The generic transfer thread

[leww_rfc]

Good for him, going to a lesser club to gain some experience!

[Ferris]

Alex Oxl*de-Chamberlain having a medical at Arsenal

[No Fixed Abode]

Lukaku having medical.

[roadrunner]

Alex Oxl*de-Chamberlain having a medical at Arsenal

Fck. Does that cock up my FLC fantasy football then?

[Whore Jackie]

Alex Oxl*de-Chamberlain having a medical at Arsenal

Now signed.

[Friday's Legacy]

Alex Oxl*de-Chamberlain having a medical at Arsenal

Now signed.

hard to tell how good a signing this is for arsenal. i'd like to see him given a chance this season but at the same time he's a good prospect you don't want to see rushed like walcott was. looks very promising though.

[buzzby]

Alex Oxl*de-Chamberlain having a medical at Arsenal

Now signed.

hard to tell how good a signing this is for arsenal. i'd like to see him given a chance this season but at the same time he's a good prospect you don't want to see rushed like walcott was. looks very promising though.

12 Million plus up to 3 million in add ons

Played a handful of games in League 1.

Makes Shane Long look a bargain for WBA if he goes.

[No Fixed Abode]

Long signs for West Brom.

[cmonurz]

Alex Oxl*de-Chamberlain having a medical at Arsenal

Now signed.

hard to tell how good a signing this is for arsenal. i'd like to see him given a chance this season but at the same time he's a good prospect you don't want to see rushed like walcott was. looks very promising though.

I don't know about Arsenal but can't help feeling this isn't a terrific move for Oxlade-Chamberlain. I'm not a fan of these very young players moving to big clubs before they have real experience under their belts. The likes of 18 year old Lukaku are anomalies as they have broken through at the top level early, and Lukaku comes to Chelsea with two full seasons in a top division behind him. Oxlade-Chamberlain has plied his trade in League One, and would surely continue to improve at Southampton now in the Championship. Can only see his career stalling much like Walcott's did (and some would argue still is).

[TBM]

I don't know about Arsenal but can't help feeling this isn't a terrific move for Oxlade-Chamberlain. I'm not a fan of these very young players moving to big clubs before they have real experience under their belts. The likes of 18 year old Lukaku are anomalies as they have broken through at the top level early, and Lukaku comes to Chelsea with two full seasons in a top division behind him. Oxlade-Chamberlain has plied his trade in League One, and would surely continue to improve at Southampton now in the Championship. Can only see his career stalling much like Walcott's did (and some would argue still is).

The same Walcott who got 9 goals and 7 assists last season..........in comparison Gareth Bale, PFA Player of the Year, got 3 goals and 1 assist

Walcott would never be playing for England if he was still at Southampton. Joining these "big" clubs means they get to improve as a player simply by working with better coaches and playing alongside much better players.

[cmonurz]

back at ya.

I was (obviously) not suggesting that Walcott would benefit from still being at Southampton in his early 20s, I just despair when a young player gets plucked out of regular football to sit in the reserves or play League Cup games at a bigger club. Can't imagine it does anything but hinder their development to stop playing regular football.

Imho, Walcott suffered for it and, despite his (reasonable) stats from last season, I don't think he is yet the impact player that many imagined he would become.

[TBM]

:| back at ya.

I was (obviously) not suggesting that Walcott would benefit from still being at Southampton in his early 20s, I just despair when a young player gets plucked out of regular football to sit in the reserves or play League Cup games at a bigger club. Can't imagine it does anything but hinder their development to stop playing regular football.

Imho, Walcott suffered for it and, despite his (reasonable) stats from last season, I don't think he is yet the impact player that many imagined he would become.

But Walcott made his debut about 6 months after joining Arsenal - he wasn't sat in the reserves....he also got into the England squad that same year

[cmonurz]

I don't think being picked for the World Cup when obviously not ready and not playing a single minute adds weight to your argument, but fair enough, it's your opinion. For me, playing regular competitive football >>>>>> not playing regular competitive football. There's a reason big clubs send their talented youngster out on loan - the Oxlade-Chamberlain transfer, and imho Walcott's, are examples of the complete opposite of that.

If the deal had sent Oxlade-Chamberlain straight to a first full season at Championship level at Soton, I'd have been all for it.

[TBM]

I don't think being picked for the World Cup when obviously not ready and not playing a single minute adds weight to your argument, but fair enough, it's your opinion. For me, playing regular competitive football >>>>>> not playing regular competitive football. There's a reason big clubs send their talented youngster out on loan - the Oxlade-Chamberlain transfer, and imho Walcott's, are examples of the complete opposite of that.

If the deal had sent Oxlade-Chamberlain straight to a first full season at Championship level at Soton, I'd have been all for it.

But Southampton dont play the same style of football as Arsenal........so by having him (and Walcott) at the club, training day in day out with them until they are used to the "Arsenal way" will benefit them much more. Take Wilshere for example, he grew up learning how to play the style of football Arsenal like to play THEN he went out on loan to Bolton to gain the first team experience. Sending Oxlade-Chamberlain straight back to Southampton wont improve him as a player - not to the standard Arsenal want him at.

[Hoop Blah]

I'm with comonurz on this one.

I think too many youngsters get to this point and then don't kick on because they get snapped up by big clubs and just don't play enough first team football. I agree with the idea that training with better players and being coached by Arsenal's team of coaches has a benefit, but I don't think it's the same as playing week-in week-out for the right club.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I'm with comonurz on this one.

I think too many youngsters get to this point and then don't kick on because they get snapped up by big clubs and just don't play enough first team football. I agree with the idea that training with better players and being coached by Arsenal's team of coaches has a benefit, but I don't think it's the same as playing week-in week-out for the right club.

How many of Barcelona's amazingly-talented youngsters get shipped out on loan?

[TBM]

I'm with comonurz on this one.

I think too many youngsters get to this point and then don't kick on because they get snapped up by big clubs and just don't play enough first team football. I agree with the idea that training with better players and being coached by Arsenal's team of coaches has a benefit, but I don't think it's the same as playing week-in week-out for the right club.

Im not saying they shouldn't go out on loan and Arsenal do send their players out BUT they like to mould them into a future Arsenal star first before doing so......if they send Oxlade-Chamberlain to Southampton for another year then he's gonna be nearly 19 before he starts training with Arsenal, a year they've lost to get him ready for their first team.

[Hoop Blah]

How many of Barcelona's amazingly-talented youngsters get shipped out on loan?

Quite a few I'd imagine. They end up playing for Barcelona B don't they?

Unless of course they're that good that they end up in the first team on a regular basis from a very young age (don't think that happens much).

EDIT: A quick look on wiki to confirm that wasn't rubbish and I saw the following games with the B team for those Barca kids I presume you were talking about

Pedro, 55 games over a couple of years
Busquets, 32 games
Iniesta, 54 games over 2 years
Xavi, 61 games over 3 years
Valdez, 77 games over 3 years

It is of course their alternative to loaning and gives them the best of both worlds.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

How many of Barcelona's amazingly-talented youngsters get shipped out on loan?

Quite a few I'd imagine. They end up playing for Barcelona B don't they?

Unless of course they're that good that they end up in the first team on a regular basis from a very young age (don't think that happens much).

The answer is the opposite; very few.

The likes of Messi, Pedro, Busqets, Iniesta, and Thiago have not spent a second on-loan at another club as far as I am aware. Barcelona B is their reserve side which is where they learn their trade.

[Hoop Blah]

A quick look on wiki to confirm that wasn't rubbish and I saw the following games with the B team for those Barca kids I presume you were talking about

Pedro, 55 games over a couple of years
Busquets, 32 games
Iniesta, 54 games over 2 years
Xavi, 61 games over 3 years
Valdez, 77 games over 3 years

It is of course their alternative to loaning and gives them the best of both worlds.

Barca B play in the second tier of their pyramid so it's exactly like going out on loan but they get to remain part of the Barca family and presumably train and are influenced by the ethos of the club. I'm pretty sure they can play for both teams at the same time as well.