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Sunday, June 07, 2009

Arsenal agree fee with Ajax but talks over Vermaelen’s personal terms stalled


By 1970’s Gooner

It seems that Arsene Wenger is not going to let any transfers he might plan for Arsenal this season take too much time.

He probably wants all new players to be ready for pre season training on the 5th of July so that they can get accustomed to their new surroundings and colleagues.

As we revealed a few days ago interest over bringing Bosnian hit man Edin Dzeko to the Emirates has already been lodged.

Now Wenger’s interest has turned to bolstering the defence and to 23 year old Belgian central defender Thomas Vermaelen who plays for Ajax.

We can reveal that Ajax and Arsenal have already reached an agreement over the transfer after a meeting held last Wednesday in London.

Ajax’s commercial director Henri van der Aat and financial director, Jeroen Slop, traveled to London for talks and agreed a fee of €13m (£11.5m).

They also gave Arsenal permission to open negotiations with the player.

However we can reveal that the player’s agent, ex Danish star (of the 70’s and 80’s) Soren Lerby through his company, Essel Sport Managements, has rejected Arsenal’s financial offer which was included in a proposed four year contract.

The two sides will meet again to iron out personal terms but it is felt that a solution will be reached one way or another.

Vermaelen is not that tall for a central defender, 5 ft 11in (1.80m) and if the deal goes through he will be the shortest one in the squad!

Compare him to Toure who is 6ft (1.83m), Gallas who is also 6ft, Djourou at a mighty 6 ft 31⁄2 in (1.92 m) and Song 6ft 1 in (1.85m)


Thomas Vermaelen

Date of birth: November 14, 1985 (age 23)

Place of birth: Kapellen, Belgium

Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

Playing position: Central Defender

Current club: Ajax

Number: 4

Youth career:

1999 Germinal Ekeren
1999-2003 Germinal Beerschot

Senior career

2003-Ajax 1 apps (0gls)

2004-2005 → RKC Waalwijk (loan) 13 apps (2gls)
2005- Ajax 51 apps (5gls)

National teams

2005-2006 Belgium U21 0 apps (0gls)
2006- Belgium 21 apps (0gls)



34 comments:

_the_gr8_one_ said...

this is gona drag on isn't it?? is the interest in dseko really concrete or is it to get a higher salary or to sell papers??

Anonymous said...

PEOPLE VERMAELEN IS TALLER THAN SONG GALLAS AND TOURE. HES THE SAME HEIGHT AS HUNTELAAR.

TOURE IS 5FT10
Gallas is 6ft
song is 6ft

Watch clips of him playin for ajax hes definitely taller than toure, gallas and song

Anonymous said...

i think this signing is the first of two defenders that wenger will look to sign this season. i think the other may be the one tony adams was referin to. although we cant be sure, the ever-reliable british media have found the hidden seria A defender that adams had identified. he is a younger tall defender called christian zapata. last year wenger had a 9.5m offer turned down but its believed that 9m could secure his services. he is tall, strong and quick and one of the most highly rated young defenders in europe

Anonymous said...

Zapata is 6ft 1 hes not really tall. We need to go for someone like haangeland, chiellini, juhasz

Anonymous said...

Dont worry about him being short... ayala was a short defender for argentina and valencia, but he was a decent defender.

So do not judge him just because he is 1.80m. We must look at his other attributes. What if he can jump higher than others? What if his reading of the game and anticipating the opponent's next move is second to none? What if he is able to deal with torres and drogba more effectively than gallas and toure?

We shall see if he is worth the buy when the pre-season sets in, especially in the barcelona game that we have.

I trust wenger and I believe that this guy is good. I also believe that this is only one of the first defender that is coming in. I do not believe in wenger wanting to put song in defence. Song will remain in the DM role. Wenger would also bring in another DM to provide competition for Denilson and Song, as well as a mentor for both of them.

Needless to say, I foresee some arsenal players leaving. Adebayor and Diaby should leave arsenal. In defence, I think Gallas might leave if wenger brings in another defender on top of Vermaelen. I dont want gallas to leave, silvestre should be the one leaving.

Adebayor in the end might not leave arsenal at all, and may actually still be around. However, RvP might leave arsenal after inter tabled a 25 million pound bid for him. Sell RvP and get Dzeko. With Eduardo, Arshavin and Dzeko, I am sure arsenal would not miss RvP one bit. Furthermore if adebayor is still around, we have ade, nikky, vela and walcott as well.

Regarding the defensive midfielder role, I would really like to see Yaya toure come to arsenal and be reunited with Kolo toure. Yaya can be our invisible wall, our powerhouse in the midfield. Further more he is tall and can play in defence as well. With Yaya toure in midfield, we can deal with high balls with much greater efficiency during corner and set pieces.

With a defence of toure, gallas, vermaelen, djourou and probably zapata, i dont see why we cannot win things next season.

In midfield with yaya toure, song and denilson providing the defensive role, and our attacking talents, there is no reason, why we should be afraid of chelsea, pool and united.

I think the talent is there in the squad. We just need a couple of new faces and get rid of some under-performing guys like diaby and our squad is ready to fight. These guys lack confidence at times, and i hope wenger instil confidence in them over the summer and next season, we must start strong. No more loses to city, fulham, hull, and rubbish teams.

Anonymous said...

THis guy jumps like a salmon, so no worries. What is you source, writer?

Anonymous said...

Denilson will be the DM next year unless we sign someone who is top top class.

We saw how badly we missed Denilson in the CL games against United and the PL game against Chelsea, he then came in the PL game against Man Utd and we played a lot better.

This should be a good signing, I am not a big fan of just getting a defender because of his height, we need players who can play the high line as wella s defend properly, that has been Toure's problem this season - average.

Anonymous said...

He is not what we need, we need a big powerfull defender he can deal with Torres, Drogba and Rooney. We should get Zapata or vhiellini instead of him. Then get Yaya Toure and Dzeko

FCdeMatthew said...

We have a very tall guy in our squad (Ade), how good is his heading?

Hirvesh said...

I think for the DM position, we might get Sennna (aged 32). Villareal's manager's out, he might not feel secure about his future @ that team, without the manager with whom he's played for years.

He's the perfect age and will b a good mentor for song and denilson

plenty of experience and will be able to step down in a few years when song/any other DM might be ready.

Anonymous said...

"He is not what we need, we need a big powerfull defender he can deal with Torres, Drogba and Rooney. We should get Zapata or vhiellini instead of him. Then get Yaya Toure and Dzeko"

How many defenders, however tall, can keep Drogba at bay, because I am sure than Hangeland, Chielling and Zapata would not have him in their pockets.

ace said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ace said...

Carles Puyol-1.78 m,Gabriel Milito- 1.79 m,Rafael Márquez-1.80 m...... Barsa is champion with one of the best defence.

Anonymous said...

Forget Denilson, he played in the semi final against the Chavs and he was dire, he also played in the 4-4 against the Scousers and was dire, he isn't the solution,If he had played aginst Manure, he would have made no diference, I have nothing against him, but he is not our answer to a DM, at the best play him in the cups, we need players to justify their position, look at Gibbs and Clichy, that's how it should be, we need plallyers fighting for positions not just turning up and getting a starting line-up

Anonymous said...

Zapata (Udinese) is a top, top talent could be an outstanding addition - just have a look at him yesterday against Argentina...

Why are we paying so much for Varmaelen? Most/all Ajax fans think they are pulling one over on us...

Hopefully, we still do buy another top defender like Zapata, Bruno Alves (Porto) or Dmytro Chyhrynsky (Shaktar Donetsk).

Anonymous said...

Yes Denilson was absolutely terrible against Liverpool in the 4-4 and in the loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup.

He was dropped from the squad for good reason. United, in the words of Wenger, played with the handbrake on in the league match only needing a point to effectively win the league...

More importantly Denilson cannot partner Cesc. Fabregas needs someone to take the work load off him and get around the pitch - that's not Denilson, who should be considered Cesc's back-up.

Joshwaaaaaaaaaa said...

This could very easily be bullshit, so could you please reveal your sources for this article please.

ace said...

you are beter then wenger :D

_the_gr8_one_ said...

yooo guys, u read the setanta transfer article thingy where they say they got an exclusive arsenal announcement 2moro and its NOT about Vermaelen!! best be good!! cud be a signing, cud be adebayor leavin!! good times...

Anonymous said...

oh man it doesn't matter who comes in the fans will still complain. Some say get a giant defend while others will say he's to big and slow. The others say buy Vermaelen while the other say he's to short and haven't even seen the boy play football yet. He's like 6'1 and he's height has nothing to do with his power or how high he jump belief me.

Spike said...

the gr8 1;

What setanta statement is that then fella? Where you seen it?

Ive got no idea how much there is to these Vermaellen stories. They all seem to have been started by tabloids over here and now the tabloids over here are quotin Belgian media, who in turn were quotin the english rags!!!

Anonymous said...

where is the article on setanta? couldn't see anything myself.

_the_gr8_one_ said...

the setanta bit is in the live transfer blog that they have.

Anonymous said...

i hold this site's transfer rumours in highest regard. you were the only credible source i have gotten for the arshavin and nasri saga. No messing around and spouting of silly rumours. So if the dzeko and vermaelan transfers is being made official, i for one will be very very happy. buy a new strong dm in there and we are on our way!!!

Hirvesh said...

From Setanta:

"Maybe I could pretend to be Martin Samuel and trick someone into giving it up, but Mr Zahavi is probably too important for the likes of me. However I do have two other exclusives lined up for tommorrow, one relevant to Arsenal and one to United, so make sure you are on the site in the morning!"

Anonymous said...

Can confirm the setanta link, read it myself this morning. But it comes from a belgian source/website, translated into english...., so take it how you wish!!

I'd like to see somebody taller than 5ftNothing.

_the_gr8_one_ said...

well the man utd exlusive is that they've signed Yohann Pele but no idea on wat the arsenal one is, cud be van persie signin a new deal??

Spike said...

United signed Pele? Really? Why? Thats a weird one.

_the_gr8_one_ said...

yup they're groomin him to take over from van der saar, bordeaux have pulled out coz they think he's all but gone to united

Anonymous said...

No sources, no credibility.

Anonymous said...

For fuck's sake, why do people think height is everythinig in a defender. If you position yourself correctly and can jump well then height can become negatable. In fact if a defender can adapt to cover his physical constraints then he's much better than someone like Haangeland for example.

Do you honestly think Haangeland can deal with Drogba or Torres? They'd both destroy him for pace, especially in the high line that we defend in. If you want a tall defender how about we bring Senderos back or play Djourou.

If at all true, £11.5m seems a bit much for a defender. Ah well, I'd just suggest not assuming we're gonna be being Dzeko, Zapata, Vermaelen and Yaya Toure like Anon 2:59 (why the hell would Toure leave the best club in the world where he's first choice for a club that hasn't won anything in four years) 'cos you'll likely end up disappointed.

Anonymous said...

Some people just say things without reason. They think that the transfer window in the real world is same with that of championship manager. How in your dreams do you think yaya would leave barca for arsenal..and at what price do you think barca would place him... to all those that say sign yaya..are you guys all drunk ???

goonerlad said...

This guy Vermaelan would be a welcome addition to Arsenal if he finally comes.

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