Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

Our attack we'll require a major rebuilding if Pelle also leaves. We'd be left with two strikers who produced a goal between them last season and Long as our most prolific option.

 

As tenuous as this may sound, my friend in work is pals with two of the Arsenal fitness staff and they told him that Saints are definitely in for Walcott. They've been right before, but you can rubbish this as quick as you read it if you like. Just passing on what I heard.

 

Always good to pass on titbits like this. I enjoy them more than media links at times. It's not like you've offered something really far fetched like a golf caddy telling us who a manager will be joining us!!!

 

By the way. IF this happened, watch for those desperate for us to spend £20m and big wages moan that were spending big money and big wages on that player

 

Of course and i'm sure the club are aware of that.

 

Walcott....Nah we can be more ambitious than that surely..........
As requested.......

 

Would Walcott wanna come back now, its been a couple years now but he may see it as being judged not good enough and still wants to prove himself.
Maybe the Puel and Wenger link would help us, do we want to owe Arsenal a favour?

 

you didn`t put a smiley on that. I think HCDAJFU, even more so with all the Europa games and our (fingers crossed) FA cup run.

 

Oh yes I did.......

 

Walcott and Long. Don't think we'd be short of pace...

 

As nice as little Theo is, he is also ruthless when it comes to money. He will not drop below £120K PW as a matter of principle.
So speculate all you like, but the boy is not for returning. Ox is more likely, and that's still unlikely.

 

Sorry, but I think we've been doing Arsenal favours for years. And taking a failed England starlet who barely ever plays now back to where he started is hardly us owing Arsenal a favour!

 

We're not a rival in any way to Arsenal - buying players that have tried but not been good enough for their club\fans there is fine by me. Same with Chelsea, City etc.
It's buying "not good enough" players (obviously, it's sometimes the system there & not the player) from clubs around our perceived level that I weary of - Hammers, Swans etc. and for the last couple of seasons, dare I say it, Liverpool.
If we want to establish ourselves a that Europa club - the positions the Latter & Spurs take most seasons but we've grabbed the past two; a the natural progression from where we are\were - one of "the best of the rest", hopefully with an occasional foray into the CL (Spurs last season, Liverpool with Suarez), then we IMO buying from those above us, the traditional top 4, is nothing to be ashamed of.

*With the Hammers joining us the last two seasons, it looks like possibly turning into somewhat of a mini-league for the Europa place(s) if we & they can continue to improve. That has to be good for the Premier League in general.

 

http://theprideoflondon.com/2016/07/05/chelsea-clutching-at-straws-with-graziano-pelle-pursuit/

Chelsea fan not happy with their pursuit of Pelle. Have to say I agree in part, I think he could do a job for them, but he is more a short term solution than really the type of player you'd expect Chelsea to be chasing. If they really are pursuing him, it shows we are doing something right....only the top clubs come and rifle through our players.

 

My friend came over to me this morning and it was the first thing he said. He's an Arsenal supporter himself and would speak to these guys occasionally. One of them is on FB and definitely works as a fitness coach for Arsenal so there may be truth in it.
Hard for me to give a balanced two cents on the rumour because I've always loved Walcott since his days playing for us and I would probably sign him if he gained 6 stone and had a leg amputated If I try to take that hat off for a second, I think you take a risk with his injuries, but he might benefit from being a key player in a team again and the fans would be right behind him. He didn't make much impact off Arsenal's bench and could be a different proposition with a run of games. Injury free, he would be a more than ample replacement for Mane with £15 mil or so change.

 

Would have wanted Walcott a couple of years ago, but we're not a home for stray dogs and lost footballers. The problem is that he wouldn't come cheap....is he worth the risk?

 

Bertrand worked out ok, didn't he?

 

Very good point about Bertrand. Granted he was younger, but still, he was struggling to make an impact at a larger club and his career had stagnated. Now look at him, we rejuvenated his career and got him into the England squad. Walcott could do a lot worse.

 

How can anyone seriously turn their nose up at Walcott. He may well not have morphed into the next Henry as all Gooners would have wanted but he's still a marquee player for CL side. When was the last time we were even loosely linked with someone of that stature in the game? Walcott and Long up front? That would scare the bejeezus out of any defence that didn't have Usain Bolt at centre back!

 

Southampton have shown in recent seasons that you don't need to move to a (for want of a better phrase) big club to gain international recognition. Bertrand would never have been called up by England if he was still a bit-part Chelsea player. Walcott would have more chance of impressing the England selectors if he was playing week in, week out for Southampton than if he is coming off the bench when Arsenal are chasing a game. That might even be worth the dip in wages. So, a good move for Arsenal, you can see the positives for Walcott and as Fran quite rightly said, a risk for Southampton but one that could very easily pay off. Also I like the thought of us having a good bunch of English players, feel like we lost something when Lambert, Lallana, Chambers, Shaw, Clyne (have I missed anybody?) all left.