Reported Arsenal target Justin Kluivert was dropped by Roma last week because head coach Paulo Fonseca ‘was not pleased with his attitude’, as reported by Voetbal International.
A matter of weeks after Calciomercato claimed that an exciting Dutchman had been offered a £60,000-a-week contract at the Emirates, speculation surrounding Kluivert’s future went into overdrive.
The 21-year-old was nowhere to be seen as Roma hosted Parma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.
And, amid suggestions that the former Ajax wonderkid could be used as a sweetener in a deal that would see Henrikh Mkhitaryan join the Giallorossi on a permanent basis, Fonseca has now shed some light on why Kluivert has suddenly found himself out of favour.
It seems that he only has himself to blame.
“I was not pleased with his attitude leading up to the match against Parma. That’s why I kept him out of the squad,” former Shakhtar coach Fonseca says.
Kluivert did return to the squad as Roma travelled to Brescia this weekend, though he was not one of the five substitutes brought off the bench in the second half as the capital club cruised to a 3-0 away win.
And considering that Mikel Arteta is determined to root out the ‘bad apples’ at Arsenal, dropping Mesut Ozil, Matteo Guendouzi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles apparently for disciplinary reasons, Fonseca’s comments should set alarm bells ringing at the Emirates.
The last thing Arsenal need right now is another talented yet temperamental footballer.
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