They shouldn’t think about it in terms that Gervinho is too valuable to them because you’d be hard pushed to find a Gunners fan on the street who would be sorry to see him go. They should think about it because it’s a deal which could see them get one of Marseille’s best younger players in the same deal. Jordan Ayew is an extremely talented forward, who could prosper at the Emirates under the guidance of Arsene Wenger who has developed players similar to him numerous times during his career. Ayew’s stats last season suggest he’s not completely indispensible for the French side; seven goals and three assists with 16 appearances as a substitute. It would be a risk for the Gunners because he’s clearly an under developed player and Arsenal already have a very competitive squad in terms of players filling attacking positions; Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. However, his current status as not first choice in the Marseille squad and the fact his contact is due to expire in the summer of 2015 means Arsenal could pick up a real bargain in the process of offloading someone surplus to requirements. The length of his contract means that Marseille will need to start thinking about possibly extending his deal next season and Arsenal can put pressure on them to make a decision quickly. That increases the chances that they will let him go possibly in a direct swap for Gervinho because they will see that as an advantage to them rather than a poor piece of business. So what could Ayew offer a huge club like Arsenal? Well he’s a small, dynamic and extremely quick forward who may not be adverse to playing a slightly wider position for the club, and is a goal threat from the left wing. That would take the pressure off of Arsene Wenger in terms of using Walcott and Podolski in wider positions, as they have made it clear they would prefer to play centrally through the attack. He also has European experience having played and scored in the Europa League for Marseille last season. That gives Wenger more options with regards to the Champions League and offers him a good option once Arsenal have secured points targets in the group stage or gained a big lead in the knock out rounds. Considering Arsenal’s recent boasts about financial power, the gut reaction from Arsenal fans is that it’s a completely underwhelming signing. However, Wenger has always had a superb ability to spot and pick up younger players, undervalued and perhaps underrated by their previous clubs and using that to his advantage. Is it worth trying to get Ayew if Gervinho commits to a Marseille
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:33:55 +0000