by Rachid Parchment
According to The Daily Mail and FourFourTwo.com, Arsenal are one of a host of clubs keeping close tabs on SS Lazio’s 25 year old Macedonian striker Goran Pandev. Pandev has made it clear that he’s ready leave Lazio because he feels the need to test himself in another team as he’s grown too accustomed to life at Stadio Olimpico. In an interview with Sky Italia, Pandev said:
“My cycle with Lazio is over. I want to find other motivations and go and play for another team. I have spoken to (club president Claudio) Lotito and I explained to him the situation.”
His agent, Leonardo Corsi said Lazio have valued Pandev at around £17,000,000 but he could be had for around £13,500,000 because of a friendly relationship between Pandev and Lazio. According to Corsi:
“They retain a very good relationship and mutual respect, as has always been the case. For our part, the decision is not based on economic reasons…He wants a change and to test himself in a fresh environment after growing comfortable in his many years at this one particular club.”
If this rumour (as that’s all it is at the moment – a rumour) is true then it would point to Adebayor leaving and/or possibly Robin van Persie going as well, since he hasn’t signed a new contract yet and Inter have revealed their interest in him.
I would be elated that we’re going after a player like this. He’s the type of player we’ve missed since Thierry Henry left us two years ago. He’s very quick, he’s a very good finisher and he has bags of technique.
We’ve been linked to other strikers in the last few weeks such as Edin Dzeko and Mario Gomez but I don’t think they fit the bill of the striker we need, if we’re indeed looking to buy a striker. From the many games I’ve seen of both players they’re strikers who rely on a playmaker to support them while they latch unto any balls provided by that playmaker and provide a finish. I’m not suggesting that anything’s wrong with that but what about days when Wenger insists on playing Abou Diaby and he struggles to make any impact on games whatsoever and doesn’t provide our strikers with the ball? Remember how isolated Adebayor was up top against Chelsea at Wembley a couple months ago? With a striker like Dzeko or Gomez in the squad I could see that happening again on days when our midfield has off performances. If we had Pandev, we would have a player that would link up very well with the midfield but someone that could also create his own goal if needs be.
Since Thierry Henry left us we’ve lost that type of player that can run a long distance and take on 3 or 4 defenders and beating them before finding the back of the net. We’ve also been missing a lot of highlight reel quality goals. We’ve been scoring a lot of team efforts lately and while nothing’s wrong with that, it’s become a bit boring to watch. Arsene Wenger himself said it’s necessary in football to have an entertainment factor since the fans are paying their money weekly to watch games. So with that said, we need to have a striker that will provide some entertaining goals like Henry did and not always score the typical pass, pass, pass, tap in goals that we’ve become so accustomed to now. Goran Pandev definitely fits that bill.
What we have to consider if we do sign Pandev though, is the effect it will have on Jay Simpson returning to the squad. As I’ve said in a previous blog, I think Jay Simpson is a very talented young striker and it would be a shame to see him return to the club and then have to go out on loan for another season. Would signing Pandev mean Simpson still wouldn’t have a space in the team or is it that Arsene Wenger knows something we don’t? Is it that Wenger is anticipating both Adebayor and van Persie leaving, if in fact this rumour about us being interested in Goran Pandev is true? Let me know what you think in the comments section…
Or join our forums and we can have a further discussion about it at arsenalaction.com
Finally, here’s Pandev at his very best.
Until next time.
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Good player. Not needed unless van Persie is leaving though.
Better to keep Robin, he is the better footballer.
By the way if Pandev were to arrive it would mean that Vela would have even fewer opportunities. And Theo needs some more matches as a striker as well, so it has an impact far beyond Simpson, who is likely to be sold or go back out on loan.
This is the best player Arsenal can buy !!! I’m from Macedonia and I know how GREAT player he is…plus,he is verry loyal to the team where he is playing (like Ade…hmmm I don’t think so)….I’m very happy that my favourite team will sign my farourite footbaler
MACEDONIA and PANDEV forever !!!
baze there’s nothing to suggest arsenal are signing pandev…
strikes me that RVP eduardo vela walcott arshavin simpson are in the pipeline for the position pandev would play…
RVP won’t leave and pandev would never replace ade, different role.
Arsenal tried to sign him about two years ago, well he claimed it at the time
I think this is a knee-jerk reaction to all the rumours. There’s nothing I’ve seen from Pandev that suggests he’s better than what we have, and especially at that price. Team goals are boring now? Please…
he is good but vela eduardo and van persie just as good if not better. even if van persie go, i still think vela and eduardo could step up and score goals for arsenal.
Id rather have Pandev instead of Van Persie
IF we sell Ade this is the guy to get. I feel Bendtner will take on Ade’s position with ease but Pandev, RVP, Eduardo, Arhsavin and Bendtner could do the job. I would reluctantly loan Vela for experience in the EPL.
Pandev instead of Van PErsie???? What the fuck are you saying? Van Persie just scored 20 goals had 15 assists and hit the post 16 times. Put 10 of the 16 in the goal and he has 30 goals with 15 assists. All this during a transition stage for the team, midfield injuries, lack of continuity as well as having to play with a team that couldn’t defend for spells. As well as playing with new players…. Arshavin, NASRI and even the likes of Denilson and Song who were having their first full season.
We need pandev, the likes of vela simpson are not experience & incostitent however ade is not sharp, also depend on midfielders and incostitent in front of goal. Only RVP and eduardo are up to the task therefore we need him, dzeko is also good, in as much walcot is a winger he can’t be benched.
Didn’t you hear that van Persie might be off to Inter? I think this blog addressed that.
I just want us to sign experienced players as all I keep reading about are teenage prodigies from France,Netherlands or whereever.
Weve had enough of 2 3 or 4 million wonderkids like Sunu etc who are ok but not worth wasting our limited money on unless they are truly exceptional.
Can we just get through the Summer without being linked to the latest so-called teenage sensation and get some real playerrs in.
he is one of the best striker in Serie A, so he is a good buy for Arsenal.
Keep RvP and Bendtner…I don’t say that Goran will be instead od RvP but Vela,Edouardo,Ade,Jay…..please !!! he is better than everybody together
Arsenal really need that kind of player,in 4-3-3 (Arsha and Goran-forward,and RvP-striker) – Genious!!
Yes Pandev is a great player like Arsenal need right now
buth i don’t thing he will sight for Arsenal btw hi is 100 times beter then Bendtner
The response to national disaster is awesome but it’s a real shame that so many people take advantage of the negative situations.
I mean everytime there is an earthquake, a flood, an oil spill – there’s always a group of heartless people who rip off tax payers.
This is in response to reading that 4 of Oprah Winfreys “angels” got busted ripping off the system. Shame on them!
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/19/crimesider/entry5251471.shtml
A human beings begins scathing his wisdom teeth the initially time he bites on holiday more than he can chew.