Whilst Arsenal’s link with Spanish side UD Salamanca has seen the Gunners send three prospects for loans with the Liga Adelante outfit, the tables could be turned should Arsène Wenger step up his interest in their 18-year-old forward Kabiru Akinsola.
The Nigerian was part of the hugely successful side which beat Spain to win the 2007 FIFA Under 17 World Cup in Korea. He also scored the winner in the African Youth Championship Final in Togo. Alongside fellow forward Macauley Christanus, the pair quickly attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest club’s – including Arsenal. Manchester City were then strongly linked with the duo but nothing came of the interest, with Christanus turning down a move to North London in favour of signing for Hamburg.
Akinsola remained hot property but didn’t secure a transfer until January when Tunisian side Étoile Sportive du Sahel announced they had beaten Espanyol to the signing of the 18-year-old. This was accepted as gospel until UD Salamanca issued a statement on the 31st of March confirming they had signed the player – not Étoile. Furthermore, Kabiru would be joined by long-term Manchester City target Matthew Edile in a shock double swoop.
It was decided that Edile would not play for the first team until next season as he needed time to adapt but his confident team-mate Akinsola enthused that he was ready and could add 20-25 goals a season for the Union. He was handed Havard Nordtveit’s vacated number 3 shirt and announced himself in style by slamming home a last gasp equaliser against Las Palmas at the end of May.
His electric pace, eye for goal and quick feet are destined for a bigger stage. Although he may be small, Akinsola is aggressive in his hold up play and very strong whilst in possession. Arsenal will have first option to sign the player and many believe he will make the switch to the Emirates once earning a work permit. However, Steve Rowley and Richard Law will continue to make regular checks on his progress.
You can see two videos of him in action below. The first is a compilation and the second is his aforementioned goal for Salamanca.
Video One – Video Two
Article By – J.Sanderson
is he the player that we’ll send em nxt yr then if we just decide to sign him?? or will we still send them a non-eu player?? any ideas who?? wat bout that patrik guy??
I like his goal for salamanca and the way the keeper stood there. Looks very much like Martins, not that that is a good thing but we should take a chance on him after all salamanca gett all our decent young players
JS i heard arsenal bought him than loaned him to salamanca i think hes the striker arsenal were looking at. Hes an arsenal player on loan to salamanca
Any word on Wellington or the ‘Heart of Oaks’ kid from Africa ?
If it’s true that 1. Arsenal have first refusal, or 2. That Arsenal actually have him under contract (which I doubt), this changes a number of important things with regard to partner clubs and how the big clubs are soon to be going about their monopoly on talent. The amount of young talent that could conceivably be with the first at Arsenal is so numerous that finding them all playing time will necessitate some 15-20 players out on loan at any one time. The big clubs are amassing huge squads. The more complicated point is whether clubs like Salamanca become holding patterns for yet another layer of players beyond the one or two a year (nordveit and boetelho). Is it possible that something shadier and informal is happening with this Kabiru Akinsola?
Akinsola would be a good buy for Arsenal, he is very positive in his playing style.
He sounds like a good player and all but yet another striker? We already have Vela, Walcott and Bendtner who are of similar ages and are also talented strikers (as well as the reserves strikers).
Hearts of Oak player – Tawrick Jibril signed for Portsmouth and was then loaned to their feeder club mate.
No news on Wellington – as i said I’ll always update when I’ve got news.
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@ Home Alone: Clubs are always looking for ways round these kind of things and Arsenal are no exception. The Gunners may have first option but that doesn’t mean a signing is likely. United have a deal of sorts with Sporting. Either way, Salamanca seem happy with the deal as such publicity and acknowledgment can bring extra income.
The problem for the authorities is to stop big clubs stock piling and shifting the risk to other clubs.
Arsenal have a first option but its not a written thing. Salamanca would just verbally give us the first option. When i researched our arrangement with Salamanca that was mentioned.
First option means that if anyone bids for one of their players and it’s accepted – they are obliged to offer the player to us at the same price. We have no say in who they buy (unless they ask for friendly advice). We are not amassing a second squad and can only loan 2 players to them a season at most. (Any team in Europe can only take 4 at most u23 players on loan btw.) Nothing shady.
Also, Sala are getting closer to promotion every year they are our feeder club and although HN/PB didn’t work out, they know that being linked with us means they should be given the opportunity to have the best foreign talent on their books at an early age – and hopefully we learn not to buy ones with attitude problems!
This kid? We don’t own him or have any rights, that’s illegal. We could have recommended him, which is no worse than Wenger recommending his friend Bruce to buy someone. And my opinion? I’ve never watched him; if he’s good, why not? You can rarely have a problem with too many good players.
do salamanca get 1st refusal on any of our players if the youth players want to go over seas?
No, we offer 2 players to them a season (and they can turn them down) I believe is the deal.
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who here thinks bobbygee is a load of sh*t?
not very nice guv. but it does need to be thought out better and atleast haveheadlines so you know what ur reading.
i wanna cut bobby gee
lol Guv – bobbygee sounds like a pornstar :)
If this kid is really 18 yrs , then i am Monica Lewinsky.
Ure a big fool
yong+future