The Nigerian youngster Henry Onyekuru has been very closely linked with a move to Arsenal for the last few weeks, but his latest comments make it clear that his agent is talking to many clubs all over Europe but he is demanding that he will be guaranteed to be playing regular first team football, something that Arsene Wenger would certainly not agree to given the choice of ‘world class’ strikers that we already have at the Emirates.
‘The first and most important thing for a player is to get playing time,’ Onyekuru was quoted as saying. ‘I’m still young and I still have a long career to pursue but now I need to play.
‘My agents are in talks with top clubs in the Premier League, Bundesliga, French league and others. If they accept our terms, then I’ll make a decision.
‘It’s not just about going to a big club and sitting on the bench. It’s not good for me, or being loaned to a club where I won’t play or where I will struggle to play.
‘The money can come later but for now, I just want to play to improve, not just to play for a big club.’
Onyekuru was in a relegation battle with Eupen last season, and he has already reduced his options by not wanting to be on the bench and has narrowed them even further by stating that he doesn’t want to play for another team fighting for their lives, which will probably also rule out Newcastle who have only just been promoted to the Premier League. ‘It was very hard for me last season in Belgium because we just got promoted and our first objective was to stay in the league,’ he continued.
‘Sometimes I would score two goals and we would end up losing the game. That was tough for me.
‘So I won’t like to go to a club where I will fight again just to stay in the league. I want to win trophies and if I can win trophies at my age, it will be good for me.’
So to recap: He wants a first team place. He wants to play for a club that can win trophies, and he doesn’t want a relegation battle.
He will definitely not be coming to Arsenal! Maybe to a top team in one of the lesser Leagues?
Admin