It may have been a bitterly cold night in Birmingham, but the move was straight out of sunny Spain. Jon Toral, with a picturesque pirouette, teed himself up for a shot and, albeit with the aid of a deflection, found the net to set his loan side on the way to a victory over Hull City.
Toral has made several important contributions for Birmingham this season, and has scored seven league goals, but his future at Arsenal is still rather uncertain.
The prospect was offered a new one-year deal off the back of some impressive displays on loan at Brentford last campaign, and that contract is due to expire on June 30th. As things stand, Toral has been provided with no indication as to whether he will still be an Arsenal player next season.
He couldn’t have done much more, however, to persuade the club to retain his services. Toral has endeared himself to the Birmingham supporters with his neat passing and hard work, and he has also shown an ability to cope with the physical rigours of the Championship.
Toral’s adaptability is one of his key assets, with the youngster capable of operating effectively either as a playmaker or out wide. Given the regularity with which Arsenal suffer injuries to midfielders, they could surely benefit from an additional option in that area of the field, especially when it is taken into consideration that Tomas Rosicky is likely to be moving on at the conclusion of the campaign.
Toral himself is no stranger to injuries, with his academy days at Arsenal having been blighted by a succession of setbacks. As he has demonstrated over the past couple of seasons, however, the prospect is capable of making a substantial impact when he is fully fit.
With his close friend and fellow La Masia graduate Hector Bellerin having thrived in the first-team at Arsenal, Toral will be eager to follow suit. He has done his part with Birmingham, and now it is up to the club to decide his future.
Surely a new one year deal, which would see Toral become regularly involve with the squad, would be of benefit to all parties.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
we’re so desperately short of a good midfield player at the moment. We could use someone like him right now
They love him at Birmingham, fans are desperate to keep him.
Could be the new Coquelin, worth trying him out.
It would be great to have more players from the academy making the first team. Only wish Wenger would give them a long run. I think Iwobi will be a great player but needs a run not stop start. We have a few players who seem to be in the comfort zone and need a wake up call. Use the success of Hector to start a new era
I’m a huge Toral fan.
Plays as a no.10 or out wide for Birmingham, but it’s easy to forget he was initially a deep-lying playmaker. Creative, technical, hardworking and physical, he’s actually like a younger Arteta on a larger frame.
He’s funnily enough, exactly what we need right now; someone who can play next to Ramsey to drop deep, build and dictate play.
With Martial, Iheanacho, Origi, and now Rashford all getting first team minutes for their clubs. Was it a mistake to loan out Chuba Akpom? Especially when Welbeck was out it seems like he could have played some meaningful Premier League minutes. It would be interesting to see how he would perform with service from the likes of Ozil.
I’ve only watched him play once and i was quite impressed with what i saw. seems to be progressing nicely as Birmingham fans are all raving about him on twitter, so We will be crazy to let him go without at least giving him a chance in the first team….we did the same with Afobe, look at him now
Toral, Apkom, Gnabry, Sanogo, Hyden, Welington, Martinez, Zelalem, so many talended loanees, the question is – can they really improve our team’s play?
Toral could very well make a job for us (specially with Arteta on the twilight of his career and, pains to me say, Rozza probably leaving), if the reports are accurate he seems to be good and worth a chance with us. Martinez could see doing well for us too, specially if learning from Cech. At this rate too, anyone would be an upgrade on Walcott and Ox recent’s form, so Gnabry or Silva maybe could do a job as well. Zelalem i dont know about, but he’s still very young
Also, you get the feeling that Arteta is a key member of the club, and I use that word deliberately. His lego hair aside, there is something about him that oozes leader. How solid was our play when he played the Coq position. Toral could really benefit from Arteta being at the club and other youngsters too. I hope we retain both.
I can see Toral like both the succesor of Arteta and and understudy for Santi, someone who can play in the middle, capable of control the ball, distribute it well and start the plays from deep. he is also tall, seems to have a good pass range, pass the ball well and althought not as skillfull as Santi is, seems to have enough skill to drible past some players as well
Right now. My Nan would improve our style of play
Like Campbell improved our play and gets treated like ****? wenger didn’t like it because he can’t stand the fact that a young player could progress in a few months while Ox and Theo have failed thus far to take it to the next level for many a year. Nothing good whatsoever is going to happen for us with wenger running it. Too outdated and ruining his legacy.
Literally the stupidest thing I’ve read today mate.
The manager famed for choosing young talent over established stars is annoyed that a young player he bought 5 years ago, is finally starting to pay off?
You might need a rethink here.
Boring.
The Ox is younger than Campbell numbnuts.
Ox still has time to prove his worth but Walcott by the looks of things should definetly be sold in the summer before his pace diminishes. Campbell better be played from now on and not dropped for that stealing-a-living so-called footballer Theo however. Anyways, time to get behind the team tommorow and hope that Wenger gives us a chance of winning by at the very least picking the right team and firing them up!
Seeing his recent goal against Ipswich, we could do with some of his ability. At 21 he is a strong and tall player with goals in him that would really add something we don’t have.
That’s left to the new manager; don’t you think so?
Last time i checked, arsene was, and still is our manager……did i miss something?
Troll brother troll. I want to see what ANY non-world class manager manages in the first coupla years, if top 4 at all. In India there’s a saying ‘Ghar ki murgi daal barabar’: ‘chicken cooked at home will only be as exciting as lentils’. I’m a staunch Wengerite, but I’m as dissatisfied, frustrated and heartbroken as you are. BUT: it’s going to get a WHOLE lotta worse before it gets any better.
Don’t be so certain; another manager can come in and do wonders with this team. Everyone points at United but you and I know that Sir Alex had run that team to the ground before leaving. Not so Arsenal. All he needs is a new striker, a dm to complement Coquelin, a cb and may be, a winger and this team will compete favourably with the best epl has to offer. I don’t see this team struggle under new management, thanks to Arsene.
Sure it’s going to be a whole lot worse before it gets better, but financially and squad-wise this is the time to take that gamble. We have the cash reserves needed to help a new manager bring in a couple of good players that he thinks we need. We have the squad in a good position with an experienced defensive line so if we get a manager in before Kos-Mert are too old, we can avoid a ‘Van gaal’ style inheritance of a bad back four. We need a manager that likes possession football but recognizes the needs of the… Read more »
Our youth and our club are about to go into the very Dark Ages with wenger leading us into to darkness. senior players like Ozil, Sanchez, Ox will be just some of names that will be gone during the summer as long as this ignorant, selfish man is running the show so be prepared fellow Gooners as it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
senior player ?ox!!! . of the 3 only ozil is having a good season, alexis since coming back from injury hasnt perform to his standard, chamberlain is having a nightmare of a season, ozil is the only one who can complain about our season
Saw him play when I went to see Brighton vs Birmingham back in Nov/Dec time. He was easily their best player and grabbed their goal on the day – looked a class above his teammates.
Worth a pop, get him signed up for a year or two, bring him in to the first team next season and get him involved off the bench at least, can’t risk letting an obviously talented player through our fingers.
Would love to see Toral given a chance. This Arsenal team has lost it’s philosophy, I am sure one of the elements missing is the surprise youthful exuberance can bring to a team. Apart from buying at least 2 maybe 4 players in the summer, I would promote 3-4 youngsters… Toral, Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi and Zelalem. Players like Gnabry and Akpom will perhaps need another loan deal to give themselves a chance of an extended run with the 1st team. Hope Maitland-Niles gets a Prem level loan.
Keep the lad! He will be much more useful than Wilshere anyway..
With Arteta, Rosicky and Flamini all going/gone and Jack perennially injured, that only leaves Coq, Santi, Ramsey and Elneny. Should be in the pre-season mix at least.
As much as I love Cazorla he won’t be around forever, so any youth with good potential, passing range and ball control should be in the first team training working with Cazorla.
Toral’s versatility is one big reason he should be given a run in or around the first team. He will also count as home grown after next season, so that’s a big plus for squad recruitment numbers.
And he is TALL!
About 6ft, if anyone wondered.
1.84m, so a little bigger that 6ft.
First of thanks to Jeorge for a very good read again. To me, he looks a perfect Arsenal player and where I see him is in the box to box role. He’s got the physical attributes and obviously comin from barca’s academy, he’s technical sound. There’s potential there so I just hope he gets a chance to learn from Cazorla and Ozil next season and is given a chance for us
Don’t know much of the guy, is he more of a box to box engine like Ramsey, or a playmaker with a good passing range like Cazorla?
From what I’ve seen more attacking midfielder but can play box to box and is a better passer than Ramsey. Although at the moment that’s not hard since he’s played in the middle we’ve got worse and worse.
Cheers for the info.
I pray wenger reasons with us a extend his contract then promote him
He looks like a bright talent. I think we should definitely hold on to him.
At the risk of hindering young Toral’s development. If Toni Kroos leaves Madrid and we don’t put up a major fight for his signature, I’d be one gutted gooner.
The dragback and spin or ‘turning on a sixpence’ is one of the finest football. That toral capped the move with a goal is even more impressive. Few players have perfected it (zidane in his pomp springs to mind)
I’ve watched him a few times and been very impressed. I think his talent would be far better appreciated at a higher level.
I do fancy seeing this lad at senior level next season. He has a certain something about him when he plays that makes me believe in him.
Out of all our loanees he’s the one I’m hoping will be given a chance. He’s got a lot of talent and he’s a hard worker with a really good attitude. He endured serious injury problems and worked hard to get back to fitness, and he’s an exciting young player. If we let him go I’ll be very upset.
I know I’ll get lots of thumbs down for this, but he kinda reminds of young Cesc I don’t know why!
Rather conceited to say Campbell is treated like F*ck by Wenger when most of the people here thought Campbell should leave.
It was Wenger who dared and was innovative enough to take a chance on Joel as he did with Coquelin and Bellerin.
Instead the same fans here on their high horses were the ones deriding Dick Law’s chase around the Costa Rican jungle.
Its pathetic and disingenuous to say the least.;)
Cue play Toral instead of Flamini nonsense much like Elneny.
Who would you prefer today. Gabriel or chambers? I would go for chambers. Gabriel is in a poor state and chambers is english and has been tidy lately…
He should be given a chance. Better to have someone young and fit who might actually play than someone old and broken. I’d still like Arteta and Rosicky to be around the squad but if they’re not going to play then I’d rather they weren’t in it. I can’t even bring myself to talk about Flamini so I won’t.
This guy is talented. He struggled with injury but is now ready physically. He’s always had the technical quality. Guys like Zelalem, Crowley, Willock, Maitland-Niles, The Jeff are all talented, but they Arent ready for first team football yet.
Toral can be a decent squad player. Especially with Rosicky leaving.
As a blues fan Toral has been great for bcfc
Would live to sign him in summer if 2016
Great skill
If he stays arsenal will only be on bench
#kro
with arteta, rosicky and flamini gone in summer and wilshere being the centennial crock that he is we are going to need toral and wellington silva seeing wenger not adequately replace the departees
Well, for starters.. He just has to be a better player than Walcott.
Really hoping to see this young man integrated in arsenal team, he can only get better, some people mention he is similar to fabregas and are not far off, when he left Barca he was far more talented than bellerin, who arsenal fans have come to love, unfortunately due to some serious injuries his development has been set aback and it is only now that he has began to show himself to be a talented player