Aliadiere signs for Middlesbrough

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19th, June 2007

6 Comments

Aliadiere.jpgGooner, going, gone! Jeremie Aliadiere, The ferret-featured Arsenal striker signed for Middlesbrough in a £1.5m deal where he hopes Teeside fans will finally be able to put a face to his name.
He must have decided that, as one of the longest serving players in Arsenal’s squad and at the ripe old age of 24, he’s now too old to break into the North London crèche. But, was Wenger right to let him go or has the Professor gone nutty?


Since signing for Arsenal the Frenchman has managed only 19 starts in seven years at the club with most of them playing for the Gunner’s finishing school in the League Cup. It can’t be easy trailing in the slipstream of Henry’s ‘Va-Va Voom’ but unsuccessful loan spells haven’t justified a place in the team.
But then again, if he makes it at the Riverside he won’t be the first player to prove Wenger might have been a tad hasty. In recent years, Matthew Upson has attracted ever-increasing transfer fees, Steve Sidwell has signed for Chelsea and even Jermaine Pennant has played in the European Cup final.
We’re not sure how he’ll fare with fewer chances up north but if he comes good and Le Sulk II leaves, will Arsenal miss him?

Posted in Arsenal, Transfers & Rumours

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6 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    regardless of how well he does at middlesboro (if he gets a game there! sanli tuncay is better), arsene is still justified in sellin him as he has never delivered for us and didn’t look anywhere near good enough even when played next to baptista!

  2. Dom says:

    Good bit of business for £1.5mil. I’d have bought him at that price. He’ll probably flourish being a bigger fish in a smaller pond, just like most of the former Arsenal lads.
    Almost makes Gareth Southgate look competent.

  3. Ollie, Pies Ed. says:

    Agree with Dom, that’s sound business. Even if he bags just 10 goals next season, that’s not a bad return at the price.

  4. Anonymous says:

    He looked different class at the wolves (and i suppose he obviously would do). I’d say £1.5m is an absolute bargain. Then again, Carlton cole was on loan at wolves & looked as good a few years back. What happened to him?!

  5. Nish says:

    I must admit I do rate Aliadiere, when he’s on form, but alas that has never been consistent. Although in his defence he has never had the opportunity to shine through because of the lack of starts. Look back at other top players when they arrived – Henry wasn’t so Va Va Voom when he first arrived at Highbury, he was more Chug Chug Chug. The same can be said for our star striker – the double D – Didier Drogba – he was more like a couple of saggy pitta breads than the pert, firm bazookas he is now. If given the chance I’m sure Aliadiere would perform and he would grow into a well balanced player. To call him great would be premature. But is Arsene wrong, maybe?! But he is a tactical genius and someone that knows how to build a team so I don’t think this will be a set back. However, Chi-Ching for Boro – £1.5m is a steal!!

  6. bunny says:

    oh come on the only reason wenger comes under such scrutiny when letting players go for a smaller fee is because a couple of english lads have improved under different tutorage and in a different setting. no manager can 100% accurately predict a players future and at least wenger and his scouting network have unearthed enough young players to cover the outgoings. wenger is building ‘for the future’ – he is building his final team with arsenal and he is trying to completely mould a team in his image to play ‘wengerball’. he will stay maybe a year or 2 beyond his contract ending next summer to see his team flourish and succeed and then i imagine will leave the side in the hands of a new manager who should have a ready-made, successful cup winning team.
    aliadiere would probably be have been 6th choice striker with henry, vp, ade, bendtner and walcott all fit. hes had 8 years and, as you point out, numerous poor loan spells to prove himself, how long can one manager be expected to hold on to a player ‘for the future’ when the future has been and gone and has nothing new to show for it?
    anyway good luck to aliadiere, injury free and playing regularly im sure he’ll do well at middleborough