Benzema, Ben Arfa, Diarra, Merida - Arsenal Transfer Rumors

Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra has publicly stated that he wants to leave the club after failing to secure a regular starting berth in a congested midfield. The 22 year-old arrived in North London on the final day of the Summer transfer window after Chelsea agreed to a last-minute deal with Arsene Wenger.

It now seems that the diminutive midfielder may join Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, or Lyon for a price rumored to be as high as £9 million - quite a fee for a player with so little Premiership experience.

Gunners fans are hoping that Lyon's liking for Diarra could lead to a deal for either Karim Benzema or Hatem Ben Arfa to come to London. The French champions are unlikely to part willingly with either player, but the lure of a top Premier League side could be too much for the 20 year-old pair.

Benzema, a 6 foot tall striker, has started this season brilliantly, scoring 12 goals in 19 games for Lyon. His impressive record has seen him branded as the future of French football, and the already-capped player could follow in the footsteps of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry by becoming an incredible power in the Premier League. Unfortunately, the youngster would cost a small fortune to bring to Arsenal.

Hatem Ben Arfa is a more likely prospect, and has already stated that he is pleased with the London giant's interest. The young forward has started 10 games for Lyon, scoring 4 times and assisting his teammates in scoring an additional 4. Although he is of Tunisian descent, Ben Arfa was picked over prolific Juventus striker David Trezeguet to represent France in European Championship qualifying. He scored his first international goal against the Faroe Islands as a substitute for Franck Ribery.

In other news, Fran Merida, a 17 year-old who is seen as the successor to Cesc Fabregas, is expecting to be sent away on loan to Real Sociedad. The move would be great for the youngster who is currently seeing little playing time with Arsenal's first team.

Vela Not Coming To Arsenal Until Next Season

Arsenal prodigy Carlos Vela will not return from a loan at Osasuna until next Summer, said Arsene Wenger.

Many fans were expecting to see the 18 year-old meet up with the squad in London in January, but it now seems that he will not even be cleared to play in England until March.

Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal scouts watch every game he plays, and that upon joining up with the Gunners in England he will immediately be part of the first-team squad.

Unfortunately, though, Arsenal fans will have to wait until the 2008/09 season to see the future Henry in action.

Wenger told Arsenal.com: "He can apply for a passport in March and normally he will start with us next summer.

"He will straight away be with the first-team and after that it is up to him to get a place in the side.

"I sent him to Spain because he comes from a Mexican culture and it is easier to adapt in Europe. He has what we like here at Arsenal. He is a good passer of the ball and a finisher. He has that intelligent movement with very good technique and great pace."

Video: Top 10 Arsenal Goals This Season

Here's a video of Arsenal's top 10 goals this season, courtesy of www.footytube.com

Update: I'm working on getting the film back up and running

Goals number eight and six are pure Arsenal class, while Adebayor's cracker for number one is probably the finest strike ever by the lanky Togolese striker.

Another thing to note is that last season a similar video would have been dominated by Robin van Persie and Thierry Henry. Now, though, we have Fabregas, Toure, van Persie, Walcott, Diaby, Denilson, Eduardo, and Adebayor all making the list. 10 goals, 8 players.

That's the new Arsenal. The goals come from everywhere. That's the Arsenal that can challenge for the Premiership.

Fabregas: I will stay at Arsenal

Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas rubbished rumors of a move away from Ashburton Grove despite having visited Barcelona last Wednesday.

The player, who started his career at the Barcelona youth academy, has been heavily linked with a move back to the Camp Nou. He was rested for Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Slavia Prague, but surprised many by spending his break with Alex Hleb in Barcelona, watching the Spanish giants defeat Rangers, courtesy of a goal from former Arsenal talisman Thierry Henry.

Arsene Wenger was the first person to play down the Barcelona link, completely dismissing the reports.

"This is no story," he said. "Fabregas is under contract with us. If Barcelona want to buy any player under contract then I’ll give them my phone number. But I think they have it because they just bought Thierry Henry."

When asked if he would consider an offer, the reply was simple: "No chance."

But there's only so much a coach can do to keep a player at a club, and Cesc Fabregas had always said that he would move back to Spain at some point in his career. For the first time though, he has now stated that he would consider spending the rest of his career with Arsenal.

"When I first came to England I always thought I would return to Spain one day," he said.

"But the truth is that the longer I'm here, the more I like it. I love the city, the club, the people. Every day I get to know more people, I feel closer to the fans and to the team.

"To tell the truth, I feel I will stay here for a long time, even for my whole career.

"I don't know which league is better as I haven't had the opportunity to play in Spain.

"But I feel closer to the Premier League because it's very passionate, fast, direct and vibrant and it's the football that I like. Sometimes I watch Spanish league games and they don't do anything for me."

This is great news for an Arsenal side that has already lost Thierry Henry and Freddy Ljungberg. Fabregas has scored 11 goals this season, and at only 20 years of age, he still has time on his side.

Imagine, if he's already this good now, how amazing he'll be when he peaks at 27 or 28... let's just hope he'll still be at Arsenal in that time.

Wenger's secret steps for succesful signings

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is undoubtedly one of the best talent spotters in football.

During his tenure as manager in London, the Frenchman has signed relative unknowns such Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires, assembling the first unbeaten team in the top tier of English football since Preston North End in 1889.

Since then the Arsenal coach has continued to buy fabulous talents at low prices. Robin van Persie cost Arsenal around £3. Gael Clichy was signed for £250,000. Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal's linchpin in midfield, came the Gunners for free from Barcelona at the tender age of 16.

Arsenal also has some bright talents on the verge of breaking into the first team squad. Mathieu Flamini, who has recently been chosen ahead of Gilberto Silva as Arsenal's defensive midfielder came for free, as did Nicklas Bendtner. In fact, of Arsenal's young stars, only Theo Walcott was expensive, costing Arsene Wenger £5 million which could raise to a a possible £12 million, still a deal for one of the greatest young talents in English football.

Along with all of the big names, youth and reserve squad players such as Fran Merida, Henri Lansbury, and Kieran Gibbs are all expected to do great things at Arsenal, and Lukasz Fabianski is looked at as one of the brightest goalkeeping talents in history.

So how does Wenger do it?

Does he just have a keen eye for talent? His history most assuredly proves this to be true.

But there must be something more. That something is the Arsenal scouting program.

In recent days Alex Ferguson has admitted that he had never even heard of Cesc Fabregas before the midfield maestro joined the Gunners. By the time he was aware of the talent, Fabregas had already signed for Arsenal, because of Arsenal's scouts.

Around the same time that Ferguson admitted this, Arsenal revealed that they were interested in signing Lionel Messi before he became a star at Barcelona.

Steve Rowley, Arsenal's chief scout, is a relatively unknown name even amongst the Arsenal faithful, but he could be one of the key figures in Arsenal's recent success, so the next time that you see Cesc Fabregas dribble by a defender, the next time you see Robin van Persie hit the back of the net, thank Arsene Wenger, but don't forget to give some love to the men working behind the scenes.

Will Gilberto Leave Arsenal in January?

Gilberto Silva, one of Arsenal's vice-captains, has been strongly linked with a move to Italian giants Juventus. The holding midfielder, who is one of the few Arsenal players left from the club's 'invincible' season, has been kept out of the team for a large part of this season due to the recent form of 23 year-old Frenchman Mathieu Flamini.

The Brazil captain has been linked to both Juventus and Valencia, and was Arsene Wenger recently stated that he would be playing in Wednesday's Carling Cup clash with Sheffield United, further inciting departure rumors.

The competition is generally used by Premiership managers as a training ground for fringe, youth, and squad players, and Gilberto will be disappointed to fit into any of those categories. The Brazilian was Arsenal's interim captain while Thierry Henry was injured, and looked a strong candidate to receive the captains armband this year with the prolific Frenchman's departure to Barcelona.

However, the captaincy was given to William Gallas, and a loss of form after international duty with Brazil at the Copa America saw Gilberto miss the first few games. During those games, Mathieu Flamini asserted himself, registering some impressive performances, and although Gilberto did feature in Arsenal's side after his return, his performances were not of the caliber normally associated with the Brazil captain.

At 31 years of age, the player is far older than most of the players in the Arsenal squad and he must be getting nervous about Arsene Wenger's policy of phasing out older players.

While Gilberto will be looking to pick up one last Premier League medal with Arsenal this season, he may leave in favor of guaranteed playing time if offered a decent deal in January.

Personally, while I know that Gilberto has quality and experience, he is on his way out and I'd hate to see him spend a fruitless season and then sell for less (like Henry did before him). If Flamini can keep up his form, we won't need Gilberto any more, especially considering that we have Neves Denilson and Lassana Diarra, two up-and-coming holding midfielders.

I hate to say it since he has served our club so well, but if we get a good offer I'd like to see Gilberto gone sooner rather than later.

Juventus want Gallas and Gilberto

Juventus director Alessio Secco has added William Gallas to his already long wishlist of London-based players. Juventus were already reportedly interested in Arsenal's out-of-favor defensive midfielder Gilberto Silva, as well as Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard from cross-town rivals, Chelsea.

The Brazilian captain, at 31 and the French defender, at 30, are the two oldest outfield players in Arsene Wenger's squad. Gilberto is also the longest serving player at Arsenal, having joined the club from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro for £4.5 million in 2002.

Gilberto's experience is valuable to a side which features a spine of young players including Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, and Mathieu Flamini - Gilberto's replacement. However, the defensive midfielder will find it difficult to stay at Arsenal if he doesn't reclaim his starting berth soon. While he will want to stay at least long enough to win another Premiership title with Arsenal this year, he may be forced away from the club by up-and-coming playerss like Mathieu Flamini and Summer-signing Lassana Diarra. Unfortunately, I can definitely see this transfer materializing, maybe even as soon as this January.

William Gallas, on the other hand, is Arsenal's first choice partner to Kolo Toure at center-back, and with only Philippe Senderos and a host of midfielders competing for the spot, it doesn't look likely that he will soon lose his spot. However, while the French defender has stated that he is happy at the club, he has also made it clear that he will not stay for another season without silverware. While Arsenal are strong title-contenders (topping the league with a game in hand against our nearest rivals) nothing is certain in football, and I do believe the Frenchman would seek a way out if we fail to win anything this season.

Gallas must also be wondering how long he can last under Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal boss shows a clear affinity for young players, and has an inflexible policy of offering only one-year contracts to players over 30 years old. With legends such as Freddy Ljunbgerg, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires being allowed to leave the Arsenal captain must be afraid that he will be the next to go, despite the fact that he was signed from Chelsea just last season.

I can't see Gallas' transfer happening any time before the Summer at the earliest, and if he is happy at the club, I would be happy to see him stay for a few more seasons (providing he is able to stay fit).

Flamini Is Finally Stepping Up

Arsene Wenger's undeniable genius was enough to earn him a contract extension until the 2010/11 season, and it's not hard to see why the Arsenal board were happy to keep him at the club. Under Wenger's tutelage, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires were all transformed from struggling players into terrifying French wonders.

However, Wenger doesn't do everything right, and many Arsenal fans thought that Mathieu Flamini was one of his few mistakes. When Arsenal signed the 20 year-old midfielder from Marseille, he had only featured in 14 games for the team, and while he was unproven, the club had faith in Wenger, and expected great things of his new signings.

Fast forward two years to last season. Flamini was still seeing some time on the field, but many criticized his performances, applauding only his incredible work-rate. Flamini was a good squad player, but no more, and many were disappointed by him.

This season, however, it seems that Flamini is finally stepping up. Maybe it's that he's no longer under the shadow of Henry. Maybe he is trying to prove to the naysayers that Arsenal can indeed challenge for the title. Perhaps he has simply seen that Gilberto's place isn't set in stone.

Whatever the reason, Flamini is finally coming of age, and in recent games he has been chosen over Gilberto to partner Cesc Fabregas in the central midfield. It's not hard to see why, as his work-rate, tough-tackling, and team spirit are all great qualities for a defensive midfielder.

His inclusion has also given him great confidence, and he even tried a few long range shots against Robert Green in last Saturday's game against West Ham.

Mathieu Flamini has been consistently underrated by Arsenal fans, but that was unsurprising seeing as how he hadn't been performing as well as he could have until now. I still expect improvement from his current form, but even the way that he is playing now, I'm starting to think that selling Gilberto may not be a horrible idea.

I look forwards to this lad's next few years at the club.

Dennis Bergkamp Voted into Hall of Fame

Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp was voted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame ahead of Sir Trevor Brooking, Ray Clemence, Paul Scholes, Len Shackleton and Ray Wilson.

Bergkamp is now the fifth Arsenal player to be included in the hall of fame, after Alex James, Tony Adams, Liam Brady and Ian Wright.

Like Wright, Bergkamp may well be remembered for his large goal tally - 87 goals in 315 games as a supporting striker. However, it's probably better to remember him for his prolific partnerships with Ian Wright and Thierry Henry. Bergkamp is seen by many as Arsenal's most influential signing, and at only £7.5 million, it is hard to argue against this (although there is some competition from Thierry Henry amongst others).

The Dutchman, whom Alan Hansen regards as being the best foreign talent ever to grace the Premiership, will always be remembered at Arsenal, and it is great to see another Arsenal player inaugurated into the Hall of Fame.

Arsenal Transfer Window Summary

Recent interviews with Arsene Wenger and Gilberto Silva have heard both say that Arsenal don't need to spend big to be competitive in the Premier League and it was this philosophy which Arsene Wenger followed in signing new players this season, despite the fact that the powers that be at Arsenal have been constantly telling the fans that we have copious amounts of transfer money available.

Here are the transfers to and from Arsenal this summer (all transfer prices are what's listed on wikipedia):

IN - All Undisclosed
Bacary Sagna
Eduardo da Silva
Lassana Diarra
Havard Nordtveit
Lukasz Fabianski

OUT
Fabrice Muamba - £4 million
Mart Poom - Undisclosed
Thierry Henry - £16.1 million
Jeremie Aliadiere - £2 million
Arturo Lupoli - Free
Freddy Ljungberg - £3 million
Jose Antonio Reyes - Undisclosed

Its clear that we've made a profit on transfers during this transfer season - we are the only big 4 club to have done so, and yet we are 2nd in the league (behind Liverpool on goal differential) after playing a game less than Chelsea and Manchester United. Does this mean that we can indeed keep our Champions League place, or even challenge for the title? Only time will tell, but we're well on our way.

Are Arsenal really going to miss Henry this season?

There is no doubt that Thierry Henry was one of the most beloved and influential players ever to grace Highbury (and Ashburton Grove for a few games last season). His pace, creativity, and clinical finishing made him the best striker ever to play for Arsenal - and for many, the best striker in the world. While many doubted his leadership skills, there were none who could doubt his incredible talent. However, after spending a good part of last season injured and scoring only 10 goals, Henry's departure to Barcelona came as no surprise.

It was a huge blow to Arsenal, and many people claimed that Arsenal's spot in the top 4 would come to an end without our talismanic striker. Others fooled themselves claimed that our strikers would do better without the pressure on Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. It was clear to me though, that our front line would struggle, despite the incredible class of Robin van Persie. Without Henry to take penalties and free kicks, we were sure to score less off of our set pieces, and there would be no Henry to conjure up magnificent goals out of nothing.

However, van Persie has been doing an excellent job at filling his shoes, both this season and last. His strong left foot makes him a huge danger on free kicks, and his tendency to score from long range is reminiscent of his departed partner. I even think that van Persie has a good chance at taking the golden boot from Chelsea's Didier Drogba this season. However, it is unlikely that he will be as prolific a striker this season as Henry was in his seasons with Arsenal.

Who, then, will pick up his mantle? Not new signing Eduardo, but rather our midfielders. While I was initially disheartened by Henry's departure, my hopes for our team were lifted up by our pre-season friendlies and our first three matches of the season. In the first three games of the premiership we have scored 4 goals - 2 from van Persie, one from Hleb and one from Fabregas. In our Champion's League qualifier away against Sparta Prague, Hleb and Fabregas scored the only goals in a 2-0 win. In the return leg, Fabregas struck again as did Tomasz Rosicky. This newly found striking power in our midfield comes as a relief after next season in which Hleb and Rosicky scored only 3 league goals each and Fabregas scored only 2. Fabregas is currently our top goalscorer! Who ever thought we would be saying that?

I will have confidence in our ability to become champions if our midfield continues scoring goals. After all, our invincibles season saw a large amount of our goals come from Pires and Ljunberg.

Do we need a new striker? If so, who should it be?

Despite having bought Eduardo da Silva and having brought Nicklas Bendtner back from loan this summer, many fans believe that we need another striker to deal with the loss of Thierry Henry. With Arsene Wenger claiming that he wants to play with two strikers, some believe that we need to sign a new striker. Arsenal has been linked with Obafemi Martins, Robinho, and former Arsenal man Nicolas Anelka amongst others. With Bendtner performing admirably during the pre-season and Eduardo looking comfortable in an Arsenal jersey, as well as the fitness of Robin van Persie and Adebayor, I think we are pretty set on strikers. I don't think that we need to bring in any new strikers, and I will go through each of the three men above telling you why they don't belong.

Obafemi Martins - Rumors about the transfer of the 22 year-old Nigerian have been abundant, in large part because of the £13 million buy out clause in his contract. Even now, it is rumored that Arsenal have placed a £9 million bid on the player, although it is unlikely that Big Sam would accept such an offer (even if it were true). At 22, Martins would be a typical Wenger buy (although he has already proven himself in the Premiership with 13 goals last season in 36 league appearances. While he is an excellent player, he is not the type of player that Arsenal need right now. At 5 ft 7 in Martins would be short even for Wenger's current team of midgets. While he is good in the air he has little to offer that can't already be gotten from our current strikers. He may be better than Adebayor and Bendtner right now, but Bendtner has great promise, and in my opinion Adebayor doesn't deserve a starting spot anyways.
Edit: Obafemi Martins is not going to leave Newcastle

Robinho - Robinho plays as a winger or a second striker more than an out-and-out striker. Arsenal don't need a second striker (as we have Hleb who is brilliant playing in that position) and while we do need a winger, we don't need Robinho because of his price tag. While I wouldn't mind seeing Robinho at Ashburton Grove, I don't think that he would warrant the huge price-tag that Real Madrid would be sure to slap on him. A player like him (someone selfish) would be appreciated, but with such a huge price tag and small frame (5 ft 9 in) I would rather see Morten Gamst Pederson or someone similar join us.

Nicolas Anelka - I don't think we need too much of an explanation why Anelka shouldn't rejoin Arsenal. The former Arsenal man was rumored to be Arsene Wenger's first choice as a replacement for Thierry Henry (I'm not quite sure why), but his sulking attitude would make him more of a liability than anything else. He showed us in his two seasons at Arsenal that he is a great player, but his attitude is the type that rips a team apart - not what Arsene Wenger wants.

So there you go. I don't think we should buy a striker, although a winger would be a welcome addition to our squad. However, I don't think that we should be splashing Chelski-like amounts of cash on players like Robinho (unless of course Abromovich decides to buy Arsenal).

What do you think? Do we need a new striker? Who should Arsene be going after?