Former Arsenal academy prospect Donyell Malen looks set to join Borussia Dortmund. This will trigger the idiots on Twitter who say “Arsenal let go a superstar again” without actually having seem him play either for Arsenal or in Holland.

We have seen it before with the revisionism of Serge Gnabry’s departure (short version: Arsenal wanted to keep him. He wanted to return to Germany) and I imagine we will see the same happen with Malen.

Malen left Arsenal back in 2017. Joining PSV for less than £1million.

The then 18-year-old engineered a move out of the club under the guidance of his agent – Mino Raiola.

Many Arsenal fans who saw him play were disappointed that he left, as he was clearly a talent. But they also understood the situation.

Here was a player who had come to Arsenal at 16-years-old from Ajax. Within 2 years of being at the club refused to sign a new contract and decided to move back to his native Holland to find 1st team football.

It actually took him a season to find that 1st team football as he spent a year at Jong PSV – the reserve team of PSV Eindhoven.

He was a talent within Arsenal’s youth team, but he was by no means the brightest star.

Capable of playing across the front 3, Malen was in direct competition with the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Stephy Mavididi.

Malen often found himself playing 2nd fiddle to those 3 players. Usually only playing within his age group when they moved up a group or were involved in the senior team.

Only Mavididi – who has since joined Juventus and now at Montpellier – was older than Malen.

Back in 2017, Malen was down the pecking order for the 1st team action he demanded.

2016/17 none of Nelson, Mavididi or Nketiah got any senior game time as Chris Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Chuba Akpom were the youngsters given the chances in the cup games.

So Arsenal had a talented young player; who was not more talented than players the same age. Whilst the club did not want him to leave; they also did not stand in his way.

Malen has now been in Holland for 4 years, scoring 40 goals in 81 Eredivisie games.

So in the most basic of terms, it has taken him 4 years to develop a game good enough for Dortmund to be interested in him. So 4 years previous he was no where near good enough to be involved in first team action.

Most will consider Nelson and Nketiah as “not good enough”. However how many goals would the pair of got had they gone to Holland? Probably not to dissimilar to Malen.

The Dutch league is a similar level as the Championship.

During Malen’s time in Holland, Mason Mount spent a loan period there, scoring 14 goals. The next year he was in the Championship where he scored 11 goals. Last season he scored just 6 Premier League goals, despite being 3 years old, wiser, stronger and better.

So we shouldn’t be getting our knickers in a twist of Malen scoring 5 goals against Vitesse. For every Luis Suarez that comes out of the league, you get 2017/18 top scorer Alizera Jahanbakhsh who failed to score a league goal for Brighton in 2018/19.

In his time in Holland, Malen has been outscored by the likes of Luuk de Jong (0 goals in 12 games for Newcastle), Steven Berghuis (0 goals in 9 games for Watford) and Dusan Tadic (ex-Southampton). Even the likes of Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar outscored him even though they were well past his best.

So some will cry that Dortmund are signing an ex-Arsenal trainee 4 years after he left the club. But there is a reason why it has taken him 4 years for a bigger team to come calling.

He simply was not ready for the big leagues when he left us.

Keenos

During the post game interview, Mikel Arteta was very aggressive in his defence of Emile Smith Rowe.

Asked if he is determined to keep Smith Rowe despite Aston Villa’s interest, Arteta said: “Without a question, yes. He will stay here, 100 per cent”.

When asked about Joe Willock’s future, his answer was a little more wet.

“Joe is part of our plans, he’s our player and in the time that he is here we will try to make the most out of him.”

Willock was fantastic at Newcastle scoring 8 goals in his 14 league games. In his short spell for them he fell in love with the city and Newcastle fans fell in love with him.

The feeling is he wants to return to Newcastle.

At 21 he needs to make decisions in the best interest of his career.

He can stay at the club he grew up supporting, and continue to be a bit part player or he can join someone like Newcastle and get regular first team football.

In the 6 months in the North East, Willock started 11 Premier League games. In the 4 seasons he was part of Arsenal’s first team, he started just 12.

Were he to stay at Arsenal, he would still be a fringe player. Behind the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and any new signings to play in his preferred advanced midfield.

At Newcastle he would be straight back in the first team. Playing week in week out.

Newcastle fans will cheer his name from day one. Already giving him hero status after he saved them from relegation. The air is different at Arsenal. Fans will grumble when his name is on the team sheet. The online abuse that he is not good enough will not go away.

It is easy to understand why he might want a move away. To really kick start his senior career.

The stumbling block is whether Arsenal and Newcastle can come to a deal.

Everything is up in the air at St James’ as the potential takeover by a Saudi consortium heads for the courts.

With everything going on, it would be surprising if any big transfers were “signed off”.

You also have the impact that Covid19 has had on finances.

A loan deal for Willock is more likely, with an obligation to buy.

I think this summer you will see a lot of deals done on loan with an agreement to buy next summer (similar to Matteo Guendouzi’s move to Marseille). This benefits both clubs:

1) The buying club can ick the debt down the road knowing that in 12 months time they would have had a 2^nd full year of season ticket money.

2) The selling club can access the funds they are due by selling it on to a factoring company.

So if Arsenal agree to loan Willock to Newcastle with a fee of £20million agreed in 12 months, Arsenal could sell that debt to a finance company for £19million which they would get immediately.

In 12 months time, Newcastle would owe that £20million to the finance company who would make an easy £1million on the deal. It is something that happens regularly in football when teams pay in instalments.

So do not be surprised if over the next week Willock joins Newcastle on loan, with a small upfront payment and an obligation to buy next summer.

Arsenal then sell the debt, in the same way they would have done with the incoming Guendouzi fee, and boost their own transfer funds.

I would be very surprised if Willock is not playing in black and white next summer.

Keenos

Imagine if Twitter was around in 2003…

In Arsenal’s first pre-season friendly of the season they lost 1-0 to Peterborough, who were playing in the 3^rd tier of English football at the time.

Next up was a boring 0-0 draw against Barnet. Arsenal gave a trial to Kolo Toure’s younger brother. He was awful. Twitter would have gone mental had we signed him. Luckily we didn’t.

Then it was off to Austria.

Why are we hiding away in the hills of the alps rather than going to America, China or Singapore? Club is a disgrace not taking the club around the world so other fans can get to see us play.

First game in Austria was a 2-2 draw against a team called SC Ritzing. I am not even sure if they are professional.

2-0 down at half time and fans are beginning to question why we have not signed anyone yet. An 85^th minute Freddie Ljungberg penalty snatched a draw.

Following the bottling of the league the season before, Twitter is in uproar after 3 games without a win. #WengerOut is trending.

We finally get our first win of pre-season at the 4^th attempt as we struggle to a 2-0 victory over Austria Wein and followed this up with a 1-0 win against Besiktas.

Back to London for a game against St Albans and fans are in uproar online and in the stands. Wenger Out banners held aloft.

Despite a 3-1 win against the non-league side, Arsenal fans are furious. The club have made just one senior signing – German goal keeper Jens Lehmann who can not even get in the German squad.

A 1-1 draw against Celtic is followed up by a 2-2 draw against Belgium side Beveren. We can not even beat the side we send our African players to until they get their work permit.

ITS TIME TO GOOOOOOO.

By the time we beat Rangers – in our last pre season friendly, we have added 3 young defenders to the squad – 2 Swiss players called Phillipe Senderos and Johan Djourou and a French kid called Gael Clichy.

This could be the season that lot up the road finish above us. They have spent big, adding Portuguese wonderkid Hélder Postiga, as well as Bobby Zamora, Frédéric Kanouté and Jermaine Defoe. They probably have the best striking options in Europe now.

They also sign Michael Brown who will add quality to the middle of the park. Our only midfield edition ends up some 15 year old Spanish kid from Barcelona. He needs a hair cut.

Fans are fed up. Calling Arsenal a joke of a club. David Dein should go. As should Wenger.

Last season he said we could go unbeaten. It shows he has lost his mind. Can not even beat an Austrian amateur team.

Harry Redknapp is available. Get him in.

Keenos