Ugh, I woke up late this morning and that messes with my head in a way it really shouldn’t. I suspect this blog could be a bit all over the place.
It looks like Arsene Wenger and Aaron Ramsey have just done a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game against Everton. At the moment we’ve got headlines and snippets, and the boss has confirmed that Yaya Sanogo will go on loan to Ajax:
He will go on loan, I believe he needs to play. He’s ready and he’ll get an opportunity to play in the Champions League.
While Ajax manager Frank de Boer said:
I think we can give him the opportunity to once again show that he has talent. Wenger is also still fully behind the idea that he is a top class player. He just needs to make the next step now. He stands to be a great talent, it’s just difficult to get there at Arsenal.
Of course many people will scoff at the idea but it’s been clear since his arrival that Wenger thinks there’s something to him. Sure, he’s had his misjudgements down the years like any manager, but he really seems to want to give Sanogo a chance to make it. When an established player with a decent goalscoring return like Podolski is sold, and a more established guy like Joel Campbell is on the verge of going the same way, perhaps it tell us something about what he sees for Sanogo.
He’s now backed up by de Boer (and to a lesser extent Bergkamp with whom the Ajax manager must have had discussions about their transfer business), so it’s all on the player now to perform and show he’s got more about him than certain people think. At the moment I think he’s a million miles away from being ready for this Arsenal team. His effectiveness in certain games was more about his chaotic presence than anything else, but that now has to be honed into regular, consistent goalscoring.
Whether he can find his groove at Ajax is one challenge, doing enough to convince Arsene Wenger he’s good enough to do it at Arsenal quite another, but the Eredivisie seems like a good fit and with European football too this is a great chance for him to take a step forward in his career. Good luck to him. I have my doubts that he’ll ever make it with us but it’d be nice to see him give it a good try.
Meanwhile, reports this morning say Hector Bellerin is set to sign a new long-term deal with the club. This comes on the back of reports last March that we’d moved to ensure his future was with us after his breakthrough performances in the right-back position. Sometimes a young player gets a chance and grabs it with both hands; and sometimes a young player breaks through and you know immediately they’ve got what it takes; that’s very much the case with the young Spaniard.
It’s yet another illustration of how timing and circumstance can be so crucial in a player’s career. After the signing of Mathieu Debuchy to replace Bacary Sagna, and the use of Calum Chambers as his back up initially, Bellerin was about to leave the club on loan. Then Debuchy got injured, Chambers form dipped, and despite a difficult debut away in Dortmund, he grew into the role.
He’s clearly a very quick study, you could see the improvement from game to game, and for him to finish the season with an FA Cup final … well, it’s the stuff dreams are made of for young players. This season he’s got to consolidate that with consistency and avoiding second season syndrome, which is not uncommon.
There are times when a youngster is carried along on a wave of good performances before finding it difficult to replicate that. The battle between himself and Debuchy is going to be an interesting one. There’s a lot to be said for the Frenchman’s experience, but Bellerin’s dynamism and pace is a real weapon too. Ultimately it’s very healthy for us, and a new deal is fully merited.
Other than that it all seems pretty quiet. The chaps appear to be having a good time in Singapore. Olivier Giroud in particular looks like he’s enjoying himself, much to the bemusement of Ozil and Flamini:
And if you haven’t seen the Santi Cazorla head-tennis video, it’s just fantastic.
If you’re into transfer rumours, this morning sees the name of Karim Benzema linked with us and a £40m price-tag splashed about. Your guess is as good as mine as to how much truth there is in it. I suspect not very much.
Update: Just seen Arsene Wenger was asked about it. “I don’t know where that story comes from, but that’s not happening at the moment, no”. Transfer junkies are now shooting up with a big syringe full of ‘at the moment’, oh yeah … that’s the stuff.
Finally, for some extra reading, check out Tim Stillman’s column from yesterday about how our midfield might develop over the course of next season. Interesting stuff.
Till tomorrow.
