Arsenal and Alex Iwobi: It’s all about the price

According to reports in Italy, Lazio are considering a €20-25 million offer for Alex Iwobi. In regards to selling him, for Arsenal, it’s all about the price.

As the summer transfer window enters its final weeks — there is now less than three weeks remaining –, for Arsenal, the clear priority is on selling players. Having already acquired five new signings for an approximate spree of £70 million, their recruitment, for one summer, at least, is almost finished. But the squad is a little heavy.

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Unai Emery has now had his new squad of players for three weeks of preseason training. He will be taking 25 of them to Singapore next week for two more preseason friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. It is in these next few days and weeks that the decisions of who to sell will be made.

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One player who could be a surprise sale is Alex Iwobi. The midfielder, who is an extremely divisive figure among the Arsenal fanbase, has been unable to forge a true starting role for himself and could be susceptible to an exit if Emery is not quite as enamoured with his potential as Arsene Wenger obviously was. And there are reports coming from Italy that Lazio are considering a €20-25 million offer for the Nigerian.

It remains to be seen how true these reports are, but I still believe that they deserve comment, especially given the controversy that Iwobi and his apparent talent often attracts. The 22-year-old is a clearly gifted footballer. Wonderfully comfortable and creative on the ball, sharp in his movement, spatially brilliant, intelligent on and off the ball, he has plenty of the tools that you would want in an attacking midfielder. But, for whatever reason, the production has never quite matched the talent.

And now there may be a fairly tantalising offer on the table for a player who can only work his way into the team when he is played out of his most comfortable position. Surely that deserves fair and detailed consideration.

I have often been at the forefront of championing Iwobi. I feel that he is harshly victimised because of his inability in front of goal which, in my opinion, infects people’s judgements about the other areas of his game. But if Lazio are offering as much as is being offered, then Arsenal should be at least willing to take a seat at the negotiating table.

If they can squeeze out £20 million plus for a player that is largely attractive because of what he could be not what he is, then that suddenly becomes a sale that may well be worth agreeing to. However much I may think that Iwobi has great talent, that kind of fee would be a very good sale, something that this club has traditionally been unable to secure.

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Ultimately, selling Iwobi comes down to two factors: What does Emery think of the player? How much are Lazio willing to offer? As always, for me, it’s all about the price. If Arsenal get the right one, they should not hesitate to sell.