The news of Blackburn Rovers defender Chris Samba inching towards a move to Arsenal broke in quite a time ago but the deal seems to have struck a roadblock . The same happened in the winter transfer market when Arsenal were in dire need for a good Premiership defender. They made an approach as was confirmed by the player himself but it wasn’t something concrete.
This seems like a familiar story for Arsenal fans with rumors linking players with the club constantly and then poof, someone else signs the player or perhaps the player’s market price is wee bit higher than what Arsenal offered at the 11th hour! Ultimately, the supporters are left high and dry. The transfer saga of Mark Schwarzer last summer where a minor amount of money made a major difference, or perhaps Phil Jones this time when Arsenal were shunned out of the bidding war by Liverpool and Manchester United, and to an certain extent Brad Freidel (though a very vague one) the list is long where a minor hiccup turns out to be a deal breaker for the Gunners.
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In the current case of Chris Samba, the deal seemed to be making headway until it was discovered that the price seemed to be a deterrent and now Blackburn seem like a tough nut to crack. Samba was seen as a defender with the perfect mix of experience and steel required at the back that has been long missing for Arsenal. With the recent comments of Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean, it seems like the Rovers won’t budge with the price tag as he clearly stated ” We don’t have to sell him(samba). He (samba)signed a five-year contract in the last window. He’s one of the players we would like keep. “
Arsenal are in dire need to inject some heavyweights into their squad and must ideally be securing deals that may cost them a few millions but are useful for the squad. The whole idea of Wenger developing players and making them world beaters seems a bit too far-fetched in this world of mega rich clubs where even the team which is believed to have the best youth system (i.e Barcelona) have had to buy players from outside to give themselves an edge against heavy spending rivals such as Real Madrid. Barcelona spent 60 odd million on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 30 million on Dani Alves and 40 million on David Villa ( notable mentioning Dymytro Chygrynsky who was bought for 25 million ) to give themselves a cutting edge over their rivals, and boy it has paid off!
Teams need a core that has players who are developed at the club, but those players are not always able to fulfill what is expected of them. Some times, you have to give up your philosophies, be realistic and look away from the system. Wenger has been criticized of being too stubborn in his philosophies, but this season it looks like he will incorporate a few experienced players in his team. But the way the club is conducting negotiations, it seems it will be tough summer, a summer full of haggling and bargains and players asking for a better pay cheque and holding the club to ransom.
Another bad news on the defensive acquisition list for Arsenal is that Gary Cahill, another target for the Gunners doesn’t look like getting anywhere regarding a transfer as Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has maintained that a hefty amount would be needed to take his prized asset away. On more bad news, Arsenal are set to lose out on Gael Clichy who has been linked with a move to Rome but may also be heading back to his homeland with PSG having interest in the left back. With negotiations for big buys making little headway and experienced players on the exit, Arsenal are in for tough times
