Why Are Arsenal Fans So Excited About Per Mertesacker?

Ollie Irish

28th, July 2010

11 Comments

By Ollie Irish

Germany’s Per Mertesacker climbs higher than Tim Cahill at the 2010 World Cup

I wonder why many Gooners seem to be getting wet in the pants area over the rumour that their club will sign German centre-back Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen.

Mertesacker is capable of having very good games, but he’s slow and inconsistent – think of him as a superior Pascal Cygan, with more hair. I thought he was one of Germany’s weak links in the World Cup.

To put myself in a Gooner’s Birkenstocks for a second (shudder), I understand the excitement comes more from the symbolic meaning of such a transfer:

1) Mertesacker is big and ugly, and therefore hardly a typical Wenger signing. The last time Arsenal were really successful, they had the biggest and ugliest centre-backs around – Steve Bould, Martin Keown, Tony Adams.

2) Mertesacker is an experienced international, and therefore hardly a typical Wenger signing. Many Arsenal fans have had enough of waiting for tomorrow, especially when tomorrow never comes – they would like to see a more prosaic, realistic Wenger, I suppose. Mertesacker is 25 and at the beginning of his prime years.

There’s no doubt that Arsenal need to find a centre-back or two before the season starts, especially now that Big Shorts Sol has signed for Newcastle Utd.

I’d be very interested to hear what Arsenal fans make of this rumour…

Posted in Arsenal, Transfers & Rumours

Share this article: Email

11 Comments

  1. James says:

    What the fuck are u talking about, he was one of germany’s best players in the world cup and i thought he was probably one of the best defenders in South Africa. This article clearly written by someone has no clue what he or she is talking about.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I agree James. Go home you Tottenham fan. You know nothing about football thats why you support a crap team

  3. Abdul says:

    Seriosly wat r u talking about mertesacker is one of the greatest defenders in the world,and his not slow he is an average runner, i don’t even know y its taking so long to sign him, and y would arsenal want to sign jagielka at age 28, when they can sign someone younger and better.

  4. Lydia Esche says:

    There really is nothing wrong with getting excited about signing Per Mertesacker.He is a solid player.He has not shown his true potential since his years at Hannover 96.But Werder Bremen has had trouble finding good left and right backs and is playing a risky attacking style football.I really am a little bit annoyed that you still show such complacency describing a player that has done what was asked from him at 2 World Cups and in his club for years.
    There are a lot of truly idiotic transfers taking place at your precious Premier League.This would be really an understandable one

  5. Thomas says:

    I’m not here to even have an opinion based on his WC..but that’s not why Wenger would/wouldn’t buy him in the first place. We need someone with good size and experience to pair with Verm so someone with international experience at a presumed reasonable price would be ideal. Although, I have a feeling that Wenger might go for Kompany(City) due to the fire-sale rumors lately from the new EPL rules. Let’s find a GK first, Wenger shouldn’t even look at other positions until that’s settled up.

  6. Eboue says:

    As an Arsenal fan i would welcome him with open arms but only because we are a bit short of defenders. Ollie is right, he has his good games but is very, very slow

  7. Silvio Di Fede says:

    200 times better than Jagielka.
    But Jagielka costs £16m (classic overvaluation for English players: that’s why many buy foreign players), Mertesacker £10m.
    But Mertesacker is:
    – a regular for German team (Jagielka never for England)
    – an experience player (more than the Everton defender)
    – a better player (don’t watch Werder Bremen defence: watch German defence and see how he defend!)
    – fantastic in air (so better than Jagielka: and Arsenal has a clear exigence in this, watch the Blackburn game the last Premier League!)

    How many of you believe that Jagielka is better than him? And so, the fact that Mertesacker costs less than Jagielka make him a very good deal.

  8. Steve says:

    I agree with the first few comments. Mertesacker had an above average world cup and is a behemoth of a defender. He is also deceptively fast across the ground. He appears to be moving slower than he is but his strides are so long that he covers ground very quickly. Would be a top class purchase, in my opinion.

  9. Ian says:

    It wasn’t Mertesacker’s best World Cup, he did a lot better in 2006 and for Werder Bremen, but that’s really not all that relevant, because he is not for sale and Arsenal won’t get him this year anyway.

  10. Ian says:

    @Silvio Di Fede

    Mertesacker does not cost £10m. That’s what Arsenal is considering as an opening bid for him, it’s more than unlikely that they’ll ever get him for £10m. Won’t happen.

  11. Jenny says:

    He’s marvellous. He’s known as the “Gentle-giant” in the Bundesliga because he makes beautiful tackles without getting yellow-carded. As we know, it is unusual for a defender to play 40+ games without being cautioned.

Leave a Reply