Transfer Thread 2.0! New and improved

[Slava]

Belgian media saying that FCPorto are buying central defender Mangala and miedfielder Steven Defour (both plays for Standard Liege). If that is confirmed, i would like to know if anyone can told me something about both of them. I would appreciate.

Defour is pretty good, solid for a central midfielder in a 4-4-2. Good range of passing and solid in tackle, he is a long time Man Utd target but he suffered a bad injury in 2009 and Ferguson sent him a pick-me-up letter after that but the transfer never happened.

He still looked good for Belgium when I watched him.

[IronChef]

Arsenal are also interested in Andre Ayew from Marseille, he has an 11.5 MIl release clause, and said he was interested in joining Arsenal. Him, I am very interested in.

[Foye]

It seems like almost every club is almost done on the transfer market and Arsenal just starts picking up their activity

[5DOM]

And they finally just confirmed that Fabregas deal is done.

[KG1585]

And they finally just confirmed that Fabregas deal is done.

Yup.

Arsenal announces today that they have reached an agreement in principle with Barcelona for Cesc Fabregas to move to Spain.

It signals the end of the midfielder's eight-year spell at Arsenal. Fabregas joined the Club from Barcelona as a 16-year-old in September 2003 and made 303 appearances, scoring 57 goals in all competitions.

He holds the records for the youngest Arsenal first team player (16 years and 177 days v Rotherham United (h), 28 October 2003) and the youngest Arsenal first team goalscorer (16 years and 212 days v Wolves (h), 2 December, 2003).

Named as Arsenal Captain in November 2008, Fabregas also became a regular in the Spain national team, making 58 appearances to date.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said: "We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success."

The transfer is subject to the completion of formal legal agreements and registration processes, together with Fabregas agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

Very hard to take this transfer.

[diogo_pt]

Belgian media saying that FCPorto are buying central defender Mangala and miedfielder Steven Defour (both plays for Standard Liege). If that is confirmed, i would like to know if anyone can told me something about both of them. I would appreciate.

Defour is pretty good, solid for a central midfielder in a 4-4-2. Good range of passing and solid in tackle, he is a long time Man Utd target but he suffered a bad injury in 2009 and Ferguson sent him a pick-me-up letter after that but the transfer never happened.

He still looked good for Belgium when I watched him.

What about Mangala?? Do you know him??

[MitchellUK]

And they finally just confirmed that Fabregas deal is done.

Yup.

Arsenal announces today that they have reached an agreement in principle with Barcelona for Cesc Fabregas to move to Spain.

It signals the end of the midfielder's eight-year spell at Arsenal. Fabregas joined the Club from Barcelona as a 16-year-old in September 2003 and made 303 appearances, scoring 57 goals in all competitions.

He holds the records for the youngest Arsenal first team player (16 years and 177 days v Rotherham United (h), 28 October 2003) and the youngest Arsenal first team goalscorer (16 years and 212 days v Wolves (h), 2 December, 2003).

Named as Arsenal Captain in November 2008, Fabregas also became a regular in the Spain national team, making 58 appearances to date.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said: "We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success."

The transfer is subject to the completion of formal legal agreements and registration processes, together with Fabregas agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

Very hard to take this transfer.

I'm not an Arsenal fan and I find it hard to take. When your club captain signs a long term deal, only whine his way out of the club via leaked media stories and comments from the officials and players of the club trying to sign him, while they do everything they can to avoid paying a fair fee, it's bad news all around. Pretty appalled at the way Barca conducted themselves in this whole saga, and can't help but feel sorry for Arsenal.

[Munchlaxatives]

Belgian media saying that FCPorto are buying central defender Mangala and miedfielder Steven Defour (both plays for Standard Liege). If that is confirmed, i would like to know if anyone can told me something about both of them. I would appreciate.

Defour is pretty good, solid for a central midfielder in a 4-4-2. Good range of passing and solid in tackle, he is a long time Man Utd target but he suffered a bad injury in 2009 and Ferguson sent him a pick-me-up letter after that but the transfer never happened.

He still looked good for Belgium when I watched him.

What about Mangala?? Do you know him??

A promising French international. He was linked to a move to Arsenal, though he may have simply been offered to Arsenal by his team or agent.

[BC_]

Arsenal are also interested in Andre Ayew from Marseille, he has an 11.5 MIl release clause, and said he was interested in joining Arsenal. Him, I am very interested in.

Do we really need another wide forward?

Unless we're moving to 442, but I doubt that's the case

[IronChef]

He plays at striker too. I like him, great engine, fast, good technically. Scored 11 goals for Marsielle last year, at 20. I like the fire he plays with, always pressing, tracking back. Would be worrying having another player leave for the ACN, though.

[fudgie]

Wow, Barca is just gonna be unstoppable.

How ****ed is Arsenal if Nasri goes to City?

[BC_]

Wow, Barca is just gonna be unstoppable.

How ****ed is Arsenal if Nasri goes to City?

Nasri's potential > $20m > Nasri's performance, so not that ****ed.

If Wenger doesn't add quality to the squad, then Snatch-style proper ****ed.

[lukekarts]

Need some Chelsea transfer news. It'll help me sleep better.

Hoping to see headlines such as "Kalou sold to Arsenal"; "Sneijder to Chelsea".

Someone like Hazard, Mata or even Munain would be nice to replace Maloooooouda.

[5DOM]

Cesc: "Competition at Barça? Mentally, I feel ready for everything. I chose the most difficult path but that can bring the biggest joy."

LOL at the most difficult path.

[ZaQ-]

Cesc: "Competition at Barça? Mentally, I feel ready for everything. I chose the most difficult path but that can bring the biggest joy."

LOL at the most difficult path.

Indeed.

Fabregas would have been skewered by the media if he was an NBA player, not as much as the Heat star duo + Bosh obviously, but probably along the lines of Carmelo Anthony (who even got off relatively easy because the trade was to NY). This is only the second transfer season I've followed in soccer, so it's still weird to me that Fabregas got the sympathetic treatment he did despite forcing his way out of a four year contract. It's not like he's Kevin Garnett, worn out after carrying a decade of awful teams, Cesc is only 23 or 24 and just entering his prime.

I think that in America Na$ri would not be as much the villain, because his motives are purely financial and that's a common standoff.

Personally I'm much more sympathetic to Cesc between the two but I find the differences in media coverage interesting.

[lukekarts]

Cesc: "Competition at Barça? Mentally, I feel ready for everything. I chose the most difficult path but that can bring the biggest joy."

LOL at the most difficult path.

Indeed.

Fabregas would have been skewered by the media if he was an NBA player, not as much as the Heat star duo + Bosh obviously, but probably along the lines of Carmelo Anthony (who even got off relatively easy because the trade was to NY). This is only the second transfer season I've followed in soccer, so it's still weird to me that Fabregas got the sympathetic treatment he did despite forcing his way out of a four year contract. It's not like he's Kevin Garnett, worn out after carrying a decade of awful teams, Cesc is only 23 or 24 and just entering his prime.

I think that in America Na$ri would not be as much the villain, because his motives are purely financial and that's a common standoff.

Personally I'm much more sympathetic to Cesc between the two but I find the differences in media coverage interesting.

I understand what you're saying, but there are a few key differences in how the story transpired.

Arsenal fans here aren't happy Cesc is leaving; most would be justified for being frustrated but a lot of the sympathy comes from the fact that Arsenal are perceived to be 'unambitious' at the moment. The lack of spending, particularly in key areas; especially considering the team is profitable and everyone around them is investing money; it hurting their ability on the pitch.

Secondly, Cesc was poached from Barcelona at 16 (and if you're 16, get offered a good wage and can leave for a measly £1m compensation fee, you take it). A lot has been made of the inability for Spanish teams to offer professional contracts. I'm not sure if the rule is changed now, but it has always been 16+ in England, 18+ in Spain.

Finally, it has been reported for about 2 years that Fabregas wanted to go back to Spain; so there's no shock factor, and whilst he has obviously forced his way out, he's obviously had a good PR team on his side.

It is hard to compare to the NBA because over here, the teams have more flexibility and the players have more leverage.

[Slava]

Cesc has been in the Arsenal first team for 7 years and to be fair he has no assurance that Wenger's policy will change anytime soon and he has been watching teams like City and Chelsea rise up from mediocrity while his team has pretty much gone the opposite direction.

He's pretty much been the jewish kid at christmas for a long time and this isn't the first time Wenger's kids have left the for better teams although some haven't done as well since then.

[ZaQ-]

Just because we don't throw money around doesn't mean we lack quality on our squad--remember, we were a golden Bendtner chance from knocking eventual champion Barca out of the Champions League with ten men. I'm sick of hearing "Fabregas and Nasri want to win stuff, so they're moving". The squad with both of them was good enough to win, in the end, lack of depth was the reason we came up short when half our starting eleven went down injured.

What I'm saying is that they should not be absolved of blame. Nasri's form tanked as the team did down the stretch. When Fabregas did play in the last few months, he wasn't exactly his usual sterling self.

[Slava]

You were also a Lehmann red card away from winning the champions league not so long ago but how has it worked out since then?

[Don Draper]

Cesc Fabregas is no better than Torres. Things would have gone much smoother if Barca players weren't constantly running their mouth and Barca management wasn't trying to low ball Arsenal for 2 years.