Birmingham City have approached Arsenal in a last minute bid to sign defender Armand Traoré. The Frenchman is currently meeting with officials from Italian outfit Juventus who are close to completing a deal worth up to €4 million euros after a loan.
Traoré was on the cusp of joining Portuguese side Benfica last week but despite passing a medical, the transfer broke down after the 20-year-old refused to take a pay cut. Birmingham City have had a tentative interest for a number of seasons but only made an approach today. City are thought to have matched Arsenal’s valuation of around £3.5 million, but it’s not yet clear whether Armand would be interested in remaining in England.
Arséne Wenger has told Traoré he is free to leave as the French Under 21 international wants to play in midfield, whereas Wenger is only prepared to offer him the role of third choice left back.
i hope he goes to birmingham
Its a rental
any idea why wenger wont consider him as a left sided midfielder? his crossing is devillish and he would give us some lovely width to the left hand side.
defensively the kid is suspect, but really i look at him a a poor left sided eboue.
Probably because
1. We don’t play with “classic wingers”
2. We now use a 4-3-3, with the use of LFs/RFs rather than outright wingers
3. Being a forward 3, he has no goalscoring end product.
4. He would be behind Arshavin and Vela (and maybe even Nasri too).
this. You need different wingers in the 4-3-3.
yeah, i think he would a better job on the wings than Eboue.
hey is their any news on the Lukaku brothers are we intrested in both?
I hope it’s just a loan, he’s our most underrated player. He has pace and power to spare, great technique, delivers superb crosses, good shot. He’s very similar to Eboue except left-footed. What he really needs is to play regularly, be it at fullback or on the wing. I’d hate to lose him now.
when he was on loan to pompey he was very good on the left of midfield.
I don’t know why you would play him at left back because he is very poor defensively.
He played really well at LB last season, to say he is poor defensively is a simplistic generalisation IMO. He is still just 20 so will only get better. I think a loan to a Premier league club is best for everyone.
Do we really have to balance the books so f**king badly? Wenger said he has money to spend for the 1st time since the move to the Grove, yet we look like bringing in as much money as we have spent this transfer window.
Yet another neat and tidy balance sheet! Woooo Hooo!
Before going on your wild anti-wenger rant, did you ever consider maybe, JUST MAYBE Traore is the one that wants to leave?
And seeing that he’s surplus to requirments, wenger is being fair to him and letting him leave, rather than leaving to rut on the bench.
Also, I forgot to state on my previous post, in the LF position, he would also be behind Wilshere.
How ironic – you speak about people making a ‘simplistic generalisation’ and then say something as daft as “Yet another neat and tidy balance sheet!”
We made more money than we spent on players once – last summer. We have never stopped spending good money on quality players, and in this summer’s turgid market we have managed to make 3 very good signings. Eduardo and Traore has nothing to do with ‘balancing the books’, but moving players on who aren’t going to the games they want and need.
Hahaha! Sooooo easy to get an over reaction on this blog.
.
Until this summer, I had no issues with us not spending on transfers before as we need to pay off our big old mortgage. But Wenger himself stated this summer we now have “serious” cash to spend on players, yet by the end of the transfer window we will have a nicely balanced account
Wrenny, obviously you dont understand what ballancing the books means. It means breaking even, spending as much as you make. I thought that was clear from what i said originally?
It also means selling players because you need the money, which is clearly not the reason why Eduardo and Traore are being sold.
No it doesnt! Hahaha! It means; BALANCING THE BOOKS. Nothing else. The reasons behind any sales are irrelevant mate.
But i dont want to dwell on this, life’s too short!
Is there something wrong in selling a player who wants to leave and who you just don’t rate? Is balancing the books a criminal thing to do?
Seriously I think some people don’t care about signings, they just want to spend money.
Deary me! Another ignorant patronising troll, just what this website needs.
Well done Mug, keep the laughs coming.
wrenn y
Just because you are too thick to understand the concept of balancing the books, dont get your mums knickers in a twist.
The original point was that we have consistently balancved the books due to our move to the Grove and that we were informed this is the 1st season when we didnt have to d that. However, that has not been the case, thus far has it?
Strewth, some fuckers just need to be schooled. Thick twat.
feygooner
You are too dumb to comment on this as well by the looks of it.
The over reaction to my original post is fucking hilarious. You really need get a grip!
Haha, why getting so offensive Mug?
Just admit you got it wrong and maybe you’ll earn some respect.
Keep this up and you’ll likely be banned.
Read my 1st post. You dont neven know what balancing the books mean. And dont try and take the moral high ground. You called me a troll, but given your inability to grasp an argument or make a vaild point, i aint surprised you are acting like a spoilt brat.
The fact is, you over reacted, then failed to grasp my point and went in at the deep end, missing the point time and again.
I suggested we let it go, but you carried on, and made an offensive remark, now you cant handle it?
Mug, you can’t grasp the difference between selling a player for the money and selling a player because he wants to leave. I’ll explain it nice and slowly for you. Eduardo left because he’s not getting any games and was surplus to requirements, and if Traore leaves it will be for the same reasons. If that brings in some decent money to cover our purchases, that doesn’t mean we’re balancing the books, or that we have a policy that we must sell in order to fund purchases.
You said a very ignorant thing – “Do we really have to balance the books so f**king badly?” and make yourself look like a prat.
OMG! You really are an attention seeking twat!
I am NOT talking about selling players for different reasons; ie, whether they are surplus to requirements or not. I am talking purely FINANCIAL reasons.
Jeesus you sad wanker
The reasons why a player has been sold, why he has left, is irrelevant for the pruposes of this point.
The sole issue is that of the club appearing to be keen on balancing the books even after stating we have significant transfer funds.
Thats it, nothing else.
Why you have chosen to carry this on for sooooooo long is beyond me?
But I apologise for the twat and wanker comments.
If he could get loaned to Birmingham with the view to a permanent deal with a 20% sell-on clause, then it might be the best option. I don’t know if Juve’s midfield has the space for him to get pt there, the brummies ‘probably’ will in their cup runs/as a reserve.
I always liked his speed, but other players have shown pace and skill off the ball, the latter Armand noticeably lacks. His defensive positioning skills and passing are lacking. Far ways behind Gibbs. Many times he would get lost tracking back, loose the player he was defending and over-all not get into the game. He didn’t even show the tenacity/penchant for diving & over-reacting that Eboue brings as a back-up first team defender.
He is fast, but he was fast at Pompey with little else to bring to the table. Maybe another top flight loan will help season him, but he looks to be a player who cannot progress at this moment, he and Randall both need to get out of the weeds and show their talent asap.
You undersell him a bit. He is the best crosser at the club, has good skill on the ball and can link well with other players. He can also hit a decent shot which I can see being a useful weapon in a few years. Essentially he is clichy with a more talented left foot, but less experience.
Given time, he could be a great LB imo, but HE might not have the patience for it.
He DID show tenacity last season and outmuscled a few of his opponents well. He was only exposed against chelsea and everton, but was one of our best players in the other matches. Thats more consistency than theo has shown (until now hopefully) but he never got any support from fans.
It just matters if his heart is in it. Imo it would be a big mistake for him to pursue a midfield role because he just doesnt look as effective there. It would be an eboue-like adaption imo, and would set him back a few more years
Goodbye, good luck and good riddance.
Why good riddance? What did he do wrong?
I never understand this hostile attitude. This guy gave 100% for us last season so doesnt deserve that kind of talk.
His 100% is not enough for Arsenal, that’s why.
He gave his 100% and because it was not good enough for Arsenal you said good riddance? Please remember we are first human being . I hope when you work, your 100% is good enough to your company ..
That’a good money – let him go!
can’t say i’ve heard much about the player but if we signed him it would be as a left back and as stated earlier he’s not so keen on playing there so probably more agent hype to get a move elsewhere than any real substance to it
As Wenger has stated that he maybe bringing in more players. He is possibly bringing in Afellay as we have been linked with him recently and as he is in his last year of his contract, Traore maybe be surplus to requirements and would balance the books if Afellay is signed.
Mate, this isn’t Football Manager, keep the Affaly fantasies to yourself.
If anyone comes in, it’s a keeper (Schwarzer?). No other outfield player is coming. Don’t get your hopes up.
Hi,
Just read that Given has turned down his move to Fulham and has decided to stay at Eastland.
Where does this leave the Scwarzer Deal JS???
He really wants to be a midfielder? That’s ridiculous. He looked very promising at LB last season, much improved, and is more dangerous when attacking from deep, like eboue. Ive never seen him play well in midfield/on the wing.
If that really is his attitude, he should leave, but I will take the comments on this site with a grain of salt, as they are not direct quotes.
He might be useful cover this year but don’t really *need* him. We have kos, vermaelen and song on top of our two main LBs, and cruise looks a good young fullback as well. That said, he could conceivably make it at arsenal as a fullback, but if his heart really isnt in it then he should look elsewhere.
after what Landon Donovan did to him..take everything you just said back
One game, well two he played poorly in. Donovan did that to a lot of people mate. He played really well in the other games. Is that not promising? Do we expect 20 year old defenders to be able to handle experienced internationals perfectly every time?
A couple of bad performances doesnt mean you just get rid of him at 20 years old. You shouldnt be on this site if you think that.
Agreed Davi, he did really well in about 6 of the 8 or so games he played LB in. I thought he showed real potential and think he can be a quality LB.
But we have “fans” who are only interested in looking for flaws and mistakes so they can write off players.
Just because a young full back gets out played in a game by a good player doesn’t mean he now sucks forever. If that was the case, Fabio from Man UTD should just retire rafter what Ronaldinho did to him.
Possibilty the likeliness of a given event occurring: maybe a chance, likelihood, odds, probability, Something that may occur or be done. I am not playing football mnanager just merely suggesting that Wenger maybe releasing Traore as he may have another player lined up not necessarily Affellay and with old chocolate legs being out for maybe longer than first thought this means Walcott maybe used as a front man. Also with Nasri and Frimpong already injured he may have finally realised that it was injuries which hurt our season last time out and wants to address the situation before transfer deadline.
Who are names out there to fill DM backup role? If Song goes down we rely on Diaby?
Isnt Traore in the last year of his contract too?
I guess that could be another reason why we aren’t too eager to just loan him out (without a buy later clause) or let him continue warming the bench incase him pulls a ‘Merida’. Fran isnt doing too badly is he after making that choice, already earned a medal at Atletico with 20 mins game time after being subed for another ex gooner, Reyes, in the UEFA super Cup. Well, to each his own….
Whats gonna happen to him when Pedro Botelho come into the first team… I agree that he could be a left sided eboue so i think we should keep him just loan him out for now…players dont usually fulfill their potential until they are about 22-23 so he has time. he already has the dribbling and crossing…he needs to work on his defense, passing and awareness.
Pedro will not be coming to the first team as is not better than traore.
how much did we pay to get him? just 3.5 million pounds sounds awfully little
Would not understand him joining Juventus. How would that be a good career move for a young player? As Giovinco what it is like to be a young player there.
Birmingham’s the best option for him IMO. He did well for Portsmouth so he’d probably be as good for them. He could find it hard at Juve like others before him. I wish him well. I consider him a good player, just he finds himself against Gibbs who’s in the same age bracket and no room on the left wing. It’s one of these things we might get to see more often going fwd, some good players won’t make it through although they will probably do well elsewhere.
The clincher for me is that Armand wants to play in midfield. There are too many players ahead of him. If he were willing to learn the defensive part of the game and work a little harder on that, then I would say that he should stay or go on loan to a club that would play him as a left-back. But seeing as he wants to be a midfielder, I don’t think he should stay. He will be a very good player in the future. But I don’t think he will be good enough to be a midfielder at Arsenal.
james shea is training with the england first team to make up the numbers in training as foster and carson are injured
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