A point I wanted to add (after reading ArseBlog’s comments on the Chelsea-Arsenal impasse):
Ashley Cole is not worth a pound over 10-12 mil.
Granted, I’m not in club management but even 15 mil sounds too much for a fullback. If Arsenal are actually holding out for more than 15 mil, they are idiots. If they are holding out for 15 mil while Chelsea are willing to pay 10 or 12, it’s still dumb.
The price for strikers is always high. Ibrahimovic just made a 16.7 mil move from Juve to Inter – Drogba was overpriced, yes, but he bought for a reason and he has fulfilled that reason (albeit not entirely) as a target man for Chelsea (highest assists for last season?).
While Chelsea are known to buy expensive and sell cheap, for SWP and Drogba we also see Essien, a player worth every pound Chelsea paid for him.
There’s another scenario as well – that Arsenal are actually asking for something very outrageous, like 20 mil. That much? For a defender? Who wants to leave?
Chelsea hold the cards here, NOT Arsenal. If Chelsea walk away from the table, Arsenal have only Madrid to sell Cole to, and they won’t be paying as much as Chelsea are offering now.
We can’t say anything for sure until we know all the details, but Arsenal need to close the deal fast, no matter what the cost.
That is, unless they still think they can salvage the situation with Ashley Cole (how?) and still buy players even if Cole is not sold (really? who?).
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