rolo_88 Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 BIG PHIL WILL GET HIS MAN BIG Phil Scolari looks to have won his transfer battle and will swoop for either Luis Fabiano or Andrei Arshavin. Chelsea’s Brazilian boss has been moaning he does not have a player who can unlock defences. And although Blues owner Roman Abramovich had been unwilling to spend any more money, it appears Scolari has persuaded him to stump up around £20m for another frontman. Fabiano, 28, is the more direct of the two options, boasting a fantastic scoring record for both club and country. At Seville he has bagged 64 goals in 131 appearances, while he’s netted 14 in 23 for Brazil. Zenit St Petersburg’s Arshavin, 27, is more of a creative player, with the Russian ace most effective playing as a second striker. He has also been given the go-ahead to find a new club in the January transfer window. “We gave Arshavin permission to negotiate directly with other clubs,†said Maxim Mitrofanov, Zenit’s general director. “Usually a player who has a running contract with a team isn’t allowed to do it. “Zenit is prepared to consider any offers for Arshavin.†With Chelsea struggling at home to break down defences – their 1-1 with West Ham on Sunday made it 14 points dropped already this season at Stamford Bridge – it now seems Abramovich has accepted that the squad needs improving. However, neither player would be able to play in the Champions League as they have featured already in Europe this season. Ideally, Scolari would love to sign both, but it looks certain Abramovich won’t splash that much cash in the window. Personally i would prefer Luis Fabiano, goal scoring record speaks for itself and he has fallen out of favor at Seville which could mean we get him at a knock down price??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maksimov Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 According to media Arshavin is in London to negotiate a deal, but Luis Fabiano would be more of a Scolari signing as he's a Brazilian. Arshavin on the hand is more the type of player we need. He might not score staggering amounts of goals himself, but he will set up loads of chances for other players to score from. I'm not sure we need another striker as much as we need the sort of player that can go past opponents' defenders and give that killer pass for our striker(s). We have good strikers at the moment and if we can afford just one of the two players mentioned here, I'd rather have Arshavin at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWestwayWonder Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Ive heard Luis Fabiano is the second coming of Adriano. The "bad boy" of Brazilian football? No thanks Give me Arshavin anyday. At least he seems to be mentally stable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkw Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Ive heard Luis Fabiano is the second coming of Adriano. The "bad boy" of Brazilian football? No thanksGive me Arshavin anyday. At least he seems to be mentally stable :D :D too easy to make jokes of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killbill Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Ive heard Luis Fabiano is the second coming of Adriano. The "bad boy" of Brazilian football? No thanks I think I heard he's lost his place in the starting XI as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorset Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Both players were touted by David Woods (Daily Star) on Paperview last night. He has been told by a ‘source’ close to Abramovich (yeh, right) that these are the two players Scolari would like in order to complete our attacking options. Should this prove to be true, for me, Arshavin is the more interesting of the two, as he is a creator as opposed to the archetypal 'serial' goal scorer, and, if it turned out to be a choice of one from two, as of now he’d be it. In contrast, Fabiano’s arrival would not solve that creativity problem and might possibly see Drogba going in the summer, leaving us either having to hope that Anelka’s goals are repeated next term or that Fabiano hits the ground running with just four months experience as a Premiership striker under his belt. Ironically, that would only be achieved if he is selected ahead of Didier in the first place, which in itself would only serve to exacerbate the problem. In a nutshell, creativity [something out of the ordinary] is more important to us at the moment and Arshavin could very well be the key that opens up those massed defences, whereas Fabiano would, first and foremost, signal less game time for our more tried and tested strikers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virosh Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 According to media Arshavin is in London to negotiate a deal, but Luis Fabiano would be more of a Scolari signing as he's a Brazilian. Arshavin on the hand is more the type of player we need. He might not score staggering amounts of goals himself, but he will set up loads of chances for other players to score from. I'm not sure we need another striker as much as we need the sort of player that can go past opponents' defenders and give that killer pass for our striker(s). We have good strikers at the moment and if we can afford just one of the two players mentioned here, I'd rather have Arshavin at the moment. My thoughts to the letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruh Buh Juh Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Much rather Arshavin over Fabiano. Yes, a new striker is needed, but not one that will shout his mouth off at any chance he gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 What Arshavin will bring us that we are lacking is speed however to be honest I am not convinced we should be targeting either Arshavin or Fabiano. Unless Scolari is going to have a change of heart about who we play then Fabiano is totally unnecessary and Arshavin is going to have to take up a position on the flank rather than more central. Although he can play there I don't think he is as effective there and therefore it is a case of round pegs in square holes. If we have a limited budget and Scolari is only allowed to bring in one new face I think he should be targeting an orthodox winger WITH pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maksimov Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 If we have a limited budget and Scolari is only allowed to bring in one new face I think he should be targeting an orthodox winger WITH pace. Here I go again...Zhirkov! :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWestwayWonder Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 (edited) I wouldnt mind Zhirkov at all, from what little I have seen of him. Loz, I think you have Arshavin mistaken. The few games I have seen him (granted, this was the Russian league, so pace might not be their thing) he has never looked like he lacked for speed. He may not be a sprinter, but I think he is the total winger, with the ability to cross, pass, run cleverly, and score from distance. To me, he is just a dangerous player with the ball, because he thinks so quickly and can move with the ball, or produce the kind of passes or longballs that might unlock teams in transition. Like Maks says. I saw him in Sept with Danny, Zenit's new signing, and they were a frightening tandem. Totally turned the game on its head when they were both involved. Just imagine if that second player was Joe Cole :lol: :D too easy to make jokes of this. lol, I shouldve known to watch my words with the likes you you roaming around Edited December 19, 2008 by TheWestwayWonder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I didn't say he lacked pace, in fact I said he would bring pace to our squad however he is not a complete winger. He is a central attacking midfielder who can play on the wing a bit. We have had enough of those! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Arsha in ...........Deco out??? :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abramovich Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I didn't say he lacked pace, in fact I said he would bring pace to our squad however he is not a complete winger. He is a central attacking midfielder who can play on the wing a bit. We have had enough of those! That's an interesting point Loz, but does LFS actually employ wingers that much? From what I've seen so far he prefers fullbacks to provide width. Let's not forget that the only player he wanted but didn't get in the summer was Robinho, a player very similar in style to Arshavin and also not actually a winger, more of a supporting striker/playmaker who can play on the wing,if needed. I'd imagine someone like Arshavin is well suited to the style Scolari wants Chelsea to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abramovich Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 (edited) Here's another reason why I believe Arshavin is worth taking a chance on. He enjoyed a star status in Russia for quite a while. Arshavin doesn't have to leave Zenit for financial reasons either, they are sponsored by a Russia's biggest company Gazprom and his wages are quite comparable to what Chelsea stars are making. That's what makes me believe he has a genuine hunger to face bigger and tougher challenges and accomplish things he can't at his current club. At 27, that's his last chance at stardom. AA's a gifted footballer,it's not his ability that I'm doubting. The gamble is whether he'll lose confidence and fail on a bigger stage, ala SWP or embrace the challenge, hold his own and shine even brighter due to playing among the best players he was ever surrounded with. He's certainly a beter player than Malouda and has a better end product than Kalou. The only problem is the fee Zenit may ask for him. So in conclusion, arse shavin' in winter may not be very enjoyable but obtaing Arshavin may turn out to be a good deal. Edited December 19, 2008 by abramovich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldron Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Just what we need, another front man who can't play with anyone else. Arshavin ? In exchange for Malouda, Kalou & Deco, yeah why not ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Seery Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I hope that we do not get either. The players that we should go after are Messi (Barcelona), Grevinho (Le Mans), Batuhan (Besiktas) and a few others. All and young and would be better targets than the likes of Fabiano and Arshavin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashwin Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Messi???!! Arshavin would be great if we can get him for a reasonable price. He has terrific close control and is fast. My main concerns are that he will be cup-tied and may cease to be effective even two years down the line as he relies considerably on his pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maksimov Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 (edited) I hope that we do not get either. The players that we should go after are Messi... You do realise that we'd have to sell half of our current squad to be able to even start negotiating with Barca. Actually...I don't see them being willing to sell him for anything less than his buy out clause, which is somewhere in the region of €150mil. Edited December 20, 2008 by Maksimov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Or, alternatively, BIG PHIL WON'T GET HIS MAN http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...sea/7793600.stm Or maybe that should read 'BIG PHIL WANTS HIS MAN BUT HE ISN'T GOING TO GET HIM' I still suspect we will be bringing someone in in January however it may not be in the £20m plus price bracket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Forget about the credit crunch Roman - get your henchman to persuade Robben life in London wasn't so bad after all! Just watched the Real vs Valencia game and I was once again reminded why I would happily have Robben in our squad even if he did only play 20 times a season! Do I ever miss seeing someone on a Chelsea shirt who will take a player on and leave them for dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Moos Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Forget about the credit crunch Roman - get your henchman to persuade Robben life in London wasn't so bad after all! Just watched the Real vs Valencia game and I was once again reminded why I would happily have Robben in our squad even if he did only play 20 times a season! Do I ever miss seeing someone on a Chelsea shirt who will take a player on and leave them for dust. Have to agree on that one. I seem to recall that I was one of the people who complained quite alot about Robben and all his injuries but right now I'd love to have him in the team even if he only played once every season. We sold him and are stuck with Kalou, Malouda and Joey (okay, that last one isn't so bad ). There's alot of talk about strikers and creative midfielders but in my oppinion we need a good winger more than anything else. I'd do anything to get someone like Robben or Silva. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Seery Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Another two players that I would love to see at Chelsea are Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Hugain. Both play in Spain both have been pretty decent for their respective clubs in La Liga. In fact both scored last night as well. Imgaine that for a strike partnership at Chelsea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maksimov Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Another two players that I would love to see at Chelsea are Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Hugain. You mean Higuain(Real Madrid), right? He's improved quite a bit from last season. Not sure I'd want him at Chelsea, but Aguero is definitely a player I'd love to see in Chelsea blue. He's likely to cost a fortune, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Can't see us going into the market and I'd imagine that all british clubs will find it hard to to compete with continental clubs because of the weak £. Transferes will probably cost an extra 30-40% more than a year ago. Also I don't think the players would be as enticed by the sterling pay packets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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