Bids for Cahill and Hazard?

Happy Friday to you all! I actually thought it was Thursday today, but it wasn’t which was a nice surprise. Mainly because it’s one less day to wait before the Arsenal play again!

I don’t know why I’m so bullish about our chances, especially seeing as I will be watching the match with my United and Liverpool supporting brothers. Regardless of that, I’m confident. I don’t know why. I wish I did. Enough gibbering though.

The Champions League draw was yesterday! We got a hard one. Not overly hard, and most certainly not a group where we should be finishing second, but nevertheless there are some hard matches, as one would expect from a Champions League group. I’m still expecting us to come first, but it will be as hard as a Champions League group should be. It will be a sad day for football when trips to Olympiakos, Marseille and Dortmund are considered easy.

Something else from the Udinese match, Arsenal Report have done another fantabulous match report. Something I noticed while I watched the match was that Szczesny quickly released the ball when ever he caught it from a cross/corner. It’s great because it allows us to counter quickly rather than building slowly from the back as we’ve done in recent years.

Let’s talk about transfers then. First things first, reports in France suggest that Lille have rejected a 30m euro bid for Hazard and that Arsenal are set to come back in with 35m euros. Pleasing if true, not sure how true it is though. There’s also Arsenal’s £6m bid for Gary Cahill. People are going absolutely mental over this. Unbelievable. It’s an opening offer, Gary Cahill is worth nowhere near £17m and I will be bitterly disappointed if we pay anywhere near that much in all honesty. I can see it going through at £11/12m. That would probably be a pleasing deal for both sides.

Gary Cahill protects his hair after hearing that Wayne Rooney is around.

In other news, The Mail reckon Wolfsburg are after Tomas Rosicky. I believe I’m right in saying that his agent came out yesterday and dismissed the speculation. Rightly so as well, Rosicky has started the season well in my opinion and rumour has it that the club are looking at offering him a coaching position when he hangs up his boots. Good stuff. Emmanuel Frimpong is also in the papers, not for a twitter war with Piers Morgan but because both England and Ghana want him. As I’ve said before, in fact I said it yesterday, I would prefer him to play for England just because he won’t miss out with the African Cup of Nations.

Talking transfers then, club secretary David Miles says we’ll be working right up to the deadline if there are quality players available for the right price and that we are working on deals.

“I think that you’ll appreciate I can’t exactly give you specifics but certainly everyone is committed.

“If there’s quality players to be brought in I’ve got every faith in Arsene Wenger that he’ll do so.

“As you rightly say we’ve got just under a week. I’ve been involved myself in some last minute transfers so until the window actually closes I think that we’re still open for business.”

Wenger does have something of a penchant for very late deals, it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few days, if we don’t have a centre-half by next Thursday, I’ll be surprised. Daniel Boateng won’t be able to fill in either, because he’s off to Swindon. Just thought I’d slip that in.

I was going to write about some other stuff, but it’s a bit of a slow news day and I’m hungry. Should have a preview for you tomorrow and maybe a pre-match presser or interviews. Follow me @SavageGooner if you don’t already.

Be sure to let me know how much you think Gary Cahill is worth? Is he who you would sign?

Victoria Concordia Crescit – Victory Comes Through Harmony

Eden Hazard engages this football in a battle of wits.