Arsenal’s transfer decisions over the years are usually questioned, and the prospective departures of Folarin Balogun, Matteo Guendouzi and Mavropanos are all likely to prove as errors.
Charles Watts named both Guendouzi and Mavropanos as players he expects to leave the club on permanent deals this summer in a recent YouTube Q&A, and I can’t help but feel frustrated by that.
The Frenchman is only 21 years-old and has already shown his worth within the first-team squad already, but the manager appears to have closed to the door on him.
I get that his disciplinary record isn’t perfect, and that he and the manager had a falling out, but nobody is perfect, and some of the best players in the world have their attitude problems.
At only 21 years-old, it isn’t outrageous for him to still have growing to do, and maturity to find, but footballing ability isn’t always as easy to find.
Mavropanos already showed he was able to hold his own in the Premier League also, when filling in amidst an injury crisis during his early years in North London, but he hasn’t been given a fair shot since.
Balogun is a difficult one I understand, there is a pecking order and we have endured a difficult season to accommodate rotation, but he showed on the pitch in the Europa League that he at least deserved a chance in the first-team, and bar coming off the bench against Man City in the League Cup, he hasn’t received one.
Surely I’m not alone in seeing massive potential in the trio, and I understand that Balogun’s situation is a lot to do with his playing contract which ends this summer, but surely Arsenal or Mikel Arteta could have done better here?
Patrick