ARSENAL LOOK FOR MIDFIELDERS AFTER FLAMINI DEPARTS
According to AC Milan, Mathieu Flamini will join the club later this week. The soon-to-be-ex Arsenal midfielder flew to Italy last night and will undergo a medical at the San Siro (which might be a tad problematic given that he has been out of action for a month with an ankle injury).
Flamini was critical to Arsenal's improvement this season, not least because he removed Gilberto Silva from the team, so the double whammy for Gooners this morning is that the Brazilian, who had been expected to leave the Emirates in the summer, may not be departing after all.
"It's not necessarily goodbye to Gilberto," confirmed Arsene Wenger after victory over Everton. "I want him to stay but I have to sit down with him and see what he wants to do and go from there."
Yet regardless of whether Gilberto stays or goes, Arsenal will need to make a foray into the transfer market this summer in search of a central midfielder - and perhaps more than one given their squad is already one midfielder light after the sale of Lassana Diarra in January.
The Gunners have already been linked with Man Citeh's Michael Johnson and Villa's Gareth Barry, while Lille midfielder Jean Makoun is another name apparently on Wenger's shopping list. According to the player's agent, Jean-Christophe Thouvenel, "Makoun is on Arsenal's shortlist if Flamini leaves. It is planned that he will leave LOSC at the end of the season and moving to England is part of his objective.
"I can tell you for sure that Jean is appreciated by Arsene Wenger, but the transfer period has not started yet so I will not lie - negotiations are yet to start.
"He is short and not a monster but his involvement on the pitch is huge and he is a fighter. He is not the only one on Arsenal's list."
Thouvenel also claimed his client is wanted by Tottenham.
NIKO TO REPLACE HLEB?
While a replacement for Flamini has to be the priority, Arsene Wenger may also need a replacement for Alex Hleb, who could yet join Inter Milan for next season. That man could be Portsmouth winger Niko Kranjcar, who could cost the Gunners around £12m.
"Wenger likes players with a sense of the game," Kranjcar senior told Croatian tv station Index.
"Arsenal plays creative football and Wenger recognises this in Niko and he would be a logical replacement for Hleb."
MARTINS TO ARSE
It's one of those rumours that refuses to go away - though it's usually just being pedalled by The Independent's Jason Burt - and it's the prospect of Arsenal actually spending bg money on a striker in the form of £15m-rated Obafemi Martins.
The News of the World mentioned this on Sunday and it's been picked up by the Daily Telegraph on Monday, so it must be true. Possibly.
According to the Daily Mirror, Newcastle are lining up a replacement in the form of Everton striker Andrew Johnson.
BARRY TOLD TO LEAVE FOR POOL BY VILLA TEAM-MATE
Martin O'Neill is going to love this. After accusing Liverpool of "destabilising" Villa by bidding £10m for Gareth Barry, the Ulsterman is now having to contend with one of his players telling Barry to leave for Anfield!
Patrik Berger, who played for Liverpool between 1996 and 2003, has urged Barry to accept "the chance of a lifetime" and move north.
"If I was in Gareth's position I would go tomorrow," Berger continued in an interview with the Daily Mail. "It is the opportunity of a lifetime. He is the heart of our team and it would be a massive challenge for him."
Terrific stuff.
ALONSO FOR JUVENTUS
In a piece of gossip that is related to both Flamini and Barry, Juventus are said to be interested in signing Xabi Alonso.
Juve are still in the market for a central midfielder after (apparently) failing to sign Flamini, while Alonso's place at Anfield seems to be under threat after Pool made their bid for Barry. Alonso would probably favour a move back to Spain but Juventus are not short of a bob or two.
BERBATOV NEARS EXIT DOOR
Juande Ramos has done nothing to quell speculation that Dimi Berbatov will be leaving Tottenham in the summer.
The Bulgarian was absent from the win at Reading and, when asked if Berbatov had played his last game for Spurs, Ramos replied: "I don't know, I hope not."
With some space-filling conjecture, The Times reports: 'Tottenham could decide to cash in on Berbatov, who has scored 23 goals this season and who could command a fee of up to £25 million. He has two years left on his contract but Manchester United as well as many of Europe's leading clubs are believed to be interested in him.'
AND THE REST
Wolves' Welsh international goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey is a £5.5m target for Everton...Newcastle are lining up a £4m bid for Fulham midfielder Steven Davis...Sunderland will make a £5m bid for Reading's Stephen Hunt if the Royals are relegated...Robert Earnshaw will join Nottingham Forest for £1.5m this season.
Your Comments
Ponet
"Am quit disappointed and tired with Wenger's thinking. Its like an intelligent spoiled brat who thinks he can always pass the exam without studying; its possible but one has to study from time to time. Just like in football Arsene has to buy players and strengthen the team to win the big trophys. The Arsenal team is too small. We started off on a good note; winning every game in all competitions, but as the season progressed, the team became over-stretched there by crashing out in all the competitions at the same time! He needs to buy players who are already established and mature, they may not be necessarily expensive but atleast above par. Otherwise we will never win any of the big trophys in the years to come. Honestly am tired of the "Youth Policy". Arsenal is a big club, we need to spend big sometimes. ManU insisted on getting Tevez and look at the contribution he's made for them, just one big player can make a huge difference. Wenger is a brilliant coach but if he continues with the "I know it all attitude" i dont think he'll be the right man for Arsenal anymore. Football is not based on past glories, but is a results game!!!"
goonerfrombirth
"i'm sure god has a plan but i've got to admit its all a bit confusing. we are ranked 3rd richest club in the world and we are losing players cos we wont pay them !"
Ammerman
""barry needs to stay at villa if he goes to pool he becomes a rotation player,at villa he is first choice and will be given the incentive to stay,watch villa fight tooth and nail to keep him" "
buzzard
"Let me get this straight....you believe (i) Wenger didn't start negotiations until last week sometime, and (ii) that Flamini left because AW played him at right back last season? Wow....dumb, dumber , dumbest; (i) Wenger began negotiations with Flamini before this season began - as he does with all players out of contract by the end of that year. Just because he can't match AC Milan's dollars, doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing. (ii) Flamini was absolutley sh*te last year, and certainly didn't deserve to play regularly as the holding midfielder. Using him as right-back cover is exactly what any top manager would have done on a "if needs must" basis. I realize few of you can remember anything that happened before last August (I wish I was joking about this, but apparently not), but if you actually kept track of players you'd probably find that most 'ordinary-level' players - which most definitely includes Monsieur Flamini - have one, perhaps two good seasons in them before reverting to somewhat more mediocre form. L'Arse has managed to wring out all the "greatness" that will ever come from Flamini....the only fact that will prevent AC from looking like idiots next May is that they got him on a 'free' transfer. 4 million pounds a year? You're having a laugh, mateys."
blender
"In reply to Osmolla, as a Leeds fan, I can assure you that paying players "megabucks" is not the answer. Arsene Wenger is a clever and responsible man who seems intent on developing and maintaining an extremely successful football club - not the bank balances of the First XI for a few seasons. With his prudent squad management, and the pretty darned astute moves of the board, Arsenal now have a team who are only four points off the top of the league, one of the best club stadiums in Europe, and a peerless women's team. All on a "tight" budget. It's all relative, of course, but if the Arsenal board started sanctioning stupid contracts, then you may buy a couple of years of glory, but you'd be saddled with a hell of a lot of trouble later down the line... If only more teams followed the sensible ideas of Arsene and told the players that they are never as big as the clubs they play for."
CBR6OORR7
"Barry as been a positive servant to aston villa, he or the club owe each other anything,if he stay's or goes should be down to him no one else so forget the rumors and let him make his own mind up! With Mr O'neils talent every one is replaceable! VILLA are going places it wo't be long before the top players are touting them selves to join us not just the top 4!!"
mcgregortotnes
"Any argyle fan agree that argyle should have made more of an effort to hang onto Tony Pullis and are fans bemused by some of Paul Sturrocks selections which almost made it looked like the directors were instrumental in preventing argyle from trying to achieve promotion give that they have no money"
gun4scott
"the pressure is on arsenal next season to win a trophy. with flamini leaving shows that if the club gos another season trophless bigger players like fabregas will go. its obvious that bigger names need 2 come into the club. kranjcar and martins wud severely strenthen arsenals squad but that still leaves the middle where we wudnt have this problem if wenger had only held on2 diarra. gilberto is passed it very poor at times. realistically i cant c wenger buying big with his budget and i dont feel that denilson, bentner, walcott being any better than they wer this season in the next. "
superleecfc
"hay i think chelsea should get Henry and Ronaldinho and then bring back robben they would be good buys for the club and i would just like to give all my best to frank and just to say good luck to all the team for next sunday i will be there so i think its about time the fans also give grant there full backing look what he has done for the club "
Unspecial_One
"flamini's exit is no doubt a big big blow to wenger but wenger only got himself to blame for this to happen.. one have to remember how wenger played him as a right back last season.. i dont think they need a replacement as necessary as stated in the press bcos i believe denilson is the next big thing.. forget about gilberto silva.. he is rubbish.. cant understand how a holding midfielder, who cant hold the ball well, is the current brazil team capt... his departure will BENEFITS the gunner.."
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