july 23rd
07.40 – Arsenal’s new keeper could be Jens Lehmann, German, mental and available at a reasonable price. He says “I’ve received a phone call – but nothing is decided at the moment. You’ll have to wait a few days.”
German football magazine Kicker suggests that Arsenal have agreed terms with the player, but Dortmund’s manager Fritz Frankfurt says “The first negotiations took place yesterday…we will only have an agreement if we come to terms on the financial side”
Double-D says “Lehmann is just one of a number of keepers we are in discussions with.”
Some reports put the fee between £1.75m with Dortmund holding out for £2.75m. Not sure what to think about him to be honest. He’s been sent off 5 times in his career, once for abusing his own team-mate (verbally of course) and some of our German based readers are most unhappy at the thought of him signing for Arsenal. I hope the person in question doesn’t mind, but this is a word for word reproduction from the friend of a forumer “Lehmann is a cunt and always has been a cunt, why Arsenal have decided to sign such a cunt is just a desperate attempt to get one in before closing time without thinking about what they are doing. Cunts.”
I’m keeping an open mind, but I’d much prefer Cañizares. That signing would make me smile. This one would leave me in a whirl sitting down of nothingness.
Sylvain Wiltord could be on his way out of Arsenal. It’s reported that PSG have made a £4m offer for him. Given that AW hasn’t mentioned him much and the club seem to have made no effort to give him the 4 year contract he wants, it might be as well to swell the coffers a little bit and cash in now rather than let him leave for nothing next year. I like Wiltord as a player. I like the fact his scores goals consistently, but we could do with £4m and we have a ready made replacement in Pennant. His chances will be more limited with Wiltord still around, and we could find ourselves in a situation where both of them leave next summer. One because he’s got no contract, the other because he feels like he should be playing more first team football. £4m ain’t too shabby either give the current state of the transfer market.
Arsenal have brought two triallists to Austria. Yaya Toure, brother of Kolo, and young French left-back Gael Clichy. Both could join with AW saying “I have not made up my mind. They will go with us on the training camp and I’ll make a decision after that.”
The boys played a 2-2 draw last night with Austrian part-timers, Ritzing. Not much of a performance apparently, and while it is only pre-season, it’s worrying that Pascal Cygan is singled out as being particularly poor against a bunch of shepherds, postmen and tavern owners. A late Freddie Ljungberg penalty saved face for the Gunners.
No doubt there’ll be more on Lehmann, other keepers and reaction from last night’s game as the day progresses.
