Arsenal Facing Celtic in Champions League 2009-10 Play off

Arsenal will face Scottish giant Celtic in the play off round of Champions League 2009-10. The winning side would clinch a place in the group stage of Champions league this season. Arsenal finished 4^th in premier league last season, and thus, entering into the qualifying phase of the champions league. Celtic finished second in the Scottish premier league last season and they have reached the final round of the qualifying stage after defeating Dinamo Moscow in the third round of qualifying stage.

There is no doubt, it is an enticing encounter for the British football fans as it is an All British clash. The first round of the play off round will take place on 18/19 August and the second round will be held on 25/26 August. Arsenal is definitely favorite against Celtic, but it is also true that Arsenal’s current squad provides lots of worries for the fans. Arsenal has lost a number of star players like Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure in the Summer transfer window so far. However, the Gunners have not signed any replacement yet. Naturally, the squad has lost some strength.

Overall, I think, it would not be so easy for the Wenger boys to break Celtic whose confidence is now at the peak following their away victory at Dinamo Moscow.

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Bordeaux President Hints, Arsenal Could Sign Marouane Chamakh Very Soon

You already know that Arsenal has already lost its prime striker Emmanuel Adebayor this Summer and there is now a void in the striking position. Now, it seems that Arsenal is looking to land in Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh, who is currently playing for French club Girondins de Bordeaux in an attempt to fill up the gap created by Adebayor’s move to Manchester City.

Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud said that the club had received an offer from Arsenal, but the offer did not match with Bordeaux’s valuation of the player. So, Triaud asked Arsenal to make an improved offer for the 25-year-old striker. However, he also hoped that a deal for Chamakh could be done pretty soon.

Well, I think, Marouane Chamakh could be an effective player for us as we have some excellent playmaker in Fabregas and Arshavin. Chamakh is very much talented striker who can control the ball very well. With a height of 6 feet and 2 inches, Chamakh is excellent in the air. The biggest strength of the striker is his ability to work hard on the field both in taking control of the ball and holding possession. So, I think, Marouane Chamakh could be an excellent inclusion in Arsenal squad. However, it is not yet confirmed what the amount Arsenal offered and what the amount the French club is demanding for the player.

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Goal.com

Aaron Ramsey Looking for Arsenal First Team

Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey has set his target on clinching a regular spot in the Arsenal first team next season. The 18-year-old is now gearing up to prove his skill and quality in his attempt to secure a regular sport of Gunners first team. Ramsey moved to Arsenal at the start of the last season, but could manage only 22 appearances in his first season.

Aaron Ramsey now believes that he has improved a lot both physically as well as mentally and is ready to claim a place in the starting line up of Arsenal. He thinks Arsenal always lands young potential players and gives them chance whenever they are ready to play at the top level.

Well, it would not be easy for Ramsey to bag a regular place in the starting line up because Arsenal midfield boasts of the players like Cesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin. Moreover, there are some other young players like Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri who are also aspiring to clinch a regular spot in the Arsenal’s first line up.

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Arsene Wenger does not want to buy new players for this season either

I can not think of any coach in English Premier League who is so popular like Arsene Wenger considering the fact that he could not bring any trophy for the last few seasons. Still, he is very popular and a few months ago, when Real Madrid wanted to buy him, many Arsenal supporters became very worried. So, what about this season? There is a growing pressure and call from everyone on Arsene Wenger to busy some top footballers for the season. However, he thinks that it is not the right solution and Arsenal should focus on the existing players in stead of going for multimillion dollar spending.

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Thomas Vermaelen Looking for Success with the Gunners

If you are a fan of Arsenal football club then you should already know that Wenger has got himself a new player by spending nearly 10 million pound. This is a lot of money and if you thought that it was spent to get a striker then you are wrong. I am happy that Wenger spent the money on a defender because this is the place that the club has weakness. Thomas Vermaelen is the defender and he has already promised to give his best for the Gunners’ success.

Mirror wrote:

Vermaelen, 23, made more than 100 appearances for Ajax after joining the Dutch club in 2004.

The Belgian international, added: "Arsenal is a great club with a world-class manager, high-quality players and a fantastic stadium.

"Everything is set up for Arsenal to be very successful for years to come and I joined this club because I know Arsenal will challenge for trophies."

Andrey Arshavin: Arsenal or Tax Problem

There is some rumor that Andrey Arshavin is not very happy with the British tax system and he may want to leave London and go to another country another club. Now, his agent categorically denied that there is no such thing going on and Andrey Arshavin would be happy to play for Arsenal in the next season.

This must come as a welcome relief for the supporters because Arshavin was one of the top players in last season. His arrival in the club helped to improve the performance of the team and his historic 4 goals against Liverpool is perhaps the sweetest feeling for all the Gunners fans of last season.

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Cesc Fabregas: The Prime Target of AC Milan in Summer 2009 Transfer Window?

It has been reported by La Gazzetta Dello Sport that AC Milan has set its eyes on Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, the influential midfielder from Spain. No doubt, he has shown excellent progress over the last couple of years and there are a number of clubs including European champion Barcelona who are interested to sign Fabregas in Summer 2009.

The Milan based club is reportedly trying to make some good cash in by selling Brazilian star Kaka to Real Madrid who are now desperate to sign the Brazilian star. Well, it is true that Arsenal would not like to sell their prime star at this moment. In fact, the Gunners do not have many star players in the squad and it would be a big mistake if Arsenal lets Fabregas move away from Arsenal in Summer. In the same way, Fabregas would also make a big mistake if he tries to move to AC Milan from Arsenal because he would not have as much choices at AC Milan as he now has at Arsenal where he has already been a regular player.

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