Arsenal have successfully negotiated terms with Ajax for the season-long loan signing of striker, Yaya Sanogo. The Frenchman has high hopes for his loan spell with the Dutch side.Â
The 22-year-old will link up with the Dutch club in the coming days once the contract is ironed out and a medical has been successfully completed.
Fresh Arsenal reported last week Sanogo was on the verge of exiting the Gunners, and now it seems he will head out on a second loan spell since joining Arsene Wenger’s side.
The news comes following comments from Ajax boss, Frank de Boer, who during an interview with Dutch news outlet, AT5, all but confirmed the switch for the French international.
He’s obviously had a lot of competition at Arsenal and was very young when he arrived there.
He showed a lot when he was 17 at Auxerre, albeit in the second tier, but he’s also come to the fore with Arsene Wenger. He stands to be a great talent, it’s just difficult to get there at Arsenal.
I think we can give him the opportunity to once again show that he has talent. Wenger is also still fully behind the idea that he is a top class player. He just needs to make the next step now.
Sanogo will be joining a team on the brink of Champions League football should they get past qualification, and former Gunners legend, Dennis Bergkamp, who is currently the clubs assistant manager.
Bergkamp will be pushing to get the very best out of the forward, who will most likely be used as competition for Ark Milik, Ajax’s current first choice striker.
That sense of more realistic playing time will give Sanogo a chance to gain regular football and work into his stride once more, after struggling since his arrival at Arsenal back in 2013.
The cards were stacked high when it came to competing with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud for the top spot, and Arsene Wenger was forced to loan Sanogo out during the 2014/15 campaign.
Crystal Palace came knocking at the door for the striker and he managed to pick up a nice run of appearances, but failed to find the back of the net on more than one occasion.
The boss will have had multiple offers from clubs for Sanogo, but I feel he always wanted Ajax to come in for him as he knows they will look after him out there.
As former Dutch champions, they have helped to develop the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Nwanko Kanu, who have both gone on to achieve impressive careers.
Whilst he touched down in Amsterdam, Sanogo took time to speak with AT5 and spoke of his determination to improve;
I’m fit, I’ve been training for the last two weeks.
I’m very happy, I didn’t think a big club like Ajax wanted me. Now I want to work hard to play.
I hope to score a lot of goals… Kanu was a special player, a top player, very technical…and a good finisher.
Arsenal fans will take this move as a positive one, as they know of Wenger’s admiration for the youngster who will get a chance to shine when he returns next season.
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Meanwhile, a deal for Joel Campbell with Real Sociedad is nearing completion according to The Mirror, the club have reportedly made a £6million bid for the Arsenal outcast.
If the rumours are true then that’s five Arsenal first team players that will be leaving; Lukas Podolski, Joel Campbell, Carl Jenkinson, Abou Diaby and Yaya Sanogo.
That news can only fuel transfer speculation for the approach of Real Madrid’s star man, Karim Benzema, who’s wages could now be covered easily with the departures of so many squad members.
There is no doubt that Wenger feels the same way, after reassuring us that he is only after world-class players, but it will ultimately come down to whether Rafa Benitez is ready to get rid of his Frenchman.
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