Clichy could be set to move to Liverpool this summer (photo from Ronnie Macdonald on Flickr)
I don’t know what it is that Arsène Wenger is doing wrong, but a number of players seem to want to jump ship this summer. First, Bendtner and Denilson handed in transfer requests (both of whom can leave as far as I am concerned). Then there is Fabregas – the ongoing saga about his dream move to Barcelona. I am increasingly inclined to think that he won’t be leaving, but there is still plenty of time left in this transfer window. However, my biggest concern is the two players who are refusing to sign contract extensions as they look to force moves away from the club.
Everybody has been so focused on Samir Nasri over the past week that they have almost forgotten that we are in a similar position with Gaël Clichy. Maybe it’s because Clichy has handled the media attention a bit better and hasn’t come out with provocative and suggestive comments? Maybe it’s because he hasn’t hit the same form as Nasri over the past season? Whatever the reason, the fact remains that we are about to lose the services of one of our most consistent players – somebody who I feel it would be difficult to replace. Then again, he hasn’t been able to hit the form that he managed 2/3 seasons ago, and occasionally he is a liability, in terms of his errors and inability to mark from set pieces.
All the major newspapers are reporting that Clichy is on the verge of completing a £5 million move to Liverpool. £5 million for a player of Clichy’s talent seems a bit of a joke, but players in the final year of their contract have a habit of moving on at a fraction of the price. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Roma are all thought to have expressed interest in the French international, but it would seem that Liverpool are looking to place the first official bid.
Clichy has made 264 appearances for the club since he joined in 2003/04 – he is the club’s longest serving current player (although Cesc Fabregas has made more appearances). The reports suggest that, like Nasri, Clichy has failed to reach an agreement with Arsenal over his wages and it would seem that Livepool are willing to give him considerably more than his current £55,000 a week deal.
If you want to keep up to date with all the latest news and opinion on Arsenal Football Club then please follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
Arsenal FC News 24/7
12 Comments
honestly these players are not worth the wages they are demanding. nasiri was good during the first half of the season. he badly faded thereafter. he wants to replace Fab at central midfield. i personal think he lacks that creativity and the stamina required of a central midfielder. wenga will go to the market for a creative player-whether he remains or goes. Ramsey will become a better creative player than himi. clichy has not been consistent this season however it is not easy to get a natural left player but he can move terminator to the left and buy a central defender. no problem at all. let those who want to go go. i do not like their attitude. they have let us down again and again!
“I don’t know what it is that Arsène Wenger is doing wrong”
I’ll tell you then. Since 2007 he’s sold 9 of the Invincibles team and tried to replace them with cheap youngsters, meaning we have an inexperienced squad with no leaders that’s incapable of winning trophies. Therefore good players like Nasri and Fabregas who’d quite like some silverware in their cabinet are going to want to leave for better teams such as Man Utd and Barcelona.
Simple really.
Not that simple. Unless you’d like a 33 year old Henry, 34 year old Vieira, 37 year old Pires and 36 year old Campbell in our team right now. Which I think would be worse than what we currently have, although there would be plenty of loyalty and commitment!
I’m not saying we should’ve kept Henry and Pires until they were 37, just that we should have replaced them with more experienced players. For example, Wenger gets rid of Gallas – our most experienced defender – and replaces him with Koscielny, who makes the rookie mistake that costs us the Carling Cup.
Youngsters make mistakes and if you have too many youngsters you will make too many mistakes.
My point was that we have far too many youngsters and not enough experience.
well said onywoki !!!. sell both of them to anybody but to manure and Liverfools
keep clichy hes arguably the best left back in the world we were onto a winner when selling cole as we had him coming through as for nasri hes no more than average sack him off
But he hasn’t improved for a while. If anything, Clichy has got worse over the last two seasons, especially when you compare him to the ever-consistent Sagna. Clichy has made plenty of errors and leaves space down his wing.
now i know why arsenal hasnt won anything in 6 years, how can you switch from arsenal (eurpean league football)to liverpool(virtually struggling throughout the season) how can you win the league with such sense of no direction?
I know Clichy is not the best left back in the world but he is good and certainly is one of the best in the EPL. If I were Wenger, I would give him the wages he wanted. He’s a very hard working and the lapses in concentration he has are ver few and far between.
Even if we let him go, who do we have to replace him? K. Gibbs can not fill Clichy’s shoes. Whenever Gibbs plays we never have any attacking threat on the left side. Remember the goals Gibbs conceded against Fulham (2-2) and Leyton Orient (1-1)? Would be a nightmare if he were a regular on the team.
Id love to see about 10 exits and about 9-10 coming in!!
Out- Almunia, Eboue, Squallici, Rosicky Denilson, Diaby, Fabregas, Arshavin, Bendtner..
In- Jenkingson, Chamberlain, Gervinho. Apparently they are done. Cahill, Hazard, De Rossi, Weistel Falcao.
Get Clichy and Nasri to sign contracts. Fabregas really doesnt want to be there and I understand that he wants to go! Starting Team- Second Team
Szczensy Fabainski
Sagna Cahill Vermaelen Clichy Jenkinson Djourou Koscienly Gibbs
Nasri De Rossi Wilshere Hazard Walcott Song Weistel Vela
V.Persie Falcao Chamakh Gervinho
clichy,should be allowed 2 go bcos he is prone 2 eror.he is gunas worst player 4 3 seasons now by my ratn. He should go 2 lowal clubes.
Pingback: Arsenal transfer news update