Julian Draxler
PSG are reportedly accepting bids for German international Julian Draxler.
With the Thomas Lemar deal now seemingly dead, or dying, Arsenal need to look elsewhere for reinforcements in the final third of the field.
Up front, we are set. In Alexandre Lacazette, Danny Welbeck ,Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, we have options, even after Lucas Perez departs. But behind that, we are struggling.
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are both world class performers, there is no debate. But who is competing with them for attacking midfield spots?
The only other player we have who is a natural number 10 is Alex Iwobi.
We can also play Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla behind the striker, but none of these are ideal. We then have Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott who have done the job – badly – in pre-season.
Add in the contract situation of Sanchez and Ozil and you can see why Thomas Lemar was so aggressively target this summer.
I love Julian Draxler. I first spoke about his potential way back in October 2013 add my opinion on him has not changed.
If he is available for as little as £32m (in current prices), Arsenal need to ensure they are at the front of the queue.
Spurs
The gift that keeps giving. Some people say I blog about them too much, question why I am bothered, even say I am deflecting away from Arsenal’s problems, but when your nearest rivals are such a joke, it is impossible not to take notice.
Firstly we have the debacle over their temporary move to Wembley. They spent ages negotiating with Brent Council to allow them to use the stadium at its full capacity – 90,000 – only for the council to restrict ticket sales for major games to those that know the club.
For this weekends game against Chelsea, you could only buy a ticket if you had an interaction with the club since July 1st. Now what interaction means is unclear? Is it own a membership? Or is it bought a DVD from the club shop.
What is known is that they have only sold 70,000 tickets. This once more raises the question as to why they are building a 60,000+ stadium?
This is a side, remember, who had an attendance low of 24,712 against Gillingham in the League Cup last year. 26,463 was their low in 2015/16. They have a history of fans not showing up to games.
Of course, Spurs fans will come on this blog (they are drawn to it likes flies to a light) saying it is only the League Cup. Well Arsenal got hammered in the press back in 2011 for having only 46,539 turn up to a League Cup game against Shrewsbury. Whilst this is 15,000 below capacity, it is still more than 20,000 than Spurs got against Gillingham.
Stupid Spurs fans will say but Arsenal have a bigger stadium, so will get bigger attendances. This rationale would be correct if both sides sold out. But Spurs had 10,000 unsold tickets v Gillingham. So if they had a 60,000 seater stadium, the amount of tickets would not rise, just the amount of unsold.
I look forward to Burnley turning up to North West London. Tickets are on general sale. 20,000 Burnley fans in the home end. Hopefully Spurs get put in their place.
The second part of this mini blog is over the press love in with them. We all know the press love Spurs and gloss over their lack of success. It is because they are not a big club.
In one of today’s paper, the headline is;
SHREWD LEVY DUE A BREAK
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy Sure gets a lot of stick for having one of the most successful business models in football.
Well if the barometer of a successful football side is trophies, then the Spurs model clearly is not a success. 1 League Cup in 18 years. No FA Cup in 26 years. No league title in 56 years. I know Levy was not at Spurs for this entire period, but ENIC bought Spurs in 2001. 1 League Cup in that time is not a success.
It later go’s on to call Spurs One of the best sides in the Premier League. Under Daniel Levy’s stewardship, their every Premier League finish is 7th. They have finished below 8th 6 times in the 16 years of Enic. This against top 4 four times. A good two seasons does not make them one of the best in the league.
It seems Levy is being praised for turning a profit, selling his best players. And not for winning things. Well done Spurs for winning the best run club that never wins stuff trophy. It can go in the cabinet alongside your Put the Pressure On and finish Above Arsenal Once Cups.
Gabriel
Thanks for the memories. It never quite worked out. You never really adapted to English football. You still can not speak a word of English. Good luck in the future. Enjoy your 2 FA Cup winners medals. It is more than what other players win in their career. It is more than Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
You did not work out, but you were certainly not a flop. Hopefully we see you stick one on Diego Costa in La Liga in the new year.
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
“What is known is that they have only sold 70,000 tickets. This once more raises the question as to why they are building a 60,000+ stadium?”
I love your logic and math skills, why build a 60 k stadium when you ONLY sell 70 k tickets. Chew on that one for a bit…
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don’t worry, this post is riddled with errors and contradictions and illogical statements – probably enough to write another post on entirely!
“Some people say I blog about them too much, question why I am bothered, even say I am deflecting away from Arsenal’s problems, but when your nearest rivals are such a joke, it is impossible not to take notice.” – he should really listen to these people because a) it clearly is deflection, and b) Spurs may have once been a downtrodden team (late 90s-mid 00s) but the upward trend over the last 10 years shows that things have changed and the sooner bloggers like this guy accept that and look at how their own club can deal with it, the better. Should the upward trend continue, who knows what Spurs will be filling their trophy cabinet with over the coming years…
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Sell 70,000 for your 2nd biggest game of the season, the first home PL game at Wembley. 70,000 is peak. Sales will dwindle after.
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Still 20,000 more than we were originally allowed, and people said we wouldn’t fill that either. Not saying we will sell out the stadium for any game this season (which teams do nowadays) but the fact is we have sold more tickets than we were originally entitled to, and more tickets than our new stadium would be able to handle.
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Do not disagree with that. Will be interesting to see once the move happens and the amount of ST holders dramatically increase, how many are left on the list. Arsenal have found a big ST list is pointless if it doesn’t actually have people on it who are interested in buying an ST.
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Spurs literally have a restricted allocation for safety reasons-read the facts! And re: the spending it’s true that levy has been tight, but you have a lot of mouth given arsenal haven’t exactly been so convincing to start with.
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They do not have restrictions on the amount of seats, but who they sell them too. If 90,000 spurs fans wanted tickets, they could have bought them. Glad I have cleared that up
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“Some people say I blog about them too much, question why I am bothered, even say I am deflecting away from Arsenal’s problems”. Perhaps a bit of truth in this statement?
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Perhaps. But then there is a rivalry. And I am sure there are plenty of spurs blogs about Arsenal over the years. 90% of what Spurs fans wrote about in the 00s was Sol Campbell
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Let’s address you’re 3 points there:
“But then there is a rivalry” – very true, so blogs regarding derbies etc. is understandable. However, blogs simply about the other team and how it’s run and their fans and their players and everything about them, over and over and over, regardless of the season or timing or anything, is not about rivalry. It’s about obsession.
“And I am sure there are plenty of spurs blogs about Arsenal over the years.” – see my point above. There are the odd blog post about Arsenal on Spurs blogs, but from my experience these have always been related to the derbies.
“90% of what Spurs fans wrote about in the 00s was Sol Campbell” – I would hazard a guess that this 90% you speak of is an entirely fabricated percentage created purely for your reply. I’ve been following many Spurs blogs throughout the 00s to date and the only times I can remember Campbell getting any coverage is when he has had a book out or taken a swipe at Spurs in the press. Once again, the posts are reacting to something that has happened. Much like any posts about Arsenal are reacting to/anticipating derbies.
Your posts are simply the rantings of someone who does nothing all day but think about Spurs.
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Curious little piece why you Arsenal fans are so obsessed with Spurs is beyond most people. At this moment in time they have a better starting 11, training facilities, will have a better stadium and I dare say a better manager as most people believe yours should have gone 5 year’s ago. Plus this is from a Liverpool fan.
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Our bad manager has won 3 FA Cups in 4 years. That is more than what Klopp or Pochetinno have won in that time.
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And yet the fans still call for him to be sacked. He must feel so loved.
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Dude, you’ve written more about Tottenham than Arsenal – that speaks volumes…
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928 blogs published on this site. Can you let me know how many are about Spurs? Thanks.
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As a club and as fans, Spurs are aiming to win the prem. I pity you poor lot who have become content with 4th place trophy (unlucky last year) and consider winning the FA Cup an achievement. Alexis Sanchez will be embarrassed at the end of his career looking back on his time wasted at Arsenal, only winning the FA cup. Our players have their best years ahead of them, and as a club, we want to say “We are the best team in England” by winning the league. I hope the day never comes when we celebrate finish above our local rivals and winning a nostalgia cup that has no meaning or relevance in the modern game or to top players, miss out on our 4th place trophy and reward our manager for doing so! I hope you give Wenger another contract pahahahahahahaha
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Spurs are aiming to win the league, but they have not done so in 56 years. What a failure of a club
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You do write about Tottenham too much and you still don’t get it. Do West Ham write about Orient? Why do you think that is? You are utterly obsessed by Tottenham and can’t understand how such a tiny little club, who can only sell 70,000 tickets, who have players admired by every club in Europe have over taken the massive, amazing club that is The Arsenal. It hurts you so much, we laugh every time you write one of you pathetic ‘I pretend not to care’ articles. Arsenal fans pity you; Tottenham fans laugh at you. Even someone in denial, like yourself, must think that’s not a great place to be. Part of me admires you for writing a blog even one that is so stupendously awful. But, some friendly advice, son, concentrate on your school work and knock it on the head.
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Spurs are not admired all over Europe, most fans have never heard of them. They are just another small club. The same level as Sampdoria or Malaga
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Put your glasses on son. What he said was “[Spurs] have players admired by every club in Europe”. There’s a difference. We do not claim to be loved or admired all over Europe. But it’s undeniable that our players are coveted by all the big teams.
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He actually said they have players admired all over Europe!
Which is true.
And you are so Sad.
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Europe buys players of Spurs. Cause Spurs players get unhappy. As they are underpaid. And win nothing. Well done for selling your best players. Bet yo uare one of those who celebrated Real Madrid winning stuff cause of Bale and Modric. when you have no success of your own, you have to celebrate others.
Bet you was well happy with Sol in 02 and 04.
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And your school work should include reading
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Misinformed at always. Don’t know why I bother with this site anymore. Ozil is undoubtedly world class? Which Ozil is that then? You do try and deflect away from our own problems all the time by blogging about them and it’s quite sad. They are frighteningly good at the moment and hopefully it all comes crashing down when Rose fucks off but to keep going on and on about them is embarrassing.
Draxler however, yes please! Would replace Ozil IMO as the no 10 and would provide consistency for once.
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Why write about something you don’t understand? The tickets for the Chelsea game are on a restricted general sale. To buy a ticket on general sale you must have had an active account (of which is needed to buy tickets online) BEFORE the 1st of July… Which most people obviously have. Nothing to do with ‘interactions’ after wtf. Try find 2 tickets together on the Spurs website now and you’ll realise quickly that much more than 70,000 tickets have been sold. Stick to your shit club.
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Spurs own website used the word “interactions”.
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Oh so u even visit our website??? OMG. This dude is solo sad. I bn a spurs fan for 12yrs now and the only time I visited your arsenal site was wen I was checking out if other clubs had a better site…. At this rate we need to get u a season ticket. U r definitely a spurs fan.
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Your math is appalling, writing not much better. Not to mention this is suppose to be a Ars-blog. More of your content around Spurs?!? Logical.. haa?
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As a spurs fan, it’s funny that you think the press love us. Yes, they do like us when we play exciting football but they are constantly trying to sell our players. Most spurs fans think the press don’t like us cos of this.
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Mate your obsessive Tottenham ramblings are that of a child Who’s sweetie has been taken of him concentrate on Your bag of poo team arsenhole never known anything like it the hardon you got for the mighty spurs your laughable and and a joke piss off back to woolwich north London is ours coys
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You sir, are a CI_INT !
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The obsession continues.
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Your obsession with Arsenal? Afterall, why else would you be on an Arsenal blog?
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Perhaps because the Arsenal blog continues to post things about Spurs which, surprise surprise, then appears on Tottenham’s newsnow page.
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My guess is Spurs NewsNow needs to trawl the web for Arsenal blogs because Spurs are not newsworthy. what with no signings and no trophies.
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Where else can I get a laugh.
Any way I get to read more about Spurs on the Arsenal blogs than I do on the Spurs blogs because your of obsession you all write about Spurs even when you write about your own club it has to be compared to Spurs.
Quite pathetic really but fun to read.
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Dude get ur tech mind. Once u type ur obsessed Tottenham word our newsnow feeds on it. How else wld I hv ended up here if I knew u write such shit.. But keep it up. Guess u r polishing ur writing skills. And we need to support u for humanity sake.
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You are a disgrace, you have nothing positive about Arsenal to say in your articles and you find any excuse to talk about Spurs. You should not even mention Spurs. Leave them alone, unless you are a closet Spurs fan. Concentrate on the mighty Gooners. I want to read articles about Arsenal. If I want to read about Spurs, it will be my choice.
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I am saying I want us to sign Draxler, and Gabriel was not the flop many make out. And that Arsenal are bigger and better than Spurs. Do you disagree with those statements?
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Now u getting even the arsenal fans worked out
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“My guess is Spurs NewsNow needs to trawl the web for Arsenal blogs because Spurs are not newsworthy. what with no signings and no trophies.”
Sadly your understanding of what a news aggregator service does is clearly low to non-existent.
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Or maybe I know exactly how it works and just love winding Spurs fans up. A few hundred comments and a few thousand views from spurs fans. All getting angry on a sunny Friday morning
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And right there you prove every point raised by Spurs fans – that you are obsessed and dependent on Spurs. You live to discuss Spurs so that your blog gets more visits because that’s the only way you are noticed on the internet. Whatever floats your boat I guess, but if I ran a blog, I wouldn’t waste my time focusing so much (or at all) on another team just to get a few more views and comments. It’s all a bit small-time.
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You know that advice I gave you sonny. Give it up. Stop it. There is a big world out there. One day you may go and watch Arsenal and realise football is all about your club and not the other lot down the road. You have gone through all the comments and replied with barely literate comments making yourself look more stupid every time. Shall I get over my obsession by saying ‘why are you reading an Arsenal blog’? It’s about Tottenham you plumb and, let’s face it, Arsenal fans don’t read it. Oh that didn’t work shall I say I was just winding Tottenham fans up? No, because you aren’t they are just pissing themselves. Just remember – Arsenal fans are embarrassed by you; Tottenham fans are laughing at you. I think that’s unfair – we should all pity you. Very, very sad.
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Very Entertaining blog from a so called Arsenal fan. Wrote a piece about a potential transfer which no one else has covered or picked up going to Arsenal so probably the blogger own desire to sign yet another attacking player which only outlines Wenger’s and the fans ignorance over the last few years to bring in a quality defence or a player to bring the squad together. speaking of which you finish your blog by speaking about one of your defenders and how he was rubbish so you have admitted that your squad does not have depth where you really need it.
In between that you write a piece about Spurs. I can only thank you for promoting Spurs being at Wembley and highlighting what all Spurs fans already know. Which is in the past we haven’t competed enough with other teams. However the evidence over the last few seasons is that Spurs are a team on the rise and Arsenal are in decline. we have been consisted in our football and the managers believe to promote players through the club, I would challenge you to identify players Wenger has developed through the youth system. Also there is about 5-6 of your top players in the last year of their contract and could leave on free transfer meaning Wenger is potentially going to end his career at Arsenal and half the squad leave also so will leave the club in turmoil.
Once again thanks for promoting Spurs on your Arsenal blog.
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Well done keeno, you touched a nerve. I league cup in 18 years. The envy is almost tangible. The fear is already setting in as their top players start to leave. Walker already gone, Rose possibility and Kane Ali Erickson etc all wanting out next season. Tough times ahead. Tough times behind. 😂
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Arsenal fans are so pathetically obsessed with spurs. To think that I hv never bothered to comment on an arsenal focused article but loads of dem commenting on us makes me feel elated as a spurs fan with one trophy in 18yrs. COYS!!!
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Quite the opposite actually. Absolutely no sign that Kane, Alli or Eriksen want to leave (I can’t comment on Erickson as I have absolutely no idea who he is). If they do they will leave for, at a guess, about £400m in the current market. Now, Arsenal. Every sign that Sanchez, Ozil and Ox want to leave (that is as far as my Arsenal knowledge goes so there are probably many more who want out I would imagine). Now how much will they go for? Oh, that’s right absolutely nothing. And why is that? Because they have been taking the piss out of the club and laughing themselves stupid. Fake injuries here, strops there etc. Now why would you allow a player to go into the last year of his contract? Happened to Tottenham with Campbell. For that reason alone you’d have thought Arsenal would have learned, but no. Good times behind. Very tough times ahead.
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This blogger probably lives in the US and uses that to explain that Arsenal are a huge club. Then they’ll claim that a Tottenham fan is not a real fan if he comes from ‘Stevange’. (I assume he means Stevenage.) I actually love this blog for so many reasons. His blogs about Tottenham are priceless and the only way he can get traffic. An Arsenal ‘fan’ wouldn’t be seen dead on here – it would be too embarrassing to admit you read the non-stop blogs about Tottenham. Throughout this blog I’ve been telling him to give up for his sake; hopefully he keeps going because it’s great to have a good laugh
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