Serge Gnabry says he consulted former Werder Bremen duo Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil before putting pen-to-paper on his permanent move to the Weserstadion.
Arsene Wenger had wanted the 21-year-old winger to sign a new contract at Arsenal following his impressive performances at the Olympics only for the lure of regular first team football in his homeland to prove too tempting.
It’s believed the Gunners have received a fee in the region of €6.5 million; a relatively small sum for a player with real potential during a window where crazy money has been spent.
At a press conference organised to unveil him as a Werder player, Gnabry said: “I’m very happy to be here.
“Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil had only good things to say about the club.
“I had very good talks with the management and that has lead me here to Werder and the Bundesliga.
“The Olympics were a personal highlight for me. Now I want to develop myself here at Werder Bremen.
“I’m confident we’ll have a successful season and push for the top half of the table.
“I come to Bremen to earn playing time, to develop myself and to help the team.”
Werder Bremen’s director of football, Frank Baumann, also reiterated that Gnabry has signed a permanent deal and that Bayern Munich were not involved in the negotiations.
“There aren’t any agreements with other clubs,” he said. “Again, Serge Gnabry is our player. We have bought him.”
“We’re proud to have convinced Gnabry to join. We don’t want to put too much pressure on him, we’ll give him time.”
Gutted he’s gone but surely we’ve put a buy back clause. Wish him well but really felt he should’ve stayed and tried his luck at Arsenal but it wasn’t to be.
Not many have left Arsenal/Wenger and prospered.
Wonder if he will be one of the few, with Wenger’s focus elsewhere and didn’t have have time to deal with this.
As long it isn’t a Pogba-isque situation, I’m fine (that one shows how those two managers are full of themselves).
Ashley Cole is the only person I can think of that had a career worth talking about after Wenger. Anyone else?
RvP
Fabregas
Nasri
You forgot Adebayor, Toure, Sagna and Clichy.
But you also forgot he said “career worth talking about”….
RvP – 1 premier league
Nasri – 2 premier leagues and a league cup
Fabregas – a la liga, world club cup, copa del Rey, premier league and league cup
All since leaving Wenger, is say that’s a pretty good career. Won more than the players they left behind haven’t they?
Oh yeah I did forget Clichy and Toure.
2 premier leagues each I think, plus a couple of league cups and an FA cup between them. Thanks for pointing out my omissions.
Robin van Persie, cesc, Gail clecy, Samir Nasri to name a few won leagues without AW. Think before you ink dude
He is happy. I’m not. He is far too cheap considering the craziness of our times and he should have stayed. But well, good luck!
Well, from stories going around, basically, we’ve been played!, ……………..ordinarily, he wouldn’t leave arsenal for a club like bremen, he would be taken a career step backward! rumour has it that Bayern was the club that tempted him away, and the original plan was to buy him and loan him out for the season to bremen. Arsene wouldn’t sell to Bayern… (they have some issues over earlier reverse tranfer enquiry,plus arsene really wants to keep him), Serge wouldn’t stay or sign an extension..so Bayern used Bremen, who they have a good relationship with to “buy” him, with private agreement they… Read more »
Are you one of those conspiracy theory guys?
This scenario is entirely plausible, even likely. Werder are not a team you go to if you have any ambition, they are relegation candidates again this season. Last summer a German u-21 academy player Selke forced his way out of the club to join a second division club because of his ambition! Werder are a shadow of their former selves, run badly, and have been a feeder club for the bigger teams for a few years now (Chelsea have been regularly sending players there on loan which only really benefits Chelsea when they want to sell the players on, think… Read more »
Honestly hate to say this but given the way Campbell was treated, can’t blame him for leaving. When has Wenger ever loaned out a player who’s been in the first team in the past and expected them to play for Arsenal in the future? Once he loses trust he’s pretty harsh.
I agree. It’s not just the treatment of Joel Campbell (whom Wenger clearly doesn’t rate), it’s what we did to Gnabry himself last season – i.e. sending him to Pulis – that must have made him very reluctant indeed to sign a new contract. Given that Wenger is likely to be staying for many years yet, it would be madness for a young player whose treatment suggests that he’s not particularly highly valued and whose development clearly hasn’t been at the forefront of the manager’s mind to spend any more years at the club. I wish him all the best… Read more »
Gnabry was given a loan at Premier League club and it didn’t work because basically he didn’t work hard enough. Wenger hinted as much. I think we have to look at the player himself before blaming Pulis or Wenger. Wrote something about it at the time here: http://arseblog.com/2016/01/on-serge-gnabrys-recall-and-sad-situation/ I would have liked to keep him, but this is a guy who hasn’t done anything for Arsenal in two and half years. This is not like losing a key player or anything. And maybe there’s something to be gleaned from the fact he wanted to leave a big club and go… Read more »
As opposed to sitting on the bench in a team who look to make top 4. Woohoo
Or probably not on the bench at all. I get why he’s going, but I don’t understand why so many think it’s a huge blow to lose a player who has not played for us in over two years.
Me neither. I just like to be facetious.
I know what you’re saying, it is very level-headed and makes a lot of common sense. Werder are also my German team, but my friends absolutely crowing about this just makes it more painful. Something is not quite right here: Werder were the no.1 competitor to Bayern until 2008 or so, but these days – thank God they just scraped survival, but in footballing terms they are a bit of a shambles. If he wants to play week-in, week-out and be a big fish in a small pond, fine, but… they are ill-equipped to afford his wages for one thing,… Read more »
Blogs, Maybe he was never consulted before deciding on Crystal Palace or he was overruled hence the lack of effort. But I’m sure you’d see that most of our young “potential stars” have fallen by the wayside during the past 5 years or so and most of whom that made it, made it by their own will, effort & chance – like Bellerin. Even Coq who clicked by chance hasn’t exactly progressed after that season, Ramsey hasn’t progressed either, Wilshere, Gibbs & a few more. Maybe, we’re throwing them in the deep end too soon and they come under pressure… Read more »
I’m for one don’t wish him any good luck…Him and his agent played us.
Judging by his tweets and stuff I thought he was a proper gooner who loved the club. But doubt it now considering the way he dealt the situation. Still a talented player though.
Hilarious how Bremen keep insisting that he’s their player and that Bayern are not involved. Apparently Bayern paid the transfer fee, which is quite a big involvement, I’d say.
Oh and you know that do you?
Bayern apparently have an agreement with every other Bundesliga club that if a player turns out to be any good, Bayern have the right to buy him. Or send him to Dortmund first, for more experience, and then buy him.
Hahaha lmao the lad stressing the fact that they bought him!
Good luck to Gnabry, will not be surprised if we ended up seeing him in one of top clubs of Europe pretty soon.
Only 21 years old! If Arsenal are clever they should insert a buy-back clause as part of the deal. Can’t see how you can let go of all that potential for 6.5mil.
Why are people up in arms over this? Did I miss something and he turned into Messi at the Olympics?
Newsflash: in football, young players with lots of potential can suddenly become big stars, seemingly overnight. Who knows if it will happen here, but it’s crazy to assume it won’t. And we’ve sold him for peanuts, for fear of losing said peanuts when his contract expires next year. Completely irrational.
Player of the tournament in a competition with the likes of Neymar and Gabigol.
he must have looked at Joel Campbell and thought, pointless fighting with the favorites.
it happened to him before. Had a nice, productive spell in the team then suddenly ox was fit again, and that was the last we saw of him. HE GOT INJURED A MONTH LATER .
it wasn’t injury that took him out
Joel Campbell isn’t good enough. That was pretty clear. Just because some fans thought he was doesn’t make his treatment “unfair” as everyone is saying.
I agree. He worked his hole off to get in the side. When he did, he scored goals and got assists (was a match winner for us at least once) and his reward was being unceremoniously dropped, only to then be injured and thrown out to work with Tony Pulis. “We always stuck by him” which is why we waited for this long to enter contract negotiations with him…I’m sad to see him go but this is likely a far better move for his own career.
I think it signifies a change. It’s a bit of ruthlessness shown. We rarely sell players. We tend to loan them out, hang on to them, perhaps because of prices, perhaps because of hope.
I guess its good for both parties. We had to trim down our squad anyway and he needed playing time. It’s not like he’s an important player with immediate contribution.
We have 30 first team players plus 4 who are out on loan. That’s a bit too much.
I’m upset that the only value Wenger can find in this transfer window is when selling a player! Good luck Serge and hopefully you’ll be back in the red and white eventually. It just provides another challenge for the likes of Willock et al to plug the gap.
Question: does anyone know if Willock has/hasn’t been loaned. I thought there was something about him being loaned out recently, but now I can’t find any info on it. Hope not, as I think we might need him for cover on the wings now. Has a huge future ahead of him, by all accounts.
campbell and gnabry or ox and walcott?
Any thoughts?
Campbell in preference to all three, based on last season. None of them contributed significantly, but Wenger seems to have a thing for Theo and the Ox
Rabbel rabbel rabbel grrr are my thoughts and feelings on the matter
I can’t believe there’s nobody at Arsenal who have the football grey-matter to understand and realise how myopic and insensible in allowing a potential talent (possible football legend) who shone in the Olympic games for a paltry Euro6.5m after putting all efforts to train him in its academy.
Whilst definitely Arsenal are not hard-up for cash. Meanwhile buy a Japanese unknown who could not even earn a work permit.
What sort of logic are Arsenal applying? (Dejavu ….. Oguzan Ozyacob?????)
Woah! Woah!
Let’s not get carried away with the “football legend” labels.
Meh… he had a stupid hair cut anyways… dude looked like a pint of Guinness.
Seriously though I wish him all the best for the future, hopefully we did put a buy back clause in, but very much doubt it.
The fee is a joke. Didn’t RB Leipzig just sign a 19 year old Scottish winger from Forest for £13m? Yet a 21 year old German U21 regular with Premier League experience goes for about £5m? Yes, Gnabry is in the last year of his contract and wanted a move, but isn’t there a ruling that players under 24 have to have a transfer fee even if their contact is up (Danny Ings being a recent example). Surely we’d get at least than £5m if he ran his contract down and it’s not like his wages are that high. I’m… Read more »
Being in the last year of contract actually has a huge impact on the fee. Huge. Young players with long deals can definitely go for way more money.
Berihino is still going for close to £20 mill and he’s not that great and in the last year of his contract.
Could have got £10 mill for him easy. Wasn’t zings over £15 mill even from a tribunal. I would have kept him and played him and seen what we got when his contract ran out, all the while trying to get him to sign one while he stayed at the club. £5 mill is peanuts for the best player at the Olympics
I agree, however the point is we would have got in the region of the €6m being quoted if we let him stay another year and hopefully contribute. At worst he would have been demoted to the U23 squad, not good from the player’s perspective but not really a concern for the club if he wanted out (again, not a burden on the wage bill and didn’t take up a squad place as he is 21). Feels like one of those situations where the club is doing what is right for the player, which is admirable on a personal level,… Read more »
Hope there is a buy back clause!
Agreed, I really hope this doesn’t blow up in our face like the KDB transfer did for Chelski. He lit up the Olympics and we only got a miniscule transfer fee when we’ve seen ridiculously inflated transfer fees this entire window. A buy-back and sell-on clause really should be involved with this deal or we have been swindled hardcore. I share the sentiments of a previous gooner, “how come it takes us forever long to seal a transfer to the club but we can get rid of a young prospect like this in a matter of days…”. I really think… Read more »
Good luck to the guy, lots of potential but needs to knuckle down now, one good summer doesn’t make you a great. Also I’m baffled by people who think Joel Campbell has been treated unfairly by Wenger. He’s a solid player, works exceptionally hard and is decent attacking-wise. Nothing more and nothing less. Wenger saw that if he wants to make a step up he needs to play regular football where he is almost a guaranteed starter – something he wasn’t even close to at Arsenal after our summer transfers. Therefore it’s best to look after his development, send him… Read more »
Which summer transfer plays in Campbell’s position?
Also he asked for the loan himself.
And why the fuck is Jacky boy going to Bournemouth. Fucking Bournemouth, fucks sake man.
If he stays fit he’ll definitely play there and if he gets back to his best he will be the absolute star of the show regardless of how well or poorly the rest of the team do. That’s why the fuck Bournemouth.
If I was a half decent premiership club I would have gone all out for Campbell. He’s a quality player who works so hard. He’d be an asset to any team and gold dust to anyone from Everton down. Weird big bids didn’t go in
Why is it that when we buy players it takes what’s seems an age, but we can sell a Gnabry in about 2 days!!!
Because he wanted to go so he didn’t fuck about.
So arsene didn’t earlier extend the contract of a player who’s commitment and work rate was called into question, and now as that player was down to his last year, he’s forced a move instead of staying with the club who gave him the platform to succeed. Ah well. We can’t bemoan the fact that theos on 140k /week and then have expected Wenger to have done something about an unproven kid with an attitude and a few injuries.
Win some lose some.
Got to hand it to Wenger. Last week his position at the club was untenable. Now the biggest stick his detractors have found to beat him with is the fact he’s shifted out two players who haven’t contributed anything of note to the team in years. Listen, not all the bright prospects make it. If they did our team would still have Senderos, amaury bischoff, Bendtner, Denilson et all. And don’t roll your eyes, I remember when fans were praising everyone of that lot. Football fans are never satisfied, but Arsenal fans can be downright petty. People raged against keeping… Read more »
There seems to now only be 2 types of Arsenal fans.
Arrrrrghhhhh EVERYTHING THE CLUB DO IS BAAAAD MMMMKKAY ITS ALL SHIT BURN IN HELL AM SLTTING MY WRISTS WITH A CARDBOARD KNIFE
Or
Everything is great, how dare you criticise anything Wenger or the club do, go.find another club to support.
I remember when this was all fields….
Or when people used to comment on here mainly in jest, used to make people laugh and discuss each piece of news on merit. Now though arghhhhhhhhhhhh
I dont think Cracked fits into either category based on what was written.
The whole argument about how little he went for compared to what other clubs are paying is a bit silly. Are we forgetting that Arsene and a host of other EPL managers have all said that the fees EPL clubs have to pay to get average players is heavily inflated compared to the fees of mediocre players going the other way. The TV money has given an unfair advantage to every other club in terms of how much they can demand if an EPL club comes knocking. 6.5m is probably a fair assessment of a player going out of England.… Read more »
I know you said mediocre plays but not sure this is strictly true. Higuain went for a massive fee to a non premier league club. Inter have spent a massive amount on an average midfielder from Sporting and again on a young potential from Brazil so inflated feed are everywhere.
Gnabry better not come begging for a coaching job in future.
Take a look back at the “exciting prospects” we’ve had over the years and what became of them subsequently and you’ll find the excitement quickly disappeared after they’d moved on. It always used to be considered a successful academy year if we got a single player through to become a first team regular – that would cover cost of an alternative incoming transfer. Yes, Gnabry looked good for a couple of games. Yes, Campbell was a breath of fresh air as substitute. Neither ever looked like being the next big thing though. Even if they look good at smaller teams,… Read more »
You mean the football less the Arsenalititis (injury proneness/prowess) right? Please dear Bergkamp mean that!