Would you pay â?¬15m for a player you could’ve signed for free two years ago?
226 comments May 30th, 2006
According to this Greek report, that’s exactly what Arsene Wenger intends on doing. Yaya Toure, brother of our very own Kolo, had a couple of trial spells with us back in his Beveren days, but despite serious hype from his brother, Arsene chose to let the younger Toure sign for FC Metalurh Donetsk. He stayed there for two years, and now plies his trade with Olympiakos.
I saw a teenage Yaya pull on an Arsenal shirt against Barnet in a pre-season friendly, and the only thing I really remember about him is his physical presence. He is a big lad, and in the absence of Diaby would certainly provide some steel.
But â?¬15m? That’s about £10m – an awful lot for a player who only cost the Greek side â?¬1.2m, especially considering we could’ve pinched him from Beveren in the same manner we acquired Emmanuel Eboue.
It does strike me as odd that we might be pursuing a player we chose not to offer a deal so recently. However, one argument is that he would not have qualified for a work permit at that point, and we have simply been biding our time until now.
At any rate, with the links to Senna and Toure it seems irons might be in proverbial fires as far as central midfield goes, which is pleasing. And it gives Arsenal fans another player to keep an eye on in the World Cup, along with two youngsters who deserve serious congratulations: Philippe Senderos, Switzerland’s Player of the Year; and Theo Walcott, who tonight became England’s youngest ever player.
Despite his fantastic pace, Theo still looks very raw, and I think when one considers how often England look for a long ball, I don’t think we’ll see the best of Walcott until next season. Still, the experience can only be good for him.
And it is quite funny that he kept Spurs’ Jermaine Defoe out of the squad.