Transfers - Gossip Shop: Gunners to Defour

Eurosport - Tue, 21 Oct 19:18:00 2008

Arsenal have struggled to fill their midfield at times this season, although that could change in January after they allegedly joined Middlesbrough in the bidding for £8 million Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour.

FOOTBALL Standard Liege Steven Defour - 0

"Arsenal came to scout Steven," agent Paul Stefani was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror. "His departure is possible."

Defour, 20, is a classy, French-speaking attacking midfielder who can play out wide or through the middle: a typical Wenger signing.

Fenerbahce left-back Roberto Carlos, meanwhile, has urged Arsenal to keep hold of current midfield general Francesc Fabregas.

The 21-year-old Spaniard is repeatedly subjected to rumours linking him with Barcelona and Carlos's former club Real Madrid, but the veteran Brazilian said: "For me their key player is Fabregas. He is a fabulous player and vital to the team.

"They are a very offensive outfit but they need a creator, and Fabregas does that as well as defending well."

It's tough at the top, but far worse at the bottom. Just ask Tottenham Hotspur, who are purported to be lining-up a double swoop for West Ham pair Scott Parker and Matthew Upson (Daily Mirror), along with free agent Stephen Appiah (The Times).

Despite their on-pitch woes, financially they are sound, having sold several of the key players who are now sorely missed.

While the aforementioned trio of signings would go some way to restoring balance to an attacking-midfield heavy squad, surely a proven striker is a necessity for a team that so far this season have scored the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League?

And why would Upson and Parker, in particular, leave a top-half side with an exciting new manager for a team in crisis?

Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, are reported to have denied media claims that striker Roque Santa Cruz has an £18 million release clause in his contract (The Sun).

Paraguay star Santa Cruz was linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City in the summer but signed a new contract at Ewood.

Despite Steve Bruce's claims that Wigan have an agreement in principle with infamous shysters Zamalek to sign Amr Zaki at the end of the season, he will cost more than the original £6 million transfer fee whether bigger clubs enter the bidding or not.

Part of the initial loan deal for Zaki includes an additional £500,000 if he hits double figures. Zaki already has seven league goals in less than two months at the club and Bruce is already desperately trying to make the transfer permanent. An African transfer record beckons...

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is reported to be looking for someone to take the pressure off young goalkeeper Joe Hart, and after a proposed move for Juventus shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon was laughed off by the Italian, Marseille and France star Steve Mandanda has been tipped for a move to Eastlands (The Sun).

Congo-born Mandanda, 23, only joined from Le Havre last season and would cost in excess of £10m.

Dropping down to the Championship, Sheffield United full-back Derek Geary is tipped for a reunion with former boss Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest and Swansea are being linked with Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince .

And, in an off-topic example of how crazy the world of football has become, former World Player of the Year Rivaldo was forced to deny claims he could be set to return to Brazil from Uzbek club Bunyodkor - because no-one in one of the planet's biggest football countries can afford to pay £80,000 a week to a 36-year-old.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 2 - 21 of 21

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  1. it will be better i asene wenger buy more players to strenthen team or us next season,thi sno matter wenger been a share holder in the club mine he should be doing what he likes in the team. it has taken almust three season without a trouphy. pls wenger buy more experience players.this is r

    From khalill, on Wed 20 May 10:47AM

  2. Apehfateh #18, you should have some respect
    for elders like wenger and bytheway how is
    Gallas performing? just to be fair can that
    performance come from a tired player you call.
    Grow up and analyse things before you spit them.

    From moze10, on Wed 22 Oct 2:22PM

  3. Defour has been a great player for years now. He played for my team in Belgium (KV Mechelen) before moving to Standard and helped them win the title there for the first time in 25 years.

    Quite glad really that no-one looks at Feindouno, happy for him to stay with the mighty "Verts" of St Etienne!

    From SIMON, on Wed 22 Oct 1:18PM

  4. arsene wenger thinks arsenal is a french colony. the only experince he thinks of is tired french players that are out of favor in their former clubs ...gallas..sylvestre.......

    From fateh, on Wed 22 Oct 9:12AM

  5. wenger must buy paolo maldini..

    From fattah_evh88, on Wed 22 Oct 12:29AM

  6. The Media slate Wengers policy when Arsenal dont win, and put the blame no big signings, but wen they win, or play well.. they totaly chnage there mind and say how good all the youngsters are!!!!

    I belive that the squad is good, fantastic talent, but when Chelski buy 2 teams, and spoil the sport as a whole, you cant really keep up with that, and along with Man Utds dodgee dealings, its hard for Arsenal to keep up- and Wenger is doing what he belives is right.

    From Robert Antonio Reyes, on Tue 21 Oct 10:15PM

  7. blah b;ah blah

    From omobobo, on Tue 21 Oct 7:02PM

  8. wenger please buy inesta

    From derissesay, on Tue 21 Oct 6:34PM

  9. good article only one mistake defour is not a french speaking belgian but a flemish speaking belgian who also speaks french like most belgians

    From opowicz, on Tue 21 Oct 5:43PM

  10. I lived in Liege, Belgium last year, I'm also an Arsenal fan, that's why I'm so happy to hear the Gunners are scouting Defour - I've watched him play for Belgium and Standard de Liege and he's an EXCELLENT player and I think he'd do great at Arsenal! Keeping my hopes up!

    From skelly.george, on Tue 21 Oct 4:53PM

  11. that Zamalek boy is hot propety he is scoring goals like mad ,,, pliz vultures stay away he still needs to settle in and mature before a big move ,so pliz stay away

    From Leo, on Tue 21 Oct 4:47PM

  12. that Zamalek boy is hot propety he is scoring goals like mad ,,, pliz vultures stay away he still needs to settle in and mature before a big move ,so pliz stay away

    From Leo, on Tue 21 Oct 4:47PM

  13. am surprised you know achille emana, MAC81cm thats impresive knowledge. meanwhile i always wonder why guys like him and feinduono and other players eg daniel montenegro who are good in theri respective leagues and have been for a while never even get on the radar of bigs clubswho have holes that these players can plug.

    From omorehia, on Tue 21 Oct 4:18PM

  14. i would advise wenger to go in for a world class and experienced defender to augment our centre-backs. toure and gallas who were supposed to bring experience to the team and urge the boys foward rather disappoint a lot. such defenders are unreliable and can let a team down at any time. so as we become more and moer attack minded, we should also watch our backs. long live the gunners!!!

    From slashenry, on Tue 21 Oct 4:01PM

  15. am arsenal fans arsene wenger need 2 wokeup 4rm sleep bcos as a fans l av 2 say my mind.we need a deffender 4 our team so dat we can reach our promise land.tanks

    From tunrayo, on Tue 21 Oct 3:45PM

  16. surely wenger is under pressure, he is forever building his team, is it another ten years to build his team?

    From Gareth, on Tue 21 Oct 3:16PM

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    From go to www.premiership.altervista.org, on Tue 21 Oct 2:35PM

  18. Arsene does not rely on big shot players like some clubs.He looks at the youngsters that have talent and brings them through to play well and appreciate the game.
    Yes we need to bolster some posistions but who can deny the flowing football that we play is envied by most other clubs.couple of quility players brought in will make a difference.Keep hold of CESC,if he goes to another club it will spoil his way of playing.I wouldn,t mind Alonso along side him.Gunners TOMMO

    From dt1301@..., on Tue 21 Oct 1:49PM

  19. Wenger should get up from sleep. achile emana was available in a bargain pirce but wenger didn't go for him.he is now lighting spain apart(won man-of-the-match 3 times already)! Wenger tried on Stepane M'bia,he missed it too.Please,isn't special for arsenal.Experience is necessary in that midfield,and guys like Riquelme or Pablo Aimer would be indispensible for Arsenal.Remember,flamini wasn't dat good enough,Arsenal needs someone rigid in the middle.Emana would have been excellent considering his experience and consistency.

    From mac81cm, on Tue 21 Oct 1:38PM

  20. Signing Parker and/or Upson won't solve problems for Spurs.Good players,but both prone to injury and Spurs can't afford that.

    I'm not a Tottenham Fan,but here's a suggestion.Use youth team,or Academy players and don't buy anybody.

    Young players will be hungry and full of running and it'll make some of the so-called bigshots in the first team worry about their places.

    I hope Spurs find a way out of this hole,but signing a couple of players that could be out for weeks,or months at a time isn't the answer.

    From jhr881, on Tue 21 Oct 1:17PM
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