Arsenal: Unai Emery sees something in Alex Iwobi

Alex Iwobi has been offered a new five-year contract to keep him at Arsenal. Unai Emery obviously sees something in the talented, if flawed, 22-year-old.

When Unai Emery was announced as Arsenal’s new Head Coach, taking over from Arsene Wenger who resigned in the latter stages of last season, one of the key elements of Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis’ argument for hiring Emery was that he has the knowledge, the detail-driven research and work, and coaching experience to improve and develop the young talent that is already at the club.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

In Gazidis’ eyes, and in the eyes of many of the other decision-makers at the club, there was a crop of young prospects already at the club, restricting the need for brash spending sprees on needless high-profile wastes of money. They simply required smart, considered guidance and fine-tuning, something that Emery was deemed capable of providing.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

It now seems clear who the players that Gazidis, and subsequently Emery, highlighted as potential starters and stars. Calum Chambers was offered a new long-term deal almost immediately. Ainsley Maitland-Niles too. Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah have been afforded minutes in the preseason. Meanwhile, Takuma Asano and Kelechi Nwakali have already been loaned out, Chuba Akpom has been sold, though not officially yet, and Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Krystian Bielik and Carl Jenkinson were all left at home as Emery took 25 players to Singapore for the big preseason tour of the summer. And now there is another player who we are learning what Emery thinks of.

According to Daniel Cutts of The Sun, Arsenal and Alex Iwobi are close to agreeing to a new five-year contract that will see the midfielder given a substantial pay rise and keep him in-house for the foreseeable future. The player is also ‘highly rated’ by Emery and is clearly set to play some form of role next season.

Whatever you think of Iwobi — there is a wide range of opinion on the Nigerian, with many chastising his ability to finish coolly without considering more nuanced, influential aspects of his game –, what is clear is that Emery is a fan and believes that he can be one of the young players that Gazidis hinted at all those weeks ago.

Certainly, Iwobi has the talent and potential to be considered as one of those players. He is brilliant with the ball at his feet, he is a good dribbler, something that this squad painfully lacks, and is exceptionally intelligent with good, close-range distribution and excellent spatial awareness in the final third.

The problem has always been his production. Wenger himself often publicly challenged Iwobi to score more goals and provide more assists. But he never did. What is crucial to remember with this new contract, though, is that Emery is not paying Iwobi for what he is. He is securing what he could become.

At the heart of it, this is a deal that centres around ensuring that the best of Iwobi remains at Arsenal. If he reaches that potential, then wonderful. Emery has a very good player on his hands. If he doesn’t, he can be sold without too much having been invested in him. Ultimately, Emery sees something in him, and, for now, that’s all that matters.