Is the Ghanaian born Arsenal midfielder good enough to earn a contract extension, or is his injury proneness too big a concern compared to his limited talents?
Arsenal are currently mulling over new deals for the various players whose contracts are dwindling toward expiry. According to some reports a name not on that list is Theo Walcott as they insist the £75k a week on offer is an ultimative sum of money. While deals with Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna are also being openly pursued one player who like Walcott has a deal that runs out this summer is Emmanuel Frimpong.
The combative midfielder has become something of a cult footballer due to his pro-activity on Twitter, hard tackling and energetic displays but he has had very little opportunity to impose himself on the Arsenal first-team fold since he made his debut in 2011-12. He has come through the youth ranks with Jack Wilshere and the 20-year-old has unfortunately got an unwanted trait in common with the England international; injury proneness.
The Ghanaian-born talent has suffered two serious knee injuries in the early part of his career that have markedly held back any progress he may have made to this stage. While Wilshere is a burgeoning ‘special’ talent with skills enviable across the globe Frimpong is perhaps not such a delicacy as he is a plate-filler.
A good passer of the ball he is; yet his main attributes are the stamina, strength and tackling ferocity that caught the eye during his fleeting flirtation with the first team at Arsenal. While those attributes are welcome is it something Arsenal need in their team; essentially is he good enough to play for Arsenal?
At 20-years-old an easy argument is that he should be given a chance to prove his fitness and ability with The Gunners but in direct counter to that claim could be Arsenal not needing another injury-prone talent sitting on the medics table more than taking to the pitch.
Is he good enough? That is of course a question of opinion and everybody will be divided on such an issue and in my own mind there is also division. While partly he is obviously a talented player I don’t think losing him would be a massive loss at The Emirates. He is probably as good as Lee Cattermole and not many would suggest Arsene Wenger should make a move for the fierce Sunderland midfielder.
It seems too late to cash in on Frimpong but Arsenal would not be too devastated if Frimpong was to depart in the summer.
But opinion matters so who disagrees? Why should Arsenal keep Frimpong at The Emirates?
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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