I’ll kick things off today with the news that another Arsenal target has bitten the dust - well, supposed target anyway - with Lyon agreeing a transfer fee with Real Madrid for Karim Benzema. That news follows on from Felipe Melo’s decision to sign an extension with Fiorentina and it means that in the space of two days, two of the biggest Arsenal-related transfer rumours of the summer have been quashed. Just who will be next, I wonder?

On a personal level I have to say I’m not too bothered about Madrid picking up Benzema and am mostly just happy that Manchester United didn’t sign him instead. He’s undoubtedly a good player and certainly has wonderful potential but the truth is our forward options are plentiful and we really don’t need him. In Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Eduardo and Nicklas Bendtner we have four strong options up top and even if Adebayor was to go we’ve got the likes of Andrey Arshavin and Carlos Vela who can fill in.

Moving on to news closer to home and there seems to be a lot of confusion about these comments made by William Gallas:

“I am at Arsenal, my contract is still valid for a year, so I am an Arsenal player. We have not talked about renewing the contract, but I am relaxed and looking forward to next season with Arsenal.”

The statement has been greeted by a number of different interpretations by various websites ranging from ‘William Gallas vows to walk away from Arsenal next summer unless he is allowed to leave now’ (Sun) to ‘Arsène Wenger faces difficult choice over Arsenal future of William Gallas’ (Guardian) to ‘Arsenal defender Gallas staying at Emirates’ (Soccernet).

Can you guess which headline I agree with? That’s right, the sensible one. Love it or hate it, I’m just that kind of guy.

Basically I don’t see Gallas’ situation as too much of a problem and I don’t think it’s overly important for him to sign a new deal. The truth is that at 31 we’re not going to get much money for him now and I’d rather get a strong season out of him next season and let him go on a free than see him go for £2 -3 million now and miss out on his quality and experience at the back. Ideally I’d like to see Gallas sign on for another year and by then I’d hope the likes of Johan Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen would be well-established in the team.

Some more positive news to speak about now and Aaron Ramsey has signed a new long-term deal at the club. I thought he performed very well when called upon last season and am excited about what he might bring in the next year or two. As such, it’s an excellent piece of news.

Those who like reading about finances and the Arsenal business will be interested to read this interview with CEO Ivan Gazidis. Once again he comes across as a really nice fellow who knows exactly what he’s doing and I particularly enjoyed this opening statement:

“I can say with confidence that provided we don’t do foolish things, this will be one of the leading clubs in the world this year, five years from now and 20 years from now. This is not some experiment to see how successful we can be over the next couple of years, and who knows where we will be after that. This is a good, sustainable business.”

Right on, Ivan, right on. Personally I completely echo his comments about the need to build for the future and the comparison in his vision with chumps like Florentino Perez at Real Madrid and the sugar daddies at various other Premiership clubs could not be more favourable. Keep up the good work, I say.

To finish of today I’m going to leave you with a bit of transfer speculation that, I must admit, has got me a little excited. According to FourFourTwo.com the manager of Werder Bremen, Thomas Schaaf, has indicated that we’re looking very likely to sign massive Brazilian centre-back Naldo. He was quoted to have said:

“Naldo is a great athlete and could do well at the right club. Unfortunately he doesn’t fit the direction we’re planning to move in any longer. We expect to move him for somewhere in the region of €10 million, and English side Arsenal is, as of now, the most likely destination.”

While I’ll admit that the source is not great (FourFourTwo.com have quoted from Sport.co.uk) it’s quite a promising little snippet. It remains to be seen whether more reliable sources like Soccernet, SkySports or The Guardian publish the comments but if they prove to be true then it’s a very exciting prospect, particularly considering I wrote this just under a month ago. Naldo is a strong defender and a player I personally like a lot and if he did sign for us I have to say I’d be delighted.

Here’s a collection of videos of what Naldo has offer.

Anyway, I’ll leave it there. Plenty to discuss, I’m sure.

Have your say on Benzema, Gallas, Ramsey, Gazidis or Naldo by leaving a comment.

I’ll get straight into it today with the announcement that another new Arsenal kit has been released for the 09/10 season. Following on from the usual red shirt and the dark blue away shirt comes a the new white third kit. And as you can see by our angry mate Eduardo over there on the left, I don’t like it one bit.

It’s essentially the same design as the new dark blue shirt (which I happen to like) but unlike the blue shirt, the combination of collar and pinstripes doesn’t work anywhere near as well. It looks too much like a baseball shirt in opinion and when you combine that with the fact that we’ll be wearing dark blue shorts ala Spurs, it’s a little too much to take.

If you do happen to like the new white kit you can order it at Kitbag. Personally I’d go for the blue one one but it’s up to you.

You can see more pictures of the new Arsenal kit here.

Melo to stay in Florence

Moving on to football matters and there is some important news to break regarding Felipe Melo. Indeed, the Brazilian has signed an extension to his current deal with Fiorentina which virtually ensures that we won’t be signing him this summer.

I have to say it’s a bit of a blow. I know there were many people looking forward to the prospect of us bringing in Melo - myself included - and Gilberto’s recent comments suggested that Arsenal were interested. However, with this contract extension in place it’s certainly not going to happen and the search for another defensive midfielder will go on.

There is, of course, the very real possibility that we may not bring in a defensive midfielder at all before next season. Indeed, whispers around the Arsenal blogosphere suggest it will be another centre-back and not a central midfielder who will be signing next (could the interest in Serdar Tasci be genuine?).

Currently we have Alex Song and Denilson on our books who can play the defensive role in midfield but I feel we’re one body short. Whether the manager still wants to play Abou Diaby in there (unlikely) or perhaps even shuffle Samir Nasri into the position, I still feel we need another strong player who enjoys the physical side of the game to help out the group. Song made great progress next season and Denilson remains a decent prospect and I think both would benefit from sharing the defensive midfield responsibilites with another player.

As always, we’ll have to see how things go.

It seems that Amaury Bischoff is on his way out of the club. Apparently the Portuguese man has been released by Arsenal and with Paris Saint Germain interested in his services I’d assume that’s where he’ll end up. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal have signed four young players to professional contracts. Those players are Luke Ayling, Craig Eastmond, Cedric Evina and James Shea. Congratulations lads and good luck.

More guest post details

I just want to finish off today by saying a very sincere thank-you to everybody who read and commented on John’s article in yesterday’s first ever guest post. It’s clear from the 75+ comments made that you guys really enjoyed hearing from a fresh voice and I think it’s a great sign of things to come with regards to Guest Post Tuesdays.

I’ve had quite a few questions over the past day from readers who want to know such things as (1) how I am going to select articles, (2) how long the articles should be and (3) what they should be about. Basically, my answers to those questions are as follows:

1. Guest posters will be selected based on how interesting their idea is and how quickly they get it in. Essentially it’s first in best dressed. I’ll inform people of whether they have been selected to write for Guest Post Tuesday by the Thursday before it goes live on the blog. That will give ample time for people to put together what they need to write and time for me to edit it.
2. Generally articles should be around 500-600 words.  Anything longer can be a bit tedious - unless it’s very well written, as John’s was yesterday - and it’s generally better to be concise and stick to the point. You’re also likely to get a better response from readers as a result.
3. Articles can be about anything related to Arsenal that is topical. They can be funny, serious, insightful, analytical - whatever you want. If you’re worried about your writing ability, please don’t, because I’m happy to edit and it shouldn’t be a barrier in preventing you from saying what you feel.

I mentioned yesterday to email ideas to guestposts[at]arsenalfcblog[dot]com (remove ‘at’ and ‘dot’ and add the appropriate punctuation) but the truth is the most effective way to get in contact with me is via Twitter or Facebook. That way we’re able to keep in touch and even have a bit of a discussion about what you might want to write.

Anyway, that’s it for today. Have yourselves a lovely Wednesday.

Have your say on the new Arsenal kit, Felipe Melo or Guest Post Tuesdays by leaving a comment.

I’ve picked up a fairly nasty cold over the past couple of days so today’s post is a bit of a sniffly one. It’s also full of guest-posty goodness - something I’ll talk about shortly - but before then I have couple of quick Arsenal-related news stories to get through:

• Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs played in the U21 Euro Championship Final overnight but their English side were absolutely smashed 4-0 by Germany. You can see all the goals here.
• Apparently we’re showing some interest in 22-year-old Stuttgart central defender Serdar Tasci. Whether the speculation has some legs is debatable, but with Thomas Vermaelen arriving unless one of William Gallas or Kolo Toure leaves there’s probably no need for another defender. A central midfielder on the other hand…

And that is that for news. Now to the good stuff.

Guest Post Tuesdays

As I mentioned earlier, I’m excited to announce that today’s post will feature the first article of what will now be dubbed Guest Post Tuesdays. The idea to let readers have their say via article writing is something that I’ve been wanting to start for some time now, and I’m happy to say that Guest Post Tuesdays will make that a reality.

Each week I will be including an opinion piece from various readers of the blog in order to give you guys more of a say and give myself a bit of a break on what is usually a very slow news day. It’s a win-win.

Basically, if you feel you have something worth saying about Arsenal and the writing skills to back it up, I’d encourage you to send an email to guestposts[at]arsenalfcblog[dot]com (just remove ‘at’ and ‘dot’ and put in the appropriate punctuation) outlining your idea or if you’re really keen, including a completed article. Alternatively, you could get in touch with me via Facebook or Twitter to register your interest.

You’re piece will likely be seen by 3000+ readers which is certainly no kick in the teeth if you’re a budding writer or blogger, or even someone who just likes to feel popular. And let’s face it, we all love to feel popular from time to time.

Today’s guest post comes from John Law, an Arsenal fan and regular reader of the blog from England with a soft spot for Manuel Almunia. It’s a lovely piece and I’d encourage you to let John know what you think in the comments. Enjoy!

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Manuel Almunia: Arsenal’s forgotten role-model by John Law

If there is one man at Arsenal who does not gain the recognition he deserves it is Manuel Almunia. What this man has achieved when one considers his ability is something fairly unique and phenomenal. Fellow Gooners may well look at his CV and put him alongside goalkeepers at other top clubs such as Buffon and Casillas and think what on earth am I going on about?

Take yourself back to 2004 where he signed as a keeper who had previously been loaned out by Celta Vigo because he was not good enough to make their bench! He arrived at Arsenal and did not play for a while. Once he did play he gifted Man Utd a 1-0 win in the Carling Cup and made an error against Rosenborg in a Champions League match where we were lucky enough to put 5 past them.

Who would have thought that back then we would see the Manuel Almunia that we do today? I know I could not have imagined it and I doubt many other Arsenal fans could have either.

I think the first thing to note has to be the clear improvements he has made as a goalkeeper. When playing as a second choice keeper he obviously didn’t get many games. But in just a handful of games back then than over the course of a season such as the one we have just had. Other essential factors to being a goal-keeper such as his shot stopping and distribution have also seen clear improvements. These are things which can only be achieved through dedication and hard work which is why he finds himself in complete control of the number one jersey at Arsenal.

Something else which he must be commended for is the manner in which he conducts himself both on and off the pitch. When playing second fiddle to Lehmann, never did he speak out of turn. If a journalist asked him on the matter he would be confident about it but never arrogant, malicious or bitter.

Having cemented himself as the 2nd choice keeper he still had to wait until October 2007 to have a real crack at becoming Arsenal’s number 1 between the sticks; having improved throughout each season. It was a chance which he seized with both hands in spite of constant jibing in the press and no doubt at the training ground from mad Jens (who by the way I am also a big fan of but he certainly made life difficult for old Manuel!). Not only did Almunia cement his place as first choice keeper but he is now without doubt one of the senior players in the side who any youngster must surely look up to, even skippering the side on several occasions.

When dealing with the press he is superb and with quotes like this after a 2-0 loss to Porto, one cannot help but feel the man is a genuinely decent human being who knows how lucky he is; something a lot of modern day footballers appear to lack. These comments seemed to echo some of Gallas’ thoughts but were simply put in the right manner:

“I was very frustrated after Porto because no matter what team we put on the pitch, everybody has to give more than they did. I don’t care that we had already qualified for the next phase, it’s a Champions League game. The club gives us everything that we need. Every time we lose, we should feel responsible. The club makes every effort to spend money for us to be comfortable everywhere and we love to win for the club. I hope that everyone realises we need to give more on the pitch to stop us having another poor result against Middlesbrough.”

If only more footballers were like this; gentlemanly, hard working and honest.

Another clear quality of his in my opinion is his dignity. When the chips are down, whether it is individually or the club as a whole he will make his contribution in bouncing back. You can bet your life on that. His only really poor Premier League game this year? Against Spurs of all teams! Yet look at the season he had after that game. When things are going well he remains calm and is one of the few who appears to not get carried away and is only too happy to be gracious towards his team mates.

I could also not write this without mentioning his performance against Manchester United in the 1st leg of that Champions League tie. I realise that we all would like to hear less about this however, it confirmed completely my view of Almunia as one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers and that he fully deserves his number 1 spot at Arsenal. To keep a side in a tie single handedly against Man Utd at Old Trafford really is some achievement and anyone who saw the interview he gave after would no doubt have seen the dignity of the man again.

What has to be even more impressive this season is the consistency he has shown week in week out. Something which can only be achieved through sheer dilligence, hard work and intensity. It is one thing to gain the number one spot, to maintain it is another.

I am not going to sit here and say Manuel Almunia is one of the most talented keepers we have seen at Arsenal. That, in my opinion is a completely incorrect statement. I will however say that in sport and more to the point, life in general, you can only work with what abilities you are born with and it is down to you to make the best from it. To me Almunia is a prime example of that.

Having fully established himself now at a top four club in the best league in the world, it would be foolish to think that at 32, he is anywhere near done. For someone who probably does not have the ability of certain other keepers we have seen at Arsenal (Seaman, Wilson, Lehman etc), he more than makes up for it in other areas and I think if he has one more season like last, he will have earnt the right to be put alongside keepers such as Reina, Valdes and Dida. Furthermore, he is an absolute credit to Arsenal and football in general.

Hopefully this article has taken a small step forward in helping him obtain all the credit and recognition he deserves.

Manuel, I salute you!

Have your say on John’s guest post or anything Arsenal by leaving a comment.

In Saturday’s post the idea was raised by regular commenter ‘Old Timer’ to open up a bit of a discussion about the five players that seem to polarise opinion the most amongst the readers of this blog; Alex Song, Denilson, Johan Djourou, Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue.

With very little going on the Arsenal world at the moment I thought today would be a great opportunity to give my personal opinions on ‘The Arsenal Polarisers’ and invite you to have your say in the comments. I’ll start today with Song, Denilson and Djourou and finish things off with Diaby and Eboue later in the week. Here goes nothing…

Alex Song

In my eyes Song was the big improver of last season and has a very bright future at Arsenal.

He was previously criticised for a lack of pace and confidence but in the final third of the previous campaign Song developed into a very capable defensive-midfielder who tackles strongly and maintains possession well. There are still question marks over his positioning skills but the main advantage that Song has over the other midfielders at the club is his defence-first mentality.

I do believe Song would develop best in an environment where he is used sparingly and has the opportunity to learn from a more experienced, established midfield role-model but in the event that no-one signs in that position then I feel he is our best option next season. Personality-wise I also have to say I’m a massive fan.

Denilson

I just don’t know what to make of Denilson.

Many, many people named him as Arsenal’s best player last season and many others the most improved, but I just don’t subscribe to that point of view. On paper Denilson is an excellent prospect - reasonably tall, strong, a good passer and an intelligent thinker - but I just haven’t seen his performances reflect the faith that Arsene Wenger continues to show in him. To me what tends to stand out is his lack of pace, his inability to be decisive in the final third and a tendency to lose possession in very dangerous areas of the pitch.

Denilson appears to work best in as the passing midfielder in a 4-5-1 and he’s certainly a good player to have in our squad, but in terms of a partner for Cesc Fabregas I just don’t think his all-round game is good enough. He’s likely to improve with age and is a player that we definitely need to keep but with Song’s exciting progress last season I think it’s going to be tough for Denilson to get anywhere near the same sort of playing time he received last time around.

Johan Djourou

I am a big, big fan of Djourou.

My view last season was that after his bright start to the campaign he and William Gallas should have been the first-choice pairing for the rest of the season. He’s not yet a complete central defender but Djourou is a massive man with good pace and tends to do very well with an experienced player next to him. He’s prone to an errand pass here and there but at just 23 I think he has a really bright future at Arsenal and is a player that we desperately need to keep hold of.

With the signing of Thomas Vermaelen it’s going to be hard to see Djourou as a starter next season but the key is for him to be patient. Injuries are inevitable, Mikael Silvestre cannot be relied upon and if Kolo Toure goes to Manchester City then the door will be open for Djourou to make his mark.

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A couple of other quick news stories before I go:

• Brazil came back from two goals down to beat the USA 3-2 in a really good Confederations Cup final. Earlier in the day a Cesc Fabregas-less Spain beat South Africa 3-2 in extra-time to finish third in another exciting match. Check out all the goals here.
• Gilberto Silva has urged fellow Brazilian Felipe Melo to join Arsenal, calling him a “powerful player with quality”. I think it’s very interesting that they’re talking about this sort of thing and I think it bodes very well for a potential signing.
• Theo Walcott has admitted that he is likely to play more as a striker as he develops. He’ll be in action along with Keiran Gibbs in the U21 Euro Championships final against Germany and is expected to play up front.

And that is that. Have a great Monday and tune in tomorrow for the first edition in a brand new weekly feature on the blog - Guest Post Tuesdays. 

Cheers.

Have your say on Song, Denilson or Djourou or anything else by leaving a comment.

Not much going on today so I thought I’d just include a couple of video of the England’s U21 Championship semi-final shoot-out win over Sweden. Both Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs slotted their penalties after James Milner’s hilarious first miss and helped England to a 5-4 shootout win after a pretty amazing 3-3 draw. The English now face Germany in what should be a very good final.

Check out all the highlights from the game and the shootout below:

Other than that, I just wanted to finish off today with a question: after the signing of Thomas Vermaelen how many more players do we need to bring in to win the Premier League next season? Let me know in the comments.

Have your say on all things Arsenal by leaving a comment.