To be honest, Arsenal should just sell Fabregas. He doesn't want to leave because you're not ambitious enough. He wants to leave because the greatest club in the world, which also happens to be his home club and the club he wants to be at more than any other in the world, wants him. Every year you keep him, the offer Barcelona come back with is going to be smaller and smaller. If anything, it's better for Barcelona to not actually sign him, but just keep persistent interest - let him continue to improve at Arsenal while their midfield is still awesome, then the moment it looks like Xavi's lost his touch they can get Fabregas for cheaper. No point in them spending ridiculous money now for someone not guaranteed to get in their team anyway.
-- James - Board 8's Resident Warm And Safe, Slipper-Wearing User & The Cream of Porcupine Tree Fanboyism
I wouldn't say auto lots of money when young=douche, sure a lot of players have this image, but you look at some of the bigger douches, its terry, lampard, cole, gerrard, Rio, J Cole, a lot of them are in their 30s, sure a fair number of young players have also got bad reps, but an incredible number of guys also have good reps.
Heck you look at other sports where big money is involved and they are actually plenty of swell people making millions before the age of 22 by playing sports.
It's just some of them believe that Youth gives them license to act like tossers.
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Hey, if going back in time to help your teenage father nail your teenage mother so you don't cease to exist isn't an adventure, I don't know what is - XClaim
Yeah, some, but I honestly don't believe its the vast majority.
Once you pool in all the young millionaires in sports, I doubt its a percentage as high as say 30%, its just that when they do act like nobs its well documented.
v Persie leaving lol you must be out of your mind. Who wants to spend money on a forward who either gives you tons of goals or is injured the entire season.
Fab can go, Clichy is gone and I don't care, I have a feeling Nasri will leave and if he does I hope we buy Barton just so he can break every bone in his body and Arshavin can leave as well really. I hope Nasri stays but I'm fearful he won't.
Clichy to Man City, don't know how I feel about this. On one hand I always found him to be our poorest defender, but he was the last Invincible and now we have to invest in a left-back because Gibbs is too injury prone to be a starter and Eboue eh, I see him more as a sub for Sagna.
C'mon. The window just officially started. Give it time. They've got plenty of time to look for replacements to replace Fab and Nas if they leave. Rumours are circulating that Mathieu Valbuena is being sourced as a replacement for Nas. France international and one of Marseille's good players. I personally think Nas will give the Gunners one more season to ened their trophy drought.
I'm keeping my patience for Newcastle for now as well. I'm looking for them to get rid of dead wood like Alan Smith, Xisco, Routledge and Perch, sign another decent striker and right back, and source for a left back if Sanchez Jose Enrique leaves. They have not disappointed even though they barely touched the Carroll money (discounting their rubbish of counting wages and sign on fee for free transfer players [cabaye and ba] as spending the carroll money). I don't even really need them to spend the carroll money as long as they strengthen the squad with decent/good players while retaining the decent/good players (barton and enrique). In fact, all the better if they don't need to.
Could be worse, could be in the position of us Blackburn fans. Sell one of our best players and highly rated youngster but not buy anybody at all. With our team we really can't afford to do that.
Arsenal want £15m-rated Valencia winger Juan Mata - but to play alongside Samir Nasri rather than to replace him. Full story: Daily Mirror
Barcelona are set to tempt the Gunners into accepting a cut-price transfer offer for Cesc Fabregas by throwing either Maxwell or Eric Abidal into the deal. Full story: Metro
But Arsenal have told the Catalan giants that they must drop youngsters Jon Toral and Hector Bellerin from their bid for Fabregas before a deal can be agreed. Full story: Daily Express
I hacked football manager so that I could give arsenal an unlimited transfer budget and started signing every player I wanted just to experience an Arsenal signing.
-- ExTha Proposition hatred, phosphorous in riverbeds. Billion dollars spilled to fill esophogas with cigarettes.
Arsenal and Manchester City agree £23m fee for Samir Nasri. Full story: Sky Italia (in Italian)
Manchester City have made an approach to sign Athletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero after landing a record £400m sponsorship deal with Etihad airways. Full story: The Times - (subscription required)
Chelsea have given up hope of signing Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric and have instead turned their attention to Werder Bremen midfield star, Marko Marin. Full story:footylatest
Because there's a big difference in selling a crappy defender, an inconsistent striker and an ageing defender to selling your best player of last season.
I feel you are wrong. A bad fullback can really destabilize a team.
Also, this is what RM is gonna do next season(I think)
Casillas Coentrao - Ramos - Carvalho - Marcelo Sahin - Pepe - Alonso Di Maria - any striker - Ronaldo
or
Casillas Coentrao - Ramos - Pepe - Marcelo Sahin - Alonso Di Maria - Ozil - Ronaldo any striker
Pepe and Carvalho can always change, and in the 4-2-3-1 this could mean Sahin or Xabi with Pepe to have a playmaker and breaker. These formations mostly utilize the partnerships of Ronaldo and Marcelo and Coentrao - Di Maria, from their time at Benfica.
Interesting. If that's true (which I believe it is) then Levy has lost a lot of respect in my books. I understand he just wants to do what is best for Tottenham but going back on your word is low. If he wanted to have that sort of stance then he shouldn't have said he would let Modric go last year.
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Crucifying my Oracle average one match at a time
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“So we’ve cornered Andy and Kyle in the Swarts stairwell and then this guy comes out of NO WHERE like ****ing Batman or something.” ; ExTha is the man