"We were trying till the last minute to get M'Vila"

Arsenal's Russian attacking midfielder Andrei Arshavin feels that letting Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri leave the club was a "catastrophe," and the signing of a holding midfielder such as Rennes Yann M'Vila would have benefited the club, however, he welcomes the "different football" that will be played thanks to the arrival of Everton's Spaniard, Mikel Arteta.

It is the general consensus among Arsenal fans and players that letting go of their two best midfielder's was an unfortunate disaster for the progression of the side, and of course Arsenal will be affected negatively by their absence. Arshavin spoke to Nicklas Bendtner about the issue, to which the Danish striker apparently replied; "Yes, the only player who could properly replace Cesc is probably Xavi."

Arshavin was speaking to a Russian newspaper following the closure of a summer transfer window in which Arsenal were unusually busy very late on.

"At the moment, losing Fabregas and Nasri is a catastrophe. Watching the Udinese match I said to [Nicklas] Bendtner that now we have no-one so comfortable with passing the ball to Robin van Persie or who ideally utilises the qualities of the other forwards.

"He smiled and replied, 'Yes, the only player who could properly replace Cesc is probably Xavi'.' I'm very glad that I was able to play in the same team as Fabregas - he is a truly class footballer."

"When people say no-one is irreplaceable I don't agree. With [Mikel] Arteta or whoever replaces those who have left, we will play different football, not as we played with Cesc and Samir."

Arshavin doesn't think the two midfield signing's are bad ones by any means, and said their experience in the Premier League will prove important throughout the season, however further strengthening would be useful - perhaps in January.

 He even revealed that the club had been working on bringing Rennes defensive midfielder, Yann M'Vila - a player very highly rated on this website - to Arsenal, but unfortunately the deal could not be completed in time.

"Arteta and Benayoun have long proved themselves in the Premier League, they're not bad signings. And we needed strengthening in those positions."

"Perhaps another holding midfielder wouldn't hurt and, as far as I know, we were trying till the last minute to get [Rennes midfielder Yann] M'Vila, but unfortunately we weren't able to buy him."

"Judging by the quantity and quality of our signings, Arsenal's football will soon undergo some changes."

If Arsenal are to undergo positive "changes," they will need Arshavin to step up and improve on his rather ineffectual performances which he has been putting in recently. Last season his assist rate was very good, with 17 assists in all competitions, and 10 goals. More of the same from him, or even an improvement in those numbers will be greatly appreciated by Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans to go at least some way in compensating for the loss of two hugely influential figures in the squad.

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Jack Wilshere Injury Devastation

Arsenal will be without their influential midfielder Jack Wilshere for "at least" a further three months with the persistent ankle injury which has already seen him miss Arsenal's miserable start to the season, according to the Mirror.

It comes as a devastating blow to Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal team, who were hoping to see the suspended and injured players return within a few weeks. Vermaelen, Gibbs, Squillaci and Diaby are all currently carrying an injury of some sort, Bacary Sagna is ill, and Gervinho and Alex Song are suspended, but all will be returning relatively soon. Not Jack Wilshere.

Apparently, the club are hoping he begins a not too strenuous training programme in the middle of October in the hope of a swift recovery, but if he doesn't come through, he may have to have an operation on the joint which would rule him out until December.

The 19 year-old is a vital part of Arsenal's midfield, and he has become even more crucial now that Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have departed the club. He is probably the most football minded and intelligent on field player in terms of unlocking an oppositions defence. The teenager has great vision and gets himself around the field in a bundle of energy with the ability to break up play and set up attacks of his own.

He played a massive 49 games for Arsenal last season, and there had been fears that he could perhaps be burned out, especially due to his newly established national team place. However, his ankle is currently in  protective boot, and Arsenal have been consulting experts on how to deal with the issue.

Arsenal will do well not to rush him back - they need him to be 100% fit, in form and ready. This news will mean that the clubs new signings in the midfield positions, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun have added pressure to deliver. They must step up quickly and perform in order to ignite Arsenal's form and get the team back in the swing of winning, otherwise, Wenger will be in trouble without Wilshere, if he isn't already.

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Wenger's Love of "Belief" & "Spirit"

Arsene Wenger begins answering almost every post match question with two words which are becoming his trademark. As the interviewer lifts the microphone to the Arsenal managers' mouth in anticipation of an answer to the preceding question, you can quite easily predict that the answer will start with the words; "I believe."

The sort of "belief" Wenger talks about in interviews and press conferences are, of course his opinions and convictions on a certain issue, however, he expects his Arsenal team to play with a very different sort of belief. It is the psychological belief with which his players should perform, with a certain amount of confidence and mental strength to trust each-other and themselves, often added to by Wenger with the word "spirit."

Wenger puts a lot of trust in this "belief" and "spirit." He has shown how patient a human being he is in his time at Arsenal, especially during the past 6 years in which Arsenal have won nothing, much to the frustration of the fans. However, despite increasing pressure to do so, Wenger has always been reluctant to spend a lot of money on big, established players and has relied on his youth heavily.

It is his trust in the psychological side of football which he uses as an excuse to avoid the real issue of squad depth so as to prevent the need to spend money on more players. It is frustrating for fans who have shown loyalty to the club and Wenger for so long, yet the clear issue for most people does not seem to register too urgently with Wenger.

The plain fact is, "belief and spirit" will not help an injured player, unable to walk on two feet, nor will it help a team severely lacking in strength in depth. Of course Wenger is right, players need to have a strong mental attitude, with desire, belief, spirit and leadership, but where there are constant injuries during a long hard season, once a side loses games and morale is low due to heavy expectation, the spirit and belief in players needs a little help from new, fresh recruits.

With the loss of two quality players in Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, as well as the sale of Gael Clichy, Arsenal are lacking in numbers. When you compare the squad size to the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and now Liverpool, who have all spent big on new recruits despite not losing as many players as Wenger, the weaknesses are clear.

Unfortunately, signing Gervinho, Jenkinson, Joel Campbell and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain do not address the immediate issues Arsenal have, and while they have a very decent and respectable first team, when you take injuries and suspensions into account throughout the season, they will not be strong enough to compete against the best.

Fortunately for Arsenal fans, it seems Wenger is making some movement, with rumours of Yann M'Vila, Marvin Martin, Eden Hazard among others in midfield as well as defensive reinforcements like Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill on his transfer wish list. So while Wenger has more spirit and belief than a priest drunk on vodka, I believe it is quality in depth that counts. Over to you Arsene.

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Nasri Signs 4 Year Deal & Mata, Five

Samir Nasri has finally completed his move to Manchester City from Arsenal after a long running transfer battle, signing for Roberto Mancini's side on a four year deal, while Chelsea's new signing Juan Mata completed his move and signed a five year contract.

City apparently paid Arsenal a fee of £24 million - massive when you think he only had one year remaining on his Arsenal contract and could have left for free next summer. Nasri will don the number 19 shirt for City, and will go straight into the squad for the Premier League leaders' next game against Tottenham on Sunday.

Nasri is City's fourth major signing of this summer, and will follow his former Arsenal and French team mate, Gael Clichy who joined earlier this summer for around £7 million, as Nasri's signing brings City's summer spend up to around £77.6 million.

Meanwhile, Juan Mata, whom Arsenal had been close to signing as a replacement for Samir Nasri until negotiations broke down, has officially completed his move to Chelsea from Valencia, commanding an equally large sum of £26 million. He was rather sad leaving a club which he has grown up with and grown very fond of, playing 179 times and scoring 43 goals.

However, he says he has now joined a "bigger club" and is looking forward to paying very attacking football and winning plenty of trophies.

The 23 year-old's position at Chelsea on the field has been debated, and Mata allowed us an insight as to where he will play, saying:

"The plan is that I can play on either flank or even in the middle playing in between the lines of midfield and attack. I like to keep the ball and use it well, I am an attacking player and above all I like to set up goals and score them also."

Mata also revealed turning down both Arsenal and Tottenham, saying he chose Chelsea over their London rivals because they "did not compare with the Blues;"

"I want to come to England to win trophies - and that's why I accepted Chelsea's offer. It was also a question of sporting achievement, not money. Arsenal and Tottenham were both interested in me but they did not compare with the Blues."

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Nasri Asks Wenger Not To Cup-Tie Him

Samir Nasri has asked Arsene Wenger not to play him against Udinese in the Champions League second leg qualifier on Wednesday so that he remains eligible to play in the Champions League, allowing Manchester City to sign him as soon as possible, according to the Guardian.

Wenger has been forced to accept Nasri's position, and the French midfielder will now not travel to Italy on Tuesday to prepare for the all important game on Wednesday.

Wenger had said earlier in the week that he had no problems in selecting Nasri for the mid-week game, because qualifying for the Champions League is more important than the individual case of Nasri. However, under pressure from Nasri, Manchester City's manager Roberto Mancini, and probably the board, who wish to cash in on £25 million rated Nasri,Wenger has had to back down in his stance.

Wenger raised some eyebrows when he played Nasri against Liverpool on Saturday, as some thought his move to City was imminent, however, there are still some fine points to complete, including sorting out the fees of agents and lawyers who have been involved in the process.

Nasri seems keen to have the deal completed, as do City, and once Arsenal finally have the guarantee of the money from the sale, Wenger can begin to rebuild his side with the needed replacements. However, in the immediate future of the Udinese game, it is a blow for Arsenal, who will now have to hold onto their narrow goal lead away from home without one of their bes attacking players.

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Hazard & M'Vila Wait on Arsenal Future

Arsenal must qualify for the Champions League on Wednesday if they stand any chance of signing two of their top transfer targets, Eden Hazard and Yann M'Vila.

The match against Italian side Udinese now has a massive, added importance to it, with Arsenal's late activity in the transfer market relying on them getting through to the group stages of Europe's biggest club competition to match the ambitions of two of Ligue 1's brightest prospects.

Arsenal's raid on the French League also includes a big interest in Marvin Martin, Sochaux's attacking midfielder, who has impressed in the French national side as well as in domestic football, playing in a role similar to that of Samir Nasri at Arsenal. Martin assisted 17 goals last season, and in one game this year has already scored one goal.

He is a flare midfielder, as is Hazard, with the latter being a long term target of Wenger's, while Rennes' Yann M'Vila has only recently come into the Arsenal managers line of vision as he searches for depth in the defensive midfield role.

Lille are said to be asking for over £20 million for Hazard, and despite rumours that M'Vila was subject to a rejected £17.5 million from Arsenal, Rennes are supposedly rating him at just over £12 million. According to the Independent, Martin would be the cheapest signing of the three, with Wenger confident he can snatch the 23 year-old for £10.5 million.

With this information, it is understandable why Arsene Wenger is absolutely prepared to cup-tie Samir Nasri against Udinese which may potentially see Manchester City pull out of the deal to sign him, meaning the French midfielder would leave for free next season.

Arsenal may lose out on the £25 million fee City are prepared to pay, but last year, despite only reaching the knock-out round of the competition, Arsenal made £26.2 million, so with Nasri as well as any of Martin, M'Vila and Hazard, getting through on Wednesday is absolutely crucial for Arsenal's future.

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Arsenal Held to Ransom Over Nasri

Manchester City are threatening to pull out of the deal for Samir Nasri if Arsenal play him in their Champions League qualifying second leg match against Udinese on Wednesday.

Roberto Mancini claimed that the deal should be wrapped up in the next two days, but if Nasri were to appear on Wednesday, making him cup-tied in Europe, and unable to play a part in Manchester City's Champions League journey, it would be a "big problem."

In fact, it wouldn't just be a big problem for Mancini, but it may mean that he would pursuit other targets, pulling out of the deal. His comments also indicate that Nasri will not be a City player before Wednesday. Mancini said:

"If Nasri plays against Udinese, it could be possible [to pursue other targets], yes. I think we can close [the deal] in the next two days, but if he plays in the Champions League, it will be a big a problem. A big problem." 

"It's a big problem because we have followed Nasri for 40 days and I hoped [it would be completed] in two days or in three days. I don't know why we didn't close it, but for Nasri, it will be important to play all the Champions League with us."

However, Arsene Wenger doesn't seem bothered by this threat, and will do whatever necessary - including playing his best players - to get through and into the Champions League. When asked if he was worried about Nasri being cup-tied, Wenger asserted:

"No. What is important to us is to qualify. Both Manchester clubs are on the case. Perhaps one day, but it's a long, long, long way from being done."

Wenger's comments also suggest that City's rivals Manchester United are still in the hunt for Nasri. United were thought to have given up on the French midfielder to concentrate on capturing Wesley Sneijder, but it seems Sir Alex Ferguson is keeping his options open.

The worst thing that could possibly happen from this "threat" from Mancini is that Nasri will not be bought by City for £25 million, but will instead either leave for free next season or join Manchester United this season. Wenger must utilize all he has in the present moment, and Nasri is important to European qualification, so expect to see Nasri in the squad on Wednesday at the expense at his move to City.

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Nasri; Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Some football sides play music in the teams dressing room just before a match to gear up the players; get them fired up, ready to fight and ready to win. One song that may be on the Arsenal playlist would perhaps be "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash, aimed not so subtly at one Samir Nasri.

True to the lyrics of the song, released five years before 24 year-old Nasri's birth, the "indecisions are bugging me," mainly because no one involved seems to know what is going on, and even Nasri himself is said be having second thoughts.

Wenger is of course reluctant to let go of Nasri, who has grown frustrated at a lack of trophies with the club he signed for three years ago, and with only 12 months left on his contract, he has two clear options; run down his contract and leave for free next season, or jump ship to Manchester City, who are supposedly close to a deal.

But as the French midfielder performed at he Emirates on Saturday, news filtered through that a deal with City had broken down over money differences. Wenger was oblivious to any of this, saying bluntly, "I don't know," after the loss to Liverpool, as is Roberto Mancini, who is just as in the dark as to why Nasri's move has stalled.

Nasri has apparently told friends that it was his dream to join any one of Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid, but having chosen the money of Manchester City over the esteem and success of his "dream" side United who had offered him a contract, he is now said to be regretting that decision.

However, United have since moved on, concentrating on their own youth, leaving Nasri with City or Arsenal to choose from, with the former offering over triple Arsenal's offered weekly wages. On the face of it, it seems an easy decision for Nasri, who has complained in the past of always being second best in life.

City are very much on the rise, with the likes of £38 million Aguero being brought into the club, a club in the Champions League and realistically able to fight in all competitions this season with the size of their squad. Arsenal on the other hand have had a poor start to the season, with a board and manager cautious in spending money and without a trophy win in six years.

Arsene Wenger believes that Nasri, "loves the club," and "he wants to play for the club." If that is the case, the French midfielder should stay with Arsenal in this very difficult stage, with fans frustrated and perhaps losing faith in the management, and attempt the revive the form of the team. However, Wenger does seem to overestimate his players loyalty to him and Arsenal, with Nasri still quite keen to leave.

Arsenal need to ride out this rocky period during their long trophy draught, and Nasri can step up into Cesc Fabregas' creative, controlling midfield position and soften the blow of losing the Spaniard to help sail through the storm rather than let Wenger suffer alone.

Gunners fans will have been encouraged by Nasri's lively performance against Liverpool, and although they lost, exchanged applause with each other at the end of the game. Arsenal fans may have given him a rough time in their first League match, but make no mistake, Nasri is still a popular and very talented, important figure at Arsenal. The question is, are the Arsenal fans important enough to Nasri to make him stay on for one more season at least - the question is, should Nasri stay, or should he go?

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Arsenal Booed Off, Nasri to Stay?

As the rain poured from the clouds above the Emirates today, Martin Atkinson blew the full time whistle, and the boos rung around for a brief period of anger, emanating from the present Arsenal fans. They were not happy.

Liverpool fans represented the complete antithesis, with joyous chants and songs in delight at their first League win of the season against a side whom they have not beaten away from home in 11 long years. They have caught Arsenal at just the right time, as their morale is low, and squad is thin, but nothing went right for the Gunners today.

It started with an injury to Laurent Koscielny, who limped off, only just clinging on to the ability to walk on two feet, seemingly in agony with a back injury. Who did Wenger have on the bench to replace him? A teenager of course, a young Spanish defender, Ignasi Miquel, who to be fair played quite well considering his inexperience.

Emmanuel Frimpong was also impressive, with his driving runs and aggressive attitude to the game, but it is his latter mentioned quality which is also a weakness. An intimidating square up with Jordan Henderson inside five minutes saw him perhaps harshly yellow carded, but with behaviour like that, he needed a warning from the referee to calm himself down.

Many predicted, with Frimpong's feisty play, that he may be seeing a red card brandished in his face very soon, and indeed it was, when a 50-50 ball on the floor was kicked away from him just as Frimpong went in for the tackle, catching Lucas strongly on the shin and sending him flying.

The promising Henri Lansbury came on soon after, but nothing could stop the laughably unlucky goal that Arsenal were to concede 8 minutes after Frimpong's dismissal. A scramble in the Arsenal box saw a clearance rebound off Aaron Ramsey to bounce painfully into the net past an impressive Sczcesny.

Arsenal needed a goal quickly, but instead, Arsene Wenger sent on Nicklas Bendtner, who unsurprsingly had little impact on the game. Luis Suarez however, a substitute who is always a dangerous addition to any side, came on for Carroll and finished off the Arsenal with a very well worked goal which had Arsenal heads in hands.

It leave Arsenal still to score a goal this season; two games played, one draw and one loss, with a Champions League qualifier soon approaching and a Manchester United crunch game to follow in which Frimpong will be unavailable due to suspension, and perhaps Koscielny with injury.

Miserable news for Arsenal fans may be consoled by the news that Samir Nasri's move to Manchester City has fallen through due to problems with negotiations of pay. This news comes from Canal Plus, a French news website, who claim Nasri is now likely to stay with Arsenal for this season at least.

For some, it may be good news, for others, it is another excuse for Arsene Wenger not to spend on new players. Arsenal must buy some players to revive their squad and their sorry start to the season, and it is down to Wenger to deal with the troubles, otherwise, it will be another trophy-less season at the Emirates.

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Arsenal to Open Talks With Matheiu Valbuena

Arsenal have been given permission to talk with Marseille's 26 year-old midfielder, Matheiu Valbuena as Arsene Wenger seeks midfield reinforcements.

With Cesc Fabregas out of the door, and Samir Nasri soon to follow, Arsenal have naturally been linked to a whole host of players who could possibly fill their void. Valbuena is one of those who has realistically been linked to a move to the Emirates, and now things are moving along nicely which could see the diminutive creative midfielder wearing the red of Arsenal this season.

Marseille's sporting director, Jose Anigo is very much open to allowing Arsenal speak with Valbuena, citing the importance of respect for a long standing player and the prospect of a big clubs interest as to why he would allow talks. He said:

 "It's been six years since Mathieu Valbuena joined the club. If Arsenal wants to buy him, the discussion can be opened."

''When a player has spent five or six years at a club, out of respect for him, nothing is closed. We are very pleased with him, but if a big club is interested in Mathieu, people listen.''

Valbuena is very versatile across the midfield, having played in wide positions in his youth career at Bordeaux, but is now primarily deployed as a central playmaker. His work rate however, sees him fly all over the pitch, with a good defensive work ethic mixed in with his eye for a pass and creativity further up the field.

He is small, but uses this to his advantage, being incredibly mobile on the ball demonstrated well in his exceptional dribbling ability. He would be a few inches smaller than his predecessors in Nasri and Fabregas if he were to join Arsenal, but he would also be a lot more physical too, adding some solid control and power to the Arsenal midfield.

Wenger vowed in an interview before Arsenal's Champions League qualifier against Udinese that he would spend £30 million or £40 million of the right player came along. While one would doubt such a promise, Valbuena wouldn't cost anywhere near as much as those amounts, and would be a comfortable purchase of around £15 million.

Arsenal need a player like Valbuena, and under the circumstances, Wenger would be silly not to move quickly for a player who's own club have announced his availability.

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Arsenal Must Pay £26 million for Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard, one of Arsenal's prime targets to replace Samir Nasri in the attacking midfield position will cost a considerable sum of around £26 million, according to reports in France.

The French news outlet, RTBF Sport claimed today that Arsenal are ready to offer Lille over 20 million euros to bring the 20 year-old Belgian to the Emirates. However, it is now being reported that the French club are preparing to rebuff the offer by placing a hefty £26 million (30 million euro) price tag on Hazard.

Yesterday, Wenger made the bold claim that Arsenal would spend money if he believes a player would add the desired qualities to his team, whether they cost £2 million or £20 million: "If it is for two million pounds or 20 million pounds we will do it if he adds quality to our squad. We have all our scouts all over the world and we look everywhere."

It is a statement which will encourage Arsenal fans troubled by the sale and imminent departure of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, but will Wenger go that extra mile for Eden Hazard, a player whom he has tracked for several years?

He is a hugely promising talent, and has said in the past he would like to join Arsenal if he is to leave Lille. Wenger also publicly declared his interest in the player, saying back in January: "We are following him (Hazard). Personally I think he has real talent and the level needed to play at Arsenal."

But Wenger has already been priced out of a move for Valencia's Juan Mata, and Arsenal may be fearing that situation could happen all over again with Hazard, whom Lille are extremely keen to keep. They have repeated again and again that their hot prospect, who scored 12 and assisted 10 goals last season is "not for sale at any price," while the club President Michel Seydoux stated at the start of August that his star player is comfortable in France:

“I am not sure he wants to leave anyway. He knows his status here and at a large club there is much more uncertainty."

Indeed, there is a lot of uncertainty at Arsenal at the moment as to who is coming and who is going, with Samir Nasri's future still as clear as mud, however, everything is not exactly steady at Lille in terms of transfers.

Having already sold their Ivorian striker, Gervinho to Arsenal this summer, Lille are also facing losing their other attacker in Mousso Sow, who yesterday announced his desire to join Gervinho at Arsenal. If Hazard were to agree a move away from France, the summer will have seen the whole of Lille's front line miserably dismantled, although that circumstance seems highly unlikely.

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"I want to play at Arsenal, It is My Dream"

Arsene Wenger's search for another attacking player may be over if he chooses to listen to the plea from French side, Lille's star striker, Moussa Sow, after he claimed it is his "dream" to play for Arsenal.

Arsenal have already purchased a Lille striker in Gervinho this summer, but the 25 year-old Senegalese international Sow, wants to follow in his former team mates footsteps and play his football at the Emirates. The player said to Canal Football Club radio station:

"I want to play at Arsenal. I think my game is best suited to the Premier League. It is my dream and I want to be playing Champions League football."

"We will see what can happen with these clubs before the transfer windows ends."

It is an unprecedented plea from a player who only signed a three year deal with Lille in July of 2010, but after scoring a very impressive 25 goals in only his first season, it is perhaps a good time to be trying to force a move to a bigger club in the Champions League.

Arsenal will of course have to qualify for the European competition first having finished fourth last season, but with the help of a free scoring striker like Sow in their side to help them progress, their good chances will be improved drastically,

The quotes fro Sow come as a rare piece of good news in a transfer window that has seen captain Cesc Fabregas leave Arsenal for Barcelona already, with Samir Nasri set to follow out of the exit door very soon.

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Arsenal Target Midfielder Marvin Martin

Arsenal have made an informal approach for the young Sochaux midfielder, Marvin Martin, and are ready to make a bid for the 23 year-old when they receive the first payment from Barcelona for Cesc Fabregas, according to the Metro.

It is an interesting rumour, and looking at Martin's qualities on the ball, it is a very unsurprising move from Arsene Wenger. I took a look at Marvin Martin back in June when Manchester United were rumoured to be interested in bringing him in as a future replacement for Scholes, and I liked what I saw.

I would love to see how the French creative midfielder fares in the Premier League, and considering his age, nationality and relatively small price tag of around (although probably a few million over) £10 million, it looks a typical Arsene Wenger signing is on the cards. Below is an extract from the article I did on the player a few months ago, providing some useful information on the player for Arsenal fans who know little about him. Bare in mind, the article was written in the context of United's interest:

"Marvin Martin is a 23 year-old Frenchman currently playing for the Ligue 1 side Sochaux. He had a stunning season last year, especially in terms of what United would be looking for; creativity. Four goals (one of which was a stunning chip from the edge of the area), and an extremely impressive 17 assists. Indeed, the player himself confirmed in an interview in May that to create goals is his role in Sochaux: "that's my role in the team. I'm here to try and create goals." 


Martin was nominated for France's Young Player of the Season award, which was eventually won by Mamdou Sakho, and has been described as a player with "very good technique on the ball" and "excellent vision." He is also a very good passer of the ball from watching him in action. His rise to "stardom", if you like at Sochaux has been very quick, yet from reading his interviews, he seems a down to earth and grounded young man, who is not phased by the links to big clubs. When the interviewer was bigging him up, Martin responded maturely: "Let's not get carried away! I'm still a long way off being a star." and on that wonderful goal he scored said: "But one goal doesn't make a career!"

United could do far worse in this young man. Apparently, there are a few French clubs understandably interested in signing the player, with a £7 million bid from Lille already being rejected. The Sochaux club president retaliated angrily to French clubs' interest in Martin, saying: "I repeat for the 18-millionth time: Marvin is staying."
[view the complete original article with video] 

The Arsenal manager is known for delving into the French market, and has done so frequently in the past - the most recent success story being that of Samir Nasri, whom he bought from Marseille. However, Wenger will be looking to replace Fabregas and Nasri very soon - it is though Martin would be bought as a replacement for Fabregas - so if he does join, expect him to be deployed in the central midfield role, creating chances as he did for Sochaux last season.

There remains the insistence from the French sides' club President that the player will not be sold, but a considerable sum would surely soon change his mind. Nevertheless, we will see in the coming weeks if there is any truth behind the rumours, and looking at the potential Martin has, Arsenal fans will be hoping so.

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No Mata or Jadson, as Nasri and Fabregas Near Exit

Arsene Wenger has ruled out signing Valencia's Juan Mata, and claimed that any deal for Shakthar Donetsk's attacking midfielder Jadson is "nowhere" near being completed as both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas move closer to being sold by Arsenal.

All four bites of news will be unwelcome to Arsenal, as they search for at least two midfielder's to replace the now very likely departing pair of Nasri and Fabregas to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively.

Arsene Wenger was clearly not very enthused by the news that a deal for Mata, who was said to be very close only a few weeks ago had suddenly broken down beyond repair. The Arsenal manager didn't give a reason for the deal now being dead, but only confirmed it:

"We will not do (a deal for) Juan Mata. I don't have to give a reason." 

In the past week, Arsenal were said to have agreed a deal with Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk over the Brazilian 27 year-old Jadson, with the Independent reporting as if the player was already an Arsenal signing. However, Wenger has dismissed this, leaving Arsenal fans feeling even more pessimistic as the new season approaches. Wenger said:

"We are nowhere near on Jadson. We are not talking to Shakhtar about him."

On Fabregas, Barcelona's manager Pep Guardiola seemed confident that the deal is close to completion, saying that the chances of signing the Spanish midfielder are "good":

"The prospects are good, but he’s still an Arsenal player. Otherwise I would confirm it."

Nasri's move to Manchester City looks a certainty, with talks at a very advances stage, and some reports stating that he has already agreed a deal with Arsenal's future title rivals.

Wenger also gave the usual spiel about why it's so hard to find a defender who fits his requirements. One can't help but think it's simply an excuse not to spend, and to avoid the overriding issue with Arsenal:

"We have specialised people who work everywhere. Every club looks for centre-backs in the whole world."

"People with unlimited resources look for a centre-back. We are not in a supermarket where you go to a shelf and you ask 'where are the centre-backs or the strikers?"

"We are today in an international market where all over the world people look for the same players. Massive clubs have scouts all over the world and if they don't find anyone, in the end they come to us. You don't need to be a genius to understand that."

"We will have a new centre-back by the end of the transfer window because Thomas Vermaelen only played five games last year. To buy just for the sake of buying - you won't find me there. If I'm convinced the player has the quality, I will always do it if he's better than the players we have."

However, Arsenal can take some good news from all of these downbeat stories of failed bids and outgoing stars. Apparently, the Arsenal board will give Arsene Wenger all, or most of the money made from the sales of Nasri and Fabregas, so the manager can bring in some top quality replacements.

Will Wenger invest? If he doesn't, you can't help but think that Arsenal could be in trouble this season, as clubs around them spend millions to keep themselves in those all important top four positions.

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The Fabregas and Nasri Situation

Written by a DBS Football guess writer - Follow Him on Twitter @Kevin_Mega

So once again the summers longest transfer saga continues with Cesc Fabregas supposedly edging closer to a move to Barcelona even though they can’t match the valuation of our skipper. Arsenal are holding out for more than £40 million, which they rightly should do considering the market prices of other players.  In a world where players like Modric are valued at over £35 million it’s fair for Arsenal to demand £40million+ for Cesc.

It’s no secret that Barcelona have massive debts which is why they can’t raise funds to buy him. They’ve recently purchased Alexis Sanchez so it would be difficult to see where else they could get money to buy Fabregas. One thing that annoys me is; why do they want Fabregas? They already have Xavi and Iniesta, so why would they need Fabregas, especially as he will be on the bench for the most of his time there.  I don’t see Guardiola dropping either Xavi or Iniesta to accommodate Fabregas. It has been suggested that Fabregas, Xavi, and Iniesta could play in a three man midfield against weaker opponents because there would be no need for a defensive minded midfielder, however this option wouldn't suit Fabregas as he would like to play in the big games like ‘el classico’ and Champions League Finals.

It’s true that Fabregas would prefer to move to Barcelona but he’s equally happy to stay at Arsenal if the move to Barcelona doesn’t fall through. I don’t think it will be in the best interest for Fabregas to move to Nou Camp as he won’t be a first team starter and it would be just like the time he spends with Spain during international periods where he’s always behind Iniesta and Xavi to occupy the two attacking midfield spots. If Cesc was to move to Barcelona the best time would be when Xavi is close to retiring which is a few years away.

With Barcelona unable to match our valuation for Cesc it would seem better for all, for Fabregas to have another season as Arsenal's captain.

Now to another transfer saga which was picking up pace during the start of the transfer window; the Nasri contract situation. Nasri doesn’t want to sign a contract extension at Arsenal with some reports suggesting it’s because he wants more money whilst others say it’s because Arsenal took too long to start negotiations with him.  I wouldn’t mind if he was sold as long as we find a suitable replacement. 

The Spanish and English media have run stories today that we are close to signing Juan Mata. I don’t trust these sources but if Juan Mata was to arrive at Arsenal I would hope he is a replacement for Nasri and not Fabregas. This is because we need Fabregas more than we need Nasri. No-one at arsenal can occupy the centre attacking midfield role as well as Fabregas can. Several players have tried playing in that role when Fabregas is injured but they weren’t able to excel. Nasri prefers to play in that role but in the few times he’s played there he hasn’t really shone and he’s more effective as a winger.

Arsene Wenger has already said that he will not sell Nasri as it would undermine the clubs claim to be an ambitious club. I somehow agree with this because for Arsenal to remain a big club we need to keep our best players. Is it however worth the risk of losing him on a free where we could get £20m for him and get a suitable replacement? My view is that Wenger wants to keep him at Arsenal for another season where he could continue his attempts to convince him to sign a contract extension. If we win a trophy I think Nasri will stay. But if once again we fail in claiming a trophy, I don’t see how we can convince him to stay.

So with the new season only a few weeks away, I think Arsenal will begin the new season with Fabregas and Nasri in the starting line up against Newcastle. And when the summer transfer window shuts on September 1^st, we will still have them in our squad to help us mount a serious challenge for the title.

Written by a DBS Football guess writer - Follow Him on Twitter @Kevin_Mega

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Nasri To Stay - Mata Deal Close

There finally seems to be some good news at Arsenal, or better news than what has been wheeled out in the last few weeks. Instead of more on Cesc Fabregas' endless transfer saga to Barcelona, we turn to Nasri, who has had his own saga this year, but has now has apparently told Arsenal that he will stay for at least one more year.

While this does mean that he will be a likely departure next summer, it also means Arsenal will be able to squeeze another year out of him, and considering his good form at the start of last season, this is a good thing for Arsenal, who are doing their best to keep hold of their best players.

It is understood that Nasri has turned down Arsenal's new contract offer of £115,000 per week and will run down his contract with a year remaining, due to strong interest from both Manchester City and Manchester United. According to reports, City are willing to pay Nasri £160,000 a week, and had offered Arsenal £20 million for his services - a bid that was rejected.

Meanwhile, the Star makes a very bold and extremely confident claim that "Juan Mata will sign for Arsenal in the next 24 hours." It is a sentence which will delight many Arsenal fans, who have seen the promising young Spaniard play for the Spain Under-21's and his club Valencia after putting in some superb performances.

Arsenal have been tracking Mata all summer, mainly because many thought that he would come in as a replacement for Nasri. However, due to strong interest from several other top clubs across Europe in Mata, Arsenal have had to move fast to dissuade him from joining anyone else.

The 23 year-old midfielder has a £17.5 million buy-out clause in his Valencia contract, but it is believed that he is available for £13.2 million considering his relative inexperience, and it is a fee Arsenal have met. Arsenal's local rivals, Tottenham were said to have attempted to hijack the deal, but Arsenal remain strong favourites.

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