Carl Jenkinson and Jack Wilshere have again reasserted their belief that Gedion Zelalem is an Arsenal star of the future although the former thinks the 16-year-old midfielder has to develop physically before being a serious first team candidate.
The German youth international catapulted himself into the limelight during the Gunners pre-season tour of the Far East after consistently conjuring breath-taking through balls for his teammates.
Answering questions from supporters at the club’s annual Member’s Day Jenkinson reflected on the impact of Arsene Wenger’s latest generation of young hopefuls.
“So many of the young players impress me to be honest but if I had to choose one it would be Gedion,” stated the right-back.
“He is very gifted on the ball, he is a midfielder that it is difficult to get the ball off, he has great balance and good feet and has great vision.
“He is still young, so physically he still has to develop and get a bit quicker and stronger – but technically he has got all the attributes to play at the highest level, without a doubt.”
Continuing on the theme, Wilshere, who already touched on Zelalem’s potential two weeks ago, added:
“He is only 16 but when he got his chance he took it. He played a few passes through that I don’t know how he saw them to be honest.
“As well as him there was Serge [Gnabry]. He has had a few chances and he keeps producing, so the future looks good.”
[insert line here about not bigging him up too much while resisting temptation to insert YouTube video where he looks better than Pele and Messi combined…just link to it instead]
Another signing we don’t need make…FFS
Just like Cesc was you mean? Don’t be so bloody stupid.
Cesc was the player of the tournament at the U17 Euro Championships and won numerous awards, and also a product of one the best academy in the world so…
I don’t see any reason to get too excited about this kid just yet especially when “soccer
” isn’t a popular sport out there.
Lets wait and see what the kid has got about him before comparing him to how Cesc was at 16.
Soccer????
you must be a foolish yank!
i’m pretty sure the ‘soccer’ reference is because zelalem was brought over to arsenal from the states, which is where ‘soccer’ is isn’t a popular sport.
although funnily enough, football is the most played sport by kids in the US between ages of 5 and 15. once they get old enough they are hussled off into a sport that makes money in america (basketball, american football, baseball).
“I don’t see any reason to get too excited about this kid just yet especially when “soccer
” isn’t a popular sport out there.”
Not sure how popularity over here plays into his talents. If you want to argue that the lack of popularity had negatively affected (effected? grammar was never my best) his growth, he has played with the German U-16s (I heard this Germany place is pretty decent) Also he only moved to the states when he was 10.
@ashes: Foolish Yank? You realize we got the word soccer from England right?
“OMG people in other parts of the world don’t live their life exactly as I do they must be dumb lolololol…”
The universal language of Soccer/Football, whatever you may call it, is spoken on the field… (Pitch/Field, same damn thing)
@Dan He is a Germany U16 player FFS
from etymonline.com
soccer (n.)
1889, socca, later socker (1891), soccer (1895),
originally university slang (with jocular formation -er (3)), from a shortened form of Assoc., abbreviation of association in Football Association (as opposed to Rugby football); cf. rugger, but they hardly could have taken the first three letters of Assoc.
This is not Le grove dial square your venom will not get many likes here.
@arsesicky – Yes it was an American reference, clearly needing to be pointed out to some of these clowns even when the word was in inverted commas.
I was just trying to point out the fact he probably isn’t at Cesc’s level with the footballing educations he’s had so far.
I see dials friends do not like my statement
All I wrote is what seems to be the truth he’s not getting a lot of likes.
Maybe this is a popularity contest for you, for most of us its a place to share heartfelt opinions on something we all love, even if we do differ, get over emotional and piss each other off sometimes. If your posts are dictated by the fact you might be thumbed down for them that seems sad, that is why I thumbed you down, that and the fact there was absolutely no venom in his post.
I have had an opportunity to watch Gideon Zelalem . He is a wonderful prospect that needs to be nartured and developed properly. Under Venger I see that boy going places.
He’s ridiculously skilled, and its also ridiculous that he’s only 16 as well. What the fuck- when I was 16 I knew how to i) boot the ball upfield; ii) slide tackle. He has a great future
Venger out
Arsin nose
Why would anyone bring up signings in a post about youngsters… How sad…
Well, some are booing Higuain in that Napoli match for not having an offer from Arsenal accepted by Real Madrid.
How stupid was that by the way. I swear, as much as I love everything about this club, some of our fans are just plain daft.
I agree, but I have been at games where I have heard injury and even death wished upon our own players- now that’s daft. You can choose your friends but not you’re fellow Gooners I’m afraid
He clearly has a great eye for a pass I hope he does get a chance in the first team at sone point although I do agree with jenks that he may need to get a little stronger for the prem but still a great prospect
We zeldom produce players of this quality. I hope we dont end up zelling him to Man City.
He’s nowhere near ready for first team football. If your not into watching the reserves then let’s get some MEN in and win the league!
Hopes he gedion with it, the coming seaons plus, hoping Wenger doesn’t zel-al(of)em.
@couldn’tresist
he’s a promising lad and definitely one for the future but at this point, that is all he is, one for the future. It’d be unfair to throw him into the mix now and expect him to flourish and then if he does flourish, not expect him to want to leave in a couple of years when he realizes that we’re not really aiming to win anything. If we’re really looking to develop our own youngsters and then integrate them into the mix, we should first have a successful team who’ll be able impart vital knowledge of attaining these successes… Read more »
I see a bright future, buh fewer talents…
He looks about 5
Wenger has been (deservedly) slated on these comment sections recently for our apparent lack of interest in doing any transfer dealings but you have to hand it to him, it’s not every manager that consistently unearths these young gems (and later sells them on for huge profit but that’s beside the point). Hope zealem has a long and successfull career here at arsenal
Surprised noone has commented ‘ Lans ‘ yet,..
A Bergkamp in the making. Hope so
Thought he was American?
German born, but spent time in the US, where he was discovered by Arsenal playing for some team whose name I can’t be arsed to Google.
Yeah, I think he could be eligible to play for the US. Hope Klinsmann can rope in another Germerican.
USA! USA! USA!
That would be fantastic, though I think a player with his potential will be snapped up by the german international team
It’ll depend on if and how he develops into his potential. Also, who can cap-tie him first!
Feel sorry for all this expectation being heaped on his shoulders…his incredibly skinny shoulders. Give him time to develop in private and I am sure he will be a talent. But all this talk at 16 cannot be healthy.
Yep, it’s a bit of pressure with Cesc coming into the first team at 16 and Wilshere at 18 but I have to agree with Jenks on the sheer physical nature of the Prem, there’s a part of me thinking though that if something was needed and he was on the bench, it’d be worth the risk of throwing him on; for that to happen though, we’d have to be injury stricken and I REALLY hope that doesn’t happen.
It will always happen, but on the plus side he’s not English so he’s not going to get all the media hype like Jack did before his injury. Just have to hope they have strong enough mentality, since you will always attract attention when you play so well so early.
He does look decent, but it’s a ways off yet as I’m sure we all know, not all of them that look fab at 16 have developed and made the necessary steps up by 20. Still, does look certainly like one of the likelier ones, will have to keep an eye and hope he continues to do well. Jenks not wrong though saying he needs to fill out a bit looking at that pic though, I’m 5’0 and under 8 stone and I reckon I could probably knock him flying with a decent run-up haha. Lad needs to eat his… Read more »
Great, let’s get him in the first so the rest of the boys too can put on diapers
whatever happened to Eisfield. Don’t hear his name these days. i watched him on the NextGen thing and he was my pick. but i guess its a future game.We can’t use all of them and most will probably move on but i hope we can groom a handful of the very genuine ones. But most importantly if the team is not competing them of course they are gonna look elsewhere and i will be piss with that.
I think they still show on reruns on NBC…
Don’t think all will get that lil gem of a joke
So thats cover for rosicky as CAM. Should win us the league that boy!
He looks good though doesn’t he? I’m looking forward to seeing how he does in some early round cup ties.
The league starts next weekend and all we’re exicted about is a 16 year old without any major signing? I won’t be surprised if we finish 8th in the league this season with the way things are going. Its sad that Wenger doesn’t seem to be realistic.
Pele and Messi combined = Maradona
Give it a rest man. All this transfer talk is turning us gooners into that angry ole uncle who hasn’t got the dosage on his new meds right.
So John, this new Gedion kid, he’s the real deal eh?
FNNNNGHHJFUFKCKFUCK NO FCKING SIGNINGS MRRFFFFRAAGGGGGHHHH!!!
Great prospect for the future, could become world class 1 day..
I don´t think he has the strength or the power that Fabregas had at the same age, but shiiiiiiit what a freaking vision. His pass for Eisfeld at 2:28 was out of this world, something Iniesta or Xavi would have been very proud of. Wouldn´t surprise me to see him, Ramsey and Ox together in midfield in the first CC game.
So what’s his DNA?
It will be ‘ludicrous’ to leave zalèm out of thè first.
[…] 来源：[Arseblog News] […]
I don’t think we need this kind of player for now(a player for the future),we need to buy top class players to compete at the highest level,I have seen many young stars like him who end up been a flop,denilson, miguel,Djourou,Bendtner ,Merida,and many more, that don’t mean Zalalem too will end up been a flop,we just don’t need him now. Can’t you all see it against Galatasaray?
He looks a fantastic player.
I can kind of understand now, why Wenger won’t splash the cash.
Would Fellaini for example be £20,000,000 better than this little kid? (Different players I know)
I’m not saying we don’t need to sign anyone ‘cos we do. However the value nowadays just isn’t there.
I’ve also got breathtaking balls. They never got me on the Arsenal 1st team though…