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Munir Should Aim to Come to Arsenal and Emulate Hector Bellerin
By Josh Sippie
It is not every day that a twenty year old is shoved into the line of duty, having to cover for a veteran, world-class, French national team starting right back, and succeeds. But Hector Bellerin did that. Despite getting off to a shaky start where he was slotted in at right back against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage and looked like a fish out of water, Hector Bellerin has become Arsenal’s first choice, even with a healthy Debuchy.
Bellerin has become an indispensable right back at Arsenal and he has the potential to spend a decade or more at the Emirates and become an Arsenal legend. But he could not have done it if he did not have the faith of his manager to give him that initial opportunity.
Hector Bellerin has keyed in on what it as at Arsenal that has made him so successful:
"“The fans rate that Arsenal don’t just buy players, they make them the players they are. Arsenal fans are really proud of that and I think that’s a great thing. When players like Francis, Jack or myself come up, the fans should be proud that their team is doing what they’re doing. That’s a great thing Arsenal do.”"
This kind of business model is the kind that breeds passionate supporters both on the field and in the stands.
Likewise, this is the kind of business model that can appeal to young, rising talents such as Munir.
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An incredibly talented and versatile forward, Munir is mired in the ranks of the Barcelona attack. With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar holding down the attack and Pedro as the rotation guy, Munir only finds playing time in blowout games or lopsided cup affairs.
That kind of thing can hamper even the most talented prospect, which Munir appears to be. He has the skill set to fit into the Arsenal attack at a wing spot or at the striker position. He is strong in the air and makes excellent runs as well. He had an 81% pass completion percentage (via WhoScored) as well and for a 19 year old striker, that is incredibly high.
What is not good from Munir’s standpoint is the fact that he only made 13 appearances across all competitions last season. However, in those 13 appearances he shined bright (like a diamond) with five goals and an assist. The kid can play, and he can play now. He just needs an outlet.
If Munir makes the move to Arsenal, he will not be handed a first team spot. It will be anything but. However, he will be given the opportunity to take a first team spot. The only real set-in-stone first team spot is held by Alexis Sanchez (and maybe Mesut Ozil). But even Alexis may be suffering from a Copa America hangover, giving Munir an even better opportunity to get into the Arsenal first team and show what he can do.
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Finding playing time in a competitive internal system like Arsenal is not impossible, but finding playing time in Barcelona’s current attack is impossible and it is not like any of their MSN attack is going anywhere soon.
Arsene Wenger is a master at developing young talent. Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin are perfect examples of players who were acquired young and have turned into star athletes. Munir may be a bit older than they were at the time of their move, but give him two years and he could be making a name for himself for the Gunners.
What is more is that Arsene Wenger will not give up on a player (unless that player is Nicklas Bendtner) and he will give a guy every opportunity to succeed, so long as he is putting in the effort to be great.
Transfermarkt values Munir at around 8-9 million pounds. That is a price that Arsene Wenger should be more than willing to pay for a kid that is already showing signs of being a class striker. With only Chelsea to beat, as the rumors would have us believe, it is looking like a distinct possibility.
Next: Samir Nasri need not apply