So the Mark Schwarzer transfer from Fulham should be complete this week now that Australia are out of the World Cup. The transfer fee is reported to be around £3.5 million, which is not bad for an experienced keeper like Schwarzer.
So where does that leave Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski? One of them will obviously be the backup to Schwarzer, and will that be Almunia or Fabianski?
At the end of last season Wenger seemed to be very high on Fabianski and seemed to indicate that he could be the future goalkeeper of Arsenal. Fabianski needs games, which he will not get at Arsenal next season. I wonder if Wenger will let Fabianski go out on loan to a Premier League or Championship team where he can play every week and develop, similar to what Joe Hart did last season?
That would mean that Almunia would become Schwarzer’s back-up, a position that he will not like. But he still stays at Arsenal and he will get a chance to play next season in the Carling Cup. Will that be enough or will Almunia force the situation and demand to be sold?
Who do you think should back up Schwarzer next season?
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Alumnia shld be sold and leave fabianski as back up to schwarzer.
let mr arsene,give vito manno a chance of arsenal no2 goalie. let fabian go out on loan. alunia to be fa cup keeper&carling give Vito chance bcos last season at group stage of champioship the trz. And some game in primiership
I wish almunia shal stay.
Send Fabianski out on loan. That should toughen him up.
But Schwarzer? Really? We passed on Given and went for Schwarzer.
Lordy, lordy, lordy …
i want Almunia to back schwarzer and fabinski to loan out for a club that he can lean more exprience
I think almunia should be a back u p for mark schwarzer,he is not so bad up to dat,but for fabianski he’s a complete flop.
With Schwarzer Wenger is buying time and also securing the immediate future. Not sure about Fabiansky`s future at Arsenal but from all reports we do have another young lad in Szszency (sorry I can`t spell his name) who is only one or two seasons away and maybe being groomed to fill Schwarzer`s shoes. Mean time Fabiansky will be number two and I guess Almunia will be catching the bus. First things first, let Schwarzer arrive.
Myself, I was plugging for Joe Hart.
I’ll prefer mannone to back up for schwarzer he’s still young an still ambitious btw the woodwork he will conceed less compared to almunia&buttered finger fabianski
Personally I think this is a ridiculous deal, I can’t understand the logic of paying £3.5 million for a 37yr old keeper who as far as I know has only 1yr left on his contract and more importantly is only as good as the keepers who we currently have anyway.
£3.5 million is by no means cheap for a keeper of Scwarzer’s age and current contract, and for Wenger who is normally so thrifty to spend that much seems strange, we have been crying out for him to spend a bit more but on top quality players, not average keepers.
good move… wenger is as good as a old fox… he should have been running a software company… lol
Well, i don’t know much about Sczcezny but from different comments, i believe he’s gona make a good future at the emirates. Meanwhile, Mark can always provide the experienced cover Arsenal need between the sticks. For Manuel, i think he can stil make a good keeper if he gather himself together and be ready to learn.
Iam an ardent ARSENAL fan,and truly cant fathom why ARSENAL a throwing 3.5 million down the drain for scwhzer,in my humble opinion,he is a second class keeper,not worthy of wearing the ARSENAL jersey,why all the panic when we have two joung keeper,in vito mannone,my first choise,and younster sherney,we have more than a good keeper and a cover up,and yes i quite agree that fabiansky should be loened to a championship side,hell be a hell of a good keeper with more games ander his belt,dont waste money on player that we can easily make use of some of our own players,dont forget that jack wilshire is back,along with other promishing players.
i fabiansky will be a back up for schwarzer and its really nice to hear dat wenger is going to bring in a goal keeper
Almunia should go. He and Fab are similar, both in strengths and weaknesses. Both good agile shot-stoppers. Both poor decision-makers. Fab is younger and may learn. Almunia should get his coat.
Yep…he is the man to do the job brilliantly like he always has and will do until he retires and by that stage Woz will be world class and ready (the kid is almost there now)
Ask yourself…who would you rather have b/w the stick Alumnia, Flappyhandski or Schwartzer? for me there is no question! schwatzer has been doing it for years and is class
Fantastic goalkeeper, better than aluminium for sure but his age? I dont think he’s for future plans though man ure signed van der sar at about that age, but great signing anyway
mr wenger pls buy some experience players.
Wenger has totally lost the plot. Schwarzer is too expensive for a goalkeeper that old and no better than what we’ve got. Fair enough Wenger just wants someone to fill in why they are waiting for Szszency to be ready and he does look good at the moment but what if he ends up another Fabianski or he gets injured again, last time he broke both his arms in training and was out for 6 months, were stuck with no goalkeeper again. There are alot of good goalkeepers in there 20′s he could get for the same sort of money why doesnt he go for of one of them. Whats wrong with having 2 good reliable goalkeepers that can stay in the team for few years.
Please let Schwarzer not arrive. He has been poor at the World Cup. Arsenal should be looking at Steekelenberg or the German keeper.
I like Mark! He is a really good Goalkeeper with a lot experience! I hope he will change the next few days!!
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