Young Gun: Alex Chamberlain
Well, we were promised transfer activity this week, and now we’ve got it. Southampton’s 17-year-old winger Alex (Oxlade) Chamberlain has signed for Arsenal, for an undisclosed fee.
Depending on who you believe, Southampton stand to receive either ten, twelve or fifteen million pounds for the player, depending on performance-related clauses. One things for sure – it exceeds the £9m we ended up paying for Theo Walcott, with the Saints themselves saying their previous transfer records have been “blown out of the water”.
Arsene initially pushed for a deal to be done in January, but Southampton’s desire to ensure promotion to the Championship saw them resist any bid.
Ideally they would have liked to keep Chamberlain this season too, but the player made life harder by declaring his desire to move. Now it seems Arsenal have come up with the requisite fee to make all parties happy.
He’s clearly a player of real potential, and as such is a welcome addition to the squad. However, it’s a signing that’s taken me a little by surprise, despite Arsenal’s long-term interest in the player. When you look at our squad, we’re not lacking in wide attackers: Nasri, Arshavin, Gervinho, Walcott, Rosicky, Miyaichi and Vela can all occupy those positions. With a fee of this size, it’s hard to see us loaning Chamberlain out, so perhaps the rumours that Carlos Vela and Miyaichi may be set for temporary moves abroad have some truth to them.
There will doubtless be fans who are frustrated at Arsene’s willingness to pay such a high price for a teenager when he baulks at similar fees for established internationals. I share that frustration. All I can say to that is that I hope Chamberlain is the first of several new faces, the rest of which will be slightly more experienced than the young Englishman. Of our three summer signings thus far, two have only ever played in League One. Intriguingly, the other, Gervinho, has played in the similar-sounding but significantly more competitive Ligue 1. I can’t be alone in hoping we still get that Premier League-hardened defender we badly lack.
For now, however, we welcome Alex Chamberlain aboard the good ship Arsenal. An ankle injury has held up his pre-season, so I don’t expect him to be in contention for a few weeks yet. Having followed the same path, the press will doubtless be hailing him tomorrow as ‘The New Theo Walcott’. If, however, you want a more considered view of the player, you can read this piece – Ready Or Not: Alex Chamberlain, from January.
Or, indeed, have a gander at the video below. More tomorrow.
Will someone please tell Wenger to go buy Per Mersetaker?…What is wrong with that man?
He’s not interested in Mertesacker. Had that confirmed to me by an agent today.
Wenger just signs the same type of player over and over and over. He signs the type of player he likes. £12m on a 17 year old, and we’re supposed to be ‘prudent’. It’s total self-indulgence from a manager with way too much power.
This signing means we will see more of Walcott playing as a striker this season.
i don see walcott as striker when u have RVP and Gervinhio already there,
Just what we need another 17yr old midfield midget!!! Wenger is really starting to piss me off! If this is Nasri replacement we are screwed! Fingerscrossed :-/
he’s a good replacement for Nasri. stop whining like a baby.
No he is not! What premierleague experience has he had? is he an english international? How long is this going to go on that we sell experience and replace with youth. The youth experiment hasnt worked for 6 years now. Dont get me wrong, he looks like a good player but £12m no way! We need ready made players not boys to win anything, id rather have Nzogbia for £9m than this kid!
How can a 17 year old with a season under his belt in the 3rd tier of english football be a good replacement for Nasri?
Absolute power corrupt absolutely, 12m, for alex, common, if we can spend 12m, for alex. Why didn’t he go for juan mata, when he was 22m or even now that he’s 35m, why teenagers
Listen to yourself! We bought a player, a useful one at that. Stop whinging!!!! Corrupt my arse.
Another bull$*** transfer y sign a winger?? When we really need is a couple of cb a striker to partner van man, I officially hate wenger, what happen to experience players arsene?? Liar
Arsenal fans will complain no matter what! he may not be the player you expect but Wenger has already promised a defender this season and it seems the Club is making some moves in the market. Why don’t you just be patient and wait for Aug 31th if he doesn’t bring a CB…you can go on a hunger strike!
spot on mate. i’m getting bored by this whining gooners. who would have predicted Wilshere’s performance this time last season. our CB will come soon.get behind your team lads.
so much discussion and pain of the supporters show that v r behind our team, n off course v r. just sharing thourghts
Why? Because AW is willing to spunk 15m on a 17 year old who’ll offer us next to nothing this season, but won’t cough up the fee required for the vastly superior Juan Mata.
The real questions is, why do you trust AW to make the necessary signings before August 31st? Has he done it the past two years?
The fact of the matter is that it is plain simple and clear that we need a CB. Wether AW is going to do it or not it is a matter of urgency and he should have had one at the start of the transfer market. I know Samba is more than happy to join and we could easily land cahill but AW says the asking price is ‘too much’.
A new CB should have arrived and got involved with the team during pre season and thats a fact. K.Gibbs has not proven his fitness enough to get a 1st choice place in the team – fact
I could go on but I’m fed up to be honest
hi Gilberto…since you have access to the agents, will you please tell them to ask Your confused professor to go get us two reliable central defenders before we fans loose our mind….NOTHING HAVE CHANGED…I CANT STAND TO SEE MY BELOVED ARSENAL RUINED BY ARSENE!!
I hope you don’t need a prophet to tell you that NASRI’s replacement has been signed. Nas will leave emirate stadium very soon. Wenger is a business man. 20m-12m=8m. that is the profit he tend to make.
The fact we were planning to sign the boy in January suggests that his arrival is not really related to the Cesc or Nasri situation.
Perhaps not, but is that really an argument in favour of his signing?
The Cesc and Nasri situations must be addressed and given that Santi Cazorla was available for €21, it does make you wonder why on earth Wenger chose to buy a 17 year old for almost as much money even though he won’t mitigate against he loss of Cesc and Nasri in the slightest.
he was a long term target (we actually bid for him in jan). he was going to move in the current transfer window, and manu were kept informed of his situation. we had to move. we did. give AW a break – this has nothing to do with the defense or replacing nasri/cesc. wenger may be tight, but hes not an idiot. he knows an 18 yo cannot be a replacement for our most important players. i agree he should have finished with CB/cesc/nasri situations earlier though. we are too late.
just a quality left back, a defensive midfielder who can also pass the ball ( consistently to team mates ),a warrior centre back who will win the airborne stuff and an experienced keeper required then ! Plus replacements for Nasri and Cesc of equal quality hopefully.
Plus there’s a few who need to be sold, Almunia and Squillaci and Diaby surely must leave.
Sort that lot and the depression might lift.
3 points at Newcastle would do us good after last seasons fiasco.
Of your list of wide players — Nasri, Arshavin, Gervinho, Walcott, Rosicky, Miyaichi and Vela — I would bet that only Arshavin, Gervinho, Walcott and Miyaichi — will be Arsenal players next season, while Walcott won’t be playing wide.
Also I remain amused at this incessant demand to sign centre backs from Premier league defences that conceded more goals last season than we did. It is the how of our defending that needs improving as much as the who. And it would be more like Wegner to unearth some Vidic-like beast of a Serbian defender that no one has heard of or one of those African defenders that keep a machete tucked down their socks than go shopping in Lancashire.
We’d planned to get him in January so he cant be Nasri’s replacement, i alsso like the kid and think he’ll be a top class player in a few years under the guidence of Wenger, it’s just defenders who get shiter and keepers along with proper CF’s(Bendtner, Chamakh). I personally think if Nasri does go then his replacement is Gervinho, that’s £10.6m and £12m, add that Joel Campbell who is yet another young winger for £1m and we’ve spent £23.6. So if we sell Nasri for £25m we’ve turned a slight profit but got 3 players. Who know’s, Nasri might yet stay but i’d rather sell him so we dont lose him for free and buy Mata or Benzema.
The Cesc deal will drag on but to let him go we need a replacement, Thiago would do but wont join, he’ll warm the bench with Cesc at Barca. If Wenger doesn’t want to sell Cesc then he doesn’t have to as he’s got a long contract. I’d like to see if Cesc does go, the money spent on Jagielka, Dann, Cahill etc. Dann will be the cheapest and is the youngest, about £8m will get him but Wenger must not like him as he’d have done it by now. Then a Cesc like player, Marko Marin from Bremen,Kagawa from Dortmund, Pjanic aswell from Lyon is an exciting player. Aquillani from Liverpool looked their best player by a mile last week in a friendly and i’d take him on loan or on the cheap as L’Pool want rid as they’ve too many midfielders with Gerrard, Henderson, Adam, Meireles, Lucas, Downing, Kuyt etc.
Now just a quality CB, hopefully get rid of Chamakh and Bendtner and get a real striker get rid of Eboue. Over to you Arsene.
no matter what.some people will always complain
Don’t think that’s the case Jack.There are higher priorities out there at the moment such as our defensive frailties (if you’ve seen any of the pre-season games, nothing has changed on that front)than buying top talent for the future particularly given the sums involved. An extra 5 mill would have got Cahill back in June. Instead we are 5 days away from the start of the season and in danger of going into battle with the same flawed and fragile team as last season (minus the injured first teamers)
Does this guy play on the same wing as Theo??
Sagna Vermalen Jags Gibbs
Alex Ramsey Whilsire Gervinho
Walcott RVP
Perhaps now that Fab is gone, we will play 442 with pace on the counter attack.
Whilshire replacing Song (dont forget ACN this year) as DM, with Ramsey replacing Fab.
With all due respect to young Mr Oxlade Chamberlain,I cannot understand why he has been signed.The club already has a number of lightweight wing-men.The team is crying out for replacents and back-up in virtually every other position.It also has a far greater need for players with more maturity and EPL experience.The management and board really seem to have lost the plot!!If a current England squad member ,who is desperately required to shore up our Defence,isn’t deemed to be worth £17m-how can a teenager who didn’t altogether set the 3rd tier of English football alight last season be worth £12m (we don’t need any more “players of potential”).Why isn’t last years Footballer of the Year worth £7million.Who will score goals if RVP is injured and Cesc and Nasri have departed.
I have supported Arsenal since the early 70s and never have I been so frustrated.I would actually say that I am now actually annoyed.Despite the protestations of the AKB Brigade I really can’t see this side ,as it stands, finishing in the top 5.Yet,with the addition of three experienced players they would be challenging.
Im incredibly underwhelmed by this. When are we getting defenders exactly? It seems like Wenger has no interest whatsoever in strengthening the defence.
I say sell Nasri and Cesc because their minds is elsewhere…Use the £60M realized from there sale to buy…Mata £25M, Benzema £30M, Per Mersateker £5M. Then go get Fellani from Everton to support Song in the Defensive Midfield…And watch us win some trophy.
Who is selling Mersatekar for 5mn??
Come back to Earth mate.
Sadly, it’s not as simple as Championship Manager.
Benzema doesn’t seem the least bit interested in leaving Real and seems determined to prove his worth in the Spanish capital. Besides we probably couldn’t afford his wages.
As for Mata, who knows, he might well come should we sell Cesc or Nasri.
Have a little faith.
The same whining people would tomorrow cite examples of how chelsea have spent 20mn on Lukaku and I even read a few comments on some threads that we must buy lukaku as he is great.. Come on, don’t be hypocrites.. Lukaku is also 18 just like oxlade.. and our star player of last season has turned only 19 this year, if you people remember that… The same people were crying to get Hazard who turned 20 this year.. How does the age matter if the player has the potential?? It’s a welcome signing, I believe.. and from the angle I see it, Wenger signed Gervinho to play both as a winger and as a striker (in absence of VP).. So he needs extra wide midfielders..
I think there will still be more arrivals. Joel Campbell and a centre-half, most likely.
But no replacements for Cesc and Nasri?
Yawn.
Does this address defensive shortcomings? NO
Proven ‘super quality’? NO.
Top level experience? NO
Know-how and long-term experience? NO
Proven winner? NO.
So AW will spend up to £15 mil on a nobody kid but won’t pay out £17 mil for Cahill, £18 mil for Mata or £15 mil for Jagielka.
Wenger is a clown.
Most important transfer: NEW MANAGER PLEASE.
BOO Wenger ALL season.
Oh piss off and stop complaining. We’ve just signed a new player. It’s a step in the right direction.
Just go with the flow and be patient.
You piss of…going with the flow is the exact reason why we have ended up in this embarrassing dissmal position – yh go on…settle for less you fucking numbnut
Jenkins gervinho chamberlain myachi now get a big comanding centre back & big midfield enforcer & get rid of scumbag nasri & fab & look forward to this season being wrote of before seasons even started 2 more signings wenger this week & I’ll be happy arsenal can cope without clichy nasri denilson bendter & fab only nasri performed for half a season last year so no loss
AOC seems an exciting prospect and i wish him a wonderful time at the Emirates.Well i really do not understand when will the so called gooners stop whining.There is a reason why Arsene Wenger is the manager of Arsenal F.C and us here writing comments on a blog.So let’s leave the managerial job to Mr.Wenger.Arsenal 4eva!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lets boo wenger out of our club this season! Banners, slogans, the lot! Get this clown out of our club!
SACK ARSENE!
Spurs fans aren’t welcomed here. Get lost son.
You seem like the Spurs fan to me mate! U dont seem to mind Wenger taking the club down the drain. He keeps overlooking basic faults in the squad for years now! Its guys like u who keep supporting him even though he has lost the plot a long time ago! Any job is a performance evaluated job! If u dont perform, u get fired! as simple as tht!
Now if u r in so love with Wenger instead of the actual football club, then ask Mr. Wenger to adopt u, and u can go and sit on his lap while he feeds u!
I’ve really had enough of Arsenal ‘fans’ calling for Wenger’s head. Truth is we were nothing before that man arrived and transformed the club. Now i admit 6 years without a trophy is a long time but surely only in the backdrop of what success he has brought us in the past? Football has changed dramatically during his reign, gone are the days of him having exclusive use of the french league to source players – these days if there is a player with potential everyone knows about them. This plus the insane amount of money and resource that some clubs have now its a miracle a club like ours has been able to stay consistently in the top four. I mean why would a player want to play for Arsenal when clubs like Man City can offer them double the money? Arsene Wenger – the manager who is deemed to be the best at developing young talent and who gives players a chance. People say project youth isn’t working – thats all we’ve got! And another thing can our ‘fans’ please stop talking about transfers like its Championship Manager – we all know in reality it doesn’t work like that. ‘i don’t understand why he doesn’t buy Mata and Benzema’ um……maybe Mata and Benzema are in the 95% of players who are money crazy and don’t want to sign for us. How can you all be so naive? Do you really think Arsene is simply not buying players because he is too stubborn? How ridiculous! Trust me no-one loves this club more than Wenger and no-one wants to break this 6 year drought as much as him. I think its time for us all to take a step back and remember what this club of ours was like before he joined, Arsene Wenger is Arsenal Football Club.
Very well said buddy, well done. Finally someone talking a bit of sense.
And spending £15 million on a 17 year old with only Championship experience is not crazy money?
Arsenal is the 3rd most successful English team and 5th most richest club in Europe, I expect us winning trophies as the main priority of the club not developing youth.
No man is bigger than the club including Arsene Wenger.
You complete tit! Arsenal were nothing before Wenger arrived?????
People like you are the root of the problem mate. Check out the history of the club.
Prick.
“Truth is we were nothing before that man arrived and transformed the club.”
Wut? I’m not going to even bother…
Totally agree! Arsene Wenger is a clown! He has no clue what he s doin anymore! He make just be mentally ill! And all u guys who defend him like he s ur dad, take him to the hospital and admit him there, since u seem more in love with that clown than the Club!
Out Wenger!
It’s good to see that not all fans are blind to how Wenger is ruinin our club! No doubt he s done a great job for us once, but now he a just undoin everything and doesn’t seem to even realise that! He s definitely past it! Time for him to go! Thanks for everything arsene! But if u don’t leave now, time for u get kicked out!
Wenger OUT!
I m realy really sorry Arsenal fans! My son has lost it.
the thing is he has not been takin his medications and has thus become a French dodo! But don’t worry we re gonna pit him down soon!
Kind regards,
Wenger’s Dad
What’s with all the negativity? I ve just signed the next world player of the year! He could even defend set pieces just before he picked up my pen to sign! I m gonna sign a defender only if he is super super quality! and rite now I can’t find anyone better than what we have. I m not gonna spend money just for the sake of it!
And Dad please keep out of this!
Arsene Rules! I am bigger than the club!
And screw u fans who don’t like and support me! That just means u don’t like Arsene FC!
With lots of love,
Arsene “Super super quality” Wenger
You guys are acting like the transfer window ends tonight…
They are acting like cunts .. We are all waiting for a quality defender to arrive perhaps even a big name striker.. (Are there any anymore?) But seeing the comments it seems like some so called “fans” will have a fit if we dont sign anybody prior to tommorow so Im willing to wait a little bit longer just so cunts suffer more … Booing Arsenal players and the manager ? Unheard of fucking cretins you deserve way less than what you have that’s for sure.. And on that note .. Arsene spend some fucking cash …
I trust in Wenger’s eye for the next BIG thing.
What I don’t understand is that we’re not exactly light on home-grown players, are we? Why then, are we targeting all these English boys?
And AOC isn’t lightweight.
It looks like GS and I are the only two rational gooners on this blog now. The rest of you have succumbed to hysteria and moaning. The AOC signing was organising months in advance, and had nothing to do with Nasri’s departure.
I am curious as to whether Arsene Wenger feels the left-back position is one from which he can develop young players to sell at a profit. It will be interesting to see if Traore and Gibbs get sold on in five years’ time, at a profit, and replaced by the next kid from the Academy.
If you look at Southampton’s Academy, what they target are athletic kids who they then train in the ways of football. Hence, they’ve developed great flank players, but no central position players of similar stature. I believe if Arsenal was to tweak their Academy and target players with physique as well as technique, we would be in a position to develop a better class of full backs and wingers.
I think the Chamberlain signing is a product of our transfer plan as it stood in January. Other players will be bought in accordance with key departures and our defensive problems that have become more clear since then.
I liken these type of ‘fans’ to the village idiots, passionate yes, intelligent not really, amiable indeed when the sun is shinning. As such I have come to expect them to boo and hiss whenever they don’t understand something.
I’ll join the chorus – we need a CB desperately. But just because I know we need a better defense it doesn’t mean I have any inkling of the intricacies of Football contract negotiations. All I know is that talk is cheap and Arsenal fans are the richest in the world at the moment.
BOO Wenger ALL season. Drive the mug out of town. I urge the boo-boys to RANK UP THE PRESSURE. Any opportunity BOO him. We need this tosser out of the club asap.
What a pathetic club we have become. Signing nothing kids from the Championship, Japanese school-kids, rubbish right back kids from League 1 and some big-forehead joker with less international pedigree than EBOUE!
A fat bloated wage bill, overpaid mercenaries like Diaby, Denilson, Eboue, CHAMAKH, Clownmunia, Fabianski, Bendtner, CAN’T GIVE THEM AWAY!
Then you have mediocre fat-arses like Alex Song swanning into the team though they’d get nowhere near the elite European clubs team buses.
The only two genuine class players we have are desperate to leave. And meanwhile all you’re left with are AKB fuckwits who claim the club is ‘nothing without AW’??!
If you genuinely think that, then AW can fuck off, and YOU AKBs can all follow him, and we, the GENUINE real hard Arsenal supporters will get our club back.
The AKBs can go follow whichever piece of shit club Wenger manages next!
Sorry, but spending £12-15 million on this kid is crazy. I’m sure some will say he could be a world class player but we also said that about Bentley, Pennant and other youngsters that failed to breaking into the 1st team.
First of all:All of you please shut up!We can’t judge him now,we will have to wait to see him in action and then you can complain if he sucks.I know our DF is bad but we can’t change it,Wenger will buy whoever he wants.Plus don’t forget that we have a lot of talent in reserves and next year of scholars is one of the best ever(or so I heard).Miquel,Bartley,Afobe,Aneke and many more are great and probably will be good enough for EPL,so don’t complain about Wenger because he made the Invincibles and he will make one more in the next few years.
Can’t judge him now????
When shall we judge him then?? In May, – like he’s told us to over the last couple of seasons??
We judged him in May this year and the verdict was FAILED!!
So what’s he done? Bought in two league one players and a £10 million African who nobody else of any note was interested in.
First wait to see him play,he maybe better than we thought.For example who knew Ryo is sooo good when we bought him?There were also people complaining about that but look at him now.
If anyone thinks Ryo is so good before he even plays at the Premier League is being deluded. I’m sure a lot of youngsters that came to Arsenal throughout the years has been labelled as the next world class player but most of them flopped and sold to other clubs because they weren’t good enough to break into the first team.
It’s been six years and still haven’t made a team capable of challenging Manu and chelski for trophies. If the likes of Nasri and Cesc, Wenger will have to start all over again. How many years will you AKBs willing to wait for Wenger to build the next Invincibles, if he can actually succeed it creating another?
Where is Stringer Knows? Haha. Bring him back on here!
And is there some facebook group for the people who want Wenger out? Send me the link! Lets start a revolution and get him out of here!
Arsene out!
It is understandable that people are scratching their heads at this – but PLEASE don’t make Alex Chamberlain the focal point or target of your frustration. It’s not his fault that we haven’t landed a CB yet.
In Arsene we trust. LOLZ
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we need to get better at defending becoz this season no one will be afraid of us we have lost our psycological edge (which united have as demonstrated in cup final). i have never seen so many clowns together in any team . this year teams will know how to stop arsenal.as we dont have players to grind out results
“When you look at our squad, we’re not lacking in wide attackers: Nasri, Arshavin, Gervinho, Walcott, Rosicky, Miyaichi and Vela can all occupy those positions”
But at the same time, Nasri may be going, Miyaichi has work permit problems, Vela has undeniable moments of skill but lacks real quality, and Walcott wants to play in a central role, and might be needed there when RVP gets injured.
So that leaves Arshavin, Gervinho, Rosicky, and now AOC. Maybe we needed a winger after all…
Just watched The Dark Knight, it sums up the wenger situation perfectly!
“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Arsenal are finishing 5th! And maybe then, will Wenger wake up and smell the coffee!!
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