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Two former right backs set for Arsenal return?

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As Mathieu Debuchy edge’s closers to a temporary exit from Arsenal, the talk has now turned to “Will Arsenal get in a replacement.” And with his exit, and other news going on in the footballing world, people, and journalists, and bloggers, and Tweeters alike are putting a lot of 2’s together with a lot of other 2’s in the hope that they come up with a 4.

First of all, we have the situation over at West Ham (we’ve stolen your song) involving Carl Jenkinson.

He seems to have fallen out of favour over in East London, starting just 2 of their last 8 games. With West Ham recently signing Sam Bryam for £3.7million from Leeds, his days are certainly numbered.

There has been a lot of talk that Arsenal might look to break his season long loan deal with the Hammers, bringing him back to provide the back up to Hector Bellerin. But whether this is feasible is unknown.

It is very rare that a season long loan deal is broken, especially when money is involved. West Ham paid £2million for the loan deal. I am sure (but not 100% sure) that if a fee is involved, the deal can not be broken. And if it can be, it would involve Arsenal having to pay back some of the loan fee. I just can not see Arsenal doing this.

Alongside the Jenkinson conundrum, there are reports that West Ham did not really want Bryam until the summer, and only moved now due to Everton sniffing around. There is a chance he could be loaned back to Leeds for the rest of the season, before replacing Jenkinson in the first team squad for 2016/17.

The likelihood is that Jenkinson will not return.

The second option that people seem to be discussing is the return of an Arsenal legend. One of the greatest of all time. Perhaps THE greatest of all time.

Emmanuel Eboue.

Before I start, why does Eboue not yet have a statue? In fact, he deserves more than that, Arsenal should rip up the stadium naming deal, and change it to the Emmanuel Eboue Stadium.

But in all seriousness, news of a return of Eboue to Arsenal has kind of come out of nowhere.

The last anyone knew of him, he was still getting up to high jinks at Galatasaray.

As it turns out, his last appearance for the horrible Turks was on the 19th April 2014.

Having returned to the club for pre-season training for the 2014/15 season, he was informed that he would not be playing.

“I came back for training and I was told I would not be playing,” Eboue was quoted as saying in The Sun “The president told the manager at the time not to pick me.”

As Galatasaray’s number of foreign player limit was full, he played the entire season for the under 21s and his contract recently expired with the club.

He has been quoted as saying as he “would love to come back to Arsenal.”

That’s all well and good, but whether he would be wanted back is another story.

Discarded by the club in favour of Bacary Sagna in 2011, there would be question marks over his fitness having not played a competitive game in 18 months.

A possible scenario could be for him to return to the club just to train and get his fitness back up to standard, like so many before him have done. And then maybe, just maybe, if we are desperate, him to sign on a short term contract till the end of the season.

As far as I know (but I reserve the right to be wrong), as he is on a free transfer, he can be signed outside of the transfer window. But I am not sure where it stands with Premier League registrations.

At 32, he certainly would not have a long term future at the club. Just until this summer if signed. With Jenkinson returning for next season.

 

Personally, I can not see either of the two deals happening. If Debuchy does go, Calum Chambers has the ability to step up and be the second choice right back. That is the route I imagine the club will go.

Then again, there have been reports that the club are looking to loan out Chambers – possibly back to Southampton – for the rest of the season. That would leave us short. Coupled with the fact that Debuchy has not yet gone, it could be that Arsenal are awaiting to get in a replacement for the Frenchman before letting anyway leave. Whether that is Eboue returning, or Jenkinson’s loan deal breaking, who knows?

Whilst I am thinking about full back’s, I watched the Leicester game last night and was highly impressed by young Ben Chilwell. He also impressed me in the first game against Spurs.

Just 19, he looks to have a bright future ahead. Without attempting to hype him up too much (something which Arsenal fans, and football fans in general tend to do) as last night was his first home start for the club, he is clearly a player.

Arsenal should maybe take a risk on him. Sign him now whilst he is a lot cheaper than he could be in 18 months time. Look at Luke Shaw (yes I know he is now injured). Everyone knew about him 18 months before Manchester United signed him. Sides dithered, and he ended up costing around £30million.

The opposite is Dele Alli. Another talented youngster. Spurs jumped in early and snapped him up for £5million. He is not worth double that, maybe even treble, at least. Sometimes you need to take the risk.

Just 19, with him and Bellerin, Arsenal would have their full backs for the next decade.

Of course, Monreal has just signed a new 3 and a half year contract with the club. By the time that ends, he will be 33. Chilwell will be just 22.

A scenario I can easily see happening is Arsenal signing the youngster, leaving him at Leicester for the next 18 months to continue his development, before he returns in 2017 to compete with Monreal for first choice right back.

So there we have my predicitions.

No right back will be signed.

A left back will come in.

Have a good one all!

Keenos

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Goodbye Mathieu Debuchy

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So news is currently breaking that Mathieu Debuchy is on his way out of the club on loan for the rest of the season. It is currently destination unknown, but it should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Signed in the summer of 2014, Arsenal looked to have got a solid replacement for Bacary Sagna. Premier League experience, and keeping Sagna out of the French national team at the time, a £12million deal with Newcastle went through very quickly.

18 months on and he finds himself on the bench at Arsenal and with just 45 minutes of international since the 2014 World Cup, his career has spiralled down hill quickly. The cruel would say he has been one of Arsene Wenger’s biggest flops.

However, it is not as easy as to just label him a flop. There is a very curious, very unique, set of circumstances which account for the Frenchman’s demise.

When he was signed in July 2016, he was already 28 (he turned 29 11 days after signing, so some would argue he was already 29). He was clearly signed as a short term replacement for Sagna.

At the club already, we already had 2 right backs. Hector Bellerin and Carl Jenkinson. Both talented, yet both unproven.

Bellerin was just 19 and had just returned from a fruitful, yet short, loan spell at Watford. He had just 1 Arsenal appearance to his name as an extra time substitute on the League Cup.

Jenkinson meanwhile was 3 years Bellerin’s senior at 22, but there were plenty of question marks over him.  He had not really built on his early promise having signed out of nowhere from Charlton at 19, and his performances in the previous 2 years could be described as average, at best.

So we have one talented young right back without a Premier League game to his name. And another who’s ceiling was (and still is?) a 2nd choice right back at the club.

Sagna at the time was a perfect foil for these two. At 31, he only had a couple of years left at the highest level. Just long enough to make a decision on the future of Bellerin and Jenkinson. But he jumped ship to Manchester City.

That left Arsenal in a conundrum. Do they take a point on the unproven (Bellerin), rely on the questionable (Jenkinson) or make a move in the transfer market. The latter was always the best option.

It was then a case of what to go for. Some for long term, that would kill any potential chance of Bellerin or Jenkinson (both home grown remember) of breaking through into the first team. Or someone like Sagna, towards the end of his career, who could do a job for 2/3 years as other players developed. We plucked for the latter (again).

And in Debuchy, we found the perfect signing. An attacking full back, 28/29 years old, been playing in the Premier League for 18 months for Newcastle, and France’s first choice right back. He ticked all the right boxes.

Signing Debuchy allowed us to send either Bellerin or Jenkinson on loan to another Premier League club to continue their development, whilst keeping the other as Debuchy’s understudy in case of injury. Jenkinson packed his bags and it left Arsenal with a clear number 1 and 2. Debuch yas first choice. Bellerin as 2nd choice.

At this stage it looked like Jenkinson’s Arsenal career was over. Especially with Southampton right back Calum Chambers joining the club. Jenkinson would be 23 over the next season. And if Debuchy stays for the expected 2/3 seasons, he will be 25/26. Would he really go on 3 loan deals? To then return as back up? Unlikely. Unless anything exceptional happened, Jenkinson would be sold in 2015/16, and Bellerin likely loaned out for the same season with Chambers providing the cover for Debuchy at right back.

But the exceptional did happen.

After a decent enough start to his Arsenal career – only slightly tarnished by a sending off for two cautions against Besiktas, it was looking good. The plan was coming together. With Chambers putting in solid performances at centre back, it meant that Arsenal could look at loaning out Bellerin for the 2nd half of the season. Then disaster.

Debuchy was stretchered off (and administered oxygen) against Manchester City in mid-September having done his ankle ligaments. Ruled out for 3 months.mathieu-debuchy-arsenal-football_3207474

Given first chance was Spanish youngster Bellerin, who came in for Borussia Dortmund and was hopelessly out of place. He looked young, he looked scared, he was a deer in headlights. He was clearly not ready.

Discarded after 1 game, Calum Chambers was given the chance after the International break, where he had made his debut for England. Chambers looked. Bellerin was given a second chance in the next game as Chambers was moved inside for the League Cup game against Southampton.

It would be nearly a month until we saw Bellerin back in an Arsenal shirt when an injury to Koscielny forced Arsenal to push the impressive Chambers inside for a game against Sunderland. It was just the one game though as for the next few games, Arsenal went with Chambers right back, and Nacho Monreal at centre back (incidentally, it was this run at centre back for Monreal which caused him to jump ahead of Gibbs at left back, making his Arsenal career).

Then the Arsenal injury curse negligence hit again. This time Monreal out. 6th December 2014. Bellerin started again, with Chambers once more moving inside. Bellerin was substituted at half time, 3-0 down, Chambers sent off with 12 minutes to go.

At this time, Arsenal fans are looking at when Debuchy is back. Glad that the club did not rely on the young talented players. Wondering why we loaned out Jenkinson, who was on form for West Ham.

With Chambers suspended, in came Bellerin again. And this time, looked a lot more assured. Coupled with further injury problems in the middle and at left back, it saw Bellerin have a 4 game run in the team, even once Debuchy was fit again. With the Frenchman deputising at centre back and left back.

Arsenal were finally back to their first choice defence of Debuchy Mertesacker Koscileny Monreal in a game against Stoke in early January. After 13 minutes, the exceptional happened again. Debuchy was pushed when in the air and already off the pitch, landed heavy, and once more hard to be stretchered off. Another 3 months out, this time with a dislocated shoulder.debuchy12

Rather than return to Chambers, Arsenal gave Bellerin another run out in the side. He had grown since that start against Dortmund and put in an assured performance in a crucial game away against Manchester City, following this up by scoring his first Arsenal goal against Aston Villa.

By the time Debuchy returned to fitness with just a few weeks to go till the end of the season, Bellerin had made the right back position his own. An attempt to blood Debuchy back in during the Reading game in the FA Cup (in preparation for the end of season run in) failed as he looked off the pace. He was clearly being rushed back. Bellerin returned for the final 7 games of the season, picking up an FA Cup winners medal in the process.

The actions of the club over the summer of 2015 perhaps showed where Debuchy’s future lied. After an impressive spell at West Ham, a £10million deal for Jenkinson was reportedly on the table. Had Arsenal accepted this, it would have shown Debuchy was first choice again. After all, he was an experienced international, and surely not hang around as 2nd choice at Arsenal, especially with a home Euro’s coming up where he would likely make the squad, hopefully start.

Jenkinson was once again loaned out, which caused speculation about Debuchy’s future to begin. Would he start the season as 1st choice? Does Bellerin deserve to be dropped? Would Debuchy be sold?

West Ham at home, first game of the season, Debuchy started. Arsenal lost. Whilst the defeat was certainly not the Frenchman’s fault, he was the fall guy, and Bellerin was bought back in having performed well the week previous in the Community Shield against Chelsea.

Debuchy would only be seen against fleetingly. When Wenger decided to shuffle the squad in the Champions League or League Cup. Each time he looked well off the pace. Not fully fit. Struggling for match sharpness.

So here we have it. A French international, bought for the short term, getting an injury which, due to many other circumstances in the pot, led to Bellerin getting a few chances, and finally taking one.

Who could have expected Debuchy’s long term lay off?

Who could have expected Bellerin would finally take the chance with both hands?

It was going to take an exceptional set of circumstances to see Debuchy end up in his current situation. But the stars aligned (for Bellerin) and the worst case scenario happened for Debuchy.

With Jenkinson on loan at West Ham (where he is struggling), he would have been sitting over Christmas, pondering his future. The Arsenal door looked shut, and a move out of the club in the summer likely.

At 30 (31 this summer), his career coming to an end, and with that home Euro’s looming, it should not be a surprise to anyone that he is looking to move in January. He knows he does not have a future at Arsenal. He does not even have a present.

People who call Debuchy a flop are wrong. He is the victim of circumstances that conspired against him. Whilst his 22 game Arsenal career will not live long in the memory, it would be unfair to put him at right back in a ‘Worst Arsenal XI’.

Good luck Mathieu, and I hope you regain your France place for the Euro’s.

Keenos

Who is Arsenal’s first choice right back?

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Over recent weeks, Hector Bellerin has come on leaps and bounds. Since his shaky first start in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, the run in the team has seen him progress at a rate that nobody, including Arsene Wenger, could have expected.

When he played that game against Dortmund, he looked out of place, his inexperience showing. He looked lightweight, his positioning was poor and defending was shocking. He did not show any of the blistering pace, or attributes, that had got many people glowing about as he came up through the youths.

Since that first game, the improvement has been remarkable. Peaking in the recent performance against Chelsea where he had Eden Hazard in his pocket for the entire game.

He looks like a typical young Arsenal full back in the Cole, Clichy, Gibbs mould. Extremely quick, meaning he can make up for his defensive lapses, and happy to bomb forward.

Very rarely now do you see him use that electrifying pace to get back into position. Instead, we now see it going forward, which he does regularly, providing the width to the side with Ramsey dropping inside.

Yes, he can still improve, his crossing is relatively poor and he can still be beaten easily when someone stands him up, but his performances are going to give Arsenal a selection problem, both for the rest of this year and the start of next.

With Bacary Sagna leaving last summer, Arsenal signed Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle for £10 million. After just a few games, we as Arsenal fans were happy. Debuchy was performing, both at right back and as an emergency centre back. Then he got injured.

It was that injury, and poor form of Calum Chambers that gave Bellerin his chance. And boy how he has now taken it.

The question to ask now is do Arsenal now invest the time in Bellerin, give him the rest of the season, and develop him into Arsenal’s right back for the next decade, or do they return to Debuchy, bring back the experienced man, who looked shaky in the FA Cup semi final?

Of course, we need a squad, and as we are seeing at left back, you can carry two top class full backs. But will Debuchy be happy with that? At best competing with, at worst playing second fiddle to, a 20 year old full back.

Remember, Debuchy is a French international. Their first choice right back. And at the end of next season, the European Championships are to be held in his home country. Would he want to risk losing his Arsenal place, and therefore losing his France place?

We could see a scenario where Debuchy’s Arsenal career is over before it has even begun.

And what does this mean for Chambers? His star seems to have fallen. After starting the season with a bang, forcing his way into the England squad, he now seems to have slipped back. The signing of Gabriel means he is now 4th choice centre back, and Bellerin has leap frogged above him as right back.

At £16 million and still just 20, it would be silly to write him off (why am I even typing that?) but you have to ask where Chambers will get his game time from. Maybe an option would be to loan him out to a Premier League side until January, where he can play week in week out at centre back.

As for Carl Jenkinson, I doubt we will ever see him in an Arsenal shirt again. It is sad to say as he is an Arsenal boy, through and through, but if you are not good enough, you are not good enough. And sadly Jenkinson is our 4th best right back. After playing a full season at West Ham, he has proven he is Premier League, if not Arsenal quality. And a reported £10 million transfer fee is a lot of money, even for someone as cash rich as Arsenal.

To add to the scenario, what would happen if Debuchy decided to leave to a club to guarantee first team football? Would that mean Chambers staying, as a back up right back, meaning he would miss out on important development at centre back? Or would Arsenal sacrifice the £10 million for Jenkinson and keep him around as 2nd choice. I am sure he would just as happily sit on Arsenal’s bench than start for West Ham.

The Arsenal right back conundrum is certainly a confuddled one. And all caused by the excellent for of a young Spaniard.

We certainly have a player on our hands. Hopefully, as Bellerin’s career progresses, he does not go the same was as Cole (greedy), Clichy (never improved) or Gibbs (injury prone). We maybe have our right back for the next decade.

Keenos

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