Arsenal Thread

[TMM]

Well, Vieira has joined up with the club in Austria for training and the friendlies. Me and my friend were talking, saying if he was gonna sign for Real he wouldn't turn up in Austria, so if you ask me, all signs point to Vieira staying

[TheArsenal]

I'm not sure. Vieira still hasn't come out and said thathe's committed to the club. The guy is on 60k a week, it wouldn't hurt him too much to say that he's committed to the club, regardless of what the papers say.

[G-O-D]

David Beckham has told Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira that he would not regret a move to join him at Real Madrid this summer.

The French midfielder's Highbury future is under a massive cloud at present with even manager Arsene Wenger unsure if he will start the season as an Arsenal player.

Real have refused to rule out a move for Vieira, with a £30 million bid expected to come before the UEFA Champions League deadline.

Juventus have also been mentioned with an interest but Real are in the driving seat and if Vieira does leave it seems as though El Santiago Bernebeu will be his destination.

England skipper Beckham has had a tough first year in Spain both on and off the field, but he says that Vieira should come and join him at Real.

"If he does move, we hope he comes here," said Beckham.

"Vieira is renowned as one of the world's best midfielders and I admire him.

"He has won a lot of respect for his performances for Arsenal and France.

"I said right at the start that I never wanted to regret anything in my life and I definitely don't regret coming to Real Madrid. I think this is a very special club.

"When president Florentino Perez goes after someone, 99 per cent of the time he gets them.

"I enjoyed my first year immensely, even though I was disappointed at not winning anything.

"I was still playing for Real Madrid in front of those fans, in that stadium, with those players. I couldn't ever regret a thing."

Source

First Zidane, now Beckham.

Arsenal should use the likes of Campbell and Henry to persuade Vieira.

[supergrass]

I got the new shirt today, I had previously ordered it on eBay but Sport-Soccer were selling it for £35 with a name already printed so I just bought it there

←

Got a link to that? £35 with the name on the back is a pretty good deal.

[FLiam]

Marc Overmars today retired from football through injury, very sad

I heard rumour of Charlton and Newcastle trying to sign him this summer, would have been great to see him back in the premiership, he had a great career and did brilliant for us. Thanks for the memories Marc

[Guest UmpireAJS]

Maniche is a great player,Arsenal will be benefited from his services.

[FLiam]

Jeez, this topic is still dead as ever.

Maniche isn't coming .

Anyone catch the Ajax game yesterday?

Great peformance, Reyes is going to be brilliant next season, in all friendlies I have seen he has been sharp as a knife and looks as fast as ever, Spain should have taken him to Euro 2004. I know they wanted him to adapt to England but I would just take him, he would have had a brilliant tournament. I think he will be young player of the year next season or will be in top 3 at least.

[fineintent]

Gooner, Reyes is probally a lot better off for not going to Euro 2004. He's rested now after what had to be a traumatic season - a 20 old leaving his family behind etc. If the friendly matches are anything to go by Spain were right - he needed the time to settle.

He wouldn't have played ahead of Raul and Morientes, just yet anyway, so he would have been missing out on the rest for no good reason.

[FLiam]

I suppose so, but still. Hopefully he will be in the WC 2006 squad, maybe he could push Vicente out.

Also in oither news, van Basten has called van Persie up to the full Dutch squad . Finally, a Dutch coach with sense.

[supergrass]

Wenger's been saying how van Persie is learning from Bergkamp, it's good that Dennis has taken him under his wing and is working with him (perhaps he might become a coach next year or sometime after).

Going back to Overmars, he said he'd like to work for Arsenal as a scout, that'd be pretty good if he can spot some more players like himself.

van Persie and Reyes look great, but who'll start the season with Henry? I think Reyes might get the nod, I'd say it'd be between him and Bergkamp for now. van Persie looks good, but will probably be worked into the side slowly as Reyes was.

[TMM]

Well Henry will miss the opening game/s of the season, so it'll probably be Reyes and Bergkamp starting if you ask me. Van Persie will be on the bench, as Wenger won't thrust him straight into the team.

[FLiam]

Breaking News!!!

Madrid agree £23.1m fee with Arsenal for Vieira!!!!!

Edited August 3, 2004 by Gooner4Life

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Just heard it on Sky Sports one and its basically a done deal now. Huge loss for Arsenal IMO and there is really no one Arsene can get to even replace the guy. I mean all the better guys will just not leave there current clubs, so I think Arsenal did the wrong thing.

[TMM]

OK, it's almost a done deal I guess, but this news that we've agreed a deal was presented by a radio station. Albeit a radio station that has close ties with Real and owns a part of the club, but nontheless, it's still a radio station.

It hasn't been confirmed by David Dein, Arsene Wenger or Patrick Vieira himself, and until one or all come out and say otherwise, I still think he might stay.

[FLiam]

Apprently we have asked for time to find a replacement and that replacment is none other than Maniche. Great.

[TheArsenal]

I'm waiting until I see it on Arsenal.com before I trust speculation.

[lafunky xxvii]

I've heard a fee of £23m but also £19m. I was really hoping if we had to lose him we'd get about £30m for him. I'm thinking £23m is a bargain for a player of Vieira's quality.

[pigeon]

£23m is far too low, especially when you look at the fees Chelsea have paid this summer. Vieira is the best player in the world in his position, and Arsenal should be looking for a much higher fee if they are forced to sell.

[supergrass]

£23m is an absolute joke. If they pay around £50m for Zidane why is Vieira only worth half? Considering he's the best defensive midfielder in the world, is only 28, surely he's worth as much or at least £30m.

Selling is a bad idea, whoever made the choice to let him go is wrong. I know it's hard to keep players who don't want to play for the club but Vieira seems unsure either way, I'd have made him stay.

Edited August 4, 2004 by supergrass

[FLiam]

I am sure the choice isn't made by one person. I am 100% certain that the whole board and manager think he ahs to go if he is unhappy, Patrick Vieira is not bigger than Arsenal FC and no-one ever will be. If he wants to leave, fine let him leave but we should get at least £30m for him, seeing as Drogba cost Chelsea £24m and Carvalho cost them £20m, £23m for Vieira is an absolute bargain, and I don't think Maniche is worth £19m at all. If we get any replacement it should be Yaya Toure, in 2 or 3 years he would be brilliant and for next seaosn we could play Edu and Gilberto/Flamini as starters with Yaya playing a small part as well.