Arsenal

[Lucky]

The Norwegian kid that we 'signed' a couple of weeks ago has now signed officially. Obviously for an undisclosed fee but believed to be £2 million.

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav...om+FK+Haugesund

[Steve007]

The Norwegian kid that we 'signed' a couple of weeks ago has now signed officially. Obviously for an undisclosed fee but believed to be £2 million.

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav...om+FK+Haugesund

Groovy baby.

[Lucky]

According to Slaven Bilic.

Eduardo will score a hatful of goals for Arsenal but he is far more than just a goalscorer. Eduardo scores great goals but that is not all he can do. He can open space for other players in the team and last season he had the most assists in the Croatian league. Arsenal play the best footbal in England and Da Silva will fit in. I'm convinced he is the right man for them.

All good stuff.

[Steve007]

He signed a five year deal and that must tell us something about his prospects of getting a game. He'll have wanted assurances from Arsene. Not many go out on loan and come back, I'm quite excited about him.

AC Milan & Real Madrid were regularly watching him play for Birmingham last season. He's obviously got something special about him.

[Lucky]

Since we won the league in 2004.

Arsenal:

Bought: £46m

Sold: £54.5m

Profit: £8.5m (yes we've actually made a profit)

Chelsea:

Bought: £209.6m

Sold: £49.3m

Loss: £160.23m

Man Utd:

Bought: £117.5m

Sold: £25.5m

Loss: £92m

Liverpool:

Bought: £98.1m

Sold: £19.5m

Loss: £78.6m

I read this yesterday so it doesn't include Torres which hasn't actually happened yet anyway but I think it does include the Henry and Eduardo deals.

[bowser123]

That's inaccurate.

Utd have sold Obi Wan Kenobi for £12M, Ruud for £11M and P Nev for £3.5M.

There's been more transfers out besides them, the likes of Kleberson, Forlan and Djemba have all gone, loads of kids like David Jones who went to Derby for £1M and Ebanks Blake who went for £1/4M too.

[Lucky]

If the OB1 deal is in as sold then it should be in the bought too.

I think it's been left out all together.

[Dude Ranch]

Chelsea:

Bought: £209.6m

Loss: £160.23m

That is simply obscene.

Since 2004?

[bowser123]

If the OB1 deal is in as sold then it should be in the bought too.

I think it's been left out all together.

Then it's completely worthless as a list.

Just to add, just checked and Nicky Butt went in the summer of 2004, I forgot about Tim Howard and the hopeless Ricardo- in short, these guys plus Forlan and Co all equal more than the £12M wrongly omitted if you discount Obi. £12+14.5 for Ruud and Pip is more than that total, ignoring all the kids that have gone.

The list is inaccurate.

[Lucky]

I read it yesterday in 'the london paper' you get free on the tube in the afternoons.

Sue them if you like.

Edit: What are you, some kind of auditor? Do you work for the Inland Revenue or something?

[bowser123]

Edit: What are you, some kind of auditor? Do you work for the Inland Revenue or something?

Nope, I just knew that list was shit from the offset as Ruud and Obi went for nearly that amount last year.

Utd spent £18M on Carrick last season yet made a net profit in transfers... just a quick check of Wiki from other big names I remembered.

[dogsout]

That list is definitely inaccurate. Rafa's net spending since taking over is actually something like £30m. Well it was, until we bought Torres.

[anders limpar]

sol campbell going back to tottenham?

Sources close to the Portsmouth defender have leaked news that he is desperate to head back to White Hart Lane. This follows a conversation he had with someone who told him that the strikers there now are both Bent AND Keane.

[Spudulis]

sol campbell going back to tottenham?

Sources close to the Portsmouth defender have leaked news that he is desperate to head back to White Hart Lane. This follows a conversation he had with someone who told him that the strikers there now are both Bent AND Keane.

Thats so wrong and so funny all at the same time. Brilliant

[hercules]

That list is wrong it has to be. It would be better if they showed all the ins and outs for the past few seasons

[Dude Ranch]

Interesting..

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger allowed Thierry Henry to leave for Barcelona after being convinced by scientific data that the Frenchman is 'past it'.

It emerged last night that Wenger had studied the physiological statistics and read-outs and reached the conclusion that, just like Patrick Vieira two years ago, Henry was over the hill.

An Arsenal insider told the Mirror: "Arsene was given the statistics, hard and fast figures, about Thierry's performance levels.

"If he'd wanted to keep Henry, he would have remained. But the stats suggested his performance levels were drifting away pretty rapidly."

[Mars]

Arsene knows...

Also, nice to see that Man U are trying to buy the title!

[Petrousgyre]

Interesting..

Sounds like stuff newspapers make up. That being said, Thierry really needed to be at 100% physically in order to play his game effectively. I remember the first time i watched him play at Highbury, his acceleration in particular, was unbelievable (something you never really get the measure of watching on tv). He used it to threaten defenders in order to give him space to play. Without it he's a shadow if the player he can be.

Still, I genuinely hope he does well in Spain. An incredible footballer, it's slightly odd that theres been such a muted response from the football world (and gooners for that matter) about his departure. He lit up the premiership like no other player.

[Lucky]

Arsenal's board are confident that Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract with the club - despite their relationship with Stan Kroenke deteriorating to a new low.

The Frenchman's current deal expires at the end of the forthcoming season and he has refused to commit himself to the club in the three months that have passed since David Dein, vice-chairman and a close confidant of the manager, walked out of the Emirates Stadium.

However, according to The Guardian, 'Arsenal's board is so confident that Wenger will extend his contract in the autumn that it has not considered looking for a successor' and 'talks on a two-to-three-year extension have progressed smoothly.'

'It is expected he will put pen to paper between October and December, in keeping with previous extensions when he has chosen to commit with six months to run on his existing agreement,' the newspaper discloses.

The Daily Telegraph carries a similar report, quoting an 'inside source' saying: "But he has got a great squad of young players who he really believes in and where else would he get the freedom he enjoys at Arsenal? The board are not complacent, simply confident he will stay."

Both newspapers also agree that Wenger's transfer kitty has been strengthened by the move to the Emirates Stadium, despite construction of the new stadium causing the club's level of debt to nearly total £350m.

'After the move to the Emirates Stadium Arsenal are better off than they were at Highbury by £20m a year, net of debt service and repayments, and the increased revenues from the new Premiership broadcast deal will be handed to Wenger. That will give him more than £90m to spend on wages and transfers over the next 12 months, up from £75m last year,' says The Guardian.

It is believed that, as a result of leaving Highbury for the Emirates, the Gunners' turnover will increase from £132m in 2006 to around £200m in 2007, and, says The Telegraph, 'much of that increased income will be made available to Wenger for him to spend on his squad.'

The unexpected buoyancy about the club's finances has, though, strengthened the board's resolve that further investment from Kroenke is unnecessary. The American billionaire currently holds a 12.2% stake and is widely expected to launch a takeover bid.

He refused to reveal his intentions at a meeting in New York with managing director Keith Edelman and chairman Peter Hill-Wood last month, when relations between the two parties plunged to 'a new low' after the American refused to commit to a 12-month 'lockdown' agreement which would have prevented him adding to his stake. In response, he was reputedly told "we don't need your money."

[Mars]

Haha, I hope the word 'BITCH' was used at the end of that sentence.

So, new away kit out today - anyone going to invest?

[BlinkyBear]

Arsene knows...

Also, nice to see that Man U are trying to buy the title!

Aye, seems as though they're doing a chelsea. I'll admit I'm mostly annoyed as I'm despert for Tevez to join us, but it's a bit ridiculous that Man Utd will have spent potentially over 50million quid on four players, if not more.

I'm quite happy with our squad, but you can't help but be pissed off when your rivals are pissing money away. Only positive from it? The far flung possibility that the massive and apparently dangerous level of borrowing by the fat American and his new found cheque book collide and screw Manu Utd over for the next generation.

[BlinkyBear]

Haha, I hope the word 'BITCH' was used at the end of that sentence.

So, new away kit out today - anyone going to invest?

Oh, and mine turned up this morning. Very, very nice it is too.

[Mars]

It does look nice, it just takes a lot of getting used to. It just doesn't seem very... Arsenal.

[Dude Ranch]

Aye, seems as though they're doing a chelsea. I'll admit I'm mostly annoyed as I'm despert for Tevez to join us, but it's a bit ridiculous that Man Utd will have spent potentially over 50million quid on four players, if not more.

I'm quite happy with our squad, but you can't help but be pissed off when your rivals are pissing money away. Only positive from it? The far flung possibility that the massive and apparently dangerous level of borrowing by the fat American and his new found cheque book collide and screw Manu Utd over for the next generation.

If I was a United fan I'd be excited cos they're all top players but I'd also be a bit worried cos this level of spending is ridiculous given their debt.

Actually, I've slagged Arsenal off for not spending but I'd like to think we're just doing the right thing whereas as United are being quite reckless. IMO.

[BlinkyBear]

It does look nice, it just takes a lot of getting used to. It just doesn't seem very... Arsenal.

Think that's why I like it, it's a bit continental, a bit different-makes a nice change from yellow or blue. Plus, the writing 'in' the material at least means it's not just another Nike kit with our badge on it. It's sweeeeet.

As for Man U, that's teh thing Dude, the spending is reckless. I can understand why you'd want to bring players like Hargreaves and Tevez into the club, and I see why Ferguson has bought a couple of potentially brilliant players, but what I don't get is after winning the title with (imo) a fairly ordinary squad, he feels the need to go all out and spend 50mill+. Just seems a bit unnecessary to me.

[Mars]

but what I don't get is after winning the title with (imo) a fairly ordinary squad, he feels the need to go all out and spend 50mill+. Just seems a bit unnecessary to me.

Because it was a fluke

[anders limpar]

the new away kit makes me weep inside but it's not like i ever buy the things, let alone wear them to games. i'm just of the opinion that we should be in yellow away from home, and will moan and grumble until we have a decent away shirt.

still, it's not as bad as that abortion of a chelsea shirt. makes them look like a load of fucking railway workers.

[BlinkyBear]

Because it was a fluke

I never said they didn't play well at times last year, but I don't think the teams around them played to their potential, and player for player last year in starting 11, us, Liverpool and Chelsea had better teams. I still don't rate any of the man utd back 4.

[Rev]

Aye, seems as though they're doing a chelsea.

It's actually doing a Man Utd. since they managed to buy titles much more successfully than Chelsea did.

Actually, I've slagged Arsenal off for not spending but I'd like to think we're just doing the right thing whereas as United are being quite reckless. IMO.

They won the league which will have given them a big income boost and I certainly wouldn't bet against them getting the same at the end of next season. Plus the Hargreaves transfer has probably come out of a budget set aside for last year since they were chasing him hard then, so that isn't a rash purchase.

And while they are all big money transfers, it is only 4 players.

Think that's why I like it, it's a bit continental, a bit different-makes a nice change from yellow or blue. Plus, the writing 'in' the material at least means it's not just another Nike kit with our badge on it. It's sweeeeet.

As for Man U, that's teh thing Dude, the spending is reckless. I can understand why you'd want to bring players like Hargreaves and Tevez into the club, and I see why Ferguson has bought a couple of potentially brilliant players, but what I don't get is after winning the title with (imo) a fairly ordinary squad, he feels the need to go all out and spend 50mill+. Just seems a bit unnecessary to me.

I don't get you. If you think the squad is ordinary, how is improving it unnecessary?

I'm really looking forward to this season though - teams do seem to be spending money in the right places and there seems to be a massive influx of quality into the Premiership. Hell, even transfers like Bent will be interesting to watch to see how they work out, however unlikely it is to become value for money.

[Dude Ranch]

And while they are all big money transfers, it is only 4 players.

Three at circa £17m and now another at somewhere between £20m and £35m. And the wages that come with such big deals. What with their debt I'm a bit surprised.

It's only four players though.