Keeping Eboue and ditching Chamakh is a smart move
A quick one before I drag my flu-ridden carcass to bed.
Many have been perplexed by Arsene Wenger’s reported pursuit of Bordeaux’s forward Marouane Chamakh, given how well stocked we are in striker-options.
And it seems Mr Wenger is equally perplexed by his alleged snooping after the Moroccan, for the exact same reason.
“In five months, if he doesn’t prolong his contract, Chamakh will be free to talk to any club and Bordeaux won’t get anything. In the current context, to me, it is over. Let’s say that at the moment it is terminated.
I like Chamakh, he is a forward that attracts me, but I already have Walcott, Bendtner, van Persie, Arshavin and Eduardo. I am in no rush.”
Game, set, match, Wenger. He has called Bordeaux’s bluff perfectly with their ‘he’s worth twice that much’ and perfectly isolated the striker in the process from his club. Granted, if the player does go for a free next season we won’t be the only club after him, but we would always be in with a chance if we were interested.
It all points to the transfer funds being invested fully on the positions of most importance, unless, of course, The Sun are onto a winner with rumours Saloman Kalou is to sign for the red and white.
Kalou neither excites nor repulses – he has talent and, as Gunnerblog aptly points out, he could be used effectively across a front-three in a 4-3-3.
But he is also anything between £1-3million more than we intended to spend on Chamakh. He’s a player we’ve been linked to before, so we’ll see where this one goes.
I like Eboue-boue
Finally, it seems the protracted transfer of Eboue to Fiorentina looks a little dead in the water and in my view, this could be Arsenal’s smartest retention of a player this summer.
You can give me all the strange looks you want, but you will not convince me if you say we have ample back-up for the right back spot behind Bacary Sagna. Yes, Johann Djourou can technically ‘play’ there – but he has no idea how to cross or get forward instinctively.
Alex Song, while a useful centre-back, is a fish up a tree when it comes to playing full-back. Gavin Hoyte, bless his socks, is nowhere near the level required to deputise.
So Eboue adds both utility to the midfield and vital backup behind Bacary Sagna.
Yes, there are better players out there, but for this season at least, I sincerely hope the boy’s staying.
In other news, there’s movement seemingly happening with Phillipe Senderos’ reported transfer to Everton (though he’s made an appearance on Arsenal.com’s live training session) while YoungGuns is reporting we’ve signed Independiente keeper Martinez for £1.3million – quite the price tag for a little tyke.
That’s your lot – see you tomorrow, fellow Arsephiles.
Filed under: Arsenal, Transfer Rumours
Wenga’s persuit of Marouane Chamakh is well justified.How many tested strikers does arsenal have ?And among those.. count how many of them can play a full season?Can you rely on Van persie,Eduado,Walcott,Bendtner to play a full season with all those games ?
Adebayo may have been disliked but at least you could rely on him for most of the games and yes he could score unlike Bendtner.
God forbid but if Ashavin got injured then Arsenal’s title hopes would be reduced to zilch this season without a decent cover.
You have got to be joking…. The scene of Eboue giving up on the ball in front of Scott Parker makes me wonder if he is even fit to even don our shirt. Since when do you see any Arsenal players,past or present,behave in such a cowardly manner.
We don’t need a coward that surrenders the ball so easily.No wonder Cesc wanted a hard man.Players like Eboue is just not man enough.
Bethel Kas are you joking?
Look at the stats from last season.
Bendtner scored 9 Premiership goals last season, Adebayor scored 10.
Bendtner scored every 195 minutes, Adebayor scored every 191 minutes.
They both had the same shots on target % and the same number of shots off target .
Bendtner had a 35 shots on target and Adebayor had 34.
Bendtner was offside 7 times and Adebayor was offside 43 times, so that means Bendtner was caught offisde every 251 minutes, whilst Adebayor was caught offside every 44 minutes, which is twice a game.
You obviously have no understanding of the real facts and statistics.
You judge him by one scene, I judge him by his many freestyle boogie moments. And every winning team needs a bit of that.
A ‘man’ is one who can get booed off the pitch and come back strongly , a bit like Gallas’ case. They deserve their places.
Don’t forget arshavin rosicky nasri vela Simpson wilshere who can all play off the striker
and we CAN just play 1 up front if we somehow get like 6 injured forwards lol
All a new striker would do is end the arsenal career of a very talented youngster
Also how can anyone say chamakh is proven lol
He’s 25 and still not scored many goals in a shit league and might need a while to settle in anyway
also bendtner got 15 goals last season. how many other 20 year old 3/4thchoice strikers manage that? he got more than tevez
Eboue – a back up right back.. that is it..
I agree with the comment of JEREMY.. in that he’s not really good enough to wear the shirt…
I would have got shut.
Chamakh is the quintessential poor mans Ronaldo; but saying that when Ronaldo went to Man Utd he was the poor mans Ronaldo. A work in progress, who knows???
The main downside is that he is African and the ACN is a liability…
I’d be happy for Eboue to stay. He may not be the most talented of players but his work rate can be very good (he was boo’d because his work rate had become very poor). But equally, we wouldn’t miss him to much if he went for the right price.
Bethel Kas – You must be living in cloud cuckoo land. Adebarndoor has strength and staminer but his goal rate to opportunities is very poor. If Eduardo gets a similar number of opportunities as Ade, he’ll score double the number of goals (or more).
To continue my rant, everyone should lay off Bendtner. He was the highest scoring under 21 striker in the Premiership last season and Arsenal’s top scorer from January until the end of the season.
He was the club’s third top scorer (RVP=20, Ade+=16, Bendtner=15). And no-one criticises Walcott for not scoring much. He got 6 by the way, which is less than half what Bendtner scored and Theo is meant to be the next big thing.
I don’t understand why the young Dane gets so much grief from Arsenal fans. His 15 goals were essential last season and he’ll only improve.
Niklas seems to have come off worse in fans estimations, after Adebayor headbutted him, which is ludricous. We should support the players who work hard for the club and are committed to the shirt, not those who chase the $.
ok mr statistics
adebayor arsenal total: 46 goals 21 assists in 104 games
bednter arsenal total: 14 goals 10 assists in 54 games
Steve look at the age difference of both strikers. Bendtner was used on the bench for alot of those appearances
Eboue is Arsenal -what Park is to Man United. They are both effective players, the only aspect of Eboue’s game that needs improvement is his ability to get goal.
For those of you who believes he does not deserve to wear the shirt – Please tell me a player in that team who can play in the midfield, right back and left back with the level of Eboue’s industry?
As for Adebayor and Bendtner – Afterall none of you gave Adebayor that chance when Henry left – so for once have some faith in Bendtner.
I feel Eboue should stay. While he was playing as a right full back, he was the best. The conversion to the midfield kinda changed his playing-pattern which therefore caused a low performance. Thou recently, he has dropped in form but i tel u, he is agile and has ‘can-be-better-attitude’ despite being booed by the fans. He deserves a place in Arsenal.
As per Bendtner, am sorry but he is one of the worst Arsene ever produced. I cannot understand while a striker like him will be disallowing by blocking goals instead of scoring, this happens against liverpool. He also misses a lot of opportunities that a striker like Edudaro wouldnt have missed. Please Arsene sell this fella and bring in good striker..
A lot are saying ‘Eboue is not Arsenal quality’ yet have not even answered the fact he’s the best RB at the club after Sagna, and the next after him is miles behind. For this reason (and because no RB will come in) he has to stay.
Eboue. Or as I like to call him Beckenboue, or Ebouedonna, or Peleboue, or Jesuboue. Is a useful utility man. A good squad player. And experienced in the EPL and CL. And his attitude, to come back fighting after the horrendous booing he received last season, is awesome. I do hope he stays.
Bendy will be way better than Ade. He’s already surpassed the ability that Ade had at the same stage of his career. Plus, Bendy has a fighting and winning attitude. None of this “Oh give me money or I’ll leave” BS. Bendy is way better than Chamakh is or will ever be. Bendy not only has the physical presence, but the passing movement and positional sense he has shown in the pre-season makes me realise that he’s going to play a big role in the season ahead.