Gedion Zelalem is likely to leave Arsenal on a free transfer next summer after numerous injury problems, according to Football.London.
What’s the word?
Once ranked as one of the finest young talents within Arsenal’s ranks, Gedion Zelalem has endured numerous injury problems in North London and the latest setback could spell the end for his career with the Gunners.
Football.London journalist Charles Watts believes that Zelalem will leave the Emirates Stadium next summer when his contract expires after another setback in his recovery from an ACL injury left him unable to start the season.
Now 21, it is remarkably five years since his promising performances on Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia and when he made the squad for the second Premier League match of the 2013/14 season before the first injury issue struck.
Since then, Zelalem has appeared in the FA Cup and Champions League for Arsenal, while also spending time on loan with Rangers and Dutch outfit VVV Venlo. Despite those promising moments, his exit seems inevitable.
What was said?
“He’s still not fully recovered from his knee injury. He and Arsenal were hoping he would be fit for the start of the season, but he had setbacks (which tends to be the way with ACL injuries).
“I can’t really see much of a future for him at Arsenal. He has a year left now and I think he will be released in the summer, which will be a shame because he is a talented young player. The injury came at an awful time for him.”
The right decision?
For Gedion Zelalem, who earned plenty of excitement after his rise five years ago, the injury problems he has sustained since have derailed his career at Arsenal and the chances of him forcing his way into the first-team are extremely slim.
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In his most recent absences, Arsenal fans have seen Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi sign, witnessed Ainsley Maitland-Niles rise into the first-team and Zelalem has therefore lost his status as the hottest prospect with the Gunners.
With the probability of first-team action for Arsenal in the coming years, the best decision would be to part ways to allow the United States U23 international the chance to rejuvenate his career elsewhere.
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