[REPORTED] Thomas Vermaelen

I'm going to buck the trend with what I've seen on Twitter. There's no doubting his quality but he's 31 which is a bit old for a footballer. Plus he picked up a fair few injuries in his spell at Roma and since those injuries, he's just been on the bench. He could be one of those players that, due to age and wear-and-tear, due to the injuries he got this season, his performance in training has gone down and he's just not been the same player since. Plus, if this is a guy that now get perpetually injured as has been seen this season, then I doubt our medical team would be able to sufficiently patch him up so he can play a lot of games next season with our track record of dealing with injuries, especially in a physically tough league like ours (compared to Serie A or La Liga).

I can't believe I'm going to say this, especially with a guy with a lot of quality like his, but I don't think I'd want him here cos I don't see it ending well.

 

I love Vermaelen from his Arsenal days. Was a warrior and very good on the ball. Injuries and age are a worry, but if he could stay fit I think he'd be a improvement on what we have. A defender with leadership ability who doesn't mind having the ball and is capable of aiming a forward pass rather than just putting his foot through it and hoping.

If we could get him cheap £5-6mil sort of range I'd take him regardless. We would still need a younger option capable of playing 30 games in a season as well

 

He's had injury problems and whether he can regain a decent level of injury-free playing time is debatable.
I'm not too sure if his stint at Roma was blighted with Injuries or whether he just couldn't make the starting line up due to others.

Injuries aside - I personally don't think that his age is an issue - last summer Everton paid Swansea €12m for Ashley Williams and he's roughly a year older.

Obviously with his Injury record - you'd expect smaller wgaes with a larger appearance fee.

 

We certainly need to improve at the back and I think he would be a good signing. Better than what we have got if he can stay fit.

 

An upgrade on Britos, left-sided defender, wouldn't have to settle in new area, learn English etc. As long as he is actually fit, yes from me!

 

So he's injury prone, every player who isn't injury comes to Watford to be injury prone, I see him getting 20mins of football before he's out all season

 

That's almost as much game-time as Zarate got in, it's a yes from me!

 

Yes from me, could be just what he needs and that's to play back in premier league. As for age he ain't that old, and he's far better that Kaboul.

 

Sports Witness reporting that we could be able to get him for around 4.5 million.

 

Up to €6m would be a good price for him.

 

He was good at arsenal but clearly struggling to get back to his best, now Boro are down i say go for Ben Gibson although with WM not speaking english that could be a problem.

 

I think Mazzarri not speaking English is the least of our worries when it comes to that potential transfer.

 

I mean, that's a ******* bargain considering the quality of a player like that. We've pissed more money away on players that have been a lot, lot worse.

 

*Cough* Jurado, Suarez *Cough*

 

How dare you talk about Jordan Sinclair like that.

 

Always rated Vermaelen when he was at Arsenal. I think we could do a lot worse and he definitely knows the league.

 

Granted, he is/was a good player... But the fact that he has only played 17 league games in the past 3 years is really concerning. An injured defender is a big problem, especially if we are to spend a few million on him expecting him to be one of our "better" back four. I heard reports that we are going to loan him. If that is true, that is a far better option.

P.s. I remember seeing a comment in the comment section in an article in the past labeling Watford as "Loanford".... Maybe we are truly turning into a loaning club, which I don't think is a terrible thing to do if we ensure the players know that if they play well, they'll be bought with a nice contract in place of which will hopefully ensure that they give a damn about the badge of the club they are "temporarily" playing for.

 

We have Niang and Zuniga on loan. We have signed Cleverley. Zuniga is likely to go back. Not sure how that would constitute us being labelled 'Loanford' or turning into a loaning club at all.

For what its worth - Vermaelen: I think we can all agree that injuries are a worry which make it a risk. But if if he could stay fit, he has potential to be an absolute bargain and exactly what we need.

 

Worth a punt i'd say. Clearly a risk but as long as we don't bank on him playing all 38 games he could prove a great addition who knows the division. Just hope Krul doesn't tell him how tough the medical is !

 

As long as we remember that before calling him a useless crocked kahunt.

 

When Liverpool want£30 million for Sakho, you realise how difficult it is to find a better centre half than we have at the moment within our budget

 

Could be the defensive leader our team's been crying out for. For a couple of seasons anyway before we sell him to a knackers yard for glue. I'm in.

 

http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co....-arsenal-man/story-30417544-detail/story.html

Would be an excellent signing IMO

 

Already a thread for him mate

http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/thomas-vermaelen.52526/

 

If he can stay fit , he is a massive improvement on what we ve got which is a rosta of 6 half decent CBs

 

Played like 20 Minutes for Barcelona and won a Champions League title, Its a Yeserino from me.

 

Has been decent in his time, could be a Galli/Cassetti type move?

 

A 31 year old who's made a total of 18 league starts since the 2012/13 season? Yes please!

 

Could be another fitz hall type player by being the best defender in the team but never available always injured

 

If Fitz Hall had stayed fit we would have been automatically promoted 12/13.

 

No ******* clue who he is, but like the sound of him

 

nevermind

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footb...mer-arsenal-captain-thomas-vermaelen-10760739

 

Translation: Crystal Palace are in for him...

No need to visit that particular s**te sheet.