| GiRTh |
04-06-2013 01:21 PM |
Wenger admits Arsenal did not sign Gareth Bale because they already had.. Gael Clichy!
Quote:
Who knew, when he was just a leggy young left-back at Southampton, that Gareth Bale was to become one of the world's hottest properties?
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger didn't, and turned down the chance to sign Bale for buttons alongside his then fellow Saints wonderteen Theo Walcott - a decision Wenger has now admitted was "a huge mistake".
Speaking to the Sun newspaper, the rueful Frenchman confessed: “We didn’t take him [Gareth Bale] as we had Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy and didn’t want another left-back.
“I must confess it was a huge mistake as he can play in midfield. He struggled at the start at Tottenham, then they moved him to midfield and he has done exceptionally well.
“The career of a player sometimes depends on playing in the right position.”
The player Wenger opted to sign - Walcott - has famously had to lobby hard for the Gunners gaffer to re-imagine HIM as operating in a more central role.
That positional switch became part of Walcott's most recent extended contract wrangling and has since been implemented to varying degrees - which at least suggests that Arsene isn't too old to live and learn (though having a gun to his head helps...)
Looking back at the 2006 Bale-Walcott 'wonderteen choice' in pure money terms there still seems to be only likely winner: Tottenham.
Arsenal got Walcott for an initial £5million in 2006, and ended up paying Saints something just over £9m after cutting a deal over previous terms.
Tottenham got Bale for an initial £5million in 2007, later cut a deal on terms as well, meaning they paid Saints around £7m.
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LINK
People say Wenger is a premiership legend and Arsenal should never sack him. Was a Premiership legend but not anymore. This article sums up Wengers transfer policy for the last 6 or 7 years.
Note the bit about Walcotts contract extension. So is it in Walcotts contract that he has to play upfront? I don't even want to contemplate the thought that Theo bleedin Walcott gets to pick and choose where he plays. |
