Arsene Wenger tries to explain why Serge Gnabry slipped through the net.
Arsene Wenger has revealed how Arsenal missed out on keeping Serge Gnabry further after he left them to join Werder Bremen four years ago.
Gnabry signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2012 before struggling to break into their first team.
He was shipped out on loan to West Brom at the latter end of his Gunners stay and never made any sort of breakthrough.
He went to the Euros with the German Under21 and did well, he soon left for Germany after the competition.
However, Wenger has claimed that Arsenal had an agreement in place for him to sign an extension.
The former Arsenal boss also added that there was a problem with Gnabry’s game and went on to reveal what it was, according to Standard Sports.
“This guy, he has no real limitations – it’s more how much does he want to suffer,” Wenger said.
“Because he has pace, power, technical ability – he’s very intelligent.
“Sometimes he looks for the easy way in football. That’s what was his problem.
“He lacked a bit. I gave him to West Brom, it didn’t work out at all. In fairness, I think we had an agreement with him but Bayern stole him away from Werder Bremen.
“He’s a good player, he needs good players of course, like everybody, but he has individual ability and collective ability.
“We had an agreement with him but because he didn’t play at West Brom I let him go with the Under-21s in the summer with the German national team.
“He did very well of course, he was fresh. We had prepared him for us to sign his new contract but then suddenly he wanted to go to Werder Bremen.”
I have to admit that I am not at all convinced by what Wenger has said here, on one hand, he was gifted and the club did actually want to keep him but at the same time, he lacked a bit, whatever that bit was and that he was looking at an easy way in football.
Seems that Wenger got this one wrong and is struggling to justify it.