Arsene Wenger says that Arsenal wanted to keep Serge Gnabry and were close to extending his contract before the young German changed his mind.
The 21 year old stood out at the Olympics and was offered new terms by the club, but signed for Werder Bremen towards the end of the transfer window.
It was suggested that Bayern Munich played a part in the deal, something which has been denied, but would explain the last minute change of heart from the winger.
“We didn’t want to get rid of Gnabry, we wanted to keep him,” Wenger told BT Sport.
“But he was in the last year of his contract. We were close to extending his contract but finally he changed his mind and went to Werder Bremen.
“I think we taught him a lot and I think if you ask him he would agree with that.”
Before the window closed, the manager was quite explicit about his desire to keep the player.
“I want to keep Serge Gnabry and to extend his contract,” he said.
“We stood by him for a long time. We built his confidence when he came back and I allowed him to go to the Olympic Games without having played for us at all, to get him back to competition and to help Germany.
“He’s been here for a long-time and it’s important he stays with us.”
Sadly, Gnabry decided he’d rather go elsewhere.
I expect this isn’t the last we’ve heard of him from an Arsenal point of view.
Give him 2 years, and no doubt the rumour mill will be claiming we are about to ‘sensationally’ re-sign him for £50m
Wish him the best.
Well, better to know him now than what went down with van Persie, I guess…
He must regret it a bit – Bremen are bottom of the Bundesliga with 4 losses from 4! Whoops….
If it indeed turns out to be a snake move to get into Munich, I don’t think he’ll be too fussed to be honest.
Playing in a losing team isn’t going to help his cause
He was out of contract in a year anyway and could have signed for Bayern in January, so no need for a snake move
True…
It stinks of classic Bayern – basically all other German teams are their feeder club. He’ll have one or two seasons there and then if they still want him Bayern will come in for him. It’s a really strange phenomenon, but when you talk to German football fans a lot of them go weird and overly reverent when Bayern come up, it’s like they managed to brainwash everybody!!
Literally every German I’ve ever talked to hated Bayern with a passion. That’s only like 5 people, but still.
Yes, most other fans in Germany dislike Bayern since they sign the best players from other German teams to keep competition from other teams at a minimum. Frankly is is not helping the Bundesliga when you have one mega club that lean on all the smaller clubs. Lets hope Gnabry dont do a Pogba and become a world class player that we regret letting go. Im sure Gnabry would have stayed if he was guatanteed oppurtunities in the first team. At his age you need to play first team football so in a way understandable that he left cause nothing… Read more »
This makes me wonder how come they missed mesut during his club days in germany
Serge was such an exciting prospect and I remember drooling over YouTube clips of him playing at youth level. But there’s far more than just talent at play in terms of who breaks through. Injuries, timing, other signings and the success of loan spells all play their part. Good luck to him, I hope he does well, but not that well. At least we’ve never been in the farcical situation United and Chelski have both found themselves in when they’re paying huge fees for previously rejected players. The twats.
Thought it was a loan deal
Definitely has something to do with Bayern – his father said just as much. Shame though, he had massive potential. Had the qualities of ox and Theo in one. Wish him the best.
when we have iwobi who needs gnabry
Thought it was a loan deal.. shame we got rid of him and kept Ox.. not taking a swipe at ox but he’s had numerous chances and has enjoyed the manager’s leniency but has still been found wanting.
Honestly I can’t see Wenger being too fussed. Pacy and highly skilled attacking mids, with an occasional penchant for goal, are really quite common now. We can credit Wenger (and Henry) to a large degree for why there is such an influx of this skill set in world football. So to see a young player who hasn’t made it leave the tutalage of the godfather of the position he plays, the man who made Henry, in a year when that position is up for grabs, just seems like really bad decision-making on Gnabrys part. He is good but good is… Read more »
i think he was one of the best academy player we had. he was the most complete player we had. granted we still have many young upcoming attacking midfielders but i still think gnabry stood out from the rest .he had a breakkout season at arsenal similar to iwobi and he was very impressive. if it wasnt for the one year long injury, or one year long loan i think he would defenitely be in our first team. the problem was wengers favouring walcot and ox even though they had returned nothing back . with those players ahead of him… Read more »
I don’t particularly care. Despite his goal tally in the Olympics his overall play in the tournament was also littered with poor decision making. Some nice goals in what is basically an under-23 tournament isn’t enough to change my opinion on a player who couldn’t get a game at one of the Premier League’s most boring teams last season (seriously, a team like West Brom would have utilised the creative spark he could have provided if Pulis thought he was going to contribute enough). If he’d stayed with us he’d be similar to the Ox in that his impressive moments… Read more »
Sending him on loan to an anti-football manager was a terrible decision.
Bayern will definitely have had something to do with it. They will want him to bed into the bundesliga with Ribery and super diver coming to the end of their careers they’ll make a move for him at the end of the season. The 3 stooges pulling the strings all along.
It’ll take a fantastic season for him to get a move to a club of Bayern’s stature. Then he’ll have to fight off 2 of Muller, Coman, Costa for playing time. I wouldn’t worry too much about him. In his position we’ve got Iwobi who looks fantastic, Welbeck, Ox, Theo, Akpom plus a bunch of other exciting youngsters (Maitland Niles, Willock, Jeff, Nwakali, Crawley).
Should have sent ox off to Bournemouth with wilsh or somewhere and kept gnabry. Only thing being hell actually had to learn to track back in order to get in any epl first team 11
Sickening simple mindedness. The sort of thought process that leaves no room for the likes of Iwobi or Bellerin to emerge because you would have wanted some highly priced player from market instead. The sort of ‘thinking’ that would have demanded Walcott and Ramsey out because they had no potential for Arsenal BEFORE they came good and scored a bunch for us. The sort that would have deemed Coquelin not good enough. The Ox : He doesn’t need to go on loan. He needs to play to get good and he needs to play with the first team. He will… Read more »
Good luck to him.
PLenty of high potential players gone nowhere.Bentley, Pennant.
I remember Alban Bunjaku. Highly promising next big thing in the academy, refuse to sign contract. Unheard now.