Arsenal signs Park, Santos, Mertesacker, Benayoun and Arteta
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Arsenal set to sign £10m South Korea captain Park from under the noses of Lille
Park, Park, wherever you may be... the striker looks to have snubbed Lille
Arsenal are poised to sign South Korea captain Park Chu-young from under the noses of Lille.
Monaco striker Park is set to undergo a medical in London in the next 24 hours with a view to completing a move that could be worth in the region of £10million.
French champions Lille were convinced they had all but wrapped up a deal for the 26-year-old before Gunners boss Arsene Wenger swooped.
Reports suggested Park had agreed terms with Lille and had completed the first part of a medical but failed to show up for the second part after Wenger came calling.
Lille president Michel Seydoux told BBC Sport: 'We haven't had a telephone call, nothing. From what we understand he could be at Arsenal.'
Skipper: Park (2nd right) has 53 South Korea caps
He added: 'Like Monaco, Lille are baffled,' added Seydoux. 'Everything had been agreed.'
Arsenal have also been linked with Lille's Eden Hazard and it remains to be seen whether their move for Park will have soured their relationship with the French club.
Park, who had previously been linked with Fulham, would become Wenger's fifth summer signing and help offset the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
He scored an own goal in South Korea's 4-1 defeat by Argentina at the last World Cup, but redeemed himself in their next match against Nigeria by scoring a free-kick in a 2-2 draw, a goal which helped his country advance to the last 16.
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Arsenal so desperate liao ah .....................LOL
maybe they'll approach Alexander Duric soon...................LOL
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Arsenal go in for Alex
TARGET ... AlexARSENAL want Chelsea's Brazilian defender Alex.
Desperate Gunners boss Arsene Wenger finally realised he had to act after his depleted side were humiliated 8-2 at Manchester United yesterday.
The Emirates outfit have contacted Chelsea about Alex and the Blues are ready to sell.
Arsenal value him at around £7m but their London rivals want £10m.
Alex, 29, was an unused sub against Norwich on Saturday and is unsure of his future at Stamford Bridge.
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'I won't regret joining Arsenal' - South Korea captain Park Chu-Young to complete £3m move with backing of national team manager
The forward completed the second part of his medical with the Gunners on Sunday and is set to join the club on Monday for an initial fee believed to be in the region of £3 million
Arsenal will complete the signing of South Korea captain Park Chu-Young from Monaco on Monday.
Park passed the second part of his medical at Arsenal's London Colney training ground on Sunday and has agreed personal terms after the Premier League club dramatically stole him from under the noses of French champions Lille on Saturday morning.
The 26-year-old striker arrived at Incheon Airport in Seoul at 07:15 UK time on Monday to prepare for South Korea's World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on Tuesday week and told reporters: "I had to make a decision between Arsenal and Lille. And the decision had to be what I want and won't regret."
Park's move to Arsenal, which will cost an initial fee of around £3 million, has been endorsed by Cho Kwang Rae, the national team manager.
He said: "He [Park] will playing many games in the EPL, he will be able to grow into a better player. It might be helpful for the national team."
It is understood that Arsenal made bigger fee and contract offers than Lille, which was enough to seal the transfer. Park did not show for the second part of his medical on Saturday morning after undergoing the first part on Friday afternoon. Lille officials discovered that his hotel room was empty, with not a word about where he had gone, and tracked him down at the Eurostar terminal, where Park told them he was heading for London to sign for Arsenal.
Park's u-turn has left a sour taste at the French club, who had fully expected to unveil him at the weekend after all but finalising the player's move back to Ligue 1 from Ligue 2, where Monaco were relegated last season.
How long Park will be at Arsenal is unclear, as all able-bodied men in South Korea must begin military service for the country's armed forces before the age of 28. Unless the darling of the national team is excused service, he will have to leave Arsenal in 2013. -
Arsenal should sign Korean singer, Rain.....................
sure can sell tons of jerseys liao......................
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Arsenal land Andre Santos and close on Florent Malouda
GO WITH THE FLO ... Arsenal want MaloudaARSENE WENGER stormed into the transfer market last night as he launched his rebuilding programme..First the embattled Arsenal manager had a £6.2million bid accepted for Brazilian left-back Andre Santos.
Then he lined up an £8million move for Chelsea's French midfielder Florent Malouda.
Wenger is desperate to strengthen his squad after Sunday's humiliating 8-2 defeat at Manchester United.
He has also offered £7m for Chelsea's Brazilian centre-back Alex — as revealed in SunSport yesterday — and is keen on his midfield team-mate Yossi Benayoun.
And with the transfer window closing tomorrow night, he has not given up on Bolton defender Gary Cahill.
The deal has been agreed with Turkish side Fenerbahce for Santos, 28, and will be completed subject to a medical.
Alex has proved his pedigree in England while 25-year-old Cahill — rated at £16m by Bolton — is a top Premier League defender.
JETTING IN ... Samba star SantosMalouda, 31, also has years of experience in the top flight.
Chelsea want £10m for Alex, 29, but the Arsenal board believe they can land their man for less.
QPR have joined Blackburn and Norwich in the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury.
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This Santos guy resembles a former Arsenal brazilian born croatian player, LOL.
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Finally he's buying!!
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Bouncing back: Most Gunners fans believe Arsene Wenger is still the right man to lead the club
Reasons to stay…
Track record
Only Sir Alex Ferguson has won more than Wenger’s three Premier League trophies as manager and if it wasn’t for Manchester United, Arsenal would have dominated the English game between 1997 and 2004 – and that’s before you mention the 'Invincibles.'
Add to that four FA Cups as well as a couple of European finals and you have a manager who has proven time and again the Gunners can compete at the top with him at the helm.
Talent spotter
Vieira, Henry, Fabregas - and that’s just the big hitters. Wenger has brought in many players who were either unknown youngsters or players struggling in their careers and turned them into household names.
When one of his key players does leave, the youth system he can pick from is one of the best in the country.
Bouncing back
Wenger has been written off before and answered straight back to his critics.
Since 2002 and has never failed to finish in the top four – despite pundits in the last few years predicting otherwise.
Even when a prize asset is sold and the squad looks thin, Wenger always finds a way to keep his team battling at the top.
Experience
Having been at the club for 15 years Wenger knows Arsenal inside out. If there is a problem facing him at the Emirates Stadium, the chances are he has seen them before and knows better than anyone else how they can be dealt with.
‘In Arsene we trust’ has been a common theme for a number of years amongst fans, and although Wenger doesn’t always get it right, he is in the best position to try and turn around the club’s fortunes.
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so desperate all the crap also grab....................
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Arsenal swoop for £8million German star Per Mertesacker
STAR ... Per MertesackerARSENAL are close to completing an £8million move for Werder Bremen centre-back Per Metesacker..The Germany international is in London to thrash out terms on an £80,000-a-week deal with the Gunners.
Mertesacke will then undergo a medical and be unveiled as an Arsenal player within the next 24 hours if he gets the all clear.
The 26-year-old is in the German squad for their Euro 2012 qualification game at home to Austria on Friday.
But national boss Joachim Loew has granted him permission to leave the training camp in order to finalise his move to the Emirates Stadium.
Loew said: "Last night I told the player 'I am giving you a free day' and I expect he will come back this evening.
"I know there was a specific offer from a club."
Mertesacker would provide much-needed height and experience at the back, standing at 6ft 6in and boasting 75 international caps.
He started his career at Hannover 96 in 2003 before moving to Bremen in a £4m deal five years ago.
Bremen general manager Klaus Allofs added: "Per has had the wish to join a big European club for some time. Arsenal was always his favourite club."
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Arsenal's new arrivals... ?
Park Chu-Young = initial fee £3 million could be worth £5million - Confirmed
Andre Santos = £6.2million - Confirmed
Per Metesacker = £8 million - Not Confirm
Florent Malouda ?
Yossi Benayoun ?
Alex ?
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Arsenal announce Park capture
Arsenal have announced the signing of South Korea striker Park Chu Young from Monaco, subject to the formal registration processes.
Park has penned what is thought to be an initial two-year contract, amid reports he will be forced to return home in 2013 for a period of military service.
The fee for the 26-year-old is reported to be £3million up front, plus a further potential £2million in add-ons.
The Gunners have signed Park from under the noses of Lille, who were convinced they had reached an agreement for the player to join them on Saturday.
Park's representative, Maurizio Morana, says it was too good an opportunity for his client to pass up when Arsenal made their interest clear.
"We could not imagine what happened. On Friday, Arsenal contacted Monaco to know if an agreement had been found with Lille about a transfer," Morana told France Football.
"As it was not the case, Arsenal started to negotiate, then asked to contact the player.
"Could you imagine how a player from Monaco could refuse such a club?
"As he should come back to his native Korea later in 2013 for military duties, this could be his last contract in Europe.
"When Arsene Wenger directly calls a player and asks him to join Arsenal, it is difficult to refuse."
Morana also rejected suggestions that Park's conduct demonstrated a lack of respect to Lille.
"We are sorry for the Lille officials who acted in a very professional way, but I can't agree when I hear Park has no sense of morals," the agent stated.
"There is no link with moral sense or honour, it is only football."
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They could lose PCY when he returns to Seoul for NS. Maybe that might not be a good buy after all.
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maybe wenger has decided to sign a new team. all adults.
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its all panicked buy from wenger. apart from metasacker the german defender, is santos, park any good?
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Lolx we has 4 Fwd
Park can help in the wing especially helping Arshavin..
Santos? in fen sk , i only knw Lugano, Issar Dia , Guiza
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Whatever it is, these players will do Arsenal no harm... In fact, I think they will be good for Wenger...
I feel that the present Arsenal squad isn't totally bad, they are actually rather good but the timing of injuries and suspension are the real cause of their current plight... Once these players like Kieran Gibbs, Sagna, Vermaelen, Abou Diaby, Alex Song, Jack Wilshere & Gervinho comes back plus the new additions like Per Metesacker, Andre Santos, Park Chu-Young and what else before dateline, we can see their true strenght... Liverpool better watch out cos they can still catch them for 4th place...
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Latest new is Arsenal's target Lille's Eden Hazard rated at £37m by his club has handed in a transfer request... So Wenger could get a real gem of a player after all...
Only hope is Chelsea who seems to be getting no where with the Modric deal don't come in and steal him off them again like with Mata...
All will be know by tomorrow 6am...
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arsenal should bid for parker, 8m for a 30 year old england international not bad, can play at the top level for at least 2 seasons. they should also bid for Jagielka, bid 12m, not the derisory 6m for cahill. its not as if they do not have the money.
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Wenger's yes to Yossi as Arsenal move in for Chelsea misfit Benayoun
Gunner go: Arsenal are ready to ramp up their interest in Chelsea playmaker Yossi Benayoun
On the move: Blues boss Andre-Villas-Boas is prepared to let Benayoun leave the club
Arsenal have ramped up their attempts to sign Yossi Benayoun from Chelsea ahead of tonight's transfer deadline.
Sportsmail revealed yesterday how the Gunners had held preliminary talks with the Blues over a shock move for the playmaker.
And the north London club have stepped up their interest today as Arsene Wenger looks to add more creativity to his midfield after the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
The clubs have held more talks over a move today as Arsenal look to add to the squad that were humiliated 8-2 at Manchester United last Sunday.
Benayoun has been told he can find a new club by Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas.
The Gunners, meanwhile, have completed the signing of Brazilian full-back Andre Santos from Fenerbache.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
arsenal should bid for parker, 8m for a 30 year old england international not bad, can play at the top level for at least 2 seasons. they should also bid for Jagielka, bid 12m, not the derisory 6m for cahill. its not as if they do not have the money.
i would rather bid them for 2M and 5M each
rather than spend wasteful $$ 8m and 12M
like that bid Rodwell for 12M should be all right -
Originally posted by Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1):
i would rather bid them for 2M and 5M each
rather than spend wasteful $$ 8m and 12M
like that bid Rodwell for 12M should be all right
8m for an england international, who can still play for 2 seasons at the top level not bad. he is english, no need to adapt to EPL playing style, as is Jageilka. maybe 10m for him. how old is he anyway? 28 rite? rodwell not bad, can bid for him for 15m. what if he turns out to be a gem, u never know. -
I think it's confirm he has joint Spurs for £5m liao... A good bit of business from Spurs I guess...
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Wenger welcomes Santos and Mertesacker as defenders complete moves to Arsenal
Over the moon: Andre Santos is delighted to have joined Arsenal
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is relishing the chance to unleash Andre Santos on the Premier League after the left-back completed his £6.2million move from Fenerbahce.
Santos has signed a four-year deal with the Gunners worth around £40,000 a week.
Wenger, who has also completed the signing of Germany defender Per Mertesacker, said: 'Santos is a quality player, with the ability to both defend well and get forward and help with attacks.
'He has experience in the Champions League and for Brazil and has proven he can deliver at the highest level.
'We welcome Santos to the club and look forward to him having a big impact for us.'
The 28-year-old former Corinthians defender will wear No 11 for Arsenal with A Santos on the back of his shirt.
Centre-back Mertesacker completed a medical and agreed personal terms on an £8m move but is heading straight back to rejoin the Germany squad for their clash with Austria on Friday.
A club statement read: 'Arsenal has confirmed they have agreed terms with Werder Bremen to sign German international defender Per Mertesacker.
'The deal is subject to the completion of formal registration processes.'
Wenger has been busy in the final days of the transfer window, having brought in South Korea captain Park Chu-young from Monaco.
The Arsenal manager is also expected to add at least one more new signing ahead of the deadline.
With Scott Dann's imminent move to Blackburn, reports have suggested Christopher Samba could be set for a transfer to Arsenal, who appear to have cooled interest in Bolton's England centre-half Gary Cahill.
Wenger is also keen to strengthen the midfield, being linked with Everton duo Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta along with Edin Hazard of Lille, CSKA Moscow's Japan international playmaker Keisuke Honda and Yann M'Vila at Rennes.
