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Now that IS cheap! I know he is 29, but I would have expected around 20m...

I think its pretty good really, and Arsenal do too I reckon. He may only be 29, but he is a player that rely's on pace and stamina as he runs alot, that is his strength. I remember Tony Adams saying last year that he thought Arsenal should sell as Viera will probably be half the player when he is 30/31 due to groin problems he has had. Good business for Arsenal, if they didn't need the money they would have kept him I reckon, but he had to go.

I understand his reasons too, a new challenge, another Country, fair play to him.

Yeah, it might sting Arsenal fans for a while but the long term strategy seems fairly sound. Combative central midfielders become much more injury prone in their thirties (see Keane) and PV is 29. Still at his peak maybe but Arsenal know this would probably be the last big offer for him. If Wenger spends wisely they might have the position sorted for the next 8 years or so.

i guess it depends who they get to replace him, sounds like they're after diarra who had a pretty good year for lyon last year, not quite vieira's class but could develop that way, wonder if edu regrets leaving now?

He's finally gone.

This must be the longest transfer saga in footie history.

Every Summer for the last 5 years, he's been moving!

Seriously, I think Wenger has made the right choice. This was Arsenal's last chance to make some serious money on him.

Wenger will go out buy some kid we've never heard of & within a year, he will be the best midfielder in the world!

quote:

Originally posted by Syntax Error:
He's finally gone.

This must be the longest transfer saga in footie history.

Every Summer for the last 5 years, he's been moving!

Seriously, I think Wenger has made the right choice. This was Arsenal's last chance to make some serious money on him.

Wenger will go out buy some kid we've never heard of & within a year, he will be the best midfielder in the world!

Good post. One thing Arsen is the best at is the buy low/sell high game...and buying unknowns who become world class in a short period of time.
Henry used to be an average winger...Petit and Overmars were getting gooners slitting their wrists. But with £32m in the bank from them, and they went on to do ....erm...
Think they might miss Pires more though...

Last season Madrid offered 27 million.....this year there is no offer and the best there is is 13 million....something is not quite right! As I have always been a big Patrick supporter I will say he wasn't his best last season....He had some great games,but not his best.
I trust Arsene 100%,sure he knows what he and the board are doing......I'm looking forward to a great last season at Highbury.

im glad hes finally gone!

Funny how all the Man.U. supporters are pleased he has gone....Is it because the dirty players at Man.U. couldn't get away with their "bully" tactics with Patrick!!

Time will tell if it was the right move...

All depends on who Wenger brings in. We need a replacement for PV, a striker, a keeper, and ideally a centre half too.

Christanval looks set to join as does some unknown 17 year old italian keeper from Atalanta, who will no doubt prove to be the next buffon (here's hoping)...

then jenas, song/diarra, and baptista can join and we can win the title back in the last year at THOF

i'm not sad to see him go... he seemed to motivate the utd players!!!

quote:

Originally posted by the woo:
Funny how all the Man.U. supporters are pleased he has gone....Is it because the dirty players at Man.U. couldn't get away with their "bully" tactics with Patrick!!

I couldn't care less that he's gone.

He wasn't really that effective against us; he nearly always got outplayed by Keane; even an ageing Roy Keane!

I suppose in hindsight, I'm a bit sad he's gone, because you just knew that Keane & Scholes would get the better of him, whereas, I don't know who Wenger going to replace him with.