Defoe identified as a target?

[patrick42uk]

http://www.ananova.com/sport/soccer/sto ... t.football

is this new, they have just quoted as saying defoe is a target. i didnt realise this.

 

[JGooner]

Yet more candid quotes from our usually ultra-discrete boss. It's a good point they make about Defoe being cheaper in the summer if West Ham don't go up. I hadn't considered that. If this quote is accurate and we really are interested in Defoe, then I think we can safely assume that Wenger wants at least two strikers, which is what he said at the AGM. Defoe will be the junior of the two (if he signs), with the other being more established and almost certainly foreign (i.e. Eto'o, Kluivert, etc).

I'm not surprised he's not interested in over-30 strikers either. We're losing three this summer (Kanu, Wilturd, Bergkamp) so there's no point buying someone who we'll have to replace two seasons later.

 

[lewdikris]

I'm guessing these are quotes from a press conference this afternoon - there were some other new quotes on a Guardian article about resting Henry...

If Defoe would command 8-10 now, to get him out of West Ham, then in all honesty you're talking 4-6 in the summer. Which is damn good value. It would, as i've said before, rule out Eto'o (too similar) but could leave plenty left over either for Kluivert or Reyes .... or others, who knows.

You could easily be talking Defoe, Kluivert, Yaya Toure, all for under 10 million, which would be a devastating bit of business - hell, if Jeffers, Gio and maybe one more from the squad go, you could be talking 'only' about a 3-4 million surplus ... and enough left over for a bigtime defender. Metzelder anyone?

That would be a hell of a summer....

It is odd how open Le Boss is being about this. Very strange. We all know Defoe wants to play for us, so it could be a done deal for all we know...

 

[patrick42uk]

Maybe wenger realises the frustrations of the fans at not seeing any significant new blood especially when compared to our london 'rivals'. Maybe he wants to give us something to feed on, sort of an apetizer before the arrival of the main course(s) in the summer.

 

[siddharth]

If this quote is accurate and we really are interested in Defoe, then I think we can safely assume that Wenger wants at least two strikers, which is what he said at the AGM. Defoe will be the junior of the two (if he signs), with the other being more established and almost certainly foreign (i.e. Eto'o, Kluivert, etc).

If that's the case then wenger might go for Defoe and Alan Smith.

Alan smith because he gives us additional options, can play as a forward or a midfielder.In midfield he can provide the parlour qualities and play attacking the same time.

Boy it would be Fantasticcccccccc to have some British blood in the team.

 

[lewdikris]

Smith could only play Freddie's position for us ... forget it. Watch Smith play: who does he remind you of? Him and Fred are basically the same player. Not needed.

 

[JGooner]

You could easily be talking Defoe, Kluivert, Yaya Toure, all for under 10 million, which would be a devastating bit of business

Indeed. I would take that deal over buying just Reyes alone for £15m, which is another possible scenario. More bang for your buck, especially if it leaves enough cash for a CB which, one way or another, we are going to need in the forseeable future. I have huge reservations about Kluivert but we're simply not in a position to buy risk-free blue chip strikers like Vieiri, Trezeguet, Owen, etc.

 

[lewdikris]

Kluivert's always gonna be a risk, but if he were a 1.2 million pound risk, well, i'd take it.

In his own way Owen would be a (injury-related) risk - a £30 million one.

At a million quid i'd take Kluivert anyday. You can't really lose at that price. Stephanovs cost that much!!!

I agree as well about the Reyes thing - our full squad is 35 players, and we're losing plenty of those this summer: Volz is gone, Shaaban, Gio and Jeffers can't be far behind. Bergs and Keown will retire. Kanu and Wiltord will most likely join them. Pennant's future is uncertain.

That's 8 or 9 down. A few extra numbers would be better than one mega-buy.

 

[Alexone234]

It would be great to get some new players, but I know Wenger will only buy to strengthen his squad, not just to spend cash. I think we need a CB and 2 strikers, but we'll see. Mexes could still be on the cards.

 

[GoonerGurjit]

I still think Eto'o is more of a possibility then Defoe. Who knows Wenger might sign someone who hasn't even been mentioned yet.

 

[lewdikris]

If Mallorca asked 15+ million for Eto'o ... we'd buy Defoe. It's simply better financial sense for a player with only a little less talent.

 

[johe]

Smith could only play Freddie's position for us ... forget it. Watch Smith play: who does he remind you of? Him and Fred are basically the same player. Not needed.

Except Freddie gets less yellow cards and scores more goals.

 

[patrick42uk]

valencia tried to sign eto'o in the summer. their bid? 20 million. we will hae to match that to get him. i cannot really see him being an arsenal player.

 

[GoonerGurjit]

Its really difficult to work out whats going on. According to the Sunday Mirror a few weeks ago, a deal for Eto'o is all but done. Defoe could just be a smokescreen. I doubt that Wenger would state who he's after...Its just not like him.

 

[lewdikris]

.... unless the Defoe deal has basically been done.

**** knows, really.

 

[thegame24]

we will need someone to help us retain our double ( we will win 2 this year at least) next season.

was watching kluivert today came on as a sub AND scored. very good goal. Ronaldinho IMO is the second best player in the world now, bloody marvelous, week in week out he does EVERYTHING very good player.

i dont like the idea of defoe coming as i think smith kluivert reyes and etoo are all better. also if kanu doesnt leave i really dont see wenger buying 2 strikers, why you may ask?

well wenger said in the summer he didnt want to spend the money on players that wont be in first team or there abouts eg (no more jeffers, gio etc) if thats the case and he gets 2 striker then what will one of them be? thats right another jeffers, never getting a game. so he may wanna spend all on one SUPERSTAR striker

i personally would like 2 strikers as one could be a cl player and the other a prem rotater with ali while kanu or the new guy gets the big games. hell henry could even get a rest this way.

few problems with this though

1. Wenger likes playing the same team over and over.
2. if we get kluivert and smith their maybe unhappyness if one is left out all thetime
3. its just another way of fans saying Oh he should have played him or he should have played him etc etc. basically giving something for tony gale (capital gold 1548 am. try and catch him on match days and watch how he buries when we are loosing or drawing and see how he starts sucking harder than a hoover when we are winning) to say when we are loosing.



PS: LOL LOL Man u lost and so many of ya where saying we have lost it LOL. funny aint it how itv arnt showing there usual 40min highlights of man u like they do when they win 1-0 :wink:

 

[Henry's Girl]

Why get Defoe when we have Ali?

 

[thegame24]

exactly what i was saying few days ago.

 

[RocktheCasbah]

Maybe cos Ali's constantly injured? It's not like Defoe wouldn't be a good addition...

Kluivert's goal was good wasn't it, but Athletic came back well, ****, if they had a forward half as good as Henry, the game would have been over after 20 minutes!

 

[RocktheCasbah]

Smith could only play Freddie's position for us ... forget it. Watch Smith play: who does he remind you of? Him and Fred are basically the same player. Not needed.

Except Freddie gets less yellow cards and scores more goals.