It is difficult for us fans to determine what is genuine transfer news or just tabloid speculation. The English press don’t even hide the fact that they make things up nowadays. Already I have seen a number of stories claiming players have been signed, not just bid for or declared an interest in, but signed sealed and delivered.
But then a few hours later the clubs involved deny any deal has been done – how are supposed to know what is going on?!
One deal that seems to have some legs is
Thomas Vermaelen. The Ajax defender has been repeatedly linked with a move (though Setanta did claim last week that a deal had already been done – well just look at where they are now!)
But at £13 million he looks a bit pricey, especially as he hasn’t got much pace and isn’t the tallest defender in the world. It seems a strange one given our limited budget that we would blow it all on one player. Maybe this is a time to trust Arsene’s judgement? And, after all, Ajax don’t usually produce bad players do they?
A far more ‘Wenger’ type signing was linked to us in the English press today. 16 year-old Feyenoord ‘wonderkid’ Luc Castaignos was rumoured to signing for
the Gunners in a deal worth £4 million. Given Wenger’s preference for signing youngsters it wouldn’t surprise me if this was true (though it was in the Sun –beware!) but It would be frustrating to see Wenger going after more youngsters when experience is what we badly need, especially at £4 million. I think there is such a thing as having too many young players as they need space to develop and older heads to guide them.
I am always going to back Wenger because he has earned our trust after what he has done for the club. But if he doesn’t sign experience this summer I fear we will make the same mistakes next season as we did last year.
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