july 19th
11.23 – Lie-ins are good.
Looks like Arsenal will make their first signing of the summer as Czezhaslogreekrish striker MIchal Popadopalous gets himself an EU passport. He’s due to arrive at Highbury soon, with the player saying “For me it was very important that coach Wenger wanted me. He told me that himself, that he wanted me this year. I had expected I’d stay here at Banik for another year on loan, and then leave for England when the Czech Republic would be an EU member; that would have been much easier than it was now.”
More here.
Spanish sports daily Marca has a story about Valencia keeper Canizares. Bascially they say that Canizares agent met with Wenger and Dein last week to discuss a move. Valencia have to sell players to stay wihin their wages budget. Canizares is a high earner, so selling him and one other would allow them to hang onto Ayala, Aimar and others who have been linked with moves away from the Mestalla. There has been no official contact between the clubs as of yet, but as they say “A good amount……would alleviate the battered coffers of the club.” The Mirror carries this story too linking us with some Finnish keeper as well.
It all depends on what we’re looking for. Someone to play back-up to Stuart Taylor, or somebody Taylor can pick up another few years experience from. Canizares would do me though. We should get him his own after-shave putter-onner though.
AW has been talking about his current squad. While he does say “…we are going to keep 99 per cent of our current squad, perhaps reinforcing it in one or two positions” he also goes onto say “I am not someone who abandons people signed the year before. I am counting a lot on Pascal Cygan this season.”
Gulp. He also talks about Jermaine Pennant, Kolo Toure and Ryan Garry playing more games. Sylvain Wiltord is another player in the last year of his contract, but there seems to be little movement from the club to try and keep him. “Sylvain is still under contract with us for a year. I have talked with him about an extension. It is true that whether he does this or not is up to him. But no club has approached us for him.”
Arsenal play Barnet today in another pre-season friendly. Let’s hope there’s a better result than against Peterborough. Anyone going please feel free to tell us how it went on the ‘arses’ later and watch out for men from Niger, eh?
