Tag Archives: Gary Cahill

Arsenal to try again for Cahill?

  By jtom | 23/09/2011 - 7:00 AM | Transfer News
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Gary Cahill

Bolton manager Owen Coyle said that he expects Arsenal to attempt to sign centre-back Gary Cahill in January. Reports are now suggesting that Inter Milan could make a move for the England international.

More Gary Cahill rumours are spreading in the lead up to the Arsenal v Bolton match on Saturday. Bolton boss Owen Coyle is responsible for creating the vast majority of these rumours. Coyle was quoted as saying (from the Daily Mail): “I don’t know how Arsenal’s finances work, but they know he’s an outstanding player.

“The valuations in August were between the two chairmen, and, of course, it never came to fruition.

“Now there’s the problem of the January window, and I think there will be more than just Arsenal coming back in for him then. We will deal with at the time.”

According to the Daily Mail, Inter Milan will try to pry Cahill away from Bolton. New manager Claudio Ranieri is eager to add quality to his back four.

Even after the addition of Per Mertesacker, the Gunners still need to bolster the backline. Laurent Koscielny is just not good enough to play for Arsenal on a consistent basis. Johan Djourou’s lack of positional sense, awareness, and urgency were all on display against League Two Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night. Thomas Vermaelen is a quality centre-half, but Arsene Wenger cannot rely on him to stay healthy for a few months, let alone an entire season.

Maybe Mertesacker just needs some time to adapt to the Premier League. He is woefully slow, but, hopefully, he can account for his lack of pace by showing supreme positional sense. It will take time.

But there is no sense talking about January right now. Arsenal will play Bolton, one of the few teams below the Gunners in the table, on Saturday at the Emirates. Owen Coyle, like Alex Ferguson and Steve Kean before him, took time to praise Wenger (from The Guardian):

“Arsenal are packed with quality, and Arsene Wenger is one of the top managers in world football. I don’t think for a moment Arsenal could find a better manager to replace him, but everything in this league is scrutinised and analysed and even the best managers have to accept criticism from time to time. People will always have opinions and not everyone will agree, but that’s the nature of the game we’re in.”

Some would say that the other managers are only sticking up for Wenger because they feel they have a better chance against Arsenal. The deficiencies in the current team are blatantly obvious. I believe that managers do not want to see fellow managers sacked. If Wenger goes, then it may not be long before Bolton sack Owen Coyle.

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Transfer rumours: Alex, Cahill, Campbell

  By jtom | 29/08/2011 - 8:07 AM | Transfer News
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Alex

Arsenal are ready to make a bid for Chelsea centre-back Alex. Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the fight to sign Gary Cahill. Owen Coyle will not sell his centre-back leave on the cheap. Striker Joel Campbell is likely to be sent out on loan.

Arsene Wenger will need to bring in players after Sunday’s 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

According to The Sun, Arsenal are ready to make a £10 million bid for Chelsea centre-half Alex. The 29-year old Brazilian has also attracted interest from Juventus. Arsenal would like to pay £7m for Alex, but Chelsea want £10m for him.

Alex scored that remarkable free kick against Arsenal last season when the Gunners lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Otherwise, he has had an unremarkable Chelsea career. Alex has only made 29 appearances for Chelsea the last two seasons (also counting one match this season).

According to Daily Mail, Tottenham will make a bid for Bolton centre-half Gary Cahill. Spurs will attempt to hijack an Arsenal deal by offering £8m plus a player in exchange. The report says that the player would either Darren Bentley or Sebastien Bassong.

If Tottenham steal Gary Cahill from us byoffering up a mediocre player or paying a few extra million, then the Gunners will really be in a crisis.

Spurs are looking for a centre-back after getting crushed by Manchester City on Sunday by a score of 5-1. North London is really getting thrashed by Manchester.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle is not ready to let Cahill without a fight (or negotiations) (from Daily Mail): “I can tell you I won’t buckle. I have had a chat with Gary. He knows my opinion. We don’t have to be taking poor offers. If someone makes the right offer, then we can do business.”

Coyle could be refering to the reported £6m Arsenal bid. Wenger denied the report, saying the bid was larger.

According to The Sun, Arsenal’s newest signing, Joel Campbell, is set to go out on loan to PSV. Campbell failed to get a work permit, so he will probably not be playing at the Emirates this season.

The Gunners signed the 19-year old Costa Rican striker earlier this month. Arsenal reportedly paid a fee of £900,000 for Campbell.

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Transfer News: Cahill, Campbell, Van der Wiel

  By jtom | 28/08/2011 - 8:15 AM | Transfer News
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Bolton boss Owen Coyle has asked Arsenal to make another bid for Gary Cahill. Sol Campbell would like to return to the Gunners as a player. Arsenal have been linked with Ajax right back Gregory van der Wiel.

Arsenal are set to sign striker Park Chu-young.

Gary Cahill

Owen Coyle told the press that he is willing to sell Gary Cahill after Bolton’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool: “If whoever it is out there wants to buy Gary Cahill then come and make a firm, proper offer for the lad and we will find out by the close of Wednesday if that is the case.

“There has certainly been no dialogue since the initial chat that took place on Tuesday night between my chairman Phil Gartside and Dick Law, the senior representative from Arsenal.”

Coyle went on to say that Cahill was off his game because of the “endless transfer speculation.” Bolton have opened the door for another Arsenal bid. Wenger and Bolton chairman Phil Gartside got into a fued on Friday over a reported £6m offer.

According to Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger will offer Bolton £12m for Cahill. The Gunners expect to sign the 25-year old centre-half before the end of the month.

£12m sounds like a fair bid for Cahill. Hopefully, we do not have to see more X-rated rants from the Bolton chairman and frustrated interviews with Owen Coyle.

Sol Campbell told The Guardian that he would welcome a move back to Arsenal: “It would be nice to go back to Arsenal, for sure. I trained there for a month [after leaving Newcastle in May] and have been doing regular fitness work on my own since.

“We’ve just come back from a holiday in Portugal and I was even working out then. So I’m not too far behind, all I need is two or three games to regain my match fitness.”

Campbell is trying to talk his way into a third stint with the Gunners. He was a major component of the “Invincibles” squad and played under Arsene Wenger from 2001-2006. Sol returned for a 14-match run during the 2009-2010 season.

The 36-year old free agent last played with Newcastle, making only only 8 appearances.

While Campbell will be remembered as a Gunner great, it is not the time to bring him back as a player. He has had a very difficult time staying fit in recent years, and Wenger does not need another injury-riddled centre-half. Maybe Sol could be brought in as a player-coach and help the younger players. He is certainly a better player than Sebastien Squillaci.

According to Metro, Arsene Wenger could bring Dutch right back Gregory van der Wiel to the Emirates. Van der Wiel sent out a mysterious Twitter message on Saturday: “In the plane 2 London.”

The comment sparked rumours in Holland. The 23-year old Ajax right back reportedly wants a move to the Premier Leauge. Van der Wiel sent out another Twitter message on later on Saturday: “We had a weekend off.. So im just in london to chill and watch a few games, nothing more. .”

There is a possibility that one London club is interested in the Dutch international. If he was a left back, I would urge Wenger to bring him in. But we already have Sagna (currently playing out of position on the left) and Jenkinson on the right. Gibbs plays on the left but he is constantly injured.

Looks like this rumour could be another piece of aimless specualtion, but you never know…

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Arsenal, Bolton war of words over Cahill bid

  By jtom | 27/08/2011 - 8:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Transfer News
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Gary Cahill

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside attacked Arsene Wenger on Twitter for the Gunners’ reportedly low bid for Gary Cahill. Arsene Wenger denied that the £6 million bid had taken place, and then said that he is “ready to confront” Gartside.

On Friday, we learned that the Gunners offered Bolton £6m for centre-back Gary Cahill. Bolton rejected the bid without a second thought, but chairman Phil Gartside was still furious. He re-tweeted this message on his Twitter account:

“Arsenal are you taking the p— 6million for Garry Cahill f— right off!!! £wengerisabell.”

This message was not writted by Gartside, but he put it up on his Twitter page. He later took down the comment, probably because he saw how much of a stir it created.

Arsene Wenger responded to the comments by saying: “If that is his problem, he can endorse what he wants. I can tell you it [the £6 million figure] is not true. You can believe Gartside or you can believe me but you are free to do what you want. It’s not the truth and if Gartside can say that I am lying I am ready to confront him.”

Wenger has a right to be outraged by Gartside’s behavior. Here is the Bolton chairman and a FA board member  openly promoting a hideous attack on Arsene Wenger. Gartside should act professional, and he should be punished for his comments on Twitter.

Owen Coyle also felt that the Cahill bid came up short, but he did not air his feelings in such a rude manner: “It’s not just short, it’s a million miles off. They are nowhere near the starting point even. I don’t think derisory covers it. Gary is a supremely talented player.

“We know the market place and I can assure anybody Gary will not be leaving this football club for a bargain price. Then again I wouldn’t say ‘bargain’ because it wasn’t even that.”

The anxiety level is clearly rising between the two clubs, but Arsene Wenger cannot understand Bolton’s anger: “I do not know where the problem is. If they do not want to sell him, they can keep him. If you ask, ‘do I want to buy your house?’ and you are not happy with the price you say ‘no’ and that is it.

“Why should you feel insulted? I don’t understand that. Why should you make offers that people are not insulted by?”

Although I may be a bit biased, Wenger is right. Receiving an offer for a player should not offend Bolton. They have the power to reject the offer. The transfer market is a business. Arsenal are not trying to insult Bolton. It is not a personal attack on them, just because they think that their player is worth much more than the Arsenal bid.

When Barcelona made low offers for Cesc Fabregas, there were not any Arsenal officials going on an X-rated tirade. Negotiations usually follow a pattern. The buying club sumbits a low bid while the selling club states that their player is worth much more. Compromise soon follows and an agreement is reached.

Hopefully, the two sides can sort out their differences and Gary Cahill can become a Gunner. But I fear that the rising tension could end all meaningful negotiations. Bolton feel like they have been disrespected and maybe even “bullied” by Arsenal. They may iron out a deal with Liverpool or just hang on to their centre-half. It may be time to look elsewhere.

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Transfer Rumours: Hazard, Sneijder, Cahill

  By jtom | 26/08/2011 - 7:45 AM | Transfer News
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Eden Hazard

Arsenal are close to signing Lille winger Eden Hazard. The Gunners may also make a move for Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder. Arsene Wenger has made a shockingly low bid for Gary Cahill.

According to French reports, Arsenal have agreed to terms with winger Eden Hazard, but not with his club Lille. Arsene Wenger has been tracking Hazard all summer. The tranfer fee could be sorted on Friday (today), and Hazard could be arriving in London very soon.

Mercato365 is reporting that Lille rejected a €30m bid from the Gunners. Sources say that Arsenal are set to raise their offer to €35m. Eden Hazard has already agreed to a contract, and is now waiting for Lille to make a decision.

Rumours were apparently circling on French radio that the deal was already complete. Eden Hazard would be an excellent addition to Arsenal, but I want to see official confirmation on Arsenal.com before reporting that the deal is done.

According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Arenal are considering a move for Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder has been targeted by Manchester United, but the Gunners could hijack the negotiations using the Fabregas and Nasri money.

Inter Milan is believed to want around £35m for their Dutch star. If Wenger buys Sneijder, then the transfer fee would likely shatter the Arsenal record.

The Gunners could make a strong statement by signing Sneijder. The 27-year old attacking midfielder should be able to slide into Cesc’s role with ease. Some would say that Sneijder is an upgrade over Fabregas. Inter Milan are looking to sell him, but will Arsene Wenger shell out that kind of cash?

According to Daily Mirror, Arsenal have had an offer of £6m for Gary Cahill rejected by Bolton. Bolton value their centre-back at much more than that, and rightfully so. It was a simple decision for Bolton to turn down the offer, which was ridiculously low.

Arsene Wenger needs to stop the silly games and get to buisness. He knows that Bolton would never consider £6m for Cahill. There are only six days left until the end of the transfer window, and it seems like the Gunners are no closer to get a centre-half then they were in January.

Of course, this was from Daily Mail, so their is a chance that the report is false.

Keep checking “The Clock End” for all the latest Arsenal transfer news and rumours leading up to deadline day. The Gunners have been linked with Yann M’Vila, Kaka, Marvin Martin, Phil Jagielka, Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill, Wesley Sneijder, and others in recent days. It is set to be a busy week at the Emirates, if not with actual transfers, than at least with rumours.

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Transfer Rumours: Ribery, Hazard, Dann

  By jtom | 21/07/2011 - 7:17 AM | Transfer News
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Every morning there is a fresh set of Arsenal rumours hot on the table.  The Gunners are looking to capture Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.  Arsene Wenger has not yet given up on signing another Lille star.  Arsenal could look to Birminham’s Scott Dann as Cahill negotiations stall.

New rumours are circulating around French winger Franck Ribery.  According to sources, Wenger could obtain Ribery for just £22 million, far lower than expected.  Munich are looking to offload Ribery after the 28-year old suffered another injury-riddled campaign

The French connection is surely at work here, as reports suggest Ribery would be delighted to work with Wenger.  Despite the injuries, Ribery was able to score 11 times and gain 21 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions.  That is great production.

We all have heard to Ribery-to-Arsenal rumours before.  The difference this time is the numbers.  Bayern wanted at least £40m or more for Ribery in the past.  The asking price has been lowered considerably, and it could be the right time for Wenger to strike.

Arsenal are not done chasing Lille winger Eden Hazard.  After securing Gervinho from the French side, Wenger has turned his attention to Hazard.  Paris Saint-German are believed to be the front-runners for Hazard, but the Gunners may break up the deal.

Hazard is one of the bright young stars in Europe today, which means he will be expensive.  Reports are saying that Wenger will have to fork over £22m if he hoped to pry Hazard out of France.  The £22m number is popping up quite a bit.  It is possible that the Hazard and Ribery rumours were blended together, or not.

Birmingham City centre-back Scott Dann is on Arsene Wenger’s radar.  Arsene is not thrilled with how the Gary Cahill negotiations are going, and he may look elsewhere.  Reports say that Arsenal are ready to offer £10m for the 24-year old defender.

Apparently, Bolton are not budging on their extremely high asking price for Gary Cahill.  Sure, Cahill is a good young centre-back, but he is not worth £25m.  Centre-halfs traditionally are not rated as highly as strikers, centre-midfielders, etc.  Bolton need to get off their cloud.

Dann just does not seem to be a viable solution to our centre-half conundrum.  He only has two years of experience in the Premiership.  Dann is a decent player, but is he really any better than Laurent Koscielny?

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