Are Arsenal and Manchester United holding aces or duds?
It’s the last day of the transfer season (thank the gods) and both Arsenal and Manchester United fans are waiting for that magical signing that will lift their spirits and give them hope for the rest of the season.
Arsenal News
Arsenal are on the brink of a swap deal with Real Madrid, with Reyes and Baptista switching on season-long loans. Marca says that their might even be money involved in the deal with Madrid paying Arsenal 3 mil euros or something.
In any case, the move will be positive for both sides – Real Madrid get a left-sided attacking player and Arsenal get the versatile Baptista who will almost certainly play as an attacking midfielder and add some much needed steel to Arsenal’s squad.
He would need a work permit because he does not have a Spanish passport, though he has applied for one after living there since 2003. He has not been a regular for Brazil over the past year but can expect to be granted a permit.
Baptista has not been willing to leave Real Madrid but reportedly he has been told that Capello was not looking to play him (especially with Diarra in the team) and in Arsenal he will presumably be allowed an extended first-team run (the better to convince him to stay). Whether Arsenal can actually manage to get a player who prefers staying in Spain to sign for them is a different question altogether.
Baptista, like Reyes, is an excellent player, but will he be a misfit as well?
Arsenal have other irons in the fire (although the reported Mascherano move to West Ham scuppers that one) and they will be hoping that a Cole-Gallas exchange can take place today.
With Baptista, will Arsenal go for Reo-Coker as well? And if Mascherano is really coming to West Ham, will Reo-Coker still stay?
Everyone is expecting Wenger to pull out a rabbit from his hat of transfer coups, but unless Wenger gets Hargreaves or some other big name I doubt that Arsenal fans will be appeased (Hargreaves wont make them happy either, but he’s better than nothing).
Manchester United
Manchester United have just loaned out Rossi to Newcastle, and if you combine that with Ferguson’s statement that Solskjaer will be reverted to a right-wing position and reports from redcafe.net that a MUTV announcer has promised a big surprise for Thursday evening, there is every chance that Manchester United will be signing a striker today.
Now that the shock of West Ham pipping Manchester United (and Arsenal and Chelsea) for Tevez and Mascherano has subsided, there are a couple of players still left that we could possibly move for:
Hargreaves – Manchester United are still trying for the player, and Bayern’s bluster could have been just a ploy to get more money out of the club. This is more wishful thinking than reality, so you never know.
Haestad – Manchester United have been following the player’s progress for over a year, and revived their interest after the Hargreaves deal hit a snag. Could be a nice prospect for the future and would at least spare us more ‘Fletcher’ moments.
Senna – Rekindling that deal looks unlikely and his move would now reek of desperation but at least it would be better to have Senna than to go into September with Manchester United having no new players.
Reo-Coker – Arsenal are in this as well, although to be honest Manchester United need him more.
Defoe – I’m reaching here – I doubt Tottenham would sell at this point, so maybe a loan deal? Unlikely.
Manchester United need fresh blood, fast. But having said that, I don’t think that we’ll be in a very bad state if we don’t sign anyone and I’m still hoping that we do sign at least 1-2 players (a striker and holding midfielder) today.
Topics: Arsenal, Football Transfers, Manchester United
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Well Senna did want to come but he said in a interview that Carlos Queiroz told him that they recieved orders from above that the sponsors wanted English players.
Thats why they settled and overpaid for Michael Carrick and are now after Hargreaves. If everyone remembers correctly, SAF was after Senna and Diarra, now it is Carrick and Hargreaves and anyone could tell you that the 2 first are obviously better and are proved on European level.
I can’t understand how Man United can let the sponsors dictate thier transfers, must be the Glazers.
August 31st, 2006 @ 15:31Senna is proven on the European level because he’s had one CL campaign with Villareal, while Diarra has had 2-3 with Lyon?
How about 5-6 years of CL experience in Hargreaves? Or Premiership experience in Carrick?
Senna first-choice? You’re joking, right?
August 31st, 2006 @ 15:45The loan of the 2 Argentinians to West Ham for a year is a Chelsea deal- with West Ham being used as a feeder club to acclimitise and showcase both players before both become Chelsea players next year. Further evidence of the extent to which English football has become a monopoly as these are 2 of the best players in the world.
August 31st, 2006 @ 15:56Incidentally, Arsenal who are on the decline and are only able to field teenagers will only be able to compete if they obtain significantly more money than they have and get a new management team.
On skysports it’s mention that Tevez & Co will probably sign for the Hammers but remain to sign, have to wait and see. For ManU we have to be with Sir Alex doing. Let wait and see what new face/s will United bring. If not I’ll still be happy & remain United fan for Life. I think that the Squad United have will Proved us what there capable of.
August 31st, 2006 @ 16:03United For ever.
Another flippin frustrating summer at Arsenal. It started so well with Rosicky. I am not sure about Baptista unless he accepts a more defensive role challenging Gilberto, which is what we need!!! Not another attacking player FFS!
August 31st, 2006 @ 16:05the situation with west ham, tevez and mascherano stinks of corruption. quite simply, there is no way in a million years they would have moved there with the other options they had. man utd, arsenal, milan etc were all interested, and would have been approached should abramovich not be involved. the fact that abramovich has strong links with MSI who own the rights to these players suggests that he has brought them over as ‘arnon marni’ says above to acclimatise to the premiership and see if they can cut it. they are at west ham, a london based club in order to get them used to london life. its ridiculous because west ham will never be able to afford either of these players on a permanent deal (£20m each), and so they have clearly had some contact with chelsea over this. its a major conflict of interests with the MSI and abramovich links, and verges on cheating. something needs to be done because this is an absolute disgrace. im annoyed as a utd fan that we have missed out on these two players, but could have accepted it should they have moved to another big club on permanent deals, but this deal benefits nobody but west ham in the very short term (one season, they wont be there any longer than that), and chelsea in the long term.
August 31st, 2006 @ 16:41What people are saying about the West Ham deal is sort of ludacris isn’t it? Chelsea involved in it? Abramovich? Why can’t anyone give West Ham the credit that they could get them? It’s not even a done deal yet. The only thing that gets me all riled up in this matter, is if we didn’t get our hands in the midst and try and scupper the deal and send them both our way. What I would like to say is why do you rate Reo-coker so much? He is no better than Fletcher imo. Fletcher is a better technical player compared to Reo-coker. The only thing is that Fletcher doesn’t have the strength to hold off players and challenges which makes him seem such an average player. If we can’t get better than what we have, why bother?
August 31st, 2006 @ 17:11I feel, All these “still available options” for ManU are shit!!!
I would prefer the team to stay in tact instead of making panic buys of 2nd grade players.
With the West Ham news I feel almost like I did at the end of last season when I finally realised that there’s absolutely no hope anymore of catching Chelea
August 31st, 2006 @ 19:27It p*sses me off to see people talking about not being able to catch CSKA London.
They need to catch us right now, we top the league, and before you all start crying about it being early days, it is – but nevertheless, Chelsea have looked shite preseason and in the couple of games so far, they have clearly bought one too many superstars and lost a lot of what made them a unit last year. They have favoured strength over skill in ridding crespo for Dogpoo, which might sound good for our tough league, but fails to consider that drogba looks fantastic for only 10% of the time he plays. The rest of the time he is on the floor. Scheva will struggle holding the ball in the premiership and Ballack is not going to get the glory he expects from the chelski fan base.
United are strong, improving, and top of the table, with ronaldo on fire and rooney…well, rooney.
Bring it on. We will beat chelsea.
August 31st, 2006 @ 20:07Dear Hooplescat
Ever thought what might happen if Rooney / Ronaldo get injured / suspended and are out for a couple of weeks?
August 31st, 2006 @ 20:19All that expectation and now we will have to make do with signing Adriano and Ronaldinho – well we can dream can’t we
August 31st, 2006 @ 20:22united should buy adriano or trezeguet coz they’re quality and we need someone 2 replace ruud
August 31st, 2006 @ 20:44Karl – you are right, we cannot cope too well with depth of squad. I DO think we should be buying someone tonight, my point was just that chelsea are FAR from untouchable…like all champions we will need the right mix of skill, determination, AND injury free squads…
Still, bring on Fat Lamps and the chelski moneymen, we’ll take them ;o)
August 31st, 2006 @ 21:06how much do you think west ham bought the players for?? and i still doubt united will be bringing any one in befor 12 simply impossible no seeing as theyve not been talking to anyone and with the egland team at old trafford the media would have known if there was someone
August 31st, 2006 @ 23:17Arsenal are on a roll, it seems…
Sho Ito in
Gallas for Cole
Baptista for Reyes
Cygan sold to Villareal for 2 mil
Give them a holding midfielder and I’d say Arsenal are back in contention for a top 3 spot. Oh wait, that’s Reo-Coker coming in, right? Let’s hope not.
September 1st, 2006 @ 02:11United are either leaving it really, really late or have nothing to show for this long wait.
September 1st, 2006 @ 02:12erm, not sure how we got 2mil for cygan
September 4th, 2006 @ 21:31arsenals new kit will not suit everyone in the club. although i am the biggest aresenal fan and for sure i do play for arsenal. braaaa.
June 13th, 2007 @ 15:55