasri – The 20-year-old Marseille attacker continues to be linked strongly to a move to Arsenal. The Frenchman commented that the goal he scored against Strasbourg in the last round of Ligue 1 fixtures might be his last for Marseille while his club have suggested that he could be on his way out for £12-14 million. If Wenger wants him I think he’ll get him, so I think it’s worth watching this space.
  • Niko Kranjcar – Shortly after winning the FA Cup this week the Croatian midfielder reiterated his contentment with life at Portsmouth. It’s a little bit of a setback but given his admission that he would still be tempted by an offer from a big club I think he would still move to Arsenal if the manager wants to sign him.
  • Roque Santa CruzThe Times Online have suggested that if Emmanuel Adebayor leaves for Barcelona in the Summer then Blackburn’s Paraguayan striker will be at the top of Arsenal’s list in terms of a replacement. However, given that Adebayor has continually rubbished the claims about a move to Spain and there are no quotes to back up the story I think we can pretty much mark this down as a load of tosh.

When you add the rising speculation about Nasri’s move to the likely transfer of Lyon’s Hatem Ben Arfa it appears that things are going well for the manager and the club at the moment. From a positional perspective Nasri could be rotated with Alexandr Hleb – should he remain at the club – in the hole while Ben Arfa would allow the injury-prone Tomas Rosicky to be rotated in a similar manner on the left. And for those who think that the returning Carlos Vela will compete for a spot on the left can think again after the admission from the manager that he will be used primarily as a striker next season.

“He has played the whole season at Osasuna on the left wing and he had to work hard there. But for me it is not his position – he is a central striker, an Eduardo type.”

Carlos VelaWhile Osasuna have used him as a left winger this season this really shouldn’t come as any surprise – after all the Mexican was signed after top-scoring for his country in the 2005 U17 World Cup. He was brought to Arsenal as a striker and I’m personally happy to see that Wenger wants to use him as one.

Should Nasri and Ben Arfa sign then all Arsenal require is a defensive midfielder to cover the loss of Mathieu Flamini (who will be playing UEFA Cup football next season after Fiorentina nabbed the final Champions League spot) and a strong central defender like Christoph Metzelder. Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I really think the German would fit nicely. Either way, Wenger seems in complete control at the moment and I feel Arsenal fans will be able to look towards next season with optimism.

In other news, Gael Clichy has been left out of France’s squad for Euro 2008. It’s a harsh exclusion for a player who has had a great couple of seasons and quite simply deserves to be there. Interestingly, William Gallas is the only Arsenal player who made the squad while ex-Gunner Flamini (I don’t much like the sound of that) has been selected as well.

That’s about it for today. Before I go I want to wish LasagneChef at The Cannon a very happy 2nd birthday. He runs a very nice little Arsenal blog and if you’ve never checked it out you can do so here. Cheers mate!

Have your say on the transfer speculation and Clichy’s exclusion from Euro 2008 by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. Wenger deserves what he has sown. He didn’t sign Flam last summer and then let Diarrhea sign mid-year: idiot.

    Happy that Flam will only play in the UEFA Cup next year, however! LOL.

    Lorik Cana would be my choice over Y. Toure, Appiah or Barry.

    Would Wenger break the bank to sign Kaka if Helato left? Nah.

    Nasri and B-A are o.k., but only Robinho is a sure goal-maker and Arshavin is also quite solid: Ronaldo and Ribery are only better.

    He’s going to sign BOTH Nasri AND B-A, idiot–even when Helato does leave.

    Why the f**k loan out Traore and Song on loan, idiot? We need coverage.

    Would like to see Thuram in the squad and back up for Richards (if Eriksson actually leaves).

    I’m sick of seeing Drogba or other big striker score on us (but we won’t see him except in the CL next year, likely)

    And we need a first-rate keeper (Coupet or Frey?)! Alumnia is rubbish!

    Most English players are rubbish–and overvalued these days–excluding some of the youngsters (Walcott, Lennon, Bale)

    My 2 pence.

  2. Correction: He’s NOT going to sign BOTH Nasri AND B-A, idiot–even when Helato does leave.

  3. What are you on about? Helato? You’re quite angry at a manager that was only four points off the top of the league…

    Why is he not going to sign both Nasri and Ben Arfa? Where does this comment come from?

  4. and why would anyone take such a retarded post seriously. wenger is far from an idiot. the only idiot is you goons with guns. i hope you shoot yourself in the head with your gun and save us all the trouble in the future of ever having to come across another retarded post from you.

  5. Seriously man whats ur problem? i have no idea what ur talkin about, but can see ur pissed. Who is Helato? You think Lennon is good? you a yido? who said we loaning traore and song? Almunia is just fine, we not gonna sing ben arfa and nasri but by the looks of it richards is a done deal? Agree with you that robinho would be nice and specialy agree with Arshavin, we should tie him up quickly as dick said he is going to be sold, dont wanna miss out on him so he haunts us (babel, torres) Obviously no kaka. Also glad flamoney will be in uefa cup, but no need to call our greatest manager an idiot. Take care of urself man, calm down and maybe then some of the stuff you wright will make sence

  6. @ Syd/Simmo – Sorry about the delay in your comments coming up. For whatever reason they got caught in the spam.

    Keep ’em coming 🙂

  7. I have to be honest – If Arsenal do have the intention of signing Nasri, then I’d be quite sure it is largely because Alex Hleb is leaving. While this may not be the case and Wenger may well be thinking in the same vein as Ferguson signing Anderson, I think Nasri is a player that Wenger would like to use straight away and is therefore preparing for the Belarussian’s exit.

    Wenger needs to get it right this year, and I have never felt this way before but I think he needs an Englishman. An English player’s ambition is to play for a top four premiership club. Players like Flamini never envision spending their career with us. It would be good to have a bit of stability, and knowledge of the premier league. The problem of course is the quality and the price, and there is a dearth of English talent at the moment, so I don’t see us signing someone sub-standard.

    Santa Cruz is surely a no-go. What of the Richard Dunne rumours?

  8. @ TDP – Personally I don’t think Nasri signing would signal the end for Hleb. The key is for Arsenal to have more variety and depth in the attacking third so that Wenger doesn’t have to rely on too few to create chances as the season goes on. If Nasri signs I’d like to see him rotated with Hleb to keep things fresh.

    I like your thoughts on needing an Englishman. I think if we can find someone who is good enough then it would be well worth it. Who, though? Dunne is surely not good enough for Arsenal.

  9. Clichy not being called up is one thing, but Sagna, far and away the top RB in the Prem this season, doesnt get a nod in the provisional 30. unreal..

  10. amen Simmo.. Sounds like another yiddo by the amount of crap coming from him.

  11. I would be pumped if we bag both Arfa and Nasri. Both young and both quality IMO. I personally think Arfa can be the main guy on the left letting Rosicky cover Fab and/or simply start/rotate with Wallcott on the right. I’m not sure Nasri would start right away. All of this assuming a Helb departure.

    What really has me going is Demetrio’s comment on the last blog about De Rossi. If he came to Arsenal I would be absolute ecstatic. I am a Roma supporter as far as the Serie A goes and if they are on the tele I always make a point to follow. I think DDR would be an absolute monster. Give him the armband, give me a shirt and give Arsenal silverware. Probably just rumor with no substance but still it was enough to give me goosebumps.

    Finally if Vela is a striker does that mean Wallcott is going to stay on the right?

  12. @ Spanish – I completely agree with you thoughts on Hleb and Nasri in rotation and I would absolutely love to see that. The depth and freshness of the players in terms of fitness would be a huge bonus and it allows Nasri to acclimatise to the premier league without having the pressure of 60 games in a first team spot on his shoulders too soon. But the worrier in me thinks that if Hleb is unhappy, he will be less of an asset to us and Wenger will consider selling him, especially if he has Nasri.

    I thought the Dunne rumours were unfounded from the get-go, I just wanted to see what people thought. It is a curious situation – your Metzelder suggestion is by far the most logical and sensible, a top defender who will not be playing for his club any time soon and is therefore available – but in order to get a top CB we will surely have to break up Toure and Gallas. Toure not in an Arsenal team seems strange, but maybe Wenger plans on using him differently. I have to say I’d love to see Metzelder.

    The English player debate is a very strange one, but I feel we are maligned by the press due to our seemingly negative assessment of English talent. But we don’t get the credit we deserve – We have developed more young English players than any other top 4 club in the last 5 years or so. Cole, Sidwell, Hoyte, Bentley, Pennant…it’s just that they don’t play for us anymore for various reasons. It’s just a shame that Gallas’ poor antics were displayed and commented on weeks and months after, while no one hears a thing about Rio Ferdinand kicking a hoarding and a female steward. We shouldn’t have to combat this by buying an inferior Englishman, but I can see the benefits of having a top player from this country in our line-up. Why does Ferguson buy so many of them? 50-50 refereeing decisions go their way, and they have an understanding of the place and the league.

  13. @ TDP – Agree about us maybe needing an Englishman to save some face in the media. I think people would look at us a little differently if Barry was running around in the midfield. The question remains though, are there any Englishmen available that are good enough to improve Arsenal’s side?

  14. @ C-Bass – I think we can assume Theo will be a chance to start on the right. I think Vela will play as the fourth choice striker, much like Eduardo at the start of this season. He’ll come in if injuries occur.

  15. Arsene Wenger,time is enemy why not signing Hatem Ben Arfa and Samir Nasri by now.Please we need them let the announcement come as soon as possible.
    Please Arsene Wenger just sign someone already,I can’t get any work done for checking the latest news.

  16. Are there any Englishmen available that are good enough to improve Arsenal side?
    …………………………………………………..
    Micah Richards
    Bentley

  17. HATEM BEN ARFA & SAMIR NASRI
    If you had a choice between either Hatem Ben Arfa or Samir Nasir who would be your choice?
    I think we should get both.
    Arsenal all the way.

  18. @Spanish

    Regarding English players, we are often priced out by the rest of the big four. Ferguson would be delighted if a quota came into play, as he knows he can take the pick of a very small group while Arsenal simply couldn’t. Rio Ferdinand cost united more than our entire first XI. I think Wenger resents paying such silly fees on such players as he can simply develop them himself for free from youth level – there are some very promising youngsters coming through.

    But there is no doubt that the perception of Arsenal would change dramatically if we were to have Gareth Barry alonside Cesc Fabregas. I’m sure that all of a sudden you would see a change in attitude towards us that could be highly beneficial.Have we ever won anything with an all-foreign line-up? The Sol Campbell’s and Martin Keown’s of this world were important players for us. I actually hate the fact that Wenger is resented for not spending huge money on inferior English players, it is not his fault that English players don’t play abroad and improve their games, or that the coaching at youth level has had such a heavy emphasis on ‘playing it simple’ and athleticism and results, with no dynamism or fun or flair. Messi would have been discarded at youth level in this country if we were English. But perhaps we need a balance of the graft and the flair, and maybe a Brit in the team would make all the difference, especially one who has a lot to his game like Barry. I think we should have signed Woodgate in January, lets not make the same mistakes this summer.

  19. Am so happy with all the transfer speculations to Arsenal.Just like i said some time back that i will always be behind the manager,Professor Arsene Wenger & too contented with what he does,trust him and i think this time round things will be great for all the die hard Arsenal fanatics.

  20. sir wenger you are a talented man but a miser couch please use what the club has and get what they need,
    their is no competition among arsenal players please try and get more srong players we are apetite oh trophic
    thanks.

  21. hi all the fans ……..we need to get queresma he is a real winger and i belive that his qualites will add a lot to the team.he is one better than ronaldo.let wenger get that ben arfa and one holding midfielder suley muntari is a good player

  22. wenger iz bullshit. sign top class expirienced players. big names are big names because of their ability to play soccer. look at torres, his first season more tahn 30 goals. wenger is cheap like garbage. he cant even buy an expensive player.

  23. wenger knows nothing when it comes to signing good players. can some1 tell me who da hell iz matuidi and where does he come from?????. wenger should be sacked for good.!!!!!!

  24. i thank you for your information,but iwant to know if helb is living and who is going to be his replicement. secondly flamine has gone and yet no replicement for him why. so to that of adebayo he can go but lat wenger try and get huntiler, for arsenal dont have a complet finesher so i will be happy to see huntiler in arsenal. thanks. henry/hengentle

  25. who ever said that wenger is not good dont no what he is saying it is only that his been a prof in economis is affectinbg his buying power and abillity

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