Vermaelen on his way to Arsenal + a couple Felipe Melo videos

Greetings all and welcome to another thrilling post at the Arsenal FC Blog. Why is it thrilling, you ask? Well, for two reasons, I answer. One, it’s full of transfery goodness and two, I’ve had a couple of beers. Huzzah!

There’s no better place to start than with Thomas Vermaelen, who right about now should be making his way to an airport in Amsterdam to catch a short flight over to London and complete a medical with our beloved Arsenal Football Club. I broke the news of this yesterday but for those who missed it, Vermaelen’s signing is likely to be confirmed over the weekend and judging from these comments, he couldn’t be happier.

I’ll be sure to break any official word from the club on the transfer of Vermaelen over the weekend and you can keep in touch with me on the blog or via Twitter or Facebook.

Another transfer target who is much further off penning a deal with us is Felipe Melo. I mentioned yesterday that the Fiorentina midfielder has been linked with Arsenal and he played and scored for Brazil in their 3-0 Confederations Cup win over the USA. Melo opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a powerful header and put in a very decent all-round performance for his country.

You can check out a video of Melo’s header here, as well as another video highlighting his passing and positioning  skills playing against Juventus last season. He remains a speculative link, but I have to say the more I see and read about him the more enticing a prospect he appears. Plus, he wears Number 88. How cool is that!

I’ll be following Melo’s progress throughout the final three games of the Confederations Cup (there’s no way Brazil won’t make the final) so stay tuned for further updates.

Theo Walcott bounced back from the rejection of being dropped for England’s U21 Championship game against Spain by coming off the bench to provide an excellent assist for their second goal in his country’s 2-0 win. It was an illustration the simple yet effective impact his sheer pace can have on a game of football and I’d be very surprised if Stuart Pearce left him out of the side as they progress further in the tournament. Just as a side note, Kieran Gibbs was also involved, playing the full 90 minutes at left-back.

Anyway, that’s really it for today. As I mentioned earlier I’ll be posting any Vermaelen-related news over the course of the weekend and, assuming the transfer goes through, providing a fairly detailed analysis of what it means for the club on Monday.

Bye for now, and be sure to enjoy your weekend!

Have your say on Vermaelen, Felipe Melo or Theo Walcott by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. i wish the guy from ajax all the best,as for melo,i think signing him will great,his proven a DM in a very tough league like italian calcio

  2. Disturbing fact: did you know that number 88 is a number often used by neo-nazis?

    the 8th letter of the alphabet is an 8. 88 is HH, or “Heil Hitler”. I’m not suggesting that many present day footballers know about this and even less so when they are not white/European, but it should still be mentioned.

  3. hadareud
    think you are on the wrong site son this is for football related topics not for extremists to post up outrageous opinions. get a grip this world is going mad,m enjoy the fact that the beautiful game can be played by everyone regardless of clour creed, race & religion. If neo-nazis want to use the number 88 so what, dont muslim extremists like the odd number 9/11 7/7, etc. The important thing is that people should not use sport as qa method to promote propaganda, so stop stirring it up, please there you are please just to show that I am reasonable.

  4. Melo is getting too much attention at the confed cup, we must act quickly and scoop him before the Madrids take notice.

  5. the best we can have right now is to sign player like melo,infact am over exicted.till i see how its goes.Thank God is friday.

  6. yap.. nice news.. but for surely it has not been confirmed yet. Just romours.. but for me if this romours are true… it’ll be great for Arsenal!

  7. It is farcical that whilst the rest of us are going through a recession and struggling to make ends meet, football transfer fees and wages are going through the roof. I read an article the other day which said football clubs’ takings have gone up 26% over the past year and wages up by an average of 23% (or may have been vice-versa, can’t remember). This is a ridiculous state of affairs. However, it is up to us as the fans to do something about it. The number of times I read people on here having snidey little digs at each other for not going to the game is ridiculous. The point is, the premiership “Sugar Daddies” (Man City included) are not in it for the good of the club. Whilst they will shell out an initial outlay to improve the team, eventually they are businessmen and are going to want to see a profit. The whole thing creates a vicious circle. The top players keep demanding more and more money, which results in the clubs paying it to keep themselves at the top or to catch up. This leads to demands getting higher year on year. The clubs have to make the money back from somewhere, so there goes another couple of quid on ticket prices, 50p on your half-time pint. Whilst the fans keep paying it, the clubs will keep increasing prices and whilst the clubs keep paying more, players will keep demanding more. That’s the market economy for you. The only way we can do anything about it is to refuse to pay these prices until they get the message. A lot of people say “what’s a couple of quid more, it’s one less pint before the game”. Some people are at the stage where they can’t afford to buy a pint before the game. Soon it will be they can’t afford to go full stop. But clubs and players will keep on and on pushing that barrier. It’s simple elasticity of demand. Players will keep demanding bigger sums until the clubs simply are not…. willing to pay those sums anymore. Hence clubs will keep increasing their prices until it gets to the stage that the fans aren’t willing to go anymore. Using subtle tricks like Glazer’s mandatory cup ticket scheme along the way. At that point, we’ll have reached the stage where the working man is priced out and most of the tickets go to corporate idiots with more money than sense anyway. Unfortunately, the football fan as a captive audience is sowing the seeds of his own downfall. If we don’t like how this thing is going, it’s up to us to stop it by saying enough is enough. I have been offered a season ticket at O.T. but am not prepared to commit such a large sum of money with probably more to follow. I go to about 8-9 games a season usually, always ensuring it is within my means and never buy anything from the ground/megastore except the very occasional half time beer. I will cheer the team to the rafters when I am there, however, am not willing to have the p*** taken out of me. Unfortunately, it’s one of those strange contradictions that the real fans, the ones who have the most right to moan about the players and clubs taking it over wages and salaries, are the ones who are basically helping to perpetuate

  8. @SF
    Thanks for the videos, the guy looks amazing, well taken goal and he has a good range of passing. Would be ideal with him the DMC role which would free Cesc, also with his passing to the wings and the pace of Theo we may even score some goals.

  9. Dutch footballers, Ajax footballers – very few of ’em are duds and Vermaelen looks comfortable on the ball.

    Ajax have not exactly had a great season so I am pleased we have got him early and can get to work over the Summer in integratig him into the defensive system

  10. If Vermaelen is the Defensive stopper we need (I assume thats why he has signed…) then I see one of Kolo or Gallas out. Does that mean Song becomes the primary backup at CB? Or is there another signing on the way? Also NO Chamakh please. Sell Ade and bring in someone with some talent. Dzeko would be ideal if not Benzema or maybe Santa Cruz

  11. WOW! Parsi has a economic enclined mind, yeah lets mix economics and football then we gonna have a rational game! Why have afew chaps made rich by ridiculous wages? We the funs suffer soon we wont afford the gate charges to a match! Viva the arsenal policy! melo would be great please sign him!

    gunners for life!

  12. please,my lovely manager, with due respect we need more espirience players in arsenal to make us happy,at list for one season. we need to win trophy if not this season.

  13. i think melo is not bad….he is young and decent in midfield but can any body tell me about his pace??? spanishfrey….i know you will say something about that.

  14. I want wenger to sell adebayo and use d money to buy better striker & he should try and buy experience denfensive midfieder like alonso,veloso.

  15. Yeah Vermaelen should sign over the weekeend due to him passing his medical and I must say I have very much welcomed and warmed to this signing, so if we dont get him, I will be a little dissappointed.

    @SF – How old is Melo, seems like he heard your praises from him and got himself noticed with that goal! However Brazil may not make the final as they could face Spain in the semis.

  16. I hope Vermaelen is what we need. I’ve not seen him play so I can’t really judge, but that still doesn’t keep me from being pessimistic.

  17. Am sure next season will be fine if the Professor makes a better use of the summer by procuring the sort of players that will make arsenal fans proud.Vermaelen,Melo,Inler,Bassong may be possible acquisition if their prices are right the arsenal way.We are waiting and watching.up gunners.

  18. Am really impress about what i see of Melo and Vermaelen.They will do very well playing for arsenal and with both silver wares will start streaming in.Question is will arsene wenger bid for them?

  19. if kolo leaves and also sylvestre(i hope), we should also sign Hangeland. And, i don’t know much about melo, saw him score last match, but i don’t know if he can terrorize others like Cana does. I wish we get CANA, he is the real deal. Every team playing against him shit in their pants!I hear we are close to sighing Chamakh.But,Goran pandev is available so why go for Chamakh. Pandev’s price is i think close to Chamakhs’.

  20. watching Melo play for Brazil, I belive he will give us the very best in the Midfield which us given us problems since the departure of Gilberto and Flamini. As for vermaelene, I believe we’ve already aquired his services and only time will tell how the guy is going to be.

  21. I would like to say hello to all arsenal fans and thereafter to complimenting by saying so much thanks to you all in your consern.especially through your good comments towards arsenal fc.
    For my side am not familia with that two players just as it was to arshavin but it is my hop that they will be good too.trying to rebuild arsenal again and am sure we will be more in soccermap 100 times becouse it’s also my hope that even rosisky,clich,edwado will be back again to make arsenal as brilliant as it was three years ago.
    But i have a question my dear arsenal fans in which position will they play in our team.

    Am timothy from dodoma university tanzania

  22. I have nothing to comment,but really iwant only to say that i love that two players that is melo and thomas vermaelen and ilove arsenal too.with them everything will be orlight.

    Am bubelwa timothy from UDOM TANZANIA

  23. Would still like us to keep bischoff as we have offered him a free ride out and I’m no professor but if we want melo swap senderos and bischoff to fiorentina? They would have 2 players for the price of 1 how smart am I.

  24. Hi cordinator,good that we are having Ajax guy and to add mello will be great thing for Arsenal and please,no to Kolo toure exit,thanks.

  25. i want wanger to bring in melo and at list one striker into the club so that we know that we are pefect and good for any thing

  26. MELO MELO MELO…we will pay you to be in a team that will challenge for the title of the best league in the world and all you will have to do week in, week out is sit in front of the back four and release it any of the guys in front of you. Oh, and go up for corners (if you want). That’s it. NOTHING MORE!!!!

  27. Well Vermaelen is in, so no more, (if we get hims) bcoz he is now a gunner. Looks the deal, only time will tell though. Next up Melo, everyone seems to be keen on this guy, I myself have not seen enough of him to judge however the majority would love Melo to sign so im going to take it as a positive thing if we get him. Someone mentioned swapping AdeMoney for Pato. I would very much welcome the switch however I would prefer Flamini in the deal. But if we sign Melo, and then we get Flamini would it be good??

  28. Adebayor for Pato? Id obbviously LOVE it but I dont think its too ealistic. If Milan get rid of Pato after Kaka they will have a revolt to deal with

  29. just checked the arsenal website and he,s grinning like a cheshire cat in the new away kit welcome to the arsenal thomas vermaelen.

  30. great to see us active early in the transfer market fo a change….delighted to get vermaelen altho iv honestly seen little of him its refreshing to hear an incoming player reveal his delight and excitement at joining the club…..melo looks a prospect but fear his exploits in the conf cup wil inflate his value to more than le prof wud be willing to pay….fingers crossed tho as the boy can find a long range pass at his ease.
    as for outgoings would like to see ade 20m
    senderos 8m
    eboue 6m
    sylvestre pack of crisps
    diaby 6m
    dat would be some return for players who dnt fit the mould id even let gallas go for 7m any1 agree

  31. Great post SF,loved the melo video,IMO,if we really want to win something,anything,this is the answer,get this guy,loved how he tackles,observe how he turns defence to attack,distribution to the wing players,and striker,i hope i´m not overacting over melo,but i like what i´ve seen,and as he´s playing for brazil at the confed cup,we all have a chance to see him play,but for me,am in, he´s the man for the job.I´ll say all hands on deck,pull all the stunts and lets sign him. Also,if i had to choose between toure and gallas, then toure gets my vote,he is arsenal tru and true,understands how we play,cause frankly,he´s been there longer than gallas,and not to forget, the very last of the invincibles,gallas on the other hand is a former blue boy,is older than toure,criticizes his teammates,( like roy keane, and like roy keane,should be cut loose)and frankly he´s a good solid player,but a devisive factor in the team,and we don´t need such distractions next season.Get melo,that the deal,and we´ll be contenders next season.What´s the R:V:P situation,anyone?

  32. At arsenal,we do not sign world class players,we make world class players.GOOOOOO GUNNERS. Arsenal 4 life.

  33. The debate is finally over. Vermy is 6ft tall, he is not short. Now if we can get our hands on a quality DM then we’ll be very strong for next season.

  34. We won’t be getting pato as he wants to go to chelscum with ancelotti as his father figure like wenger/fabregas. Man citeh are now throwing us 12 mill for toure and as much as I love him we really need a good cb in jan with the other top 3 in a row when all of our african players are at the acn. That is another reason why we need a cm and striker but the striker could also be walcott as ro-sicky back with nasri, vela, eboue and arsharvin on the wings would be enough as they are all good enough to play there. Would still love flamster swapped for ade if we don’t get melo.

  35. good news to see weve started early n the transfer market i have not seen Vermaelen play myself tho there has been mixed reports i belive there is a lot of positives with this signing ! now we need shot of sylvest and sendros and keep the rest of defence well be doing well.

    as for our midfield theres been talk of cana , yaya and melo
    i cant see yaya leaving barca and if i had to choose between melo and cana imo i would def have cana as for players like theo, denlison ,diaby, rosisky benntder ect will have a lot to prove next year if ere gona win a thing

  36. Woo hoo! We signed a defender. I can start breathing a little easier. Especially as, as we know, The Great Man rarely buys a dud so he shud be gud. I like the fact that he was the Ajax Captain because that suggests he’s got balls which is what we need + of course Ajax are a footballing side so he’ll fit in well with the Arsenal way. I like the way he looks in the fotos on the Arsenal website. Cocky. Confident. Slick. I like it. I like it.
    Sorry to be greedy but we need another defensive minded player now, Arsene. Then we can get rid of Bobblehead and Diaby, give Denilson a bit of a break. Allow Song to grow by using him more sparingly. Keep Kolo and Gallas – we need, and in Kolo’s case want them both.
    I love it when a plan comes together…

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