Soccer Rules

Arsenal’s deserved reputation as a conveyor belt for outstanding young talent is well deserved, however the Gunners could well pay the price for the success of their youth program, by losing a couple of their key young players in the January transfer window.

The problem for Arsenal at the moment is that youngsters like Fran Merida and Jack Wilshere cannot expect much of a chance in first grade games due to the fact Arsenal’s first team squad is well off for talented midfielders, has only allowed them to appear in some unimportant Champions League games of the Carling Cup.

With certain youngsters ready for a first grade role Arsene Wenger has landed himself in a difficult situation. With a lot of talented midfielders to choose from including Diaby, Diarra, Rosicky, Narsi and Fabregas, Arshavin also needs a mention because he can play any role in the midfield, the chances for the talented youngsters coming through seems to be very limited, especially in midfield.

The unfortunate thing at the moment, the first grade team is dying for strikers at the moment, if Wilshere or Merida had been strikers they would be straight into the first team, due to injuries to Robin Van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner who are Arsenals lead strikers.

Wilshere has been linked with a loan move away from Highbury for a few weeks now. He has been shown intrest from Burnley to move to Turf Moor, a move to the Bolton Wanderes by manager Owen Coyle makes it seems unlikely that much interest will be shown until they resolve their managerial situation. Wilshere himself has stated that he would prefer a loan move to another Premier League side. Recent rumours have leaked that Wilshere is contemplating a loan to West Ham for the rest of the season, and with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger stating that Wilshere needs first grade soccer experience the move to a West Ham soccer jersey may just take place.

Fran Merida’s situation with Arsenal is much more complicated. Transferred in much the same was as Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona to Arsenal as a young player, the two players have drawn many comparisons between each other. Fran Merida however has not been able to step up into Arsenals first side, with a lack of interest to resign with Arsenal and his contract due to expire in June Merida has opted to move back home to Spain and, like Wilshere, will join the club he supported as a boy; Atletico Madrid, however this move will be a permanent one, he will most likely never wear the Arsenal home jersey again..

While Arsenal are well off for midfield talent, Arsenal fans can’t be feeling good that up and coming players that they trained and taught will be leave the club to further their careers elsewhere, although only temporarily in the case of Wilshere, only because there is no room for them in the first grade squad.

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