The Arsenal 12
It’s going to be an intriguing close season for Arsenal who have a number of issues with their squad. The chief issue in most fans minds relates to whether Robin Van Persie will sign a new contract but when you delve a little deeper Wenger has a lot of other decisions to make.
Currently Arsenal have 29 players over 21 and this isn’t including the potential signing of Olivier Giroud. Under the Premier League Squad rules Arsenal can have 25 players over 21 and eight of these players have to be Home Grown. At this point in the summer the club have 12 Home Grown players and 17 other players but when you scratch the surface it becomes a little clearer who Arsenal may want to keep or release. Here’s a breakdown of the 12 Home grown players
- Alex Song
- Kieran Gibbs
- Aaron Ramsey
- Wojciech Szczesny
- Vito Mannone
- Nicklas Bendtner
- Carlos Vela
- Denilson
- Theo Walcott
- Johan Djourou
- Henri Lansbury
- Craig Eastmond
It’s fairly clear Arsenal will want to keep Song, Gibbs, Ramsey and Szczesny; it’s the other players that bare out more interesting analysis. The indications are that Vela, Bendtner and Denilson don’t want to return to the Gunners after being on loan last season whilst Mannone doesn’t want to be a reserve any longer. If Arsenal get good fees for these players chances are they’ll be moved on.
Theo Walcott is the biggest uncertainty. He’s got one year left on his contract and can the club convince him to sign a new one? If not the majority of European clubs will be after him. He has had one of his better performances for England at just the right time.
Johan Djourou could be on his way out but at present it’s unclear. Arsenal gave him a new contract in the last season which suggests he’s in Wenger’s long term plans but again if they got a good offer for him Wenger would let him go as his performance have not been stellar and he isn’t going to displace either Vermaelen or Koscielny.
That leaves Henri Lansbury and Craig Eastmond. Lansbury looks like he has masses of talent but he doesn’t look like a Wenger player. He is unpredictable and undisciplined whilst being able to change games. Last season he was at West Ham but he wasn’t a permanent starter. Wenger might want to give him a season if there is space in the 25 man squad but it seems unlikely that he’ll make the grade at the North London club. This is similar for Eastmond who Wenger likes but who just hasn’t kicked on. Again he is more than likely to leave the Gunners.
The reason that its unknown what Wenger will do with his Home-Grown players comes mainly from the fact that he virtually never buys a home grown player. This means an Eastmond or a Lansbury could get another season at the club because Arsenal aren’t going to go out and sign a 23 year old from a Championship club; at least they haven’t done up to now.
The biggest challenge the club faces with its Home-Grown players is to re-sign Theo Walcott. Arsenal will no doubt make a profit if they sell him but then he’ll end up playing his best football elsewhere. The vultures are already circling; will Walcott stay or go? Time will tell…
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With this being Fragmento’s first foray into football writing it seems pertinent to mention Harry Redknapp being sacked as Spurs manager. The one point of view that doesn’t seem to have been portrayed much in the media is the fact that the Spurs hierarchy didn’t expect Redknapp not to go to England. Spurs got a little greedy in wanting to cash in on the good job Harry did during his time at the Lane but it’s become clear that to push the club on Redknapp wanted to take control but it’s Daniel Levy who’s in control at the Lane.
Redknapp won’t have a problem getting another job. For Tottenham it’s a massive gamble and if Andre Villas-Boas becomes the gaffer maybe even Levy will end up having second thoughts…
Football Fragmento 