Arsene Wenger has been hailed as a master for his stroke of genius due to the fact that the Arsenal boss recalled Francis Coquelin from his loan deal at Charlton, but the fact that he did not secure a new contract for the French midfielder may yet come back to bite him in the bum!
Le Coq has been brilliant for the Gunners since his return, and it seems that he has convinced most Arsenal fans (and even Wenger now) that he is the defensive midfielder that we have all been calling for in the last two years. Wenger gushed yesterday: “Francis is contributing to the team well at the moment and he has shown that he has matured through difficulties. I kept patience with him because I saw his talent, and also because I give a huge importance to people who have been educated at the club and who have been brought up together because they know what the club means.”
BU, with Coquelin’s contract ending next summer, it is being reported that Wenger is now trying to tie him down to a new long term contract, but according to the Mail, Le Coq is stalling on a new deal unless he gets assurances from Wenger that he will be first-choice in the DM position next season.
In a way I can understand his point of view as he has been left on the sidelines by Wenger many times over the last few years, and has only now got his chance due to the injuries sustained by Mikel Arteta and Matthieu Flamini, and of course Jack Wilshere, who is due to return next month. With his recent performances Coquelin will be in demand in the summer, and could expect a bumper wage packet if he can move anywhere on a free contract. This then also puts pressure on Wenger to not only persuade Coquelin that he will have a first-team spot, but also he will have to match any offers from other clubs to try and keep him at the Emirates.
As Wenger said: “I kept patience with him because I saw his talent…”, but it’s a shame that the Arsenal boss didn’t value Le Coq’s talent enough to extend his contract last summer…..