Yes, unfortunately another Kalou topic, but this is thesecond time he's been linked with Arsenal, so I have come to believethat is a serious intention from Arsenal to try to get him. So this onewill probably be less theory in nature, and more who would want to sellhim next month?
I can't remember the fee we bought him, but Ibelieve it was less than 11 million pounds, which makes this rumourquite interesting.
Unlike others, I do have good views of Kalou,and despite every criticism he gets, in 66 starts (and lots of off thebench performances), he's scored 21 goals and made 25 assists in allcompetitions for us. Last season, despite starting 11 fewer games thanJoe Cole, Kalou scored the same number of goals (9) as Cole did, whilemaking 3 more assists with 10 in total. The season before, 2006/07,Kalou started 25 games, yet scored 9 goals and made 10 assists.
Thisseason, even, despite missing the beginning due to the Olympics andthen being the choice behind Malouda and Joe Cole (until Arsenal, atleast), Kalou has still managed to score 3 goals and make 5 assists in10 starts. Joe Cole has two more starts and same number of goals, buttwo fewer assists than Kalou. Malouda has played 8 more starts thanKalou, and while having the same number of assists, he's only scoredone more goal.
In the end of the matter, Kalou does get us goals and assists.
Ialso do not like the idea of selling a player when we only have Anelka,Drogba, Joe Cole and Malouda as alternative strikers and wingers,especially when it's the player who is the youngest attacker by far at23 (Cole is 27, Malouda is 28, Anelka is 29, will be 30 in threemonths, and Drogba is 30 and will 31 in three month). If we havealternatives ready right now to buy, then it's another question, butthe idea of playing the second half of the season with only those four,or with a player we buy that ends up more ineffective than Kalou due toneeding to adapt or simply being not good enough, would be disastrousin my view.
But 11 million pounds is good money, and would weget a similar offer later if we refuse now? If Scolari was in realityonly getting 10 million pounds to spend, with a Kalou sale, we'd have21 million pounds, which opens alot of opportunities. I mean, DavidVilla was rumoured to be available less than that much just the otherday. We bought Drogba and Essien for 24 million to compare. If, andit's only an if as we don't know what Scolari will have, 11 million would be added to 10 mill, then this may be a deal good enough.
The final question, of course, is do we want to sell to Arsenal of all clubs?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...ll-Rumours.html |
發表於 2008-12-6 08:47 PM
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