Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Nick Simmonett 
Date:Friday September 7 2007
Time: 11:21PM
UK time is: 17:32:49
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Should Arsenal Cash In On Gilberto?
Rumours regarding Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva's future have been hovering around The Emirates like a bad smell for some time now.
It's true that he was one of, if not the best player at Arsenal last season, putting in a string of brave display's for The Arsenal, scoring 11 goals along the way.
That would seemingly make him an invaluable player to Arsene Wenger, but is £10Million too good to turn down for a player approaching the twilight of his career?
I'm not going to try and convince you wither way.
There's is no doubting that he is a fantastic player, probably one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe last season, so surely we shouldn't sell him?
Or should we?
as it stands we have; Fabregas, Diaby, Denilson, Gilberto, Diarra and Song who play in centre midfield. Rosicky and Hleb can both play there while Toure and Djourou can easily slot in there.
That's 6 players that are competing for 2 places, and another 4 players that can slot in there. Surely that's far too many?
As much as I don't want to see it happen, I think that Song will leave Arsenal in January or next summer. Not because he isn't good enough, but because the vast majority of Arsenal fans have climed on a rather large bandwagon and have decided that he isn't good enough to play for Arsenal before he's had a decent run in the team.
Diarra will be at Arsenal for a long time yet, of that there is no doubt.
So what will happen with Gilberto? I think he'll stay. Wenger knows that there is prescious little experience in the team as it is, and ditching a player that has won countless trophies, including the world cup, would cost the team dear in that sense.
But should he be allowed to leave if the reported £10Million offer comes in?
I have my opinion, which I wont share with you just yet.
Thoughts? Opinions?
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Your Comments
Probably this summer. Sad to see him go, but it will be probably time for him and Arsene. Young Diarra will be there to fill his place.
gunnerkid107
i really hope he doesn't go, hes one of our best player and another player with experience. id hate to see him go, even for £10mil.
Arsenal_4_Life
If you are going to sell your most loyal player (most likely are) at least have the decency to tell him(by telling him it means actually telling him, not waiting for him to find out on the internet).
k_chelski
Come on, he's the DB10 of the midfield. Dennis was also in the twighlight, but still shone brightly. I think AW lets them go if they are great, but get a bit edgy to go. TH14 good example, and Vierra. Gilberto is faithful, adds to the team instead of destabilizing it, and Arsenal thru and thru. 10 mill is nothing, keep the man!
darinb007
I don't see how we can sell him. He's a quality DCM and offers us genuine cover at CB. I like Diarra, i've seen him a few times and he looks real quality, but he's tiny. Skysports have him listed as 172cm, 9cm shorter than Gael Clicky!
When deep free kicks come in Gilberto drops back and is vital in the air, we would lose this with Diarra. If we got a corner we migth as well let the oposition have a ggoal kick.
Can we play a midfield of Hleb, Diarra, Fab and Rosicky? If they stood on each others shoulders they would probably struggle to match up to Peter Crouch.
I thought it was a strange buy, especially after putting Gallas as Captain and basically saying we won't play regularly with a big CB. But at the end of the day Spurs could have got him and he'd be a lot more valuable to them so i was happy!!!
Fab04
No Arsenal should not cash in on one of our best and most loyal players, he's one of the most likeable players in the modern game, most rival fans admire Gilberto.
More to the point, what does 'cash in' actually mean to Arsenal? It's not like we're going to spend that new money on a new player, this summer we have actually made a profit in sales and spent relatively little on new players, therefore 'cashing in' in the context of Wenger's transfer policy, has no benefit whatsoever, Wenger won't need to use that cash, or will be reluctant to use that cash anyway.
So it will be a case of selling a quality player in return for money we don't need and won't use, it only makes sense to keep him.
Professor Calculus
no no no and no. Why on earth would we, none of our mids are ready to play the DM role one of the hardest positions on the pitch and one where experience is ESSENTIAL. He is so loyal and deserves to stay for the long term, at least until 32-33 and he starts to show signs of poor form and Diarra/diaby/denilson step up and look as though they are ready to play that role consistnely well. We dont need to sell either, we are wealthy and dont need the money. 10 million for not just a player but a great guy, players like Gigi dont come about often and its a definitive NO from moi.
hazzagooner
he's contract ends in 2009, he can play across mid-field and in defence, 32 is nothing, why should we sell him when he is about to peak? defensive players peak around this age right? he's game does not require pace or physical strenght but rather good anticipation and timing, which will get better with age. sell him? 10mil? i say non.
korodon
It would certainly explain why Arsene bought Diarra. But he's vital because we need experience and he's a leader on the field. Which club is rumoured to making the offer?
FabTastic
and positioning. which diarra ceratinly do not have..yet
korodon
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 1. He's our first-choice (only real) DCM, one of the best ones. He's only peaking and there's a few good years ahead. 2. He can help the youngsters like Diarra and Diaby grow while he gets older and gradually plays less games. 3. He's a very loyal servant to the club, Arsenal through and through. Should retire a Gunner like DB10 did. He himself has said he'd really love to do so. 4. We all talk about how young our team is. We don't want to, and can't, lose an experienced veteran, a World Cup and Copa America winner, a calm figure, most importantly a leader. Imagine with Lehmann gone next year, or even in the later part of this year, we only have Gallas and him at 30. 5. His provides the physical presence that few other players have and his long-term replacement Diarra doesn't (Diaby's more of an ACM, not DCM, it seems now). 6. With all the accolades, he's still got a fighting spirit. He's recently said his aim is to win the CL with THIS team before he retires. 7. We don't need 10m - Arsene actually made a profit in summer, and we'll see in the results coming out around late Sept. Don't think we need more reasons, do you?
Louisa
Oh, practically speaking, 8. He proves a pretty good CB. With Gallas injury-prone, Djourou on loan, Senderos still error-prone, Kolo away in Jan, we just can't let him go. And playing in CB might even prolong his career at Arsenal especially when the highly talented youngsters come pushing for the DCM spot. (Sorry for being long-winded again.)
Louisa
Gilberto brings a lot to this team. You can see the calm, reassuring effect he has. His performances have been top notch, so I see no reason to let him go. Plus his experience is an added asset. BUT knowing how Wenger thinks, Gilberto may be seen as blocking the growth of Diaby, Denilson and Diarra, and for that reason, there is a good chance that Wenger might let him go this summer. The money will not be the deciding factor, but it depends on how well Diaby and Diarra progress this season. If Wenger feels they are good enough to replace Gilberto and a lack of chances will hurt their career, I'm afraid he will let Gilberto go.
prits
i don't think we should sell him, he really love arsenal and he got two seasons left in his contract. he said after he had finished his contract he want to move back to Brazil and run a farm. so we should respect his decision after all this years. he's a vital player in arsenal squad, always helping the back line and i don't see any other players could feel in his shoes, yet. anyway, Wenger got a lot of money in his disposal. i think diarra can feel in his shoes but not this season. for the problem at the back line, kolo going african cup at the end of this years, i think sagna can help and maybe wenger can put norviedt in the back line too. what do u think? and i can't understand why wenger doesn't put bendtnar on the porstmouth game. he was sent to reserve to play.i think bendtnar is a good striker but need to practice with his dribbling and touches.
mustaz
no way.. there's enough reasons enumerated above and i seem to agree with all of them.. 10m quird i snowhere near what he brings to us.. what he is.. NO.. and thats the end of discussion.... for me atleast....
go4it_adi
Gilberto is 31 next month so he is reaching the point where some decision has to be made but that needn't be until next summer. Playing as DCM or CB is something he is capable of for another couple of seasons so I would expect that he will see out his contract which has another season after this to run unless both he and the club get an offer they really can't refuse. Gilberto is hoping to establish certain citizenship rights which enable him to educate his children here so he would be reluctant to go until he has achieved that status. It is horrible having to say farewell to players with the grace and attitude of Gilberto but at some stage it is also inevitable.
Amos.
Song is not leaving based on supporters hatin' him,its AW's job to bring the best out of him and not for the supporters to point the worse in him,he is still just 19 and he is goin' nowhere just yet.
Babeasta
I think if we sold him this summer (providing Diarra, Diaby and Denilson improve greatly) we would not miss him. We have been awsome this year without him in centre midfield and I have always said that I hope Denilson or Diaby (now Diarra aswell) will take over him. There is also many reasons to keep him. But he only seems to work well with Cesc. Him and Diaby doesnt work. Of course he is a great defensive midfielder but do we need one? I mean one that ONLY defends? Man U dont have one, Chelsea dont. We could easily use Denilson, Flamini, Diarra or Diaby next to Cesc.
Goofle
Oh and by the way, I dont want him to go. Just trying to see why we would let him go.
Goofle
He's the best in the business at what he does so we must keep him And Kevin dont come here preaching about loyalty when you cheer on Cashley every week.
iceman10
I cheer for chelsea, ashley is in chelsea, therefore automatically I cheer for ashley. But it's not like I say "go ashley go ashley go go!". I don't cheer for him individually. Like I always say, rather have bridgey.
k_chelski
it's not about the money always. manu cud have sold roy keane a few years before it was only about money. Gilberto's contribution to the dressing room on the pitch and off it is invaluable. he can easily play for 3 more seasons..
luckys_10
No way, he's our best player. A linchpin and absolutely essential if we're to win aything this year.
AFC85Lew
Goofle - Manchester United have Hargreaves and Chelsea have Makelele..
Ezekiel
No thanks.....................
HerbertChapman
Arsenal should keep him, he is glue to the Arsenal side and his experience is can't be valued. I personally feel he should have been captain I don't really like Gallas as captain down to his previous words that is the managers choice though I just feel Gilberto is a more respectable figure.
Gunners
We cant keep talking about it like business men, good value for money for his age and all this. if he is good enough to do the job ( which he is ) he should stay. I cant wenger letting the man leave, but then again i didnt see TH leaving either.....
Frank Cese
Not in a month of Sundays... If they offered us £25m maybe then we could all get our accountant's hat on and have this discussion. On the field he gives us something that nobody, but nobody else in the squad does.
Andy-bayor
If a player contemplates whether it is time to move on even if at some time in the future many supporters will accuse him of disloyalty, at times in the most damning tones. If fans consider whether it is time to cash in on a player then that is somehow less disloyal. Confusing thing loyalty - it only exists when you want it to.
Amos.
i think it would be go business for a 30 year old you do have diarra now plus you will be getting some money to spend next season by the sound of things so things wouldn't be that bad if he did go
muffdaddy1983
We can all look at the financial results (due this month) to prove we just don't need this silly 10m!
Louisa
i agree, there is no "urgent" need to offload him. he is performing well, in DCM or CB roles and he wants to stay. we dont need the money and our young squad could benefit from his experience. so why would wenger change all that for a mere 10M? makes no sense.
supersof
Doesnt make sense from a financial perspective, but if Wenger feels that the continued presence of Gilberto hampers/obstructs the development of Diaby/Denilson/Diarra due to a lack of 1st team action, then I can see Wenger selling him. I dont want him to, but its a possibility.
prits
If we sold him, we'd be kind of like Real Madrid when they sold Makelele. It took them 4 years to recover from that. 10 mil - give me a break! I don't mind if they go when they become a liability, like TH and Freddie, but it's nice to see players retire at the club, like Bergkamp. Gilberto should stay until we have to push him out on a wheelchair.
afri-gooner
Not a chance. I agreee iwth others say - he can play CDM and as he gets older, will move to CB letting Diaby/Diarra move into CM as they get more experience. We have fantastic cover in every single position - and 13 midfielders available if you count Eboue, Carlos Vela, Song and Fran Merida. I think Gilberto will move to CB from next season, but leave the club? No thank you. We need the glue that holds the club together, not another £10m in the wallet.
michael105uk
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