It's not soo much that we cant offer that kind of money, more that Wenger is not willing to regardless of the talent. I have to say I think our pay structure ('socialist' model as the papers are calling it) is only going to hold us back. This whole sctucture is preventing us from moving forward. It makes our weaker squad members harder to shift and does'nt give our better performers any incentive to stay. Our younger players should have to 'earn' a higher wage. This would also leave alot of money free for bringing in established names when there are gaps in the squad that need filling.
Dortmund confirmed that Wenger made a thirty million bid for Gotze last summer, so it's not true that Wenger isn't willing if the right talent comes along. That said, I do think our wage structure needs a shake up. I can understand why we went down the route we did, to ensure that the players we developed were kept on long contracts and didn't bugger off as soon as they made the first team. But it's been a mixed bag at best and it's left us with some average players eating up a big chunk of our wage bill. So I would like to see a more traditional approach where the best players are paid the best wages and those coming through the ranks start out on the bottom rung of the ladder. As for Fellani, I'd love to see him at Arsenal, but the point I was making is that even if we triggered his contract release - which I think is overpriced anyway - somebody like Utd or Chelsea would always be able to better our offer, both on the transfer and wages. That is unless we absolutely tore up our entire strategy, which I don't think is particularly healthy or desirable, not for Fellani anyway.
I dont know where you got THIRTY million from. Dortmund confirmed we made an offer (at the time people were talking around £20 Million - not thirty) but no amount was ever openly discussed. I dont think Wenger would ever spend £30 Million on a player regardless of the talent. (This is the same guy who refused to go to £14 Million for Alonso. - We offered £12m and Benitez had a big moan about it and called the deal off on the last day of the 2009 transfer window) Also its unfair to suggest EVERY player will choose the club that pays him the most. Some players still choose clubs for other reasons. Fellaini may well prefer Arsenal to Chelsea..who knows? Regardless, we're not even going to attempt a £22 Million bid. Our wage structure is pretty ******ed. Its nice in theory.. but does'nt work in practise
Pretty sure Dortmund confirmed and rejected a thirty million bid, I might be wrong though. I agree though that our wage structure needs a shake up.
A source would be nice. I can't imagine Wenger spending that sort of money. Let's not forget we could have had Mata if he hadn't been so stingy.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-n...e-renewed-bid-borussia-dortmund-playmaker-186 Says we bid 32mn for him last summer I remember the figure being bandied about last year as well. @Piskie yes if we triggered his release clause there is nothing stopping us getting gazumped by the likes of Chelsea and Utd in which case we can back out ala Mata last year but the fact they might is no excuse not to.
That's not the source that's just non-sense from Talksport. Dortmund confirmed we did make a bid but they never revealed how much.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ARS...58,d.bmk&fp=327fe8e65bd14724&biw=1680&bih=935 Tonnes of places say we bid 30mn + for him, as opposed to talksport not being a source, we are all always speculating based on articles unless someone has inner knowledge of the club. What other sources are there for average fans.
I'm not sure what happened with Mata to be honest, but I bet his wages are a damn sight bigger at Chelsea that he would have been offered at Arsenal. Quality player though, he would have been superb for us alongside Cazorla. That said, we might not have gone for Cazorla if we'd signed Mata.
Chelsea signed him well after our bid fell through. He wanted to come so I'm sure wages were not the problem.
Hmmm. . speculative. I wonder if our bid 'fell through' or as mooted with any potential Fellani deal, was Gazumped by a club with more financial clout ?
Many newspapers reported that Arsenal had until a certain date to pay the £18m buyout clause in Mata's contract. This date passed without Arsenal paying and then Valencia could hold out for more money. Why is it that some people believe that every transfer we lose out on is because of a richer club?
I don't think we know all the details, so it's speculative to fill in the gaps, that's all I'm saying.
Because it's nice to think that Arsenal do no wrong Who is responsible for the wage structure? Who is responsible for signings & those that Arsenal could have had for just a couple of million more? Who is responsible for the current position of the club?
Who's saying Arsenal do no wrong ? Not me, I'm saying that behind every transfer is a multitude of dynamics at work, which we as fans are not privy to. There is the player, his intentions, his agent, their intentions, the fee, the two clubs who have to agree the fee, the agent's fee, the wages, personal terms etc. I'd like to see our board be a bit more bold in the transfer market, but I'm also aware that what we hear in the papers about 'why we missed out' is at best, speculative.
I know you're not PISKIE Every club misses out on targets, but with Arsenal, it's consistently rumoured to be due to late movement & an unwillingness to pay a couple of million more. Further, with the ridiculous wage structure, a poor player will always want Arsenal because they will pay them more, a good player will not want Arsenal because they don't pay as much as others. It's a system set up which favours the poorer players.
Except everything you are saying is rumored bullshit, and there are some people (who would generally dismiss rumors) itching to play up rumors that support their already held views. Individual players' wages are agreed by 2 parties: the club, and the player (through people that represent them). Each start from a negotiating point and have their trade-offs to consider. The club realizes of course that the wages of the high paid players will be used as some sort of 'benchmark' by other players who are, or think they are, at the same level (say if Walcott's agent base their demands on what they think Podolski is paid). That is true of every club. But to suggest that the club willingly pays average players significantly more than they need to, as a "matter of principle" is absolutely ludicrous and completely speculative, and if anything just shows the hypocrisy of some of you that otherwise won't shut up on how 'stingy' Arsenal is. Again mention specific examples and we can discuss them. Generalizing like this usually only helps those who have no substance to their claims. I already have mentioned why the wages of Bendtner, Arshavin, Chamakh made sense at the point they were agreed on. After a couple of seasons the wage may look ludicrous, but a wage is agreed on the evaluation made at the time. It doesn't evolve (unless there were specific terms) to match how the fans rate said player at any particular time.
So what you are advocating is a subjective wage system, not based on experience or appearances, but on how good one man thinks you are. How would this system work? And do you honestly think it would create a happy or effective team? I don't think you would advocate this at your work?
A lot of people were moaning about us not signing Nuri Sahin during the last transfer window http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...nuri-sahins-seasonlong-loan-deal-8444085.html
