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Rami Shaaban has joined West Ham on loan for a month in the first instance. Unless they do something else to cover for the absence of David James (who has stepped into David Seaman's gloves at Man City), there must be a good chance that the loan will end up beign extended.
Shaaban has been on the bench a few times now, but is yet to get a firstteam game since returning from his broken leg. He sustained that injury just over a year ago, just when it was looking like he might end up establishing himself as David Seaman's deputy and even successor, ahead of Stuart Taylor.
It's been all action on the Arsenal keeper front since then. Taylor himself has been injured, we signed and then released temporary cover in Willy Warmuz, and in the summer Jens Lehmann arrived and has now firmly established himself as the nutty new Arsenal number 1.
The rumour, naturally, is that Shaaban's move to West Ham will lubricate the machinery as Arsenal sort out a deal for Jermaine Defoe. Well, you never know. But it's not as if sending a fringe first team player on loan is a new development for Arsenal. Shaaban's loan makes sense for us, for him, and for the Irons, without any embellishments with new striker nonsense.
You might as well say that Volz's move to Fulham will oil the wheels for a late bid to gazump Man Utd's attempts to sign Louis Saha (and somebody probably will say that).
Wenger has denied interest in Defoe. But then, he would wouldn't he? Whatever. If the player's available and Wenger wants him, then he'll get him.... regardless of second string keeper loan arrangements. |