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Work Permits Pestering Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, But Not for the First Time
By Josh Sippie
Arsene Wenger can be a hard nut to crack at times, but when he gets his mind set on something (like Jose Mourinho), he can really let his opinion be heard.
His latest little outburst pertains to a bit of a pickle he currently finds himself in with the transfer of Gabriel Paulista. Paulista is all set to come to Arsenal, but while his transfer price is reportedly agreed upon, the lack of a work permit could provide quite the snafu in the transfer plans, which Wenger now gives a 50/50 chance to.
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As worded by ESPNFC, “non-European players who have not played 75 percent of recent internationals for their country during the two years leading up to a transfer face a tough task to secure a move to English clubs under the current regulations.” Wenger has to prove that Paulista is an “exceptional talent.”
That in and of itself sounds incredibly confusing.
Not only that, but Wenger made mention of another international star that Arsenal would have acquired at the ripe age of 17 had he been eligible for a work permit. Who, you ask? Angel Di Maria.
Here’s what Wenger had to say, as reported by ESPCFC:
"We had identified Di Maria when he was 17. We saw him in an international competition and we wanted him to come here, but he goes to Portugal, and from Portugal he goes to Spain. Why? Because he could not get a work permit, so that means you can only get him to England once he is worth a huge amount of money.What does it mean if at the end of the day he comes anyway into the country [at a later date] for a huge amount of money? Who do you pay this huge amount of money to? A club like Real Madrid, they don’t need the money. We have to be conscious of that."
Wenger couldn’t be more right. What is the point of these excessive permit requirements? Why should a team in England have to prove that a player is an “exceptional talent”? If they want him, let them get him.
Changes are rumored to be in the works. As for now, we just have to hope that Wenger can prove that Paulista is indeed “exceptional”
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