Arsenal in for Fellaini, could this be the DM signing we need? 22 mill buy out clause.
Has said he prefers to play DM

So apparently we released 15 players from the reserve pool. Going to be a few youngsters coming in by the looks of it.

Speaking of youngsters, anyone tipping a bolter for our squad next season?

Gnabry
Bellerin
Eisfeld (has looked good from what reserve games I've seen)
Miquel
Miyaichi

My guess is one of either Gnabry or Eisfeld.

[size=6]Arsenal preparing to join European superpowers with £70m boost, says chief executive Ivan Gazidis[/size]

Wenger’s contract expires next year, but Arsenal expect their manager to reject interest from Paris St-Germain to realise a vision that was conceived fully 15 years ago with the plan to build a new stadium.

In a wide-ranging interview, chief executive Ivan Gazidis has also backed Wenger to adapt successfully his managerial style to the imminent annual increase in his spending power of £70 million.

“We hope that Arsène wants to do what he is doing for the long term – I believe he does,” said Gazidis. “We think we have got the right person to make the kinds of choices and decisions that we are going to have.

“This year we are beginning to see something we have been planning for some time, which is the escalation in our financial firepower. It means we can look at some options that weren’t really in our financial capability.

“We should be able to compete at a level like a club such as Bayern Munich. I’m not saying we are there by any means but this whole journey over the past 10 years really has been with that goal in mind.

“It really is time now for us to turn that into sporting success. We have a certain amount of money which we’ve held in reserve. We also have new revenue streams coming on board and all of these things mean we can do some things which would excite you. We are moving into a new phase where, if we make our decisions well, we can compete with any club in the world."

The new money follows the renegotiation of a series of commercial deals that were signed for a 10-year period in 2004 to secure the funding to build the Emirates Stadium.

Within two years, it should allow the club to jump from their current annual turnover of £234.9 million to join only Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich in generating more than £300 million.

It will finally allow Wenger to compete on a more equal footing for the world’s elite players. Asked if Arsenal were now potentially in a position to pay a £25 million transfer fee and wages of £200,000 a week for one player, Gazidis said: “Of course we could do that. We could do more than that.”

The club’s main transfer priority this summer is a new striker, with Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuaín the most prominent target although they are also considering a move for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.

Although Wenger has the reputation for being overly cautious in the transfer market, Gazidis has only praise for the way the manager has kept Arsenal competitive with “one hand behind our back” over recent seasons.

“It’s going to be the players that Arsène believes in,” said Gazidis. “He is pretty blind to price tags or reputations. He looks at what he sees with his eyes and makes judgments based on that.

“There is no ideological narrative at stake here. The ideological narrative is we want to have the best possible players, the best possible team and compete for trophies. There is no philosophical line in the sand.

“There haven’t been rules. When you come back to the ‘socialist’ wage structure or limit on transfer fees, these things don’t really exist.”

Asked repeatedly if there would be “big-name” signings, Gazidis said: “If Arsène thinks that’s the right thing to do, yes. Fans obviously always want to see big-name players and sometimes they can be the critical ingredient but sometimes the critical ingredients are a little bit more complex.

"For Arsène, it’s a question of getting the right players, the ones he believes in, not necessarily the players the fans want.

“We have outperformed our spend, in virtually any metric you can look at, consistently for the last 15 years. It’s an extraordinary record. It doesn’t happen by accident. He’s very disciplined about his beliefs and how he wants to structure a team. He has new tools available to him financially and I think he’ll make good use of them.”

So can Wenger work as effectively with a large budget as he has developing players while making a profit on transfers? “Yes, but I think that Arsène will always be somebody who gives chances to young players,” said Gazidis.

“I think he’ll always be out on the training ground, developing talent. But do I think that means he can’t appreciate world-class ­established talent and make bold decisions? I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive.”

Following the departures over the past two years of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Gaël Clichy, Alex Song and Robin van Persie, there is also the guarantee that the club will not sell any key players this season.

Gazidis believes that it is realistic for Arsenal to think they could win the Premier League next season but accepts that will depend on the improvements that are made.

Although Arsenal intend to deal with Wenger’s contract “very quietly behind closed doors” before making an announcement, the board’s assessment of this past season is mixed.

“We have been through a difficult and in some ways disappointing season which ended satisfactorily,” said Gazidis. “I do think we have been resilient and consistent. It is not ultimately where we want to be with moving the club forward.

“The disappointment is we haven’t challenged this season to win a trophy. We want to be a club that is competing to win the Premier League and competing to win the Champions League.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10104877/Arsenal-preparing-to-join-European-superpowers-with-70m-boost-says-chief-executive-Ivan-Gazidis.html

I'd say one of Gnabry or Eisfeld, maybe even both although considering how strong we are at the #10 I'd say Gnabry has a better chance.

Also depending on the RB situation wouldn't be surprised to see Bellerin given some game time there in the League Cup.

If we could get Cesar, Williams Fellaini and a top striker in I would be over the moon. That and nobody big leaving, bar maybe Sagna although I don't think that's a massive loss, it would be close to the perfect window.

The only thing about Fellaini is I'm not sure about how much truth there is in this 22m release clause for top 4 clubs. If that were the case why haven't City, Chelsea or United been in there earlier.

[quote=sydneycroatia58][quote=jlm8695]

Why not be greedy and get Cesar, Williams, Fellaini, Higuain/Jovetic and Rooney? I want to be greedy goddamnit! Everyone else gets to be :twisted:

-------Cesar
Sanga-Per-Kos-Gibbs
------Fellaini
----Arteta-Jack
Walcott------Cazorla
-------Rooney
S: Sczes, Nacho, TV5, Ramsay, Ox, Giroud, Podolski
Depth: Fabianski, Rosicky, Gervinho, Jenkinson

Perhaps with the exception of Gervinho I'd be happy for any of these to play in the first 11 if injuries arise...

Yes please!
Title contention for sure...

The only thing about Fellaini is I'm not sure about how much truth there is in this 22m release clause for top 4 clubs. If that were the case why haven't City, Chelsea or United been in there earlier.

There are far more complications involved here. Is the clause public knowledge? Are the likes of City, Chelsea or United ready to meet Fellaini's demands? Have they approached Fellaini's agent personally? Are they looking to other players?

Who knows?

Fellaini odds at 1/1 to go to Arsenal. It's on I'd say.

[quote=sydneycroatia58]

Fellaini odds at 1/1 to go to Arsenal. It's on I'd say.

Really don't want Rooney at all, not what we need.

Really don't want Rooney at all, not what we need.

There's no denying he's a quality player, but would much rather we focus on signing a DM first. If getting Rooney meant we missed out on strengthening the midfield, I would be very disappointed.

There's no denying he's a quality player, but would much rather we focus on signing a DM first. If getting Rooney meant we missed out on strengthening the midfield, I would be very disappointed.

Sounds fair.

About farken time too Santa. Too often in the past we've been stooged into thinking shite like Gervinho and Chamakh are top quality...

[size=6]Exclusive - Stewart Robson: Arsene Wenger will waste Arsenal's £70million transfer warchest
[/size]
Stewart Robson doesn’t believe Arsene Wenger should be handed a transfer warchest this summer – as he will simply waste the money.

The Gunners chief will be allowed to spend £70million in the transfer window as the north London club look to catch up with Man United, Man City and Chelsea.
But former Highbury favourite Robson claims the Frenchman’s previous buys have been woeful – and he expects more of the same this summer.

“I’m not expecting any marquee signings at Arsenal,” he told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show. “There’s a lot of talk about it but I don’t know if I would trust Arsene Wenger with that money.

“Over the last few years some of the players that he’s said were going to be world class haven’t ended up like that.

“People like Olivier Giroud, Philippe Senderos, Denilson, Marouane Chamakh, Armand Traore, Sebastien Squillaci, Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela, Emmanuel Eboue, Park Chu-Young, Lukasz Fabianskii, Gervinho and Andre Santos

“These are the sort of players who Arsene Wenger said were going to be world class players and they haven’t done it.

“Over the last two seasons they have spent some money on Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Mikel Arteta, Nacho Monreal, Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos. They haven’t been top class players.

“Arsene Wenger doesn’t appear to want to sign the top class players, or what other people would describe as top class players. He goes out and says, ‘I can buy you cheaper players for a better price who are going to be world class players in the future’ but that hasn’t been the case in the last few years.

“Some of the players who he has bought have regressed under him like Andrey Arshavin and Thomas Vermaelen. Nacho Monreal hasn’t been a good signing and Andre Santos has been hopeless for them.

"Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski are past their best and Gervinho is another player who they spent a lot of money on and hasn’t really come to the fore.”
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/130607/exclusive-stewart-robson-arsene-wenger-will-waste-arsenals-%C2%A370million-tr-1991

The other day I was going to say Arsenal will win the league. Each day that goes by only confirms that thought in my head. Can't explain it, just have a sense that it will transpire.

What does everyone think about the Fellaini talk?