Wednesday 7 January 2009

Is Arshavin a smoke screen for someone else to arrive?

Arsene Wenger is usually very quick to deny any transfer rumours that head Arsenal's way but he hasn't for Andrei Arshavin.

He obviously rates the Russian but the amount of publicity over the move has put slight doubts about it actually happening in my mind.

Arsene Wenger is very secretive about who his targets are and a signing normally comes out of the blue.

The Arshavin business has become very public, not Wenger's usual way, and I wonder if Zenit Saint Petersburg and Arshavin's agent are just using Arsenal's interest to try and create a last minute bidding war for the player.

A club like Manchester City who can throw silly money away may become interested because Wenger is and outbid Arsenal or anyone. I'm sure Zenit would prefer this.

Wenger has not denied any interest in Arshavin and why would he? It gives Gooners hope that a big name maybe arriving at the club but Wenger is smart enough to use the story to his advantage.

The media are over this like a rash and it gives Wenger an opportunity to sign someone else. While attention is drawn to the Arshavin deal, Wenger may use it as a smokescreen.

Who really knows though? He maybe actually trying to buy Arshavin!

Keep it Goonerish.............

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good point. But Nasri deal was pretty public..

Anonymous said...

yaaa!. Was 1st...AND 2nd?

Anonymous said...

I sure hope not. Arshavin is just like Bergkamp

Anonymous said...

I heard he's a smokescreen while we snap up Robbie Savage on the sly to add much needed steel to our team.

Anonymous said...

hey there wrighty mate

interesting point you make, your right about wenger not going public with transfers, but the nasri deal was public for ages and it turned out we signed him

this deal is going the same way and normally wenger comes out and denies it straight away, like arteta for example.

i think, i hope, theres no smoke without fire and weve found the creative player we so badly need.

Wrighty7 said...

Hi Jonjon,

I think the Nasri deal was concluded a lot earlier than we think.

I'm sure the deal was done way before he actually signed.

something to do with Marseille's taxes.

Anonymous said...

This public 'negotiating' is very unusual for Arsenal. But it seems to be par for the course for Zenit and Dennis Lachter, it was exactly the same over the summer with Spurs. However, the fact that Arshavin can buy out his contract for £5 million at the end of this season should concentrate minds at Zenit.

Anonymous said...

i believe thats true about nasri also

but wenger didnt deny it when everyone was talking about it probably because he knew he was already in the bag

i hope its the same with ash

Anonymous said...

It is the new CEO's objective to come clean about who we want and not to dally with the truth and not to keep everything under wraps. He knows this is frustrating the fans. Arshavin will be an Arsenal player in the coming weeks.

Anonymous said...

IS ANY1 NOT WORRIED THAT EBOUE WOULD BE A FREE AGENT IN THE SUMMER??!

I THINK HIM COMING OUT IN PUBLIC ABOUT THE BOOS AND SAYING IT HAS MADE HIM A STRONGER PLAYER IS ALL BULL!! I THINK HE'S JST HAPPY TO SEE OUT HIS CONTRACT AND MOVE ON ON A FREE IN THE SUMMER.

WENGER BETTER SELL NOW FOR WHATEVER WE CAN GET, B4 WE LOSE HIM FOR NOTHING

leon said...

thats very goods poinst good post

i feel this case wenger has sush lack experience and any real world class players wenger has no real choice and needs players who can come in do the business straight away most of signings have alot potential but take bit time are little known wenger does not have luxury in this case,arsenal are top team they need some top class players and idealy he would like to this in the summer

Anonymous said...

Anon 18:37, Hes more like Bobby P than Bergkamp. Bergkamp didnt need to ever run because his mind did all the work. Arshavin pops up all over the place and has much quicker feet(when running with the ball).

Unknown said...

i think it's not so much a smokescreen but wenger wants to conclude the bedntner/upson deal first. kelsey

Anonymous said...

ole eboue is going

Anonymous said...

Eboue signed a long term contract in May 2007.
He isn't a free agent in the summer.

Anonymous said...

yooo, u guys just read that arshavin agent has told the bbc that there are 15-20 teams interested in him n its the team that pays the most coz zenit have said they want it all in 1 go like they did wen they paid 24 million for Danny

Anonymous said...

the agent might just be playing zenit at their own game to put other teams off and makes sure we get him

time will tell

Andes said...

I think Wrighty7 got a very good point.

I for one don't believe we will be seeing Arshavin in an Arsenal shirt, not this season at least.

Let's have a look of AW's transfer record. in particular the players he let go, and WHEN did he let them go...

both Vieira and Henry were sold when they were 29. Ljungberg just over 30. Pires left when he's 32.

Wenger is a believer that attacking players when they are over 30 physically they would be going downhill. That's part of the reasons he let his key players go.

Arshavin is 27. And the way things going it looks like he will cost Arsenal at least 20 mil. Will Wenger be paying 20 mil for a player he believes he will only have 2 or 3 years of top quality football out of him?

And let's don't forget foreign players need time to adapt to life in the Premiership as well, and there will be no guarantee they can cope at all. It took Hleb THREE seasons.

It just doesn't make any sense at all the whole deal. And totally against Wenger's past transfer policy.

Anonymous said...

Zenit will piss about, then realise they aint gonna get anywhere near £20 mill for Arseshavings. Even IF City came in with a stoopid bid, I can't see him wanting to go there? And if he did, then they'd be welcome to the money grabbin twat!

Right about now, I aint got a clue if we are even in for him, let alone the chances of him signing for us???

What I do know is that we need 2 possibly 3 signings this month.

Gawd I effin hope they happen!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately if Arsenal sign any player this month it will only be 1player. If its Arshavin, then that all I'm afraid. The purse closes. Quote me on this. My name is "Daymee"

Anonymous said...

I hope it is a smokescreen, I don't think Arshavin would be a particularly good signing. He's technically gifted, but I don't think he has that much stamina. With the pace of football played in the Premiership being so quick, he might struggle.

I'd be much happier with a centre back and holding midfielder. I think Ramsey and Wilshere can provide the creativity needed, but we need some bite. Yaya Toure would be a great signing in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Wrighty, You stealing my thunder, i posted that on Le Grove earlier....... :)

Bet you dont know who ....

Anonymous said...

transfers being conducted in secret was something david dein was responsible for...since he left our transfer business has been everybody's business.

i think we are negotiating for arshavin, but who knows if we'll get him

Anonymous said...

Dein was gone before the Sagna and Dudu deals so that's bollox.

Anonymous said...

when deal become this public, usually wenger will eventually sign that player. so i expect arshavin to be arsenal player before the end of january.

Anonymous said...

I think this is a load of speculation crap. Chelsea have just sold left side midfield players and Scolari has been complaining of not having left side midfield players. Where is there a strong Russian connection? Take an educated Guess where Arshavin is going? Arsenal never comment on press or agent speculation.
Unfortunately fellow gooners keep dreaming. Arsene never spends big (loves a bargain) and the board are always a bit tight on money. In today's day and age you pay for what you get.

Anonymous said...

Interesting one this. When I first thought through this I couldn't see where he would fit in once Fabregas returns - now I think I do and I think this could be a smashing signing if he is anything like the player we have seen in the big games - which to me is a sign that he is something good, that he does it then.

Think about our best play last season. It came with Hleb in behind Adebayor linking up with Fabregas. We have lost that ability because while Nasri is talented, he doesn't have Hleb's ability to run in the tightest of spaces or pick a pass in similarly tight spaces (vital when teams defend so deep against us) - he relies more on an open field and doesn't really play behind the front man like Hleb could. Arshavin has similar attributes to Hleb but is quicker and will get into the box and finish as well; in other words he is just a better player. So that is what we will do when we play 1 up front. In other games like Hleb he will play wide left but drift inside constantly to link again with Fabregas and Van Persie as well. He may also drive into the box a bit like Pires could do on his right foot. With Walcott offering a very different threat from the other flank with his pace we would have a threatening side again, with a top player like Nasri on the bench as another option.

This is of course if the deal comes off and it could well not do but think it would be a positive deal if it went through and would offer us a far more cohesive attack than we have at present - let's face it our attack is a problem as well at the moment, it's not just the defence, although a defensive midfielder especially and also a centre back should be sought urgently.

Anonymous said...

Arshavin is not that much of a player and i will love it to be a smokescreen, i think we can expect the unexpected from wenger. just like in that Silvestre deal ot the Bischoff deal

Anonymous said...

It'd be great if it turns out we're buying Diego from Bremen but it's probably Arshavin who's coming given it seems we're the only one's in for him. I just hope it doesn't drag on so we can go for our other targets.

Anonymous said...

We're in for Arshavin, just the price and a possible last-minute bidding war is going to be terrible.

I think Juventus, ManCity, Spurs could outbid us if Wenger sticks to his valuation.

Anonymous said...

Arshavin is meant as a replacement for Rosicky. At the moment nobody can play on the left (Walcott is crocked, Wilshere and Vela not there yet)

Get Arshavin, he is captain of Russia, and I believe baby face assassin is exactly what we need to terrorise defences and bring some experience to our midfield.