re: Arsenal 2013/2014 Season Long Thread

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I think he considers himself German. I'll tweet him pics and stuff to try and sway him.

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If he makes a breakthrough at Arsenal, the only thing we have going for us (as in the U.S.) is the fact that the Germans can go four or five deep in midfield. He might be relegated to youth duty while with the U.S. he'd be a senior player. Though if he does make a breakthrough at 18 for Arsenal, he might be special enough for the Germans to move him to the senior team.

Jebb had a nice FK goal today!

and yes, I completely agree

I wonder what will happen with akpom, gnabry, eisfeld, olsson and sanogo. surely one or two will go on loan.

CAM

Yeah, I'm not sure about breaking through there any time soon. Ozil 24, Gotze 21, Draxler 19, Max Meyer 17 are all full first team footballers in big leagues.

Germany is loaded in central positions for years to come.

I'm skeptical of Zelalem's ability to breakthrough any time before he is 20, but if he does I'll be pleasantly surprised.

I looked at his twitter and the first thing there was him referencing himself as a German with all the Arsenal Germans

He could become a fine player, but making it at Arsenal is super difficult. The only youth academy players that have made it in a realistic sense are truly world class players (Cole) or players on the track to become world class (Gibbs and Wilshere). We've let plenty of players go who go on and become productive elsewhere. Wenger likes to test players in different ways to see how they react. I imagine Zelalem is being exposed to first team football immediately because he has the size and athleticism to deal with it, and Wenger hopes the mental part of the game comes along with it. If he does have the mental part of the game, then he could probably make it, but if he doesn't he could go the way of other promising youth academy players plying their trade elsewhere.

ETA: Jury's still out on Szcznesy.

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can't remember wenger treating a new kid signing like him since Cesc

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This is true, but Cesc was also special circumstance. Parlour, Vieria, and Edu all left within a year of one another, placing a massive void in midfield. We won't have that void, especially if we sign a CAM this summer.

I'm all for slowplaying him so that when he inevitably gets his dream move to [insert current European giant] we will have at least got him til he was 23.

some rumors we might be in for Brazilian winger Bernard who plays for Atletico Mineiro. he's got a number of suitors though.