£20m Bid Accepted For Sami Khedira

comment by What would Stuart Pearce do? (U3126)
posted 40 seconds ago
Gunnerthru

This was discussed last night.

AW is not in the market for an “exclusive” DM. He wants a player who can contribute going forward as well as defensively, and won’t get a nose bleed when they cross the half way line.

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Well I listen to Wenger's press conference yesterday as well. I dont think that he meant that he is not after a DM at all.

Gunnerthru

Given the resource at the club’s disposal why not?

We wasted in excess of £10m on Park who hardly kicked a ball for us. Not to mention the expenses squandered on Diaby, Bendtner etc etc so paying a little over the odds to secure a player of proven quality would not disturb me too much.

AW mentioned during his WC punditry that the old sitting/holding midfield role is redundant, and not an option he would be exploring in the transfer market.

@ What would Stuart Pearce do?



I also a fan to pay a bit over the odds and would have wanted Wenger to pay over the odds to get Fabregas back. I respect your opinion on Khedira of course (you seem to like him) but I personally prefer a different option.

I take your point, however do you not feel the pros outweigh the cons of not signing him?
(1) Seems to be available.
(2) We can easily afford him.
(3) Is all together superior to both Arteta and Flamini.
(4) Is outstanding in the air (an area we are lacking).
(5) Has experience at the highest level.
(6) Multiple (major) trophy winner.
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I understand this but at £23m and £150k wages, that is just not fair value. Not even in today's insane market. Liverpool got that highly promising Emre Can fella for £10m and a player I highly admire, Markovic, for £20m. And both are young 20/21-year-olds with a huge future. And combined, are probably on less wages than Khedira. And didn't have a year left on their contracts.

If we buy Khedira, we're highly likely to be proper mugged off.

Gunnerthru

If not Khedira then someone who is going to make the position their own, rather than a utility/squad player.

David Ornstien (the oracle!) tweeted a few weeks ago that AW is actively looking to strengthen in this area.

I suspect (knowing AW) that something more leftfield may emerge before the end of the window.


Sheriff

I take your point and from history if AW in uncomfortable with the figures will move on.

Wouldn’t read too much into the amounts being quoted in the media however, as if we haven’t (according to AW) even bid for Khedira, it is reasonable to conclude that personal terms haven’t been negotiated either.

Apparently Carvalho is only on £8k a week which is astonishingly low for a player of his quality, have a feeling Khedira is just a smokescreen for him.

Wenger can't really believe the holding role is now redundant and even if he does it doesn't mean he's right,

The holding role is pretty much redundant now. There are very few if any top class players who are just there to win the ball. Now there are pretty much quarter backs, sitting in front of the back 4, almost like a 3rd center back who will ping the ball around ie Pirlo, Alonso, that is the player Wenger dreams of and what he has tried to morph Arteta into, fairly successfully to be fair. We just need somebody like that who has the legs to get about a bit more than Arteta can.

It's a shame we can't morph Flamini and Arteta into one, because on the ball, Arteta is still excellent albeit a bit predictable. Flamini has the legs and the tenacity but his technique is a shambles and his passing is worse than Frimpong's.

If a player sits in front of the defence he is a holding even if his game is a lot more expansive than just breaking up play.

The closest we came to replicating Paddy/Gilberto was when we paired Song and Diaby. Diaby went forward while Song held till we went ahead and then Diaby/Song both sat for counter attacks.

Ramsey could develop into Paddy lite. But he has a long way to go. Surprisingly Wilshere still has a better presence in midfield though he is still weak physically. The key to our success will be finding a strong dominant player who can compliment those two in the middle.