Arsenal and Marseille are doing a lot of business by Dan Smith
With the news that Alexis Sanchez is on the verge of joining Marseille, It got me thinking that quite a few players have represented both Arsenal and The Phocaeans.
With Nuno Tavares scoring on his debut, it’s the 2nd season running that the French club have loaned a talent off us, last year borrowing Saliba and Guendouzi. They also convinced us to rip up Kolasinac’s contract early so they could sign him for free.
Clearly the two sides are comfortable negotiating with each other dating back to Mr Wenger’s era. Mr Wenger used his knowledge of the French market to purchase a young Flamini followed by Nasri.
It might be forgotten that Diaby tried to resurrect his career at Marseille but only featured 5 times due to injury.
Recently young talent has been going in the opposite direction. Under President Pablo Longoria he’s gambled on various situations that have developed at the Emirates, either willing to give talent minutes or to gamble on players with perceived behaviour issues.
Saliba and Guendouzi, already with huge reputations as teenagers, helped Marseille finish 2nd, their form earning them senior caps.
It was incredible business, Marseille had two of the hottest properties in France and hadn’t paid any money for them.
In what could turn out to be a bargain (although he’s already had a row with his manager), there was a clause in Guendouzi’s loan that meant a permanent switch would only cost 9 million.
His value had decreased since his reaction to a loss at Brighton was to boast about his salary. Having already warned him about his behaviour, Arteta would not include him in another Arsenal squad. It was our manager showing the world his cards. Why would anyone pay big money when the Spaniard was making it obvious how desperate he was to get him off the wage bill.
Given the relationship, Marseille was not shy in trying to rock the boat between Saliba and his employers. Encouraged by their national media, Longoria made it clear he would pounce if the 22-year-old did not want to return to London and even indicated that was the defender’s desire.
Like Saliba, Arsenal have inserted zero option or obligation to buy in Tavares’ loan deal meaning he has a long-term future still in North London, as he should.
The Gunners knew 12 months ago what they were buying a 21-year-old with raw potential.
After his mistakes at Anfield, he never mentally recovered or found his confidence, but it would be wrong for us to give up on him already.
While not official, Marseille have also become our feeder club, a side who we can lend our young players to who in turn can get a learning experience.
You play in front of 60,000 fans at the Velodrome, a passionate fanbase who put lots of pressure on the team to perform. I think it offers a great stage for Tavares’s development. It was enough to get his peers international recognition so who’s to say the same can’t happen for Tavares?
Dan
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Tavares scored this weekend and was the MOTM. Amazing debut to be honest.
And Balogun scored in the same match, coming in as a substitute. I think he scored on his first touch. Keep it going!
Harry Clarke scored and kept a clean sheet for Stoke this weekend.
Also, Auston Trusty was immense for Birmingham! That’s 2 great performances in 2 for him now.
Good weekend overall.
I heard this one (guendouzi) fought his team mate again during training session yesterday.
This is why I trust Arteta to boot out anyone causing dressing rooms problems
well,you heard wrong.since his appointment their new coach has tried to impose himself and his methods on the team.the problem is about the way he’s gone about it,in an authoritarian way. he’s already had bust up with 3 players before Guendouzi,not only that but as a leader of the team,he was asked to have a word with the coach by his teammates.only last week,the players asked for a meeting with the team/manager/president all present,to discuss his tactics,training methods.for their first game,he put Payet,their captain and best player on the bench just to make a point.
Stop glorifying Arteta for everything he does. When he put players out in cold and they struggle then you guys say Arteta was right it’s evident from whats happening to that player at other club. If that player succeeds then you guys say credit goes to Arteta for sending player on loan and build his confidence 😆🤣. Guendozi and Saliba have been marked as great talent before they joined Arsenal and Arteta has no role in making them what they are at the moment.
Tavares looked great at attacking on his YouTube highlights, in the match where he scored with his right foot. Unfortunately, his first touch is still inconsistent too be relied on when the team needs to keep the ball possession
Because of his adept weaker foot, pace and stature, he could be an excellent attacking inverted fullback like Spinazzola and Cancelo. Maybe the coaches should convert him into a winger, as Redknapp did to Bale
@gai
Sound assessment Gooner. He does seem intent on upping his game and does look to be improving defensively.
👍
Well said Gai, coaches need to adentify what suits a player best and help them adapt. Like AMN I think he is best as an inverted right back he has pace instead of CM. Some of these players don’t even know what they are best at.
Maitland-Niles was impressive when defending against the best wingers in EPL
Hopefully lickleman minds his business.
What’s happening with AMN ? Such a shame he hasnt pushed on…even if that means leaving the club
@Neil
We should have sent him to Marseilles…IJS
What about Pépé too??
I disagree with “Marseille was not shy in trying to rock the boat between Saliba and his employers.”had it been the case,do you think,we would still do business with them?
What the club said was that,if there was a change to sign him permanently, they’ll do their best to make it happen, what’s wrong with that?also the club doesn’t control the French medias who couldn’t understand how/why Salina couldn’t get a game for Arsenal.hsving said that,I agree that Marseille is great place to give young players a taste of playing for a big club ,under a lot of pressure.lastly,Sanchez and Inter have just mutually agreed to terminate his contract and he has linked with Marseille so that would make one more former gunner in their ranks.
I like how a post about OM automatically turns into a rehash of the false narrative surrounding Matteo Guendouzi. It wasn’t about him taking a dig at Brighton players low wages. It was about him throttling Maupay for injuring Leno. And then standing by his actions and not apologising. Any other time, theres a call for players to show some balls and not be push overs or soft. Viera, Adams, Parlour etc, all reacted in the same manner and were praised for it. Revered as “hard men” for standing up for a team mate. Matteo does it and is labeled a “hot head”. He let others know not to mess with us.
Sad part of all this is, our fans were angrier at Matteo for throttling Maupay, then they were at Maupay for injuring Leno…Go figure
Haha,attourney. NY_Gunner,lol.
I think the truth is somewhere in between to be honest – it’s not what he did but how he did it? I’d be shocked as well if that one incident is what caused him to be dropped, loaned and sold, I think it was his subsequent reaction as well and maybe just his pattern of behaviour.
I have tried to like guendouzi in the past because he was playing for us, but there is something off about him. I think he’s of a similar mindset to Nasri – petulant and arrogant (lovely combination). However good he is he’s not good enough that we really miss him.
Guendouzi doesn’t have anything close to the values Arsenal stands for. It could be argued that in the Maupay incident, Guendouzi was standing up for his teammate, but that is the same way he fights everyone else – coach and teammates alike.
And by the way, since his loan, has he said anything good about Arsenal? All he does is to take the slightest opportunity to slate and antagonize Arsenal.
We don’t need players who can’t grow out of their baby brain. We don’t miss him. Good riddance!
Gily, Spot On !
I am always depressed at the naivety and unthinking silliness of those who blame MA for doing the right thing and getting this conceited, arrogant, overgrown “child” out of our club as soon as he could.
That SOME fools should choose to take the side of this “child” over our wonderful manager is way beyong ludicrous.
Fact!!also,Lord Bendtner was never criticised for wearing the number 52, so everyone would know that he was on 52K/week.
@Mark 2.0
You’re just another triggered simpleton who can’t credibly attack the message so you attack the messenger.
@N-Y Gunner,you are spot on.also,if i had a suspicious mind,i would think that it is by design that every OM article ends up being about MG or Saliba.
@NY_Gunner, completely agree. My opinion but Guenzdozi is the player we really want in the midfield to replace Xhaka and to all Guendozi haters you do not make it into one of the best current world Cup holder team if you don’t have talent and are not driven. Our fans always cry that we don’t have passion and we don’t have tough guys in the team then when some one shows that quality we start slaughtering him. What Xhaka did was way worse then Guendozi but because he is Arteta’s favorite so he gets away with murder.
It’s great to know Arsenal fc is signing great players,
Tavares can become a versatile player, he just needs to concentrate more, I love his aggressive approach, he seems like the kind of player sent to attack towards the last minutes of a game, like Pique.
Pires also signed at Arsenal from Marseille.
There’s been a good relationship between the two clubs. Marseille is a good club to toughen up Arsenal youngsters.
Let’s hope it works as well for Nuno as it did for Saliba.
exactly!!
Everton just signed Onana
AMN is required considering both our first choice LB & RB are injury prone whiche means the second choice are now our main LB & RB respectively & AMN is a real backup at least until the first choice prove their fitness for 6 months.
We have more than adequate cover for LB/RB, White, Cedric, Zinchenko!
AMN had his chance and will be gone soon.
Who is mino?
Robbie Pires all time great.