New signings to be unveiled on july first week

Arsenal will unveil their new signings by july first week according to the latest reports.
The Gunners are linked with Lille striker Gervinho, Southampton winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, West ham united playmaker Scott Parker, Argentenian Ricardo Alvarez, Blackburn defender Chris Samba and also are involved in a record deal with Valencia's U-21 midfielder Juan Mata.

Arsenal should pay £12m for Samba

Arsene Wenger will have to stump up over the odds to take Christopher Samba from Blackburn to Arsenal, it is reported. The Mail claims that Samba's former club Hertha Berlin will get 15 per cent of any fee for his services.

The paper says that Blackburn are reluctant to sell the centre back, 27, but seem certain to insist on at least £12million after agreeing to the clause when they signed him from Hertha for £450,000 in 2007.

The Sun reckons Samba has told Rovers he wants to join Arsenal. Anuradha Desai, the chairperson of Rovers' owners Venkys, admitted Samba ss keen on a move to north London. Desai said: "We don't want to let Chris go. I'm confident that we can keep him and I hope he'll stay. I know he has an ambition to play for Arsenal but I hope we can keep him for another year at least and prove our own ambition."

The Mail also reports that Arsenal remain hopeful of finalising a £12m deal for Lille striker Gervinho this week and are chasing Southampton's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 17. It adds that Arsenal are awaiting a formal bid from Barcelona for Cesc Fabregas. Some reports suggest that Barcelona are considering selling striker David Villa to Chelsea in order to fund the purchase of Fabregas.

It’s Chris Samba or Gary Cahill For Arsenal – Or Is It?

I  It is the general consensus at Arsenal that the team needs a strong, forceful centre back to add to the spine of the team and help them to some much needed trophies. It is also the general feeling among the gossip columns that Arsene Wenger will choose between either Blackburn's Chris Samba, or Bolton's Gary Cahill to fill that gap in his squad. But which one will it be? In truth, both seem increasingly unlikely for various reasons, so lets evaluate why.

Lets start with Chris Samba. At 27 years-old and a good 5 years with Blackburn, Samba has plenty of experience that the Arsenal team is often said to be lacking in. He stands at a towering 6 foot 4 inches, and is a force to be reckoned with defending set pieces, with his large frame able to reach above the attacking opponents to clear the danger. He would slot nicely into the defence alongside the combative Thomas Vermaelen, who was missed terribly last season for Arsenal.

Samba revealed last season that he was close to joining Arsenal in the January transfer market, which shows that Arsenal are clearly interested in the player, which is good news, as it shows Wenger's intent to add experience and power to his defence. However, Arsenal's £10 million bid was not enough to persuade Blackburn part with their captain, but it is thought that £12 million would be the price in which Blackburn would be willing to let Samba go.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, recent transfer events have transpired against them. In fact, it may be arch rivals Manchester United's fault that Arsenal miss out on Samba - not because United are themselves interested in Samba, but because Sir Alex Ferguson has recently stolen Samba's young defensive partner Phil Jones away from Ewood Park. Would Blackburn be willing to let both halves of their defensive backbone leave the club in one transfer window?

That doesn't seem likely unless Arsenal tie up a deal for Samba quickly, as that way, Blackburn will have both the time in the market and the money from the sales of the pair to find some replacements and back-up. Last season Samba and Jones were vital players in the sides survival, and so losing them both would not help the club one bit - the club surely understand this, and however swiftly a deal for Samba could be done would still be very reluctant in letting him go.

Next, and to Gary Cahill. He, like Samba is a strong, fearless defender, and having played in the Premier League since 2004, has the experience needed at Arsenal. At 25 years-old, he has more of a long term future than Samba, and has more time for improvement, though some may argue potential is not what Arsenal need at the moment.

The gossip columns have been all over this story, with Cahill said to be wanted by Manchester City as well as Arsenal, and will cost at least £17 million to match the players release clause in his Bolton contract.

Should I stop there? Wenger probably would want to after hearing £17 million. That amount would be the immediate detractor for Arsenal, whilst being absolutely no obstacle for City. The Daily Mail have come up with a clever little solution of sorts for Wenger, as they claim that Arsenal may offer their young 19 year-old Spanish centre back Ignasi Miquel on loan to Bolton as well as cash to persuade them to part with Cahill.

Of course, a player plus cash deal seems attractive for Bolton, but with Miquel's inexperience in the Premier League, it seems a big risk for them and a young experiment for Arsenal to see how their youth player does at the Reebok. Bolton are no stranger to Arsenal's loans, with a very useful one in Jack Wilshere occurring just two season ago in which the 19 year-old came of age and subsequently broke into the Arsenal first team, but this one may be less attractive.

If it is money Bolton are looking for, then City would win a bidding war with Arsenal immediately. So, if Wenger does make one of these players his priority for the summer, then it looks more likely to be Chris Samba, due simply because he is the cheaper option and it would avoid a huge bidding war with big spender Manchester City. Contrary to some reports then, it will be either Samba or Cahill rather than Samba and Cahill who may join recent £1 million signing Carl Jenkinson at Arsenal.

Tell me what you think!

Is this man slowly becoming Wenger’s number one summer target?

Arsene Wenger  reportedly failed in January with a bid for Blackburn Rovers‘ centre back Christopher Samba , and that failure proved to be extremely costly with Arsenal ‘s defence being the main culprits in Arsenal ’s demise after the Carling Cup final.

With the fans’ and board running out of patience with Le Prossfeur it’s expected that finally, he will abandon his usual transfer policy and spend big in the transfer market and the media are expecting Wenger to go back in for Samba as he is what Arsenal need; for once I actually agree with the Fleet Street bigwigs.
Laurent Koscielny ’s indifferent season has proven how hard it is to adjust to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League but Samba has established himself as a strong and physical player at the heart of the Rovers defence, all attributes Arsenal have lacked this season. The Premier League is arguably the best in the world and over his four full seasons for Rover’s the Congo international has continually proven his ability to play consistently at the highest level.
Thomas Vermaelen  is arguably Arsenal’s best defender but despite this, the Belgium defender lacks that physical presence that a centre half should have. Samba would give Arsenal that much needed bit of brute force in the middle, which in turn would enable them to compete with the most physical of sides such as Stoke City, where the Gunners have dropped ‘silly’ points of the season due to them being ‘bullied’ off the park.
Set pieces should bring anticipation or reassurances depending on whether your team is attacking or defending one. This season the Gunners’ faithful have rarely got excited at a set piece because they know that their side lack the hunger or aerial prowess to win the ball, something which Samba has in abundance with the majority of his Blackburn goals’ coming via set pieces. When it comes to defending a set piece the Arsenal fans’ are a bag of nerves not knowing if their keeper will flap at the ball or Johan Djourou  will take it upon himself to score for the opposing team. Samba has shown his composure when under pressure while playing for Blackburn and will give Arsenal the attribute they have lacked for so long, the ability to clear the ball quickly and cleanly or even just a good ol’ fashioned ‘hoof’ up field.
Recent big money transfer involving Jordan Henderson and Phil Jones have proven how costly buying Premier League experience is, and Samba has plenty. The real bonus in signing the former Hertha Berlin player is he shouldn’t cost more than £10 million, an absolute steal when you see the money being touted for another Arsenal target Gary Cahill .
Samba is a must for Wenger this summer as he begins his seventh attempt at ending Arsenal’s barren spell, which may well be his last chance.