Arsènal FC - 2014-2015

Manchester United have launched a stunning bid to sign former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas from Spanish champions Barcelona.

Standard Sport understands United are determined to make a huge signal of intent, following Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to retire, by luring Fabregas to Old Trafford while they are also attempting to buy back Cristiano  Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

It is believed contact has been made with Barcelona over Fabregas, who swapped the Emirates Stadium for the Nou Camp in a £35million deal just  two years ago. Barcelona still owe the Gunners £5m of that fee and would be looking to recoup at least £20m for the Spain international.

Fabregas has struggled to make much of an impact at the Catalan giants and has been under heavy criticism from the club’s fans for his performances this season.

The 26-year-old midfielder has been regularly left out of the starting XI, although he was picked for the 2-1 win against Atletico Madrid last night with the La Liga title already won.

Barcelona are keen to make changes to the squad following their humiliating 7-0 aggregate defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final and are ready to listen to offers.

Fabregas would be happy to return to the Premier League, where he made a huge impact during his eight years in an Arsenal shirt.

It has been reported Arsenal inserted a clause when they sold Fabregas to Barcelona to ensure they had first option on buying him back, while Arsene Wenger said last January that he believed the player would return to Emirates one day. “I’m not convinced that he will not one day come back here because he is a real Arsenal man,” added the Gunners boss. “He loves Arsenal, he watches every Arsenal game.”

United want to strengthen the midfield as they look to retain the League title next season under new manager David Moyes while also competing for the Champion League.

Paul Scholes has retired, Anderson is expected to be sold, Darren Fletcher’s future is uncertain because of an on-going health issue and Phil Jones’s future is at centre-half.

Michael Carrick is United’s main  playmaker but he turns 32 in July.  Fabregas has been identified as a key acquisition and United’s interest will stun Arsenal, who are expected to spend big themselves this summer.

It remains to be seen whether they will try to exercise their option on  Fabregas and use up a lot of their budget on just one player.

Fabregas admitted following Barcelona’s victory last night that he hadn’t been at his best since joining them. “I have to improve, I need to be self-critical once the season ends but I’m young and I can do it,” he said.

United, who beat Swansea 2-1 yesterday to give Ferguson the perfect send-off in his last game in charge at Old Trafford, are confident they can buy back Ronaldo from Real.

Ronaldo is refusing to sign a new contract at the Spanish club and his current deal has two years left to run.

The Portugal international has scored 200 goals for Real since joining from United for £80m in 2009 but is unsettled at the Bernabeu. He played a huge part in Ferguson’s side claiming nine major honours during his six years there, including three League titles and the Champions League in 2008.

Despite Ferguson’s claim that Wayne Rooney is not for sale, it is understood United will listen to offers for the England international. After leaving Rooney out of his squad to face Swansea yesterday, Ferguson said the striker had asked for a transfer.

As Standard Sport revealed last week, United do not want to sell him to a Premier League rival and Paris St-Germain are the strong favourites for his signature.

Former United defender Gary Neville has warned Rooney there is nowhere better to play his football than Old Trafford and believes the player needs to be guided properly by the people who know him best.

“Wayne needs to surround himself with his family and his players. The ones who have been here for a long time will bring him round,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“He is not someone who will make rash decisions but he needs people around him to give him good advice. This is the only club he should be playing at. If you play for this club for 20 years it is not a bed of roses. You struggle mentally at times. He will be going through a difficult moment.

Neville will become Rooney’s coach later this month for England friendly internationals against Republic of  Ireland and Brazil.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/manchester-united-launch-raid-for-former-arsenal-man-cesc-fabregas-8613874.html

Arsenal fans would just love to see Van Persie and Fabregas reunited

Wonder if Real Madrid might be interested in Rooney, some sorta part-exchange if Man Utd try to get Ronaldo back?..

Fabregas to United is NEVER happening.

Off to our cup final tomorrow.

Not that I approve, but fuck it

I'm off to the game tonight too, absolutely bricking it.

Wilshere having a surgery in the summer to remove the screw that got put in when he had his initial surgery.

Tonight I will be supporting Arsenal. Don't fuck it up! well, you can draw if you like. But don't lose

dont worry Debbie - Sunderland will be the ones to go down. I hope.

Deluded F*ck™ wrote:dont worry Debbie - Sunderland will be the ones to go down. I hope.

We have to lose to Wigan for that to happen. A situation rather too close to relegation for comfort. All due respect but I don't want to rely on Spurs not Spursing it up if it comes to that!

debaser wrote:

Deluded F*ck™ wrote:dont worry Debbie - Sunderland will be the ones to go down. I hope.

We have to lose to Wigan for that to happen. A situation rather too close to relegation for comfort. All due respect but I don't want to rely on Spurs not Spursing it up if it comes to that!

AVB is changing the mentality of our club as we speak. Most points (23) in the prem recovered from losing positions, 20 points in 10 games over Feb-Mar-Apr all whilst going for it in the EL. Compare that to 12 points from 13 games over the same timescale from Fleet Street's favourite last year.

Sure. I just mean that while I'd like Sunderland to go down, the only way it's going to be a comfortable end of season for Villa is if Wigan go down tonight. A Sunderland relegation scenario involves a very nasty last day (unless Spurs go about 3 up in the opening 20 mins)

Tonight's match shape Arsenal and Wigan's next 5 years IMO.

Wigan loss and I can't see them coming back up any time soon; they'll lose Martinez, won't have much money to bring in new players and will lose one or two promising players as well.

Arsenal loss and they're in real danger of missing out on the Champions League. Ramifications? Wenger sacked? Unable to attract the top bracket of players?

Luis wrote:Tonight's match shape Arsenal and Wigan's next 5 years IMO.

Wigan loss and I can't see them coming back up any time soon; they'll lose Martinez, won't have much money to bring in new players and will lose one or two promising players as well.

Arsenal loss and they're in real danger of missing out on the Champions League. Ramifications? Wenger sacked? Unable to attract the top bracket of players?

Wenger will never get sacked. And to be honest, you can attract top players even when you're not in the CL. City and Liverpool are great examples of this.

Romford Pele wrote:Wenger will never get sacked. And to be honest, you can attract top players even when you're not in the CL. City and Liverpool are great examples of this.

So if you miss out on the CL you don't think there'll be much more pressure on him than ever before? Not winning trophies is one thing but to not be in the Champions League whilst your derby rivals are...I think it could be time up for Wenger.

You can attract the odd great player if you're lucky but since we've been out of the competition we've made mostly average to bad signings. There's a reason Spurs signed Dempsey and Adebayor rather than look at players like Falcao.

Think money, or lack thereof, was the primary reason that spurs didn't/don't pursue Falcao or players with a similar dribble accuracy.

I don't think you are aware of how inept are board are. We are making more money than ever, they literally couldn't be more in love with Wenger. Unfortunately, there isn't a football person who sits on the board who can steer us in the right direction. When Fizman was alive and Dein was here, this sort of shit never happened. But we are currently just a cash cow for Kroenke. There's talk about spending £100m this summer, but i'll believe it when I seeit. I've heard the same shit regurgitated for the last 3/4 years.

City's signings before CL - Yaya Toure, Silva, Kompany
Liverpool out of CL - Suarez, Coutinho

In your case, it was more prestige that helped to land those players. City just chucked money at it. Either approach can work.

The year before last year's summer transfer window is the best example of this. Could write an essay on it.

Best summed up though by Wenger coming out and saying that you can do things on the last day of the transfer window that you can't otherwise do. Yep. Like spunking millions on Andres Santos and Park Chu Young.

City's initial strategy was fairly clever if you ignore the prices, they signed a lot proven top 8 EPL players for silly money and targeted big names who were unsettled or for sale. It did get a bit bloated, I think at one point they had 10 top quality strikers on their books. Can Arsenal afford to do this though? No.

Liverpool's recent strategy isn't dissimilar, more of an emphasis on youth perhaps.

Rafael Glenítez wrote:City's initial strategy was fairly clever if you ignore the prices, they signed a lot proven top 8 EPL players for silly money and targeted big names who were unsettled or for sale. It did get a bit bloated, I think at one point they had 10 top quality strikers on their books. Can Arsenal afford to do this though? No.

Liverpool's recent strategy isn't dissimilar, more of an emphasis on youth perhaps.

Don't think you know how much money there is at the club. The notion that we can't splash on big transfer fees and wages is flawed. The board and Wenger just don't want to.

Arsenal are just a dormant club currently. It can easily be taken to the elite level with good, sensible spending and a top manager.

Semantics can't and won't may mean different things, but the result is the same.

EASILY be taken to the elite level? All Arsenal Fans are so deluded. All we need to do is get rid of the manager, all we need to do is sign this defender/midfielder/striker, all we need to do is boo our players a little bit louder.

Maybe this is as good as it gets? Maybe if you pull at the thread the whole thing comes crashing down. Villa, Blackburn, Newcastle, Leeds were once within touching distance of the elite level, too big to fail, thought it would never end, and where are they now? No one knows.

It's not black and white, you're only allowed 11 players on the pitch at the same time, and each week you have a new legend and a different scapegoat. Your manager is probably the best thing that will ever happen to the club and you talk about him like he's the village retard.

c**ts.

Maybe instead of Arsenal needing new players, a new manager and a new board, all they need to change is their fans.

You're the one taking my comments out of context.

Of course we need a new manager, his methods have been failing for a while now. Why should we carry on with his tired tactics which haven't amounted to anything, while the fans are paying an arm and a leg to finance mediocre players?

We are not in a position like the aforementioned clubs. Those clubs spent out of their means. There is A LOT of money at the club. We're the fifth most valued club in the world FFS, it's not unrealistic to expect a better team than what we currently have is it?

The board and Wenger are the scapegoats. Nobody is trying to discredit the work Wenger has done but how long do we continue to carry on before we say enough is enough. We're charged champagne prices and are being fed lemonade football. Sorry, but i'm well within my rights to express my frustration.

There are c**tish fans for sure like at every club, but on the whole, i'd say Arsenal fans are a very patient bunch. But right now, change is due.

Rafael Glenítez wrote:Semantics can't and won't may mean different things, but the result is the same.

EASILY be taken to the elite level? All Arsenal Fans are so deluded. All we need to do is get rid of the manager, all we need to do is sign this defender/midfielder/striker, all we need to do is boo our players a little bit louder.

Maybe this is as good as it gets? Maybe if you pull at the thread the whole thing comes crashing down. Villa, Blackburn, Newcastle, Leeds were once within touching distance of the elite level, too big to fail, thought it would never end, and where are they now? No one knows.

It's not black and white, you're only allowed 11 players on the pitch at the same time, and each week you have a new legend and a different scapegoat. Your manager is probably the best thing that will ever happen to the club and you talk about him like he's the village retard.

c**ts.

Maybe instead of Arsenal needing new players, a new manager and a new board, all they need to change is their fans.

Glenn, you spend half of your time maintaining that Liverpool fans shouldn't all be tarnished with the same brush. Apparently, they're not all deluded closest racists with a chip on their shoulder so large, it could've been caused by Suarez's teeth.

Before doing the exact same thing you've complained about.

For what it's worth, it's not an either or scenario. Arsenal football club will forever be in Wenger's debt. Without him, we wouldn't be the 2nd most succesful premier league club. But it doesn't mean we can't look to move on, and legitimately criticize certain aspects of how Wenger runs the club, and how the board run the club.

Times change, good things come to an end. Churchill was a great war time prime minister.

Arsenal is a big and quite rich club and Arsenal fans have every right to demand success. For a club of their stature, the definition of "success" can not be being content with 4th place in the league every season. Being ambitious is never wrong. If Wenger is seen as a stumbling block to success these days, it's legitimate to demand change.

Romford Pele wrote:You're the one taking my comments out of context.

It's not my fault you're unable to make yourself understood.

Romford Pele wrote:Of course we need a new manager, his methods have been failing for a while now. Why should we carry on with his tired tactics which haven't amounted to anything, while the fans are paying an arm and a leg to finance mediocre players?

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Romford Pele wrote:We are not in a position like the aforementioned clubs. Those clubs spent out of their means. There is A LOT of money at the club. We're the fifth most valued club in the world FFS, it's not unrealistic to expect a better team than what we currently have is it?

Cut your coat to suit your cloth. Don't spoil the ship for a halfpennyworth of tar. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Romford Pele wrote:The board and Wenger are the scapegoats. Nobody is trying to discredit the work Wenger has done but how long do we continue to carry on before we say enough is enough. We're charged champagne prices and are being fed lemonade football. Sorry, but i'm well within my rights to express my frustration.

Empty vessels make the most noise. Every Jack has his Jill. Half a loaf is better than no bread.

Romford Pele wrote:There are c**tish fans for sure like at every club, but on the whole, i'd say Arsenal fans are a very patient bunch. But right now, change is due.

Life is very short and there's no time, for fussing and fighting my friend.

As outsider looking in it does seem like Wenger is the main culprit. Even though Arsenal haven't spent as much as City or United they have spent a fair amount but what they have spent it on, which I presume is down to Wenger, is at times downright bizarre. Andre Santos, Mertesacker, Chamakh, Squillaci (ffs!), Giroud, Gervinho, Park (he is a substitute at Celta Vigo ffs!). And there are probably other cases that I am forgetting off the top of my head. Just seems like it is a lot of poorly spent money. Whereas Wenger used to spend relatively little and find players like Anelka or van Persie or Cesc now he is just bringing crap.

Arsenal can't compete with the likes of Man City and Chelsea. So what Romford Pele is suggesting is that rather than be a solid, responsible club that targets top 4 and last 8/16 of cups, they bankrupt themselves to finish comfortably 3rd and target last 8/16 of cups. That would make All Arsenal Fans happy.

I think the trouble with Arsenal's recruitment policy could be because of Wengers reputation, if Arsenal try to sneak up and grab a 16 year old Anelka for £500,000 now it's all over twitter and he's signing for Man City the next day for £20m. This is where SAF was a genius, he'd throw in a Djemba-Djemba or a Obertan every season, so you never knew if the player you were selling him was the next Ronaldo or just another Dong.

Rafael Glenítez wrote:Arsenal can't compete with the likes of Man City and Chelsea. So what Romford Pele is suggesting is that rather than be a solid, responsible club that targets top 4 and last 8/16 of cups, they bankrupt themselves to finish comfortably 3rd and target last 8/16 of cups. That would make All Arsenal Fans happy.

I think the trouble with Arsenal's recruitment policy could be because of Wengers reputation, if Arsenal try to sneak up and grab a 16 year old Anelka for £500,000 now it's all over twitter and he's signing for Man City the next day for £20m. This is where SAF was a genius, he'd throw in a Djemba-Djemba or a Obertan every season, so you never knew if the player you were selling him was the next Ronaldo or just another Dong.

So that's why he did it!