Does Jon Toral have any chance of getting first team action next season?
With all club competitions now finished for English football this season, we can sit back and review what the season has been like for the Arsenal players, in terms of who has performed and who hasn’t. It is also a time where we can review our youngsters who have been out on loan and think about what chances they have of linking up with the Arsenal first team next season.
Arsenal had a total of 15 youngsters out on loan for the 2015/16 season and one of the top performers amongst the pick was midfielder Jon Toral. Toral’s story is quite well known amongst Arsenal fans for making the move to Arsenal from Barcelona at the same time that current Arsenal fan favourite Hector Bellerin did, back in 2011. It seems like a while back but whilst Bellerin has had a massive impact with the Gunners over the past two years, Toral’s professional career with Arsenal has not been quite so fruitful. Yet to make a single professional appearance for the Gunners, Toral has been shipped out on loan to Championship clubs Brentford and Birmingham, with the latter being his home for last season.
Toral had a fantastic season in which he won the Supporters player of the season award at Birmingham, in recognition for the brilliant stint he has had at the club. He also won the Players’ player of the season award as well as goal of the season, therefore managing to be the club’s standout player last season. Speaking on his time with the club, Toral said: ” I think i have progressed a lot this season. That’s what you’re looking for when you go out on loan – to get some experience of football at a high level. I have enjoyed it so much, every training session, every game. It has been a good season and I just wanted to thank everyone for making it such a brilliant experience.”
Modest in his brilliant season he may be, but Toral surely must be hoping that his efforts last season for Birmingham have been enough to impress Arsene Wenger into giving him a shot in the first team. Although Toral is often a part of the Arsenal pre-season tours and has made appearances, he is still yet to feature for the first team on a competitive basis and he’ll be hoping to be a part of the Arsenal squad, alongside his close friend Hector Bellerin, rather than be shipped out on loan again. I do think Toral has talent but at 21 years old, time is running out for the midfielder to get in the door at Arsenal before being dumped out of Arsenal’s plans. We’ve seen it before and although the likes of Francis Coquelin has shown that you can make an impact from the reserves as a later developer, it is not a case that happens too often and before you know it, Toral will be looking for first team opportunities elsewhere rather than be continuously shipped out on loan.
Should Toral get a look in next season?
By AH
I agree heis the first one that should get a crack out our first team. He is a number 10 and that is where Ozil sits or Wilshere so it will be hard, but knowing our injuries.
I have no idea what will happen to Cazorla, he has 1 year left on his contract and he is 31, it could be that Xhaka was bought as his replacement. If Cazorla goes I can see more chances for Toral.
I also think Hayden should be first team as he is a CDM or he should be sold.
If Walcott or the Ox get sold than I see more first team chances for Gnabry.
Why are we quick to want to replace Cazorla?
I think we should loan out the following to PL clubs for 1 year to gain experience:
Zelalem, Toral, Gnabry, Adelaide
Yeah he is only 2 months older than CR7, you dont see RM rushing to replace him.
‘cos fans love the new and shiny.
I think some of the fans know he is getting older, can see he hasn’t got the build of a larger stronger man… I think it is more of the fans not wanting to get caught with their pants down (so to speak), they hope to remember him for the little wizard he is and not another Arteta.
Cazorla has given us so many good moments, I hope age doesn’t get to him as quickly as it can get other players, he can be such a joy to watch when fully fit. Don’t you agree?
Don’t worry about he is amongst the other young talents like Jeff Adelaide, Gnabry and othe trapped in Wenger’s net and the only farmed to be sold for profit later !!!!! Don’t you the business model ??? Profit, profit, and more profit.
Cazorla signed a new 3 year deal during last season, so still has 2 go. Let’s get at least 1 more year out of him before writing him off.
Get toral in the squad at least.
F*** all of you’ll. This is Cazorla we are talking about. Have some respect ffs. He is a bloody football genius and he has at least another 2 solid seasons under him. For those who are worried that they might get caught with their pants down because of Cazorla, open your god given eyes you piece of C***. The only reason leicester won the league is because Cazorla got injured. Yes it’s because of Cazorla. We don’t have anyone like him in our team. Any who doubts his ability is st7pid as st7pid can be.
According to transfer market Cazorla contract runs out June 2017. 1 year left. I am not saying I want Cazorla to go. But I would not be surprised if he is sold.
I would like to see Toral given a chance next season, and he could easily take Ramsey’s and Wilshere’s place. Ramsey’s had eight years at Arsenal, consistently under performs, whilst also picking up a fair few injuries. I’d get rid of him now, as we can get a large transfer fee, given his age. Wilshere is never available, and I’d rather us cash in now, instead of giving him a pay rise and contract extension, as I think he’s only got two years left.
Xhaka, Coquelin, Elneny, Santi, and Toral looks pretty good. Maybe even another midfielder given the money we’d make from player sales.
Kante?
You said maybe another CM at the end and going with your thought, Kante could be an ideal signing as well, we would have a tough CM…
DCM: Chaka and Coquelin
Tough tackling B2B: Kante and Elneny
For teams we dominate then we may not need a tough tackling B2B player but one who is better at controlling the game;
Cazorla and Toral
ACM Ozil and Zelaleam?
In all honesty I think we have a few players who look like they should be able to be squad players looking to progress into starters.
We have Jeff R-A who looks exciting, I would say he is worth keeping for this upcoming season as he doesn’t seem shy/star struck and if he plays like he did in pre-season then he is good enough as cover for… say… Alexis?
Wellington Silva has done well at Bolton from what little I have seen, he has shown some nice flair and trickery, might need a EPL loan but he could be competition for the right wing…
I do hope that our development program will give us some players so we do not need to waste money on buying ‘squad players’, instead it could be used to buy what we truly need, a WC CF…
It would really be interesting to see Toral integrated in the team, but its going to be difficult with an already crowded midfield, he his pretty good in the air, good technical skills, love to shoot at goal, i think he could also play in a forward role. He is a real interesting prospect. Hayden, Akpom and Gnarby still needs some loan time.
Not to skip the subject, but its not too much of a deviation, i watched the Toulon tournament where England played Guinea, in the last 25 minutes the center halves pairing was Chambers/Holding and i said wow this could be arsenal pairing in a couple of years, Holding who played the whole game looked about 2 inches taller than Chambers, looked to have good pace and technical skills, i hope we buy him because its an area arsenal does not play attention. Also of note i caught a sighting of Jack Grealish i guarantee you that boy will be in the England senior squad by year ends if one of the big teams go in for him, would not mind see them perform against a Paraguay tomorrow.
Watch young Bielik, he is coming along in CB pos very nicely, being compared to a future Adams if he keeps going the way he is.
Bielik, Chambers and Holding…
3 young CB for the future, can’t rely on just 2 with our injury curse lol.
how can you write”at 21 years old his time is running out”this is getting ridiculous nowadays if a young player doesn,t perform to a high level consistently very quickly people start to get impatient&are ready to give up on them!!
I think Toral should be given the chance to step up, we have a number of young midfielders coming through and some of them can be used now to fill the squad out, if we need a squad player then look at the players who have been loaned out.
Toral has had a very good season and I think Zelaleam also had a good season, who thought he would handle the Scottish lower league they way he did?
The other player who I think has done well and could be used to create competition for spots/backup is Wellington Silva, that guy has some nice tricks and also has fast feet, could be a fantastic winger for us if he can settle in our squad.
I think our loans could also provide the numbers so Arsenal can afford to focus on signing top players rather than squad fillers.
I think we should sign cazorla’s son, based on that video of him.
Toral born 1995
Wellington chamberlain and sanogo born 1993
Who is time running out for the most?
Bearing in mind that players born 1995 can still play for the u21s if required