As he approaches his 62nd birthday, Wenger’s future as Arsenal boss was being doubted like never before last week. You wouldn’t discount the possibility of Wenger clocking up 25 years at his club, like Ferguson, and managing on until his 70s. But Wenger has NEVER signed an established world-class footballer and has never even seemed to want to.
His belief in young talent and pure, passing football is admirable. But it is not enough to compete with the financial might of the Manchester clubs or Chelsea. And if he doesn’t think he is capable of making Arsenal a true force again, then he may start considering his exit strategy.
The great reigns in English football management have rarely had happy endings. Alf Ramsey was sacked by England and Bill Nicholson quit Tottenham as a victim of player power. Brian Clough simply went on for far too long, becoming a parody of himself and damaging his health as well as his reputation and legacy.
[divider]
Had Ferguson retired in 2002, as he had intended to, the whole Manchester United empire could easily have gone into meltdown – instead of a further five titles and three Champions League finals. But the Scot trusted his instinct and perhaps learned a lesson from Bill Shankly, the last manager to build a true dynasty of greatness at an English football club – and yet never stuck around to see his club conquer Europe. Shanks was a lost soul after shocking the football world by retiring in 1974, leaving his assistant Bob Paisley to carry off three European Cups.
The two managers I spent most of my career playing under both met unhappy ends. When Bill Nick quit Spurs in 1974, the club were still reaching cup finals but the manager began to realise he had “lost the dressing room”. I know from grim experience that Bill believed players should have been happy to play for Tottenham Hotspur for nothing – you should have tried negotiating a contract with the bloke! But a few years after I’d left, he started having to deal with more bolshy modern players, who started demanding bonuses and appearance money, and he ended up thinking: “This just isn’t my game any more.” Three years later, Spurs were relegated.
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As for Sir Alf, our World Cup-winning manager, he’d made too many enemies inside the FA. His was perhaps the only great reign in English football to end with a brutal, out-and-out sacking. In hindsight, he could have stood down after the 1970 World Cup, when England blew it against West Germany in the quarter-finals. Alf had stood up to the FA bigwigs so many times.
During the 1966 World Cup finals, he’d defied them when they demanded he dropped Nobby Stiles for his bruising style. And he’d spoken out against the culture which saw the blazered FA farts revelling in the reflected glory of having breakfast and dinner with the players on away trips. So as soon as England failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, the same old boys were hardly going to hand Alf any leeway.
Even if Arsenal had been knocked out of the Champions League, it would surely have seemed unthinkable for them to treat such a great manager as Wenger quite so shabbily. As the old Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd once said: ‘You don’t sack a man like Sir Bobby Robson’. A few months before he went and sacked Sir Bobby Robson.
West Ham boss Avram Grant insists he has not been distracted by talk of his job being on the line.
The Israeli takes his side to Everton on Saturday having received a public vote of confidence by the West Ham board.
Yet last Saturday it appeared that Grant would lose his job, with Martin O’Neill reportedly being lined up to replace him.
But O’Neill apparently turned down the post, leaving Grant in charge of a side that are bottom of the Premier League having won just four times in 23 games.
Grant insists that he is not affected by the talk off the pitch and says the team is more important than his own future.
“”What’s happened has happened off the pitch and for me it belongs in the past,” said Grant.
“What’s important for West Ham, the fans and everybody is to concern ourselves with what happens on the pitch.”
“I feel that I need to do my job and we need to take points, because I believe we can get out of relegation.”
“My personal matter is not important. The team is more important than anybody.”
But Grant admits that he needs to make an impact in the January transfer window if his side are to survive, and has refused to rule out making a move for Joe Cole.
“There aren’t many days until the end of the transfer window, we have a lot of injuries and we need players to make the squad stronger,” he added.
“We have a few targets and I’m pretty sure that next week we’ll see new players. About Joe Cole, I’d be happy for him to be here. He was my player at Chelsea, maybe his best season then.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
And Grant is adamant that avoiding relegation is far from impossible for his side.
“It is possible,” he said. “We are two points from safety, there are 15 games to go.
“They aren’t easy games but they are possible to win. We want to do what we did before against Fulham, Wolves and Everton (when West Ham took seven points from nine) and take points. That is what we need.”
Arsenal defender Reiss Nelson has told the London Evening Standard that he is close to signing a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The 18-year-old’s current deal with the Gunners will expire next summer, and it has been suggested that Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing him.
Nelson made his full Premier League debut for Arsenal against Southampton at the weekend, and it would be fair to say that there is a lot of excitement surrounding the teenager, who is capable of operating in a number of different positions.
[ad_pod ]
There had been some concern amongst Arsenal fans when it came to the future of Nelson, but the latest news has been well received.
Indeed, a number of the club’s supporters – who were also pleased with the performance of one of the team’s under-fire stars at the weekend – have taken to social media to reveal their delight as the youngster nears a contract extension with the Gunners.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
The coming Sunday plays host to the most anticipated clash on the Premier League calendar – Liverpool vs Manchester United.
Indeed, the two great North-West outfits may not be the title-winning powerhouses of yesteryear, but their rivalry as the two most successful clubs in the history of the English game spans generations.
Their combined fanbase is an outrageous 1,239,000,000 – which is just over 17% of the world’s population and 1.2% of all homo sapiens to have ever walked the earth, as claimed by The Telegraph.
The last time United and the Reds faced each other in the Premier League, the Red Devils walked away from Old Trafford with a 3-0 win. But that result soon became the turning point in a turbulent campaign for the Merseysiders, who have racked up 33 points out of a possible 39 since, remaining undefeated.
4th place Manchester United are still two points and one position better off in the Premier League table however, so who enters the Anfield fixture as favourites?
Perhaps Football Fancast’s exploration into the key individual battles can shed some light on the issue….
[interaction ]
MAROUANE FELLAINI VS JORDAN HENDERSON AND EMRE CAN
Louis van Gaal’s surprising tendency towards long ball football has become one of the season’s hottest discussion topics at Manchester United. Far from the flowing football of the Ferguson era, the Red Devils are currently third in the Premier League’s long ball rankings, surrounded by teams fighting for their lives at the less glamorous end of the table:
They also produce the third-most crosses per match:
And an integral component in that pattern of play, at least over the course of the last few months, is Marouane Fellaini, a 6 foot 4 ball of hair and elbows who averages 3.8 successful aerial duels per match – ranking him 15th overall – in the Premier League.
As you can see from his heatmap against Tottenham from last weekend, the Belgium international constantly contests space in and around the box to create flick-ons, knock-downs and general confusion for the opposition defence.
Fellaini scored United’s first in a 3-0 win against the Lilywhites, and huge factor in his effectiveness was Ryan Mason’s inability to track runs and protect the equally inexperienced Eric Dier playing behind him.
So although Martin Skrtel and Emre Can will have to be on top of their games to limit Fellaini’s formidable aerial threat, Liverpool being currently the Premier League’s third-worst in terms of aerial duels per game:
It’s equally imperative Jordan Henderson, coming directly against Fellaini in his recently favoured left pocket, offers some protection from the front too.
Now take a look at this heatmap from Liverpool’s last encounter with Manchester United in December:
They may have lost 3-0, but Fellaini’s aerial threat hardly came into the equation. Keeping the cumbersome midfielder in possession is far safer than him latching onto long passes into the final third.
Sterling and Coutinho vs Michael Carrick or Daley Blind
At the veteran age of 33, with 418 top flight appearances under his belt, Michael Carrick is undisputedly one of the most experienced and dependable holding midfielders in the Premier League.
Against Liverpool however, the England international faces an unusual proposition. The 3-4-3 formation inspiring the Reds’ miraculous turnaround since the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford includes two attacking midfielders – predominantly Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling – that love exploiting the wide-central spaces and often tend to overlap each other. Take this heatmap from their 2-1 win against Manchester City for example:
It was a similar case during Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Spurs at Anfield, albeit this time with Philippe Coutinho alongside Lazar Markovic:
Unsurprisingly, both Coutinho and Sterling are amongst Liverpool’s most potent threats going forward this season, so nullifying them is essential to preventing a Reds win:
They’re both direct, speedy dribblers with low centres of gravity however, and for that reason alone Louis van Gaal could opt to reinstate Daley Blind as United’s play-breaker over Carrick. Whilst the Three Lions veteran offers much more experience, Blind’s far quicker and will therefore cope better with the added workload of contesting two attacking midfielders at the same time.
That being said, Coutinho and Sterling are highly versatile. As shown in the heatmap below, Brendan Rodgers moved them out wide at the interval to great effect following a rather tame first half against Swansea on Monday night:
Playing Sterling alongside Daniel Sturridge as a front two, with Coutinho just in behind, remains another option the Liverpool gaffer could utilise if the Reds struggle to get forward.
WAYNE ROONEY VS MARTIN SKRTEL
Football – Manchester City v Manchester United – Barclays Premier League – Etihad Stadium – 14/15 – 2/11/14Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney lays injured Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason CairnduffEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative fo
We’ve seen a huge revival in goalscoring form from Wayne Rooney in recent weeks, in no small part due to him returning to more attacking capacities after a short and debatable stint in Manchester United’s engine room.
The England and United skipper now has five goals in his last six outings for the Red Devils and will be high in confidence after netting against Spurs last weekend. His ability and willingness to influence in every area of the pitch – including in United’s own penalty box – is well known, and demonstrated once again through his heatmap from Sunday’s 3-0 win:
But the predominant task of stopping Rooney in the final third must go to Martin Skrtel, the unifying, organising heart of Liverpool’s back three and by far the Reds’ most dependable centre-back over the last few seasons. This term, Whoscored.com have awarded him the most Man of the Match awards of any Liverpool player:
That being said, the shin-shattering Slovakian could be in for a surprisingly quiet afternoon. As revealed by The Telegraph, Rooney’s record at Anfield throughout his Everton and United days is unbelievably poor for a world-class talent at the home of his most bitter foe:
If United are to leave Merseyside with a win on Sunday, it’s vital the 29 year-old breaks his Anfield hoodoo.
JORDAN HENDERSON VS MANCHESTER UNITED
Amid the gradual decline of Steven Gerrard’s role in the starting Xi, Jordan Henderson has quickly emerged as Liverpool’s most important midfielder, both with and without the ball. Here’s his stats compared to the rest of the Reds’ middle men this season:
Going forward, he’s notched up five goals and seven assists, whilst the England international’s ruthless tenacity defensively marginalised Yaya Toure at the Etihad in a 2-1 win and Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen during a 3-2 victory at Anfield.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The dilemma Manchester United face is their limited athleticism in the middle of the park, with the exception of the forward-thinking Marounane Fellaini. With Michael Carrick (or Daley Blind) already preoccupied by Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling, nobody truly stands out as possessing enough pace, power and energy to stop Henderson influencing at both ends of the pitch. It’s also worth pointing out that he averages the most passes per match of any Liverpool player this term:
Louis van Gaal might be therefore obliged to maintain his faith in Ander Herrera. The Spaniard lacks Henderson’s physicality, but he’s a smart player and can exploit the gaps Henderson leaves behind on the counter-attack.
LOUIS VAN GAAL VS BRENDAN RODGERS
Football – Liverpool v Burnley – Barclays Premier League – Anfield – 4/3/15Liverpool manager Brendan RodgersAction Images via Reuters / Ed SykesLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
The switch to a 3-4-3 against Manchester United in December has become the turning point in Liverpool’s season. Since then, they’ve won 33 points out of a possible 39 in the Premier League, as detailed below:
And a huge part of that has been the Premier League’s collective inability to truly out-think Liverpool’s exotic system.
The thirst matter of note is the number of passing lines and subsequent triangles. Liverpool’s formation includes 29, whilst a more conventional 4-2-3-1, as United will likely deploy on Sunday, contains just 26:
But more important is 3-4-3’s ability to create two-vs-one scenarios. Take a look at United and Liverpool’s expected formations overlapping:
Suddenly, the full-backs are faced with the dilemma of going tight on Liverpool’s wide players and leaving the centre-back exposed to the combination of an attacking midfielder and Daniel Sturridge, or vice versa, leaving the winger in front of them to track back instead.
It’s a conundrum most sides have failed to deal with, but Louis van Gaal should take note from Garry Monk’s narrow six-man box that suffocated Liverpool’s attacking threat for the best part of an hour on Monday night, as shown in the heatmap below. The two banks of three gave Sterling and Coutinho little room for maneuver, resulting in them playing much wider in the second half.
Likewise, if Manchester United catch the Reds on the break, there’s huge scope for a three-vs-three situation should their wingers exploit the space at the right time.
That being said, van Gaal and Rodgers are both tactically astute managers with incredibly versatile squads. Both have made significant changes at half-time this season to win vital points, so in my opinion it will be a case of who adapts their formation quickest and best to dislodge the other.
While it’s never usually too hard to dismantle the logic behind many of the transfer rumours that fly around at this time of year, there seemed something particularly dejecting in doing so upon one of Arsenal’s latest ‘mooted’ moves.
“Wenger in £70million Bundesliga raid,” was the headline that rattled out over the weekend, with the Sunday Mirror suggesting that the Gunners were set to make summer moves for the Borussia Dortmund pair of Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender.
But despite the already shaky credentials of the mooted transfer figure – indeed, you could well suggest that Gotze on his own would cost over half of the projected £70million warchest – it wasn’t necessarily in the financial merits of the piece that you found where the faults might lie.
Because for all the money that Arsene Wenger may or may not be able to spend this summer, even if the Frenchman was able to find £100million from within the Emirates’ coffers, would the Bundesliga trio even consider coming to the red half of North London in the first place?
Of course, before even superficially analyzing these sort of transfers rumours, there’s often a habit of making rather bold assumptions that the current club of the player in question would be willing to sell and given Dortmund’s rise in prominence during recent seasons, such assumptions certainly feel incredibly naïve.
But to play Devil’s advocate, should Die Schwarzgelben fancy cashing in on two of their star assets this summer, regardless of whether Arsenal could afford either a Mario Gotze or a Robert Lewandowski, would the vaulted pair really fancy swapping the Westfalenstadion for the Emirates?
The concept of a big spending summer at Arsenal is one that’s often been floated about over the past couple of years, but it’s ultimately one that’s remained that – conceptual. The process for a summer of change at the Emirates has more often than not ended with a big-name player leaving the club, as opposed to joining it.
For as sincere as the Gunners may or may not be in their claims that the money has ‘always been there to spend,’ such a statement has quickly become something of a parody given the relatively meagre net spends the club have indulged in over the last few years.
While the constraints that Wenger has had to work under are generally assumed to be somewhat more binding than what Arsenal are likely to admit, the continuous claims to the contrary have produced a frustrating backdrop to their transfer proceedings. And should they really be serious on making a raid for talent of the calibre of Mario Gotze, it’s within the club’s collective reluctance to do so in previous seasons, which may ultimately put such transfer targets out of reach.
Because these are the sorts of raids that are needed to stay at the top of the tree, not claw your way back from afar and should the Arsenal hierarchy put money on the table for any of the aforementioned Bundesliga trio, the chances are that the club’s recent regression over the last couple of years may hugely dent their chances of landing them.
Of course, suggesting that a Robert Lewandowski is more likely to pick a Manchester United or a Juventus over a move to the Emirates may seem like pointing out the obvious, but it wasn’t too long ago that Arsenal were also able to offer a title charge and Champions League football as standard as well. Although on the same page, it seems somewhat obvious that adding to and improving your squad is part and parcel of attaining the sort of status that allows you to attract the best players on the continent to your club. The latter being something that the Gunners’ board appears to have failed to grasp.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The fiscal distortion between themselves and the likes of Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs has played no small part in ensuring that Arsenal have been jolted down the que in the race for players such as Mario Gotze, but it’s also been their own misguided logic that’s catalysed their current woes.
Some suggest that staying at the top is a lot harder than getting there in the first place, but perhaps Arsenal’s current situation suggests to the contrary.
Regardless of how much truth exists within the mooted ‘£70million Bundesliga raid,’ if the club showed this sort of ambition a little earlier on up the track, they might have been doing so from a little closer to the top of the table, as opposed to spending to try and regain touch.
As reported by The Sun, Chelsea have made Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino their number one choice to replace under fire manager Antonio Conte this summer.
What’s the story?
Conte has had a difficult second season at Stamford Bridge after his title-winning debut campaign and it looks increasingly likely he will exit the club this summer.
Misery was piled on the Italian manager this weekend, defeated by Spurs at home, a loss that landed a critical blow on his team’s chances of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
And it was a defeat inflicted by the man that his club are looking to replace him with.
That’s according to The Sun, who say that the Blues want Mauricio Pochettino to take over as boss of Chelsea this summer.
However, he could now be out of reach with the paper reporting that the minimum it would take to get the Argentinian to leave Spurs is Champions League football.
[ad_pod ]
Is Pochettino likely to leave Spurs this summer?
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Pochettino moves to a bigger club, the job he has done at Spurs is superb and it won’t have gone unnoticed by Europe’s biggest sides.
However, it seems unlikely it would come as early as this summer, especially when he still appears to be relishing the challenge of guiding Spurs forward.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
There’s also the unfinished business of winning major silverware with his team. If he does that he’d go down as an all-time legend of the club and it could be argued that the side are on the brink of a breakthrough in that regard.
Pochettino has not yet taken Spurs as far as they can go.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has come to the defence of Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, stating that the Old Trafford fans should be grateful for what the Dutchman has achieved this season.
The former Netherlands boss took over from David Moyes in the summer and has led the historic club into top four contention this season.
However, with the Manchester-based club still not playing a scintillating brand of football, some of the Old Trafford faithful have been sceptical over Van Gaal’s style of play and queried why after vast summer expenditure the club are not in the title race.
Despite the criticism, Carragher has stated that the former Bayern Munich boss has excelled this season and talk of a title push his term was foolish.
“When Louis van Gaal was unveiled last summer, what position did you imagine Manchester United would be in going into the final 10 games?” Carragher wrote in his Daily Mail column.
“If you envisaged them leading the title race, you would have been kidding yourself.
“There was never any chance of United finishing in front of Chelsea and Manchester City this season.
“Yet given the way some people are talking about United at the moment, there seems to be disappointment and mystification that Van Gaal’s team are in the middle of a fight to get into the top four and not perched in top spot, setting an unrelenting pace.
“I keep hearing similar criticisms of Van Gaal, how his team do not play ‘the United way’ and regular accusations that they have been lucky. But he keeps getting results.
“If Chelsea grind out a victory, Jose Mourinho gets praised, so when United do the same, why doesn’t Van Gaal?”
United’s next fixture sees them face Arsenal in a mouthwatering FA Cup clash.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are currently in fourth place in the running for Champions League qualification, a point behind the Gunners and one above Liverpool.
Win a pair of Puma football boots as worn by Cesc Fabregas and Super Mario by filling in this quick survey!
Currently, Tottenham have some fantastic youth products on their books. Although they may not be able to compete with the two Manchester Clubs and Chelsea in terms of finance and resources, they’ve certainly planned for the future well.
In recent times, Jake Livermore has been a shining example to Spurs youngsters that it is possible to break into the first-team at White Hart Lane, even if they’re playing a higher standard of football than ever, and in the past the North London academy has produced Sol Campbell and Ledley King.
Well, next season could be the chance for a number of youngsters to follow Livermore’s foot steps, and not only have an impact on their club but also the Premier League.
Here’s the top five Tottenham starlets who could have a huge impact next season.
Click on Souleymane Coulibaly below to unveil the 5
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Manchester United have registered an interest in Monaco’s adventurous full back Djibril Sidibe, according to French outlet Le 10 Sport as they embark on a defensive overhaul.
The Frenchman can play on either flank and that could well by bad news for Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia, both experienced wingers turned full backs, as they are pushed down the pecking order by a young, vibrant full back.
What’s the story, then?
The report states that Jose Mourinho has made the first move in pursuit of Sidibe, valued at £20.7m by Transfermarkt, with a view to a summer move.
Monaco were plundered after reaching the Champions League semi-finals last season, with big name players including Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe departing and are reportedly braced for a similar raid this time around.
The report claims that Thomas Lemar and Fabinho have one foot out of the door and Sidibe could be the next man to leave the principality club.
Bad news for Valencia and Young?
The experienced duo have actually been among United’s better performers this season but it is clear that they will need replacing sooner rather than later.
Valencia has been the on-pitch captain for much of the season but Sidibe’s strongest position is right-back. He can get up and down the right as well as anyone in Europe, which could spell trouble for the former Wigan man.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Sidibe is comfortable on the left, where Young has been operating, and the former Watford man has always felt like a stopgap. If Mourinho doesn’t want to drop his captain, then it is the England man who will be in the firing line.
Arsenal’s young starlet Chuba Akpom has been tipped for great things after his recent cameo performances for the Gunners haven’t gone unnoticed. Akpom came on against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday and immediately caught the eye in his excellent 20-minute appearance.
Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Manchester City are all keeping tabs on the Arsenal teenager, according to reports in the Express. Akpom’s contract is up at the end of the season and he’s not been shy of any interest, as Borussia Dortmund, FC Twente and Feyenoord are also all keen on offering the striker a pre-contract deal. The Dutch pair tried to sign him on-loan in the summer, but Akpom vowed to stay and fight for a starting place in Arsene Wenger’s first-team.
The Arsenal boss has reportedly offered his newfound wonderkid a new and improved three-year-deal to persuade him to stay at the Emirates, but the Newham-born ace looks to be holding out to see what arises elsewhere. Akpom has been with the Gunners since he was six-years-old, and he’s represented England at youth level since he was 15. Now 19, his decision on staying at the Emirates or moving on, will arguably be the biggest decision of his footballing life yet. He’s hit the age where warming the bench at a big club isn’t an option anymore, he needs regular top flight first-team football – therefore maybe moving abroad, or to a ‘smaller’ club if you like, wouldn’t be such a bad idea for the youngster.
[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]
The forward went on a one-month loan to Brentford last season, making four substitute appearances for the Bees – following that up with a month at Coventry City, where he started five of six League One games for the West Midlands club. Akpom made his long-awaited first Premier League appearance for the Gunners as an 89th minute replacement for Olivier Giroud in a 3-1 away win at Sunderland back in September 2013. He’s only made one league appearance for Arsenal since, coming on as a late substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Southampton last month.
The youngster has all the attributes to go on and be a world class striker – he’s quick, powerful and although it’s at a much lower level, his nine goals in 10 Under-21 Premier League games for the Gunners speaks volumes of his prospects. After waiting so patiently in the wings for his first senior appearance, could the fact that Akpom has only featured in the Premier League twice as a substitute since turning pro in 2013, have an impact on where he sees his future lying?
In the wake of the recent loans of Lukas Podolski to Inter Milan and Yaya Sanogo to Crystal Palace, Arsenal need as many attacking options as possible as we enter the vital stages of the season. With finding home-grown gems like Chuba Akpom becoming a harder and harder task, the Gunners can’t afford to lose such a hot English prospect like Akpom.
The boy has already shown what he’s made of and certainly proved he can score goals, albeit at youth level, and 19-years-old isn’t exactly young in football terms these days. But if the teenager feels his future lies away from the Emirates Stadium, then it may well be out of Arsene Wenger’s hands.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.