Lack of ambition? by Ben Dungate
Wait! This post isn’t what you think it is. It isn’t going to be another page of rantings against Mikel Arteta or Ainsley Maitland-Niles or lamenting us not signing Jonathan David, yet….
Indeed, this post is more a response to an article I read on William Saliba having his head turned by PSG. This is the lack of ambition I am referring to. I understand a young player wanting to win trophies, and I understand a young man aspiring to play for the biggest club in his home country.
But joining PSG “because you want to win trophies” is a sad and frankly pathetic mindset. Who remembers Alan Shearer rejecting Alex Ferguson and Man Utd to join Newcastle? That’s what we want and need.
Young people need to realise that success that is handed to you is a hollow victory. Earn your rewards.
It’s important to note that as far as I am aware Saliba has not been actually quoted as being interested in moving to PSG, it is purely an attempt by the journalist to harvest clicks, but it got me thinking about the situation with some of our younger players.
Saka is persistently linked with Liverpool, and that may well happen in the future, transfers always do, but it’s the concept of players just wanting success handed to them rather than having to earn it that irks me. The article mentioned PSG’s project. What project is that? To see how far they can stretch the seemingly endless boundaries of the Financial Fair Play rules?
Arteta is building a project at Arsenal and Saliba is playing an integral part in it. I also think Martin Odegaard’s experience at Real Madrid could help should Saliba start wavering. Things don’t always work out as you expect them to.
William Saliba is a terrific young player, who will probably go on to lead France at future World Cups, if not in Qatar. And if he does he will have Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to thank for it. Arteta handled his development really well and I hope that isn’t lost on him. Allowing him to gain experience in his home country with increasingly more expectation and responsibility on him is inspired.
Naturally, I suppose, PSG could well be the ultimate point on that journey but not next season, and hopefully not in 2024. But time will tell and the lure of immediate glory is a tempting one for many players.
Ben Dungate
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