Arsenal: Serge Gnabry The Next Joel Campbell?

Arsenal doesn’t have many chapters of completely ignoring the potential of young, talented players, but Serge Gnabry may be another to add to Campbell.

Not that long ago I made the point that it’s not very often that I get angry at Arsene Wenger’s decisions at Arsenal. Frustrated, sure, but rarely angry. Ironically, I can’t even remember what decision it was that I was angry about, but I’m pretty sure it was concerning Joel Campbell.

24 years old, finally given his chance last year, vindicates that chance, and is promptly done away with. Why?

I still see it as a massive gaff and one that Wenger will never seek to make up for. Campbell is who he is and if, for whatever reason, Wenger doesn’t like it, then that’s just too damn bad for the Costa Rican.

Serge Gnabry may be headed down the same road, and it makes me sick.

To be fair, Nothing too drastic has happened. Arsenal’s young German is going to the Olympics. That’s what brought this whole thing up. But beneath the seemingly harmless nature of this is the fact that while Wenger blocked Iwobi from going to the Olympics, he didn’t even bat an eye to Gnabry leaving.

(Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /

Meaning that he had no intention of giving the newly-turned 21 year old a serious look at Arsenal’s first team, even with Alexis’ injury, Walcott’s continued failures and Iwobi’s youthfulness.

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I don’t like it. Not one bit. Serge Gnabry could not have regressed so much from one knee injury that Wenger doesn’t even consider him now. So much of what I defend Wenger for pertains to his continued faith in his youth products and his long-term investments, yet for guys like Campbell, the mold is busted. If it happens to Gnabry as well, then what?

I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, especially because Gnabry is only 21 and will only miss a month or two, but every little moment counts. Gnabry could very well have challenged Iwobi and the Ox for an Arsenal first team spot and the fact that he isn’t is tremendously bothersome.

Gnabry’s loan to West Brom was a complete debacle that Wenger ‘solved’ by bringing him home, at long last, in February. Yet he was never given a chance to click with the first team and was instead sent exactly where West Brom sent him, to the reserves.

In just over 300 minutes of play, Gnabry totaled two goals and an assist. He proved, yet again, that when you give him the time of day, he performs. He did it for Arsenal back in 2014 and he could do it again if only they’d give him a chance.

I don’t want to see Gnabry become another Campbell. He’s had a bit of bad luck, now he needs a chance. Going to the Olympics set him back big time and when he gets back, he will most likely be confined to the U21s again. Barring any injuries to the first-team, that will leave Gnabry biding his time, likely until next year, when he will be 22.

It’s all worrying for Gnabry. We’ve all seen what he can do, now we just want to see it again.

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We should be happy that Gnabry is going to the Olympics, but we also know how Wenger works. In his head, only Arsenal matters, so the fact that Gnabry is going and Iwobi doesn’t shows that Iwobi is so far up in the pecking order and Gnabry is, at best, fourth or fifth.

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