Arsene Wenger has confirmed reports from earlier this week that the club are in talks with Alex Iwobi over a new deal.
The 19 year old has been hugely impressive in recent weeks, and the way modern football works means that new terms are on offer despite him signing a contract just last October.
He’s scored in two successive Premier League games, and the Arsenal manager says the club want to ensure his future is in North London.
“We are discussing extending his contract at the moment,” he said. “He’s a real Arsenal person because he’s been here since the age of eight.
“He has three years left at the end of the season anyway but we want to keep him here for longer. If there have been some positives in the last few months, it’s how well and how quickly he’s emerged as a player with a good impact.”
Iwobi also spoke about how he’d be happy to represent Nigeria at the Rio Olympics if he were selected.
Wenger said if that was the case then the club would not stand in his way, saying, “We have respect his choice.
“He had the choice between England and Nigeria and in the end he chose Nigeria. We respect that, and also the possibility that he will go to the Olympic Games, that he will also go to the Africa Cup of Nations and travel a bit more than he would have done here.
“We have to respect that.”
It doesn’t seem possible for the club to prevent him going if that is the case. For the London games, FIFA made it quite clear that U23 players had to be released if selected, saying, ‘The executive decided that the release of the U23 players by clubs for Olympic football tournaments will be compulsory.’
Whether that’s the same this time around we’re not 100% sure, but chances are something similar will be in place.
Let the kid play the Olympics, it’s a chance of lifetime. If we are relying on a 19 year old to carry us next year then we are in big trouble.
Arseblog said it best, as great as Iwobi has been, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be active in the transfer market.
Yeah but overplaying him could have the Wilshere effect…
Then it’s up to us to give him the rest. You can’t expect national teams not to play their best players in tournaments.
Wilshere overplayed??….when??
Nigeria aren’t in the African cup of nations,are they?
Not this time, they didn’t qualify
Nigeria are like the Arsenal of Africa. They can play pretty football, but seldom do they live up to their potential.
This is a team that has Iwobi, Ighalo, Obi Mikel, Kelechi Iheanacho, Obafemi Martins, Emenike, and Victor Moses. And yet they fail to score in a return leg against Egypt. Ridiculous.
But I’m stoked for Iwobi!
Used to hate it when we lost Toure and Lauren at the same time. Eboue,, not so much.
We have never lost Eboue, he is always in our hearts and minds. <3
He is a true son of his father for chosen to play for Nigeria
-a son of his father, he is indeed….well spoken!
He’s played 3 games and he’s already getting a pay rise, no wonder so many of our youngster who start off well fail to progress. These discussions shouldn’t be held until this time next season at best and after he’s proved himself over the course of a full season.
Why does our management fail to learn after making the same mistake several times over?!
Respect!