Arsenal: Alex Iwobi turnaround hints at developing epiphany

Arsenal were just on the brink of selling Alex Iwobi and now he is set to sign a new deal? There is something going on here, and I think I like it.

Arsenal’s intelligent summer business hasn’t been upset by any sales yet, but it’s assumed that some will come in time.

Alex Iwobi was chatted about as one potential sale. As he has struggled to solidify himself within the first-team, it made sense to try to recoup as much as possible for him and reinvest that money elsewhere. Even if there was (and still is) that potential for him to be something special.

But that was talk as of a few days ago. Lazio were in on him for £20m+ which was an enticing figure, if not a bit “too fair.”

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Things have changed in very little time. Now reports (from the great abyss) are telling us that Iwobi is set to sign a new deal and lock in until 2022. Which would make it quite reasonable to assume that a transfer is off.

That is a quick turnaround. Even in terms of idle transfer chatter, that is very quick, and it seems to hint at a potential development.

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I always say I try to avoid speculation and, for the most part I do, but for situations like these, we have no choice but to speculate as to what may have changed or, optimistically, what was discovered or said behind closed doors to complete reverse the transfer talk.

What it sounds like might have happened, and I may be way off base here, is that Iwobi sat down to talks with the facilitators of his potential transfer – Emery, Mislintat, the whole gang – and they had some talks about his future, what he wanted, where he saw himself.

If this has truly turned on its head as it is being reported, which is no guarantee, granted, then whatever Iwobi wanted had to fit like a glove with what the club wanted. The two saw eye to eye with the future they had in mind for each other.

I don’t see how else you go from “he’s being sold” to “he’s signing a new deal.” Unless, of course, this truly is all just mumbled nothings and there actually isn’t anything going on.

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Whatever the case, if the club has a new fuel reserve of faith in this young man, then I don’t see why we shouldn’t get a bit of a boost towards our own faith in him as fans.