Furious Arsenal Threaten To Cancel Merida Loan
Image From Marca
Arsenal have arranged a meeting with Real Sociedad chairman Iñaki Badiola, over the loan agreement with the Spanish outfit for play-maker Fran Merida Perez.
Fran was loaned to the Segunda club in January until the the end of the season, and had started and been involved in the first few games until Badiola sacked manager Chris Coleman and installed José Ramón Eizmendi in charge, since then he has only been involved in the final few minutes of games something Arsene Wenger is furious about.
Spanish news-wire Elmundo Deportivo reports a meeting will take place in London next week between Badiola, and Wenger with Arsenal threatening to cancel the deal should they not accept a clause which would mean Fran must play at least 45 minutes of future fixtures, unless the club can prove he is unable to, via injury or otherwise.
Merida (17) is rated extremly highly by all the Arsenal coaching staff, and despite recent media reports, he will return to London in the summer and be involved in the first team plans, the loan was supposed to have helped develop relations between the two sides, with a view to possibly sending more prospects there but with the club failing to play Fran to a level where he can gain experience and further devlop, these plans looks in doubt.
With Thanks To Carlos Vela News For This Info.
Article By – J.Sanderson
where will merida fit with fabregas and denilson ahead of him?
JD said this on March 1, 2008 at 12:45 am
He can play left midfield as well remember
J.Sanderson said this on March 1, 2008 at 1:05 am
He’s a much better centre mid though. i think he would be wasted outwide just like diaby.
JamJam said this on March 1, 2008 at 1:30 am
Merida, if good enough, will force his way into the first team. Sure, he probably won’t catch Cesc…but he can catch Denilson.
Jay said this on March 1, 2008 at 2:41 am
Like I said in an earlier post, there is no chance for attacking midfielder because we have Cesc. Merida will either have to play on the wings or as a supporting striker, similar to what Hleb has often played this year.
I can’t wait to see Merida, Barazite and Vela next season. We will have nice options on the left in Rosicky, Diaby, Vela and Merica, although all of them are more comfortable in more central roles. That tells a lot about Wenger, nobody plays just one position, except the goalkeepers and Adebayor.
Stone said this on March 1, 2008 at 3:08 am
Don’t forget about Pedro Botelho! He can play left back,left mid and a supporting striker and he has real good technical abilities!
TH said this on March 1, 2008 at 4:02 am
if he can’t even play for a second divison team in Spain, will he be ready for Arsenal next season. he was barely involved in our CC campaign. as for Denilson, i dun think we can rely on him in big games (vs top 6 teams in PL). Denilson is good, but not that good.
FCdeMatthew said this on March 1, 2008 at 5:51 am
FCdeMatthew//
I’ve spoken to a lad in Basque, and he says that Merida is top-5, maybe top-3, of all Sociedadplayers when they have training. Players like van Persie, Diaby etc. wasn’t playing every week in their former clubs, and they where older then. Merida is hell of a player, just that Eizmendi is an idiot.
Agogogogogo said this on March 1, 2008 at 10:40 am
JamJam – Diaby and Merida couldn’t be more different imo. merida would be like playing players like Hleb and Rosicky wide, as he is a creative midfielder with great technical ability, just the sort of player Wenger converts to a wide position.
I’d prefer Merida wide than anywhere else until he gets more experience of the discipline a central midfielder needs.
thearsenalway said this on March 1, 2008 at 10:42 am
I read somewhere a claim that Fran doesn’t always pay attention to his fitness regime and sometimes lacks motivation. Is there any truth in that or is it the usual s*** stirring?
Passenal said this on March 1, 2008 at 11:01 am
How about selling Eboue, putting Hleb permanently to RW. Rosicky, when fit, can play through the middle, in a 4411 or 451, or out wide in 442. Next season Merida will still just be 17/18, and is still to learn his trade. Rotating him with Rosicky will help him tremendously. I have no doubt Wenger will have any “real” problems using such obvious talent in his team.
Using Diaby at LW is just a waste, but I can’t see him taking Cesc’s place, and certainly not Flamini, since he’s not a DM. I fear he will go in 2009.
Tor said this on March 1, 2008 at 11:08 am
I don’t understand these comments… He was as highly rated as Cesc when we got him, so the potential is there. It’s no good saying that we can’t have two outstanding players fighting for the same position. We start the season in four competitions, remember. I think he would be great as Cesc’s understudy, and work his way up from CC and FA cup appearances. And what happens if Cesc gets injured? Having an almost carbon copy to drop in would be a massive advantage to us.
Finsbury Parker said this on March 1, 2008 at 1:20 pm
How can you order a team to play a player even if he is on loan. Sounds ridiculous. If a player is playing crap he should be dropped whether he’s on loan or not, or if a manager is sacked the new manager might not want loan signings – they might not give the 100% commitment that a new manager is looking for.
James said this on March 1, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I think all the highly rated youngsters will have little or no part to play next season. Barazite, Vela and Merida will not start 10 games between them. In the league, they might not be used at all. Vela might, as he has shown immense ability but I have my doubts- Arsene may ease him in slowly.
There is an incredible gap between reserves and the first team and I think we shouldnt build up players too much
Steve said this on March 1, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Merida blatently has talent, it will take time to tell if he is reeli needed inour team but I think it wud do us good to have a choice of wich player to play for once. You have seen wot happens when our playera get injured, we have no-one to put on the pitch. I think its best we keep him and make him work him way into the first team.
Wenger I rite to be annoyed bout them not playing him, that’s why he is on loan I’m sure we cud have given him a few minutes at the end of most matches aswell.
Cumon boys win this premiership title.
Get better soon eduardo. My heart is with you. xxx
rachel said this on March 1, 2008 at 9:37 pm
He does have talent but he just has to prove it on some sort of a consistent basis – something he can’t do at Real Sociedad. He’ll most likely spend the next year out on loan to another club whether in England or Spain.
Cannontime said this on March 1, 2008 at 11:36 pm
He is an excellent player http://www.thesportsgranola.wordpress.com
Todd said this on March 2, 2008 at 12:51 am
I think this guy wouldnt be a good guy to rely on at the end of the game.
http://sportsdude90.wordpress.com/
http://sportsdude90.wordpress.com/
http://sportsdude90.wordpress.com/
http://sportsdude90.wordpress.com/
Sportsdude90 said this on March 2, 2008 at 1:38 am
I recon Merida will be better than Denilson who i feel lets himself down sometimes, the central midfield is the most congested part of our side however what with flamini, fabregas, gilberto, diaby all pressing for places and hleb who can play right accross the midfield , not to mention the fact that in terms of young talent we have all of james dunne, mark randall, henri landsbury, emmanuel thomas and now jack wilshire for merida to contend with as hopefuls for the step up to the first team in that position and ive probably forgotten somebody aswell…
Johnny Maverik said this on March 2, 2008 at 11:54 pm
I think Wenger should cancel his loan and bring him back to play for the reserves, at least he will be match fit rather than warming up the Sociedad bench !!
Guys, I’ve followed U-17 World cup last year and could confirm that Merida is a central midfielder and he is damn good for his age. Wenger should loan him to a newly promoted EPL team. This will enable him to learn more about EPL. I would also like to see Simpson, Randall and Gibbs to go out on loan in EPL instead of Championship team.
Raj said this on March 3, 2008 at 3:12 am
[...] Fran himself may be happy, but as we reported last month, Manager Arsene Wenger is said to be furious with the Basque club, and is expected to arrange a [...]
Fran Merida - “No Regrets” On Real Sociedad Loan « [» Young Guns ! «] said this on March 13, 2008 at 10:18 pm