Interlull is in full effect. I hope everybody is wearing their hazard suits, like requested. So far, nobody’s legs have fallen off during a light jog, and the only issues with playing time Arsenal players are experiencing is if they’ll have any. So, it’s onto the babble.
One in to Barca, one out?
According to El Mundo Deportivo (Spanish link, I’m afraid), Arsenal are interested in Barcelona’s Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez. The winger/striker has failed to really make a name for himself at Barcelona and Juventus, Manchester City and Arsenal are all supposedly interested, with Arsenal leading the way.
Sanchez is a good player, don’t overlook that when considering his lack of playing time at Barcelona. He’s simply third on a list of players that includes Iniesta and Pedro. However, we’ve got quite a few wingers and Sanchez is most comfortable in a striking partnership as part of a 3-5-2, which Juventus play and City trial on occasion. That’s not to say he wouldn’t be able to play at Arsenal, and we don’t even know what formation we’re playing next season .
However, he’d cost quite a lot, and Arsenal are often linked to Barcelona players, be it David Villa (serious) or Javier Mascherano (less serious), even as far as Thiago (lazy).
On the other hand, reports suggest that Thomas Vermaelen could be moving to Barcelona. Their standards seem to have dropped these days. In all honesty, if Vermaelen has been playing poorly because his heart’s not in it, then him leaving is almost deserved. As long as Arsenal sign a centre-back of the quality that can replace the Belgian, and don’t receive a joke of a transfer fee, it wouldn’t be a huge loss. Which is more than you can say about some of the other players we’ve sold to Barcelona in the past.
Daddy Dearest
After his massively over-analysed dropping recently, Wojciech Sczceszny’s father criticised Arsene Wenger in the press. He accused the manager of ‘scapegoating’ his son for Arsenal’s poor performances, raising more questions about the Pole’s future.
However, he’s released an incredibly mature statement that might just start his way back into the side:
“I would like to apologise for the comments made by my father which have been used by both Polish and English media.
“I’d like to make it clear that those were the views and opinions of my father and not mine, and although I respect his views I cannot accept them as I find them disrespectful to the club I truly love.
“I have been at Arsenal Football Club for seven years now and I have always shown my full respect to the Club, Arsène Wenger, all the coaching staff, my team-mates and the fans.
“I’ve always felt that I received great support from the manager and the fans and I am fully focused on getting back to my best.
“I am proud to be a part of Arsenal and I see my future at this great club.”
It’s good to see that he’s his own person, and that he doesn’t harbour any ill feeling towards the club for his situation.
‘Hyenas’
I love Per Mertesacker. You might have noticed. He’s really tall, and good at defending footballs away from his team’s goal. He’s also really clever, and stuff, and he’s not an idiot, like most footballers.
There’s been a lot of talk of Mertesacker returning to Germany this summer, with lazy speculation talking as though he’s Pascal Cygan reborn. Fortunately, he’s denied this, not in suspicious hand-rubbing Robin Van Persie style, but in lovely German Per Mertesacker style.
“I have no intention of returning to Germany
“It is strange for me. I am playing all the time, getting positive feedback from my coach, but for some time now I am being told I should leave as quickly as possible. Maybe it is because Germany’s fans love me too much.”
“It is a tough situation. I get calls from people who say: ‘Are we moving?’. If there is speculation in England then that is picked up in Germany quickly and I think it is a shame. It’s all about quick news.”
You say it, BFG.
So, nobody’s leaving that will ruin everything (yay!), and everybody’s happy at the club (yay!). Other than that, there’s not much to report.
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