Should Tottenham and Arsenal be tempted into £25m bid?
Name: Leandro Damiao
Age: 22
Position: Striker
Club: Internacional
With January fast approaching, Arsenal and Tottenham are preparing to battle it out for the signature of Brazilian superstar Leandro Damiao. The 22-year-old striker currently plays his football in his native Brazil but could be open to a move to Europe if the £25million asking price is matched. Juventus have also expressed an interest in the Internacional striker and the player’s agent has held talks in Turin this week. Damiao earned his first International appearance this year in a friendly with Scotland after scoring 40 goals in 52 games for his club.
Arsenal are looking to sign the striker to bolster their attack, along with proving to Robin Van Persie that they don’t lack ambition as the Dutchman ponders over a new contract. Van Persie has been on great form for the Gunners this season but appears to be the only Arsenal player capable of putting the ball in the net. Arsene Wenger has money to spend from the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer and Damiao would certainly give them much needed strike power to combine with Van Persie.
So, Wenger has money to spend and the Brazilian forward could be right up his street. He is young, quick and composed for someone of his age. Along with wonderkid Neymar, Damiao is a part of a young breed of South Americans who could be taking over the European game. With Marouane Chamakh not getting a look in at the Emirates and Niclas Bendtner on loan at Sunderland it is looking ever more likely that the Gunners will sign a striker in January.
Harry Redknapp had two bids rejected in the summer for the Brazilian striker but Spurs fell short of the asking price. With Jermaine Defoe perhaps looking to move away from the Lane to find regular football in January ahead of Euro 2012, and Emmanuel Adebayor only on loan at the North London club, this promising youngster could be the answer to their long term striker problem.
Roman Pavlyuchenko is almost definitely leaving White Hart Lane and two strikers may not be enough to get the title chasing Spurs through the second half of the campaign. Damiao’s deadly touch in front of goal would suit a side that create as many chances as Spurs do. Width of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon can gift a striker numerous chances in every game. Damiao came to London last year and scored at Craven Cottage for Brazil in a friendly, where Kenny Dalglish was an interested onlooker and Liverpool could also come in for the striker who is attracting plenty of attention from our shores.
Damiao is not your stereotypical Brazilian player, his awareness and off the ball play is more noticeable that his silky skills and dribbling, although he has both. A goalscoring record as a youngster which could compare with the great Ronaldo, it is not hard to see why the £25million price tag is just the beginning price. Damaio can score with his left foot, right foot and head all equally and is a natural in front of goal that is clear to see in his video. A future World Cup star in the making, Damiao can also rough it with the best and would suit European football down to a tee.
Damiao would fit in to both North London rivals squads extremely well but whether they match the £25million asking price or Juventus get their first, he is certainly one to look out for in the coming years.
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I hate these articles combining Arsenal and another club much less Spuds. Why cant you analyse Arsenal pro/cons in their entirety without mixing Spuds? Lazy writers its what I call them.
Of course we need a proper striker like you need oxygen. So what is there to be pondered over other than the availabilty of money?
First, get rid of 6-7 ppl who are daedweight: In no particular order: Bendtner, Charmack, Diaby, Fabianski, Manone, Rissicky, Squillacci. For some money we can get + savings on their wages we can get a defenders, striker and a GK.
These are a waste of resources.
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Pete-o Reply:
December 8th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Love the way just the mentioning of Spurs is getting under every gooner fans’ skin… Wonder why that is?
You need to chill mate – both teams are reported as interested, hence the reason both are probably mentioned. Juve are paid little attention as I doubt the public here care about them. Also, to ask the Author to analyse Arsenal’s cons in their entirety is a bit much, I’m sure he has other work to be doing too.
Chin up, it could be worse. You could be more then 5points behind us having played a game more.
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spurs 4 life Reply:
December 8th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
much less spurs ha ha ha ha are you for real if any player would look at both teams they would say that your team are hanging on to players selling the best ones and we are goin up and up best team in london
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H Salem Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
I have to ask, are you for real ? Spurs best team in London ? Really ? Exactly what is your justification for that? One season in the champions league & suddenly the delusional yids have somehow developed a superioity complex ! LMFAO ! I count many spurs fans amoungst my closest friends & only the most one eyed would even consider Spurs to be the best team in London. Despite their dissary the current best club in London, is Chelsea, followed by the Arse, the rest then fall in line. & as for goin up, well its common knowledge your wheeler dealer manager has been openly whoring himself for the last 3 or so years, in an effort to get the England job & the only reason he is still in charge at the Lane, is because Levy wants to milk the FA for all they are worth in compo. Once Redknapp is gone we shall see a talent firesale as Levy then attempts to copy the Ashley/Newcastle blueprint.
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It is amazing just how many more Arse fans who are logging on to Spurs websites these days just to add their three pence worth, some even masquerading as Spurs fans. Do you think that they are getting more than a little bit egdy and nervous, hot under the collar. Are they frightened at what they see Spurs becomming. Perhaps the tables are at long last turning once again and it’s now Spurs turn to hog the limelight and they dont like it do they. The younger generation of Arse fans arent used to this are they, always giving it large but the writing has been on the wall now for the past three years ever since the four four draw at the library. Well all I can say is eat your hearts out boys and live with it, we had to.
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H Salem Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Fyi I found this article on an Arsenal page, so using your unquestionable logic I arrive at the conclusion that you sir are in fact the troll :p – Seriously though, as a Gooner, I love the competition, derbys over the last couple of decades had become stale up until the last couple of years or so. & the fact that you think that the writing is on the wall for the Arsenal really makes me chuckle !! Lets see where we stand at the end of the season, & I wonder what excuse your lot will come up with this time when you inevitably flop come crunch time.
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Goonerbeall… (great name) Both clubs have shown interest in the player! If anything Tottenham are the more interested and more likely to get him. After all he wants Champions League football next season.
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H Salem Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Loving your logic !! Afterall of the two clubs Spurs do have the more significant history in the champions league ……
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big-up! Tottenham Hotspurs…leandro damiao at internacional brazil could follow sandro to spurs train at new facility in enfield…futuristic stadium planned “spooky” north london! dudes posse outlaws lol.
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Looking at his goal record, Spurs should spend 25m to get him. Assuming he could adapt to English football like Sandro did, he will be immense for Spurs.. So, we don’t have to pay massive wages to keep Adebayor
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