The Mirror report this morning that Alex Iwobi has agreed a new deal at the club.
The 19 year old only signed a contract extension in October to reflect his growing importance to Arsene Wenger and his promotion into the first team ranks.
In recent weeks he’s made a big impact, scoring in successive Premier League games, starting away at the Camp Nou against European champions Barcelona, and making his full debut for the Nigerian national team.
That emergence has now apparently been the catalyst for new terms which would see him earn £30,000 a week and keep him at Arsenal until 2021.
Speaking about his recent first team forays, he said, “When you are young, you just dream about it. I’m just enjoying the moment and playing in this team.”
Good for him, and long may it last.
Should be getting paid more than Walcott.
Not so fast! As his stature grows in the team, his pay will grow as well. He’s only 19 and still has a lot to prove. Is it not ironic that the other player you mention was taken to the world cup at 16? Speaking of Walcott, I don’t see his future in the emerging Arsenal. Arsene has to look for a way to get rid of this monster he created himself. His attraction as a home-grown has been nullified by Iwobi. His prohibitive salary makes selling him a tedious proposition – except he is willing to take a massive… Read more »
The only person, oddly enough, who seems to be suffering in terms of public image is Wilshere’s cred as Arsenal’s poster boy.
I wish it was Walcott. It’s hard not to like the guy and be excited by the potential his pace offers, but maybe he’s just too comfortable at Arsenal. A move may be beneficial to both the club and player, but it would suck if he blossomed into a real star away from the Emirates.
Arsene is noted for keeping the faith on talented but injury-prone players. RVP and Diaby spring to mind. Before then, he signed Kanu after a heart surgery and staying for about a year without football. So no chance of Wilshere being sold. He will come good; hopefully, from next season.
who would take Walcott on that salary?
Maybe a chinese team, maybe. I’m hopeful. He’s a PR expert and pace is always dazzling for an emerging football market. He’ll be good for another 4-5 years to unlike the 30-yr olds they are buying right now.
Why should virtually every article on Arseblog News, such as this good news about a new young first-team pleayer who’s had two or three good games for the Gunners, spawn all this bile aimed at Theo Walcott when the subject has nothing to do with Theo? It’s not classy, it’s like classroom bullying — “the guy is down, so let’s all pick on him!”
Does anyone remember what were we all saying about Theo when he was 19? Or even three seasons ago, before his big injury, when he was our top scorer?
I am happy for the Theo criticism to stop as long as he doesn’t play a major role for us going forward, if you will pardon the pun. 😉
As long as he continues to progress at this level, it’s totally earned. I love how much he’s made our attack simply click. What a great Arsenal player.
I hope he spends it sensibly.
Would expect no less from a “product of Arsenal values”. A bit too sensibly even! 😛
I hope he buys a dinosaur fossil. He’s earned it.
Incredible to think that it’s 7.8 million locked in over the next 5 years for him. Football is just another world when it comes to money (if you manage to show this level of potential/talent). Big props to him for his performances though
Amazing player, great future ahead. Now keep working hard and be an example to other youth players.
Good luck to the young lad, I think in comparison to some of the so called top players he as shown how good and eager he is. Also lets give some credit to AW and coaching staff he is now the 3rd after Bellerin and Cog
to be brought thou the system. recently.
I also think the benefit of having an uncle like Jay-Jay has been a major factor too.
I remember him mention a few months ago he has been getting advice but I never knew he would soak up how to play with tekkers so quickly.
When you’re uncle played at the top level not so long ago along with being extremely entertaining, I would put a bet that he didn’t get into the sport for the money but hopefully for the pure love of making the hairs on the back of our neck stand up!
I love his direct, fast-paced passing. Always to feet with authority in a time where many stroke it towards their team mate at a relatively leisurely pace.
The future’s bright, the future’s Iwobi.
His rise is even more remarkable when you consider that he wasn’t even a standout in the youth teams until last season – only started being a regular starter at level a season before that if I’m not mistaken. Complete opposite to the kids who dominate at U18 and U21 level only to never make an impact… bizarre really
Quite bizarre, really.
c’est bizzare, vraiment
Weird how some prospects take 5 years+ to even out in one performance like he has in every one of his last 3 games.
It’s no coincidence he’s big and strong, and fast, coupled with his skill that has made him a success recently. In the premier league that is important. We have too many small skillful players. And that’s why I think we have mad injuries too. Small dudes are less robust.
We have a lot of smurfs. Its residue from the time when we competed very unfavorably with ManU and Chelsea financially. I also think that size matters. There seems to be a correlation (for us) between the physical stature of our team and injuries. My observation is that we started to take on more and longer lasting injuries as the Invincibles broke up and we got smaller physically. Maybe my memory is gone but I only remember Pires getting badly damaged by Niko Dabizas. Once Sol, Silva, Keown, and Vieira were gone we got kicked with impunity. When we got… Read more »
Pleased for the lad, seems like a very talented, hard working, level headed player. My one worry is the impact playing for Nigeria might have on his Arsenal career – the timing of the Africa Cup of Nations, traveling and some of the illnesses picked up (he got a stomach bug last week with Nigeria which didn’t sound too bad, yet similar bugs contracted by Yakubu and Babayaro on international duty turned out to be malaria). On the positive side it’s more game time and hopefully at World Cup level in a couple years – which would be fantastic for… Read more »
Iwobi doesn’t strike me as a one season wonder who does some flashy moves one year, then gets figured out by defenders the next. He seems to keep it simple and good, on and off the ball, and that’s what we need as a team. In football it’s never simple to do the basic things good.
Football world is crazy – 2.5 weeks of pay is my income for the hole year and he is 19. Got.. getting depressed reading this.
His pay for 1 week is already more than mine for a year. Count yourself lucky, champ. It’s all relative.
Can you volley a ball top bins tho?
So you’re depressed that you’re on £75k a year? Talk about First World problems.
Hopefully Magnetben is just shit at maths? Either that or a fucking show off!
He doesn’t know the difference between ‘hole’ and ‘whole’ so it seems it’s not only Maths he’s shit at.
Yeah I’m definitely more depressed that a functioning illiterate on £75k is bitching about footballers’ wages. Most of us, it seems, are doing it wrong.
I already achieve a lot with less than Iwobi’s weekly salary and I’d be unstoppable on 75 grand a year but with 1.5 million I’d probably just become lethargic.
Arsene should have swapped Alex’ pay for Theos.
Same old Arsenal way of rewarding players for a few impressive performances aka TGSTEL, Denilson etc.Hope he’s the exception.Althoufh the signs so far are very good.
The new contract was initiated to protect Arsenal interests far more than it is to make the lad “feel good” as implied. We can’t have him on £1500 a week (not sure of the amount but it’s clearly low) when he is starting for The Arsenal and agents and other clubs start whispering in his ear and clickbait articles call us out — plus we extended the term.To do otherwise would be foolish.
30k a week is hardly a big risk.
The only way to support promote and keep talent.
His performances have been brilliant. I think he deserves his new contract and I hope he continues with his progress! He looks like an intelligent lad and the money won’t go to his head.
In 2020 Iwobi will still be on 30K a week as Walcott signs his million pound a week contract.
Tricky times will come, but I’m really happy for the lad and I’m enjoying seeing him play. Bodes well for our future!
Excellent. So good against Everton. Just always dangerous and the goal was superb.
Iwobi’s assist for Sanchez’s goal was just sublime!!! This 19-year-old has amazing composure in the penalty area. For that matter, Campbell’s assist for Theo was a belter as well. Both the assists were just supreme – the weight on the ball, picking the players from among the crowd, the precision of the passing, etc. Not that Ozil is not good, but these guys aren’t that far either. Ozil is only just as good as them; moreover, I’m sure they would perform better if they play often. I think we should bench Ozil and play Campbell instead, I’m very sure that… Read more »
So Wenger clearly is clueless. Because he sent Dick Lawless to scour the Central American for the signature of one Joel Campbell for under 2m. And he promoted Bellerin when many were calling for Jenkinson. And he compounded that with Adding some unknown kid from academy in Iwobi into the attacking set up instead of buying a striker. And he bought some unknown Brailian defender for Cback and some Egyptian Tutankamen to play in midfield in the Ramsey role. Clearly others know better than him. He is ruining Arsenal because Arsenal use to always win in Europe and feature in… Read more »
*Snore*
Boring argument which justifies Wengers glaring mistakes
Well, i try not to relate to Walcott in any way whatsover, but going by his trend, Iwobi’s form will go down as he had just signed da ting.
I love iwobi’s decision making. I think that’s what really makes him stand out when compared to other youth players.
Even players like the ox, Theo, Ramsey and Wilshere still to this day always make some rash decisions in game. I feel that is a major reason why the ox hasn’t progressed as much as we’d like. The talent is obvious.
He’s brilliant, really excited about him. He will go really far.
On top of that! I’m proud he’s a Nigerian. ‘That guy Iwobi’.