I was shocked enough last week when I found out that Francis Coquelin’s Arsenal contract was set to expire this summer, which means that he is now free to discuss new deals with clubs outside the Premier League.
I seem to remember, back in the day, when a young Mathieu Flamini was inadvertently allowed to run his contract down and moved to AC Milan on a free transfer, that Arsene Wenger vowed that he would never allow this situation to happen ever again. He broke that vow in the Theo Walcott ‘sign dat ting’ saga, but thankfully that one turned out okay, but the exact same thing has happened with Coquelin. Why did he send him out on loan without a new contract?
Anyway, I digress. The latest news from the Telegraph and the Star is that the extremely promising Chuba Akpom is ALSO out of contract this summer, and it seems that he is being sounded out by teams such as Liverpool and Everton amongst others, and apparently already has been offered pre-contract deals by Borussia Dortmund, FC Twente and Feyenoord.
I can fully understand why Akpom would be looking at other options to gain first team action, as it is obvious that with Giroud, Welbeck, Sanogo (?), Alexis, Campbell and Walcott competing for places in the future he is unlikely to get a look in. What I CANNOT understand is why Wenger didn’t give both Coquelin AND Akpom an ultimatum last summer that they had to sign an extension or be sold out of hand. Even if we only got 1 million for each of them it would be better than giving them the chance to leave for free this coming summer.
Am I right or am I missing something?
this gives us the perfect opportunity to sign 2 DMs….
cant imagine what would happen if our one and only new DM got injured….
Aren’t Arteta, Flamini and Bielek not registered as DMs for Arsenal?
I think we should give akpom a new contract n send him on loan, he needs game time n we need a w.c striker to compete with giroud, welbeck is not that striker, giroud has transferred the donkey spirit to welbeck, so welbeck should be 3rd choice
If a player be it Cesc, Francis or whoever doesn’t want to play for Arsenal then good bye. If being in London, playing for a legendary team in a fantastic stadium is not enough for a player then good luck and wish you the best.
@Jim A
RealTalk…
With Sanogo and Podolski both out on loan I can see Akpom getting a bit of game time now, mostly as a sub but still. Coquelin wants to see how much game time he gets when Wilshere is fit which is fair enough, but if we play Wilshere in CDM my blood will boil.
Seems like players’ agents stirring the pot, though can understand both players wanting some clarity on future game-time, especially Le Coq @ 23.
In his case he’s going to see more game-time even with Wilshere back, he should be used as one of the 2 DMs we deploy in top 4 match-ups and other key away games.
For Akpom, his immediate ambitions have to be realistic. Does he think Brendan Rogers will put him in the 1st team just because Sterling is a regular at 19?? Also with them looking to buy additional strikers in summer.
But it’s also his right to challenge AW about his prospects for next couple of years. He should see increasing game-time rest of this season as we fight on 3 fronts, then a spell on loan to another EPL or Championship team will build his cred.
We should try and keep both players, as they have worked hard to come through the Gunners system, but it is all down to realistic negotiation
COYG
I think the lad is good…..send him out on loan and allow him to develop…I have no doubt he will become a very good striker, but if he’s not world class then we should cash in…..many Gunners might thumb me down but the hardcore fact is this, in order to win BPL and CL we need a WORLD CLASS STRIKER…..not a very good striker
I can somehow understand what Arsene might have been going through when dealing with Coquelin contract. I mean none of us would have imagined he would turn into a player he has turned out right now. If Wenger did offer him a new contract earlier then I know for sure he would have been slated left, right and centre by 99% of the Arsenal fans.
I am not saying its the right thing, but from the way I see it, Arsene maybe thought, If you are good enough I will offer you a new pay rise, if not then feel free to join others for free. Right now the ball is in Coquelins court.
Both should ‘sign dat ting’…
– I don’t think it was such a big thing for the club to be cautions especially Le Coq’s contract, 2 to 3 month ago he was heading out of the club and NO one would have stand up for him. His developed has even shocked Wenger and his team am sure. His earned his contract and now that he is in a strong position, he will try to get out the best deal possible (an sure his agent will play some big role in this). Am sure now Wenger is too experienced to let this go the wrong way especially if he was the player in his plans.
– As for Akpom, should we bring in another attacker or call back/keep Sanogo, Campbell or Poldi in the summer, a loan move to an EPL team will be highly beneficial for both parties.
Atleast we are now loosing youngstars to rivals, not established players like we used to with hleb, cesc, v.persie etc
Though I think the academy should be shut down till a coach who knows how to intergrate young players into the 1st team is found. All our youths do well in the academy then take FOREVER to make it in the big stage. They spend spells around not-so-good players and with not-so-good coaches yet are expected to come back better than they left 🙁 🙁 doesn’t make sense.
Let them stay and practice with the best and give them game time. For a team like Arsenal, we should be able to kill games early n give youngsters a run of gametime or we should be strong enough to have a team comprising of a few one or two youths n still win. but if we struggle all games till the 94th min, then they will ever be on the bench.
#The coach is the problem
#Pythagoras has the solution
Jenkinson had plenty of opportunity, Chambers is getting it and Bellerin is grabbing his. Szcz came through. Gnabry has had chances and Ox is coming along nicely as the way that Gibbs did. I really dont see your argument at all. Furthermore a reason why we have gone so long without a title is because we had too many youths playing.
And im thinking of jolie classie im not a shneiderlin fan id prefer sissoko, and u guys were talking too much about a certain Belgian from everton sometime ago, now he’s at manure n we can see clearly, boisterous we need jolie classie (good passer n dm) or sissoko( physical presence and strength)
Jordie not jolie, sorry mates
@ayzay, what has Fellaini got to do with Schneiderlin, and why is fans liking Sissoko situation different than fans liking Schneiderlin, and what the hell has Classie got to do with any of it.
I have more hope for Akpom and Afobe then Sanogo and Campbell to be honest. Sanogo is much better this year though but Campbell is approaching 24 and should be the finished article and hasn’t impressed me other than that super goal at the World Cup.
If we can get good money for Campbell, Sanogo ans Podolski (lets face it, Wenger doesn’t want him) we can get a WC striker which we need to challenge for the PL title
@fred cowardly
Afobe has been sold to Wolves.
I personally think that we should not have brought Wellbeck. We should have promoted Afobe(whom to the 1st team and sent Akpom out on loan instead.
I also feel that Afobe is miles ahead of both Danny and Akpom. He’s stronger, faster and more predatory in front of goal, as well as having a decent hold up game…
Pretty sure Wenger wasn’t convinced on either Coq or Akpom going into this season, why else would Coq get loaned out the last year of his contract? Glad he’s been forced into the side and Is proving his worth. He’s much more defensive than Wilshire and level headed as well. As for Akpom he still needs a season or two as a sub/ cup games. He needs to get a little stronger & mature. Both need to be signed on new contracts soon unless Wenger has plans in place for one more Jan surprise or solid signings come summer.
Can’t believe no one is mentioning illeramendi or James McCarthy , it’s no coincidence that Everton are struggling this season with McCarthy out injured, reports are saying the spuds are in for him, would be a great signing as he can do everything a truly versatile dm who can pass the ball. Illeramendi is world class and if ancelotti is stupid enough to let him go Arsene should snap him up Asap these two would allow the system arsene wants to play to blossom and in my opinion all we would need then is benzema or cavani to complete the squad , unless Gibbs gets really bad injury as I just don’t think Montreal is up to it long term
@justin
We’re supposedly interested in Illarramendi…
Keep on about the same thing here. The only way for the young kids to be any good is for arsenal to bring in top top players as AW says. We are a laughing stock to other EPL teams. They keep saying we have the funds but still they don’t spend it. We sold our captain and never replaced him. Yes he has been out for God knows how long. But AW wants a player to play CD AM LB God just get a player who can play where he is paid to. Our stadium can go up by another 20.000 so that tells me it can be a 30.000 more seats. Do it so we can be a world team. I fear for arsenal as AW will go up stairs after and it will be just the same
This weekend showed How much potential we have. Imagine Walcott, Sanchez, Ozil and Cazorla at the top of their game with a Top striker. We would have the best attack in the PL. I wish Wenger had gone for Costa instead of Welbeck (I don’t have anything against Danny. He is very good and could develop into another Ian Wright) but it didn’t really make much sense to get someone who is close to Giroud’s quality
Anyway, I hope Walcott scores loads and loads of goals. He seems ready to start on a weekly basis.
Against Villa
Giroud/ Sanchez Rosicky Walcott / Cazorla Coquelin/ Monreal Koscielny Mertesacker Bellerin/ Oooooooooospina!
@Twig
SICK line up. But I would start Ox and bring Theo on at bout 65mins. to seal their fate…
New need a new quality CDM even if Coquelin signs new deal. Flamini, Arteta and Diaby are liability. Wilshere and Ramsey are still injury prone.
I hope resurgent Coquelin and promising Akpom will not become another stubborn cases for the boss to handle as was in the cases of Cesc Fabrigas and Alex Song who insisted on leaving, and eventually left in recent times. I believe Coquelin and Akpom principally wants to get the best contract deal possible that borders on money vis a vis what they are been offered by other clubs. Transfer dead-line day is less than 8 days to clock? Is the boss not through with January transfer? How much has he left in his £20m Jan transfer kitty after signing Beilik and Paulista to buy Kevin GroBktrutz front Borussia Dortmound? Just enough remaining? Who will be allowed to leave between Coquelin and Akpom if GroBktrutz is signed? Akpom? 6 Gunners were out and 6 new Gunners have been brought in. If a new Gunner comes in an existing Gunner will be off loaded.
This Coquelin saga is such a non story. Fact is that Wenger showed a lot of faith in him and he has showed a lot of loyalty to arsenal over the years.
He has now broke into the first team and now is either a rotation player or a first team player. Time will find that out.
If he is a first team player his pay grade would be higher then a rotation player and as a rotation player his pay grade would be higher then just a squad player.
Now arsenal just as much as coquelin need to find out his worth. That is what the wait is on.
Surely Wenger hasn’t done it again!? Why not get a deal wrapped for Akpom then loan out Poldi, Campbell and Sanogo.
Now Akpom and his agent have us by the short and curlies.
Hope he stays, I see big things from him in the future.
No one has mentioned Gnabry, a fantastic player.
I think it would be totally wrong for Akpom not to sign with us,. I know he has a hard task of making proper game time but thats the way it is at all big clubs concerning up and comers. We have invested allot of time patience and tutoring in the young man all the way back to him being a six year old, and you cant tell me that at six years of age the kid looked destined to be a footballer so with that Arsenal gave him a blessing, a wish for most, when deciding to educate a child in how to become a professional football player. Im pretty certain that all on here would almost kill for a footballing education from the Arsenal and some probably would kill. For Akpom to uproot himself and head on up north would be nothing like sol joining us or rvp joining manu, at the least they gave some pretty great service and a signing fee regarding robin. Akpom hasnt even begun to give back yet, and if he cant make our first team well then by being ready when called upon and looking sharp in cup games will be how he repays us and furthermore we should definitely have the option of a transfer fee or whether we want to keep him.
What has Llaramendi done to suddenly become world class? He is a young promising player, no more than that or Madrid would not be looking to sell. I say we get a DM from hell or nothing. We have Bielik and Coquelin for the future so it’s time to think about right now.
On a more positive note I really like Chuba, I hope he is given a chance but every game is crucial so he needs to deliver.