Arsenal almost signed Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid, only for him to end up atLiverpool instead. It seems everyone is a winner regardless.
The Independent – August 23: “Nuri Sahin has agreed a one-year loan move to Arsenal, according to reports in Germany. German media claims that the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has completed his medical at Arsenal with an announcement expected from the Gunners in the next 24-hours. Sahin could now be included in the squad for the trip to Stoke City on Sunday.”
Except it didn’t happen like that. The Turkish international midfielder elected to sign for Liverpool instead. It was a disappointment at the time for fans of the Gunners, unsure as to how their refreshed team would gel, after a incohesive 0-0 opener with Sunderland, and the prospect of partnering Sahin with Cazorla appeared too good to be true.
As the past few weeks have gone on, it is really showing that the Gunners absolutely did not need the midfielder.
Abou Diaby has been a tour de force in midfield, prior to his inevitable thigh injury, and Jack Wilshere is on the brink of his long-awaited return. Then there is Tomas Rosicky still to make his comeback.
Sahin is a good player, one who despite their numerous options, Arsenal did enquire about. With Real Madrid’s complicated demands, its unclear how much further the Gunners took it, the reports of him having a medical with the North London club certainly proved to be false.
In a twist of fate, Sahin actually made his debut against Arsenal, when he was thrown into the Liverpool team just days after his arrival when the took on the Gunners at Anfield.
90 minutes later we wonder what he made of his fate. That day Liverpool were awful, and Sahin did not seem match-fit. Or at least he was made to look that was by the clinic put on by Diaby and Cazorla.
Since then he has got more accustomed to Liverpool life, impressing in performances away to Young Boys, Norwich, and West Brom, scoring three goals in as many games.
After a year where he barely played at Madrid, he was always going to need a bedding in period, and being thrown in at the deep end against the Gunners will have been a shock to his system.
But at Liverpool, given their problems, he has been allowed that. On the other hand, Arsenal’s midfield is performing at such a high level, Sahin would have found it even tougher to break in.
As the season goes on, we will see the real Sahin, the one which made him one of the most admired players in world football a couple of seasons ago, through his performances with Borussia Dortmund.
Right now though, we suspect Arsenal fans won’t be too unhappy they missed out on him, not because he will not show what an asset he can be for Liverpool, but more because of the wealth of options available to them.
Six weeks on, how do you feel about the Sahin deal?
image: © peterfuchs
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