The Beautiful Groan

Emmanuel Adebayor’s agent, Stephane Courbis, has a remarkable knack for missing irony entirely. First he claims that his client’s unsettled nature isn’t due to money, despite the player’s clear demands for a wage increase, and now this:

“At the moment, nothing’s decided. Neither in one direction, or another. We don’t communicate for the moment because too many things have been written.”

There is only reason why ‘too many things have been written’ and that is that ‘too much has been said’. And it is both Courbis and Adebayor that have been doing most of the talking.

The big man has spectacularly managed to turn a faithful support away from him in the past couple of weeks, and with Wenger playing hardball with Barcelona and Milan, it seems that one (probably the Spanish) might pay the asking price of around 25-30m, which is great business in anyone’s language.

Nasri really is coming, he’ll just another ten days. Snore.

And the summer rolls on…

In the manner of football agents everywhere, Stephane Courbis has been showing a remarkable selective memory in his latest quotes regarding Adebayor’s future, indicating that Arsenal need to show that they want to keep him, and it isn’t all about money:

“It is vital that Arsenal show their motivation to keep him. If this was a money problem, then he would have asked to leave. He is a man of heart, not of money. He is not greedy.”

Is it not enough of a sign to the player that he was trusted with filling Henry’s shoes, and given a decent pay rise last summer before he even began to show this form? Is it not enough that despite his reputation before he arrived, Wenger put considerable trust in him and has since been rewarded? It now not the time for Adebayor to return that faith?

Unfortunately, this is depressingly familiar. When a player struggles these days, the manager sticks by them, doing everything they can to make that player succeed. The minute they make it, they demand exorbitant wages or leave. I understand that higher wages are tempting, but he isn’t badly paid, and will surely get arise in any case. To me, his actions are borne out of pure selfishness.

And that is a real shame, because while he split opinion, no-one could accuse him of not working hard, and it was that trait that was heading him in the direction of being a crowd favourite. Now, like a few before him, he will either leave or be forced to be exceptionally contrite if the fans are to stick with him.

Milan, meanwhile, have claimed that Arsenal have set an asking price of 35m, which they are not going to pay. Can’t blame them, to be honest, he isn’t worth anything like that. I don’t buy the suggestion that they’re looking elsewhere though, there may yet be middle ground found.

A week ago, I was convinced Ade was going nowhere. Now a large part of me wants him out, as long as we get the sorts of sums being talked about.

Elsewhere, Andrei Arshavin’s agent claims Arsenal are the most active club in the chase for the Russian, but I don’t see it happening. Wenger came out after the Euros and openly said he wished he’d seen Arshavin when he was 21, and to me if he was interested in signing him he wouldn’t be making those sorts of comments. In any case, a google search of the agent in question, Dennis Lahter, brings up nothing but this story, so I’m not convinced by his authenticity either.

Chelsea seems the likely destination, and if he does make that trip, let’s hope his European Championship performances makes him the next Karel Poborsky.

Finally, there’s Amaury Bischoff, who claims that he will be joining the reserves shortly. At 21, he doesn’t seem convinced that he would be in the first team picture straightaway, which makes his signing a little odd. I guess he’s defensive minded, otherwise his central midfield position is too crowded.

See, a whole transfer related post without mention of Nas…

I have been saying for some time that I believed Adebayor would be going nowhere this summer. This was based on two factors - Wenger being reluctant to sell, and Adebayor having more class that to leave at this point, realising that his future at Arsenal is exceptionally bright.

Unfortunately, it seems like I was wrong, and the Togolese frontman has succumbed to the greed that afflicts so many of his contemporaries. In an interview with the News of the World, he indicated that he has demanded a rise, and is threatening to leave if he does not get it:

“Yes, I am still under contract to Arsenal but it’s up to the directors to satisfy my demands or I’ll leave. People ask if I am asking for the same salary as Henry. That is not necessarily the question. But I am being considered a worthy replacement for Henry while not deserving his salary.”

The first line sums up what we already know - contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. By saying he has a contract but will leave anyway makes a mockery of the faith shown in him, and in fact the improved deal he received only a year ago.

But the comparisons to Henry are ridiculous. What Adebayor seems to have missed is that Henry was not paid huge sums after shining for one year, he got a series of rises throughout his time at the club, ending up with him becoming one of the best paid players in the country after years of great service. You simply cannot demand parity with that after one season, no matter how successful, and the comparison is an insult to his predecessor.

Barcelona have made him an ‘good financial offer’, so it is not inconceivable that he and Hleb may be moving to Spain in a joint deal similar to that of Overmars and Petit all those years ago. At the time, that seemed a disaster, but neither player shone again, and it is looked back on as one of the finest pieces of business Wenger has under his belt (along with Anelka’s enormous profit).

If Ade and Hleb go to Barca, it’ll probably be for around 35m between them, far more than was paid for them and in reality, a lot more than they’re worth. Hleb lacks the end product, and while Adebayor could turn out to be an absolute beast of a striker, imagine what his contract demands with be four years down the line? If his ego is already this inflated, perhaps a move away is exactly the reality check he needs. At Barca, he would be a long way from top dog.

No doubt his agents have had a great deal to do with this, planting seeds in his head that he is now bigger than the club, but if he leaves this way, not many will be wishing him the luck we afforded to Henry. It seems, in every way, he is lesser than the man he compares himself too.

One thing I think we’re all in agreement on is that football agents talk complete tripe most of the time, mainly aiming to get their clients into the newspapers, either to engineer a move or a new contract.

Vincenzo Morabito, who is rapidly becoming a pain in the neck, is again talking about how Arsenal are looking for Adebayor’s replacement, but unfortunately for him he loses all credibility with the names he comes out with:

“The names being talked about are Peter Crouch, Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz and Germany forward Mario Gomez. Until that search is over, the negotiations won’t reach the final stage, but I am fairly optimistic.”

So what he is saying is: once Arsenal have agreed to sign one of those three, Ade will be allowed to join Milan. Okay, let’s break it down.

Santa Cruz has been around a long time, and until his renaissance at Blackburn had been struggling for a couple of seasons. A talent he certainly is, but like McCarthy the previous season, he is shining at his level. He is older than Adebayor and has not his power.

Peter Crouch cannot get into a Liverpool side that only has one striker of any note. That same Liverpool side came below us. Granted, Crouch should be playing more as he is better than Benitez seems to realise, but he certainly isn’t the answer. As for Gomez, his stock is crumbling after a dismal Euro 2008.

I cannot see that any of those three will be arriving, so by Morabito’s reckoning, that stops Ade leaving, which is exactly what he isn’t trying to say. Nice one.

Elsewhere, Miguel Veloso’s agent, Paolo Barbosa, has claimed contact from an Arsenal representative. In case you haven’t noticed, Barbosa says this roughly once every three months, and so far nothing has happened.

So the only interesting thing going on at the moment is the finale of the frankly excellent Euros. Turkey were superb last night, but a combination of luck and ruthlessness saw Germany through 3-2, although Lehmann had an absolute nightmare. He must be relieved that they’re in the final, otherwise that would’ve been a terrible way to complete his international career.

Tonight’s Spain-Russia game should be a cracker, and with Cesc still involved, it holds some Arsenal interest. My gut says it’ll be Russia though. Enjoy.

It’s been a few days, apologies for that but at the same time there has been very little going on. First, the Samir Nasri saga - a claim was placed on Nasri’s website, indicating that a deal was done, but has subsequently been replaced by an apology from the site administrator.

Both Arseblog and Gunnerblog indicate that their sources suggest the deal is very much done, just not public, and quite frankly I trust those two a lot more than some of the media fighting for your loose change every morning with increasingly extravagant stories. It says something about this country’s press that certain blogs hold more accurate information. Food for thought indeed.

Not that the press in other countries is much better. The Spanish press, who have been leading the way on practically every rumour you hear about, are so short of stories that they plump for ‘Wenger expects a Spain-Germany final’ for a full page spread in El Pais. Wow - manager predicts two favourites to get through. How… newsworthy.

Back in this country, and the rumours continue to surround Adebayor. Frankly, not a lot more can be said on this - Wenger and Ade both say they are staying, Milan say they want him, and there may be interest from other clubs too. Speculation will continue but until we hear something concrete, keep an open mind I guess.

Euro semis start tomorrow, and I have a suspicion we’ll be seeing Germany and Russia progress. For all those tipping Spain, just remember that they always bottle it. Me, I’m happy - I got Turkey and Russia in my work sweepstake, and started out a bit miffed. Not now.

Enjoy the rest of the Euros, there’s nothing else going on.

There is still over a week to go in June, and I’m already sick of the transfer sagas of the summer. We know Nasri is arriving, and Hleb is leaving, but the story that continues to divide opinion is that of Emmanuel Adebayor.

Milan have categorically confirmed that they want him, but have also said that Arsenal are ‘unwilling to negotiate’. That, for me, about sums it up.

What seems to be causing consternation amongst Arsenal fans is the fact that this story refuses to go away. In reality, I imagine this has a lot to do with the dearth of news - some are calling for Adebayor to again reiterate his intention to stay, but how many times does he have to do this before the media take the hint?

It just doesn’t seem like a likely Wenger sale. Adebayor has a long term contract, and is only 24. Wenger generally controls player sales very well, with players only leaving if they are past it (in his mind: Henry, Vieira), not going to make it (too many to mention), their contract has expired (Edu, Pires, Flamini) or they are kicking up a fuss (Bentley, Diarra).

The only category Ade can fall into is the last one. Wenger clearly rates the big man, and will not want to sell at any price. So only if he really wants to leave may he be allowed to do so. So does he?

I don’t see it, to be honest. He seems to have a very troublesome agent, first mentioning the United interest and now this, but the player himself seems strongly attached to both the club and the manager. With his stock still on the rise, the Premiership suiting him, and Milan not even in the Champions League, it would be an odd time to leave. I remain relaxed on this story, but I have been wrong before.

A player even less likely to leave is Gael Clichy, who seems as committed to Arsenal as anyone, but whose impressive displays have inevitably caught the eye of other clubs, with Roma’s manager Spalleti saying:

“Certainly, it would please me a great deal to see Gael Clichy in a Roma shirt. We will have to wait and see what develops.”

Not. Happening. Clichy has mentioned plenty of times in the past how much he feels he owes Wenger for sticking by him through his injuries. He can become an Arsenal legend, and he seems intent on doing just that.

So, in the transfer world, not much has changed, really.

After a well earned few days on holiday, there are a few stories floating around for me to touch on, so let’s look at them in turn.

Adebayor-Milan. Tiresome. Really and truly tiresome. Every summer we have these sagas, and usually, all we ever ask is for the player to come out and unequivocally say he intends to stay. Adebayor has done precisely that, on numerous occasions, and yet these rumours persist, with absolutely no quotes to back them up. Ade is staying, and I recommend that you ignore anyone who tells you otherwise, whatever paper or blog it happens to be.

Rosicky’s injury. The Czech midfielder has been out since January with a ‘niggling injury’. After surgery that confirmed he would miss the Euros, we at least thought he’d therefore be fit for the start of the season. It now turns out that he probably won’t. If he isn’t joining pre-season training, he won’t be back until September at the earliest. That’s eight months out with a niggling injury, and who says it ends there? At 27, you do have to wonder whether he will ever be the player Wenger wanted him to be.

Hleb’s departure. He’s leaving, we’re not sure who to yet. Frankly, I couldn’t care less as long as we recoup the 10m we paid for him. He and his seemingly endless list of agents won’t be missed.

Nasri. Hasn’t signed yet, despite the ‘exclusives’ that the papers like to scream at you. One way or another, it should be decided soon with France out of the Euros so dismally (au revoir Domenech!).

And that’s about it. Good week to go away, I think.

It has been a good 24 hours to be an Arsenal fan. First Carlos Vela appears to be being genuinely kind to his countryman Giovani dos Santos, wishing him well in his time at Spurs, and then out of nowhere he comes out with this gem:

“He is a very good player and let’s hope he can then move on to a better team.”

Superb stuff - yet to make his debut and we already love the guy.

Next, Aaron Ramsey confirmed that he has chosen Arsenal ahead of United and Everton, after Wenger flew him out on a private jet to Switzerland. Like with the Nordtveit signing from last summer, it really seems like Wenger has that certain something that makes these players decide that putting their future in his hands is the best approach. Long may it continue. Ramsey, for his part, had this to say:

“It is an honour to be wanted by massive clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton. In the end I had to make the decision I felt was right for my future.”

Very encouraging to know that Wenger still inspires that belief in some of the world’s best young talents. At 5m, he isn’t cheap, and you can expect Sepp Blatter to scream from the rooftops about a lack of English players, Ramsey being conveniently Welsh.

With Nasri still set to arrive after the Euros, that brings to the total of new midfielders to three, including Vela’s return from Spain. They may all be young, but with the collection of young talent now so deep, the future is in wonderful hands.

And it is still only mid June. Chelsea haven’t even got a manager yet.

Ah, the media are really going to struggle for the next month. If England had actually qualified for Euro 2008 rather than play like a bunch of uncoordinated fools, all the stories would be around niggling injuries, dangerous opponents, and just how clear it was that this was THE year.

Instead, a few columns are dedicated to those who actually made it, leaving pages available to the complete rubbish that we’re reading on a daily basis.

Just to be clear, very little transfer activity happens during a major tournament. Those not playing are available, while those that are generally answer with ‘I’ll sort it out after the tournament’. Already that line has been spun into all sorts of stories, from ‘I’ll sign a new contract’, or ‘I’m leaving’, on the whim of the writer.

So all that remains is to dismiss about the transfer rumours of those not involved (Adebayor), talk about the ongoing boredom of Hleb leaving, and….no, that’s dull. That would involve me recycling non-stories all summer, and we can leave the paid press to that. When something interesting happens, I’ll talk about it.

In the meantime, the real interest is the Euros themselves, but so far they’ve been a little flat. Germany and Portugal both looked decent, and my pre-tournament bet that Podolski would end up top scorer is now looking a little tasty, but you sense that the real action starts tonight, in the Holland-Italy-France-Romania group.

Arsenal interest has also been thin so far, Senderos playing well in Switzerland’s unfortunate loss to the Czechs, while Croatia laboured to victory over the other hosts, Austria, without Eduardo, who Bilic claims could be back in training in a matter of weeks. If that is true, it really is fantastic news, but to be honest, if he’s back by Christmas that’s good given how bad the injury.

And that’s about it. Van Persie’s out of tonight’s game with Italy, and for amusement sake I’d like to see Romania beat France. Come on, you know it’d raise a chuckle with you too.

In another day of slow news, there are some spectacularly bad stories floating around, that are so obviously based in cloud cuckoo land that you wonder how they ever got published.

The first links Adebayor to Milan, in which the big man is ‘valued at 32m’ by Arsenal. I love the way the media need to attach a fee to everything, despite the fact that when a club decides not to sell, they never mention nor even consider what price they would sell for. But without a potential fee, how would they draw in the gullible with headlines like ‘Arsenal to sell star for 32m, shocker!!!’?

Complete garbage.

Note: The Telegraph have now picked up on this ’story’, and embellished yet further, claiming that it is a done deal between player and club. Yeah right.

But happily, the ridiculous rumours do not only fly around the Emirates this summer. With Mourinho now installed as Inter coach, Chelsea are suffering with their players consistently linked there, while United fans must get sick of the sight of a new Ronaldo story every day.

The classic comes today in the Telegraph, who are sinking without a trace as a reputable newspaper, with their claim that Ronaldo will join Real, with his new club paying 300k a week, after tax. Nice, if you can get it.

Shame though that it’s entirely fabricated. All of these stories seem to resolve around the notion that Ronaldo hasn’t committed himself to United yet this summer. Which is an odd basis for a transfer rumour, especially given that he has - I distinctly remember an interview after the Champions League final where he categorically stated he’d be staying. He hasn’t said anything to the contrary since.

Years ago, the Telegraph actually used to be a decent paper. Now it spouts more sensationalist garbage than any tabloid.