Wojciech Szczesny’s 11-year Arsenal career looks to be over after the Poland international was left out of Arsene Wenger’s 25-man squad for the pre-season tour of Australia and China.
The Italian press has speculated for some time that the 27-year-old has an agreement with Juventus who want the Gunner to spend a season as back-up to Gianluigi Buffon before taking over from the legendary Italian when he retires next summer.
The Pole has spent two seasons on loan in Serie A with AS Roma impressing last term when he kept more clean sheets than anyone else. The Giallorossi had an option to keep Szczesny on a permanent basisfor around £12 million only for the player to have his head turned.
While we’re still none the wiser as to the fee, we do know Juve have been attempting to lowball the Gunners all summer.
Szczesny’s last game in an Arsenal shirt was the 2015 FA Cup final victory over Aston Villa, a bittersweet moment that came after losing the number one shirt at the Emirates for disciplinary matters. As you’ll remember, he ridiculously decided to have a cigarette in the shower after a defeat to Southampton at Saint Mary’s and it appears the damage to his reputation was permanent.
Having risen through the Academy ranks to become a popular first team player with the fans, Szczesny’s departure cuts a little deeper than most. We know he has his flaws, but he’s also a very decent keeper entering his best years. With David Ospina also set to leave this summer we’re obviously backing the talented Emi Martinez to step into the void.
This makes me sad. It’ll be painful to watch if he goes on to be great at Juventus. It might not happen, who knows, but I still rate him quite highly.
With the utmost respect, Arsenal fans have short term memery. Szczesny blew his chance at arsenal time and time again. If he was actually top quality then there would be a serious bid for him, not pity change under £5m, especially taking into consideration the ridiculously inflated market. Szczesny was an irrational keeper with a quick irrational decisions and often left himself exposed in no man’s land. He made Ospina look a thousand times better than he actually was just because he brought calmness to the position while Szczesny brought instability and anxiety. If he was willing to come and… Read more »
So Juve being in for him means nothing, but the arbitrary price tag placed on him tells us what we need to know? That’s just stupid.
He’s a keeper, in the final year of his contract, with Arsenal seemingly making it clear he’s not in their plans. Nobody’s going to pay shit for that.
Madness
Agreed, this has all the hallmarks of a personal Wenger vendetta rather than a sporting decision.
I thought he was a keeper.
Well played!
I don’t understand. Someone please help me out.
“She’s a keeper” is a colloquial phrase derived from “for keeps,” which means worth keeping forever. Therefore, the phrase means she’s good wife material.
Pedant was doing a pun on that.
Well thank you NaanBread. I get it now and am familiar with the phrase was just being slow. Well played indeed Pedant. Not sure what all the thumbs down are for.
This one baffles me most of any of our summer dealings in some time. Juve have handpicked him to replace Buffon but he’s not good enough for us? Cech is no spring chicken, why are we letting a 27 year old keeper who grew up at the club leave?!? Typical Arsenal to let him leave for nothing too when City just signed some Portuguese no one for 35M
Szczesny has a d*ck for a dad! Remember that too, who apparently acts as his agent and mouthpiece. I am fine with letting him go, it was not like he had the world at his feet when he left us and he always had a mistake in him somewhere (Yes, he improved at Roma in a fairly defensive league which prioritizes defending). And he is in the final 12 months of his contract, so he will walk on a free next summer. May be he isn’t ready to sign on and Juve are likely to offer good wages and the… Read more »
Aside from the publicised stuff like the smoking there must have been other things rubbing Arsene up the wrong way. I imagine it was a personality clash more than anything, who knows?… bloody shame to lose him though… it’s really quite irritating.
I’d love to see him stay but like Arun’s stated, his father is a total ruffled up muff puppet, and not someone Wenger will allow himself to coexist with.
And, as Juve smashed a world record fee on Buffon (£32.5million in 2001!) I think we’d be crazy to say under £25m in today’s climate. And for that sum an equal replacement is surely attainable.
How much will we spend to buy a keeper in 2 or 3 years if Martinez who hasn’t proved anything nada yet isn’t the solution?
To be honest I’m not at all comfortable with making Martinez as the second choice. Nothing against the dude , but he has not proven himself good enough till now. To put this in perspective he is 24 years old , with no club vying for his signature even for a koan deal. And if I’m right he has never left on season long loan terms , only going for short term loan deals . even for that he has not exactly impressed enough. In comparison szeszny at his age has completed a season long loan deal where he was… Read more »
Everyone writing off Ospina as if he’s gone? He’s actually gone on the Aussie tour which means he’s staying?
I like Szez but maybe he wouldn’t be second choice if he returned.
GraeB…maybe you know…
Perhaps offers were not attractive enough and he has decided to stay for now.
Cech was supposed (by all pundits) to save us the 15 points we need every season to win the league. My point is that bringing back Szczesny instead of buying Peter Cech was a viable solution.
He kept the most clean sheets in a league that had the most goals scored of any top league last season.
This is outrageously bad business from Arsenal.
Szczesny junior has been distancing himself from his twat father a couple of times at least.
I don’t think he’s anywhere near him unless something changed radically and I’ve missed that.
Perhaps after a few good seasons he would like to be a definite starter, which he won’t be at Arsenal.
Won’t be at Juve either, definitively stuck on the bench behind Buffon for at least another year. Buffon has said he’s done after WC2018 but plenty of players have changed their minds and it’s not like Cech has 5 years left in him
Sadly juve is a step up from Arsenal. Even clubs like Atletico are now higher than us in the pecking order.
No doubt he loves the club but after two years away if an offer comes from one of Europe’s big clubs who guarantee a competitive squad on all fronts you’d think twice too.
‘the pecking order’ who defines this?
Honestly, financial might is not really a point that fans get behind. This is the ‘pecking order’ of general football fans’ assumptions of how ‘strong’ a team is. Or more classically, the answer to the question of “Would X team beat Y team?” In support, Juve and Atletico are both teams that are challenging international tournaments more strongly, as well as challenging for the trophy in domestic competitions. Arsenal haven’t won the league in a decade for various reasons, but more importantly, no one ‘believes’ that Arsenal will win the league on any given season. We came close in 2014,… Read more »
it was the 2015-16 season i realized arsenal completely lost it . with all due respect to Leicester if a team like arsenal had been competing well , they would never be the winners . we literally lost the league to them . they had one of the lowest point tally for a premier league winners ever . and the saddest thing is we never even gave them a proper challenge. if the last month of the league was scratched of the list that season could’ve been one of the worst . its only because of other big teams in… Read more »
They’ve both been in semis and finals. We’ve not gotten into the quarterfinals.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where someone would rather be.
we just signed their top pick striker.
because of their transfer ban
Cech is 4 years younger than Buffon?
Arsenal are allegedly in for the “French Donnarumma”, Alban Lafont. I have not seen him play but he is starting for Toulouse since 2015/2016 season and made his debut at 16. Yet to make his senior debut for the French team but has several U-20 caps. Now 18 into his 3rd season, he looks like qjite the prospect. I hope with Szczesny leaving, we can buy this kid and loan him back to Toulouse to continue his development. I dont have high hopes for Emi to get any better unfortunately.
we should get lafont .so far he has equally been impressive as donnaruma . the difference is one guy plays for a better league and in a much more popular team . if lafont had been playing for team like milan he could have been as popular as donnaruma . but currently he is going under the radar and arsenal should take advantage of this and get him cheap
Szczesny has one year left on his contract. Juventus are in for him. Maybe Szczesny has decided he would rather play at the higher profile Italian club than Arsenal. Hence, he would have clearly stated to the Arsenal that he will go to Juventus, on a free or otherwise. Why bother investing time and money in a keeper that’s going to be gone the next year? Hence, Arsenal may have decided to sell him.
That’s my opinion of it.
Got that thing where hence doesn’t feel like a real word after reading this
Damn it, now you’ve done that to me too.
Absolutely agree.
Why have to contend and find a replacement for keeper when we have other priorities in the squad.
Unless of course the player is making it untenable but IMO we should be pushing Szsc into equal footing with Cech for next season. If he should live up to potential, nothing wrong with cech as second fiddle/mentor at this stage of his career. It would seem the more logical thing to do.
Perplexing.
Buffon smokes like a chimney, didn’t prevent him from being great. This is an ego clash with the manager, and we’re losing a good player for it.
Ridiculous decision, I firmly believe he could overtake cech in the pecking order given a season. Looks like he’s matured a hell of a lot
Whatever happened to ‘let bygones be bygones’? He made a mistake, one which he’s probably learnt and matured a lot from. Personally, I think it’s a mistake to let such a talented keeper, who LOVES the club and entering his prime leave us. Especially is Juve don’t cough up a decent wedge…
Thing is, it’s not even that bad of a mistake.
FFS, Sanchez had a bigger problem on the grounds, and we rewarded him by looking to him to save our bacon against Liverpool.
Players have done far worse than have a puff in the showers.
True but we could have very capable replacements in Martinez or Macey? Maybe it is crazy to let him leave but it could also be the club laying down a marker?
So after years of letting top players go to let youngster come through and fulfill their potential, of which all of them from his generation have failed, we finally have one who’s fulfilling Joan potential….
And we wanna move him on to make way for…more potential?
It’s like some kind of Arsenal grounds hog day.
Reckon we can have a whip around and buy him back for ourselves?!
It is true though – Wenger was so let down by the Southampton incident and it wasn’t the first time he’d been disciplined. Sometimes you have to take a tough line no matter how well liked or talented the player, we gave him enough chances and the blame lies only with the player.
This is total bullocks, how come Walcott is still an Arsenal Player and we want to get rid of a talent like Szczesny, anyway we Don’t have a Director that’s the only reason for this madness and why Wenger doesn’t want one. favourism That’s why we keep Failing, Henry once mentioned that Wenger hates being advised or challenged, that’s why he wouldn’t bring his former players back into the squad. Which top club in the world will want to sell a goal keeper like Szczesny in Europe.
NO idea what you’re on about here.
Bollocks.
Van P as a youth did worse. Sanchez behaved worse, and we still want to keep him.
Chez is as near WC as we have in our squad outside of Kos, Sanchez and Ozil. Letting him go like this, when he wants to stay is the very definition of cutting off your nose just to spite your face.
Van Persie didn’t spend his youth at Arsenal, neither has Alexis. I’m not just talking about the smoking incident, there were quite a few other incidents of poor discipline and people just ran out of patience with him. And there’s another side to the story about how/why he and Peyton fell out. he used up all of his strikes. It’s about valuing professionalism and respect and ensuring that everyone at the club knows what the standards are and that they will be applied. Obviously it’s sad when someone so talented falls foul on discipline but he was given ample chances… Read more »
Are any of those things relevant to the person he is now? Because if it’s in regards to his past or what he did when he was younger, then I don’t care.
We were told the purpose of the loan was for him to learn to grow up, which he has. If they had already made up their mind about him to begin with, then there was no purpose to him going out on Loan for 2 years and whittling his contract. Should’ve just sold him when we let him go.
Yes, they’re relevant to his professionalism.
No one ever said that was the reason for him going on loan.
Wenger did. He even specifically said his loan may not be the end of his Arsenal career.
But if what you say is true, then they had no intention of him ever returning. So the point of the loan was for what then? To devalue him and sell him on the cheap?
And if there was no intention to bring him back, did Wenger purposefully lie by saying there was a chance of him returning?
Szczesny world class? What have you been smoking??? He’s a very good keeper but way off being WC…
We can debate it all we like, but if Juve think he’s good enough to succeed this gen’s best goalkeeper, then he’s definitely good enough to be our number 1.
Because juve never ever get it wrong. Besides I’m sure juve would prefer neuer to szez, they just can’t get him.
Crazy as it may sound, but you do know it is possible for more than one player to be WC, right?
I don’t know what Neuer being WC have to do with anything. It’s like saying just because we would prefer Messi over Sanchez doesn’t mean we don’t want to keep the latter or that he isn’t WC.
Sad! Thought his the man for the future.
Will be very sad to see the back of him but feels like we’ve left it too late (not at all typical!) to do a deal. Ideally he should have been offered an extension last summer before going back on loan, or at least though the last season. Now we could force him to stay on but I don’t know what good that will do us if his decision is made. Sadly I think the opportunity to play with Buffon, who he’s cited as a hero a number of times in the past, was always going to sway him. Possibly… Read more »
It’s not just about offering a contract, the player has to want to sign it. There was no real benefit to szez to sign last summer, no one was suggesting they we pay him whatever it takes to commit for longer back then.
FFS
I somehow don’t think this decision has to do with Sczezney’s disciplinary history. I feel that it may be that Wenger genuinely believes Cech has at least two more years in him to give us world class performances and that Sczezney has refused to fight for a spot or to be the number two keeper. To be honest, I don’t necessarily know how to feel about this. Last season, I was not completely satisfied with Cech’s performances (although the same applies to the rest of the team), but he didn’t do that bad for me to completely say, yea he… Read more »
You’re The Greatest Striker That Ever Lived™
His performance last season was not 80%. 80% in most exams is an A, if not A*.
Cech was neither of those last season.
By 80%, I mean B-
Poor us.
Desperately disappointing. He is simply for me a much, much better keeper than Ospina so the decision to keep him should be really simple.
In the market to buy a new keeper then. Really odd as Szcz’ is a gooner through and through. Plus has all the attributes to be a great ‘keeper.
With Ospina probably going to leave soon, Petr getting on (1yr left?), that only leaves Martinez… Buy Jack Butland from Stoke – hate Stoke, but he’s a good keeper? But he’d cost a bomb.
*confused face
If we’re truly banking on Emi Martinez (who in his entire career in the academy, never displayed the promise Chez did), then it’s clear the role of a top GK doesn’t seem to be that valuable at Arsenal.
It’s almost like FIFA. Just let any old 65+ rated player be in goal. There’s never that much difference.
gutted he’s going, but he must have done something major for the boss to cut ties with him
Why the hell are we going so far over a cigarette.
If Juve and Buffon believe in him, there must be something there!
There were a lot of stories coming out at the time that indicated there was a lot more to that incident than simply a cigarette, and he’d been rubbish up to then and completely lost it in that match. He seems to always have a mistake in him and to be the sort who only gets his act together when somebody kicks his arse hard. As already mentioned, his father is an absolute dick and it seems that there’s a bit of like father like son. He was also dropped by the Polish national team and David Ospina had far… Read more »
Your point that it wasn’t about the cigarette it was about the performances is valid.
1. Golden glove winner in England and Italy in 2 of his last 4 seasons
2. Entering his prime
3. Been with us since a kid and loves the club
Reasons I would keep him, in order of importance.
You finish far better than your namesake
I have a feeling this one will come back to haunt us. Here’s hoping Martinez is as good as the boss seems to think because as good as Ospina is, he is also limited by his height, and Cech is not getting any younger despite still being an excellent keeper as was evident in his late season form.
Maybe the player wants to go? You know, to the Italian champions and the team that could keep a clean sheet against Barca over 2 legs?
Agree that we should do everything to keep him but that’s a juicy proposition.
He’s not on the tour does not mean he’s leaving.
Its possible that mad jens is not crazy about schzz and that may be the deciding factor.
“The Giallorossi had an option to keep Szczesny on a permanent basis for around £12 million” F*ck right off Arsenal, if this is true. That should’ve never been the case. He had a great loan spell the first time at Roma. We should’ve either brought him back or made him sign an extension and go on loan again. At the absolute worst, make him sign an extension then sell him (not my preference at all). Like, why would Roma even pay the £12m? Knowing he would have 1 year left on his contract? Dah, of all the players leaving, this is the… Read more »
I’m convinced letting him go is the right decision for the club. If you are a young keeper from Arsenal academy or reserves you would hate to see Szczesny with his cocky mentality in the first team. For all his abilities he doesn’t have that inclusive mentality to be the leader of GK department. Cech is the kind of keeper the club needs. He commands respect because of his achievements and the fact that he still performs at the top level. Also, the other keepers know they can challenge Cech without causing any damage to the morale. Imo Szczesny is… Read more »
I reckon once a player does something as ridiculous as Szc its hard to forgive them. Can 100% see why Arsene has given up on him. He puts too much faith in players and is probably sick of being let down.
Be interested to see him play in a top league for a top club and see whether hes actually improved on the level he was at when he left. I might be being dumb but the Italian league looks like it has a lot of bang average teams in it.
What did he do that was so bad?
You really don’t want to understand squad discipline. You as Arsene would let everybody do whatever they want, smoking, drinking, who gives a f”*ck as long as what? They are die hard fans? Or wanted by Juve? Or in their prime? Understand that there are repercussions and consequences within groups of ppl and teams and turning a blind eye is not the same as forgiving. I like Scezza, always have, but there seem to be quite a few reasons to let him go: Discipline and setting an example for other players, patchy performances and mistakes 2 years ago, his own… Read more »
I, like many here, would welcome his return. However we all seem to assume we are ‘getting rid’ and the decision is the clubs/Wenger due to his previous history. It is more than possible szczesny just wants to go to Juve, and with 1 year on his contract there’s little we can do. He has enjoyed his time in Italy and is being sought after by a historic club. There little point in forcing him to see out the final year at The Arsenal, so is being let go. Could be wrong of course but seems more likely than holding… Read more »
As the accusations towards Arsenal and Wenger are reaching fever pitch is it possible that this move is driven by the player himself and not the club? If he’s adamant about going, what’s the point in stopping him? All that remains is to get as much as possible from Juventus and au revoir!
another Arsenal own goal he will stay now and bide his time to take over next season to buffon and we will loose out on his selling fee he will get a nice big signing on fee! for me a top quality keeper lost to arrogance who loves this club we strive to promote from within but leave him in the dark over a minor incident unbelievable not even in his prime, he may be a bit scatty but so was lehmann and look what he brought to the club
Selling Szczesny will be one of the dumbest decisions of Wenger @Arsenal
After years of having an actual quality back up keeper, seems like we’re moving backwards now.
It really doesn’t matter who we sell & buy while the dictator & his yes men are in charge. We are way behind the elite clubs in Europe & most of our rivals in the premier league and will continue to be until Wenger finally goes. We might have money but it’s being blown on wages for bang average players, that’s why we can’t get rid of the dross (Jenks, Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs etc) as heir contracts are too good & we can’t get a fee for them. Do yourselves a favour lads, don’t stress about Arsenal for two years,… Read more »
I agree that we tend to over pay non proven players a lot, the list is long of players we fail to offload because of it. While I favoured transition take place now in favour of keeping AW, I still hopes he will somehow find the formula to success again in his last year’s, in parallel hoping that Our dear board has a quick solution ready if results go against us.
Sell and move on, he will not sign an extension with us unless he is given 1st choice promise, which he will never get. Dont at all fancy trying to keep him as a happy understudy to Peter for 1 year and risk loosing him for nothing next summer. Anyhting above 12m EUR for him is good money – Sell!!!
Let’s get real here though, when Szczesny first left and we got Cech in, very few people were bothered if he came back or not. Even after a good first season at Roma, there were very few calls to bring him back to start ahead of Cech. But it’s only now that Juventus are in for him to replace Buffon that people on here are realising what kind of player we had on our hands all along…
His first season at Roma wasn’t great. This last season he was excellent, the best keeper in serie a. There’s a reason Juve want him.
I hate it when people say this.
Just because you didn’t care to have him back or kept up with his performances in Italy doesn’t mean all of us didn’t.
I don’t mean that as an attack on everyone, only on certain types of very fickle fans. I cared to keep him when he left because I realised the potential and ability he had. Guarantee that if a top club like Juventus wasn’t in for him now, you wouldn’t get nearly as much hand-wringing on here from people who were saying he was useless just two years ago.
He’s a true Gooner, for that reason alone we should keep him. One of the few players people can identify with.
As a General famously said during WWII, “NUTS.”
I hope we keep him. It would be a shame bc we want direct competition to Cech and Szsc you feel with recent experience and maturity can provide that where Martinez is still behind on learning curve.
Mayve Ospina’s deals or options will fall through but prefer we hold on to Szsc.
Soo, he is good enough for champions league finalists, but not good enough for Arsenal who wont even play in CL next season? Smart.
B ollox this is not good news!! Keep the pole in goal!!!
Lehman And Cech will sort out Martinez. Cech still has a good few years in him.
Szczesny’s Arsenal career ended the moment Wenger signed another contract….
I imagine Szczesny will be a league champion and or a Champs League winner well before Wenger ever will.
Don’t smoke in the shower.
My guess is there was not much we could do about this. Szczesny liked life in Italy, Juventus is a big team that give him a big stage, and next year he’s got the starting job. Juventus won’t pay much, because a year of Woj sitting behind Gigi isn’t worth £40 million. And if Woj has made up his mind, he can leave for a free to start at Juventus next year; all he has to do is sit on the bench here instead. As for us, a want-away backup with an agreement to leave in place is dressing-room cancer,… Read more »
So basically we let him develop as a player for some really long time and now that he’s a decent player we’re letting him go? Great business.