When Arsenal finished off a very strong second part of last season in style with our demolition of Aston Villa at Wembley. It made the Gunners the most successful club ever in the FA cup and gave people the belief that Arsenal were finally looking capable of winning the Premier League again.
So we did not expect the same amount of transfer activity in north London as we did in Manchester and Liverpool, but we still expected a few key positions to be strengthened. One of the players that was most expected to become a Gunner this summer, according to the amount of Arsenal transfer rumours, was Morgan Schneiderlin and many people are still scratching their heads and wondering why Wenger did not challenge Man United for the French midfielder’s services.
While some of it may have to do with the brilliant form of Francis Coquelin and the fitness of Arteta, a report by ESPN has perhaps hit on the main reason for Wenger’s decision. In it the player himself admits that he still has a lot to learn, especially about playing football at the top level.
Schneiderlin said, “I’m not the finished product. I’m just 25, which is the middle age for a professional footballer.
“Of course playing alongside [Michael] Carrick and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger will help my game. Training week-in and week-out with these players helps you learn and improve your game. I’m ready for it.
“The competition here is very intense but there are a lot of games in the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups and it’s good competition for us.
“We all work hard together but, of course, it’s the manager’s choice who will play — that’s normal. I want to play and the other players want to play, but the manager chooses the team and you always have to push to get into it. At a club like United you would expect nothing else.
“I’ve not set myself any targets, certainly not with goals. I’m not a striker, so I’m not obsessed with scoring goals.
“My aim is to improve my game, help the team, do my job on the pitch and if I can score goals then great. The main thing for me is to stay fit and give my best.”
That certainly does not sound to me like the player that would come in and instantly transform Arsenal into a title winning team. And if we are going to bring in a player with potential, would it not make more sense to get them at a younger age? Does this explain Wenger’s decision?