Arsenal’s policy for investing in youth has remained unchanged, as Arsene Wenger seeks to create a squad that would probably win the quadruple in 2020 or something. Following the imminent arrival of Japanese wonderkid, Takuma Asano, that cried like a baby in his last game for Hiroshima Sanfreece, the Daily Mail has reported that a £2m fee has been agreed for Bolton youngster, Rob Holding.
If he joins the club, he would be the third acquisition of the transfer window, and while Granit Xhaka is a player that is expected to walk into the starting XI, the likes of Asano and Holding will take a while before they can make their marks at the Emirates. It’s always good to invest in youngsters, but there are times when it doesn’t just work out, like the case of a certain Wellington Silva, that has returned to his former club, Fluminense, after an unsuccessful spell with the Gunners.
Wellington signed for the Gunners six years ago but had some challenges with securing a work permit, so he had to be shipped out on loan to Levante, Alcoyano, Ponferradina, Murcia and Almeria and he featured consistently at those clubs before eventually securing a Spanish passport, which automatically qualified him to get a work permit in the UK. At the start of last season, Wellington was actually eligible to play for the Gunners, but he was loaned again to Bolton, which was more or less an indication that he wasn’t good enough to play for the Gunners.
I’d shared my thoughts on Rob Holding a while ago, so I don’t intend to delve into talking much about him today. However, I will be more interested to see what happens to Calum Chambers, that is clearly behind Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista in the pecking order. Holding has shown a lot of potential and it would be nice to see what he can offer wit the preseason games coming thick and fast.
Speaking of preseason, the Gunners are scheduled to travel to America to face off an All Star MLS side on July 29th, at the Avaya Stadium. The team has been selected by All Star coach, Dominic Kinnear.
The team is a true reflection of the word ‘All Star’, as it boasts of the likes of Girovani dos Santos, Jermaine Jones, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Clint Dempsey, Ignacio Piatti, David Villa, Sebastian Giovinco and the former scourge of Arsenal, Didier Drogba. A full list of the MLS All Star squad can be seen here.
That’s a wrap for today folks.
Sayonara.
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