Arsenal are set to wrap up a deal for 15-year-old American starlet Luis Gil as the Gunners follow the latest European trend in snapping up the hottest American talent.
Benfica and Everton have made high profile signings from the USA with the likes of Freddy Adu and Anton Peterlin heading to Europe after honing their talents with various US Soccer Schools. Now exciting midfielder Gil looks set to become the latest name making waves across the Atlantic.
Luis is the second youngest player in the US Under 17 residency program and was one of the US Under 17 team’s top players in the recent CONCACAF Championships. A goal and two assists from the play-maker against Cuba set the tone for the California based Pateadores Soccer Club graduate. The American side failed to win the tournament but Gil especially was singled out for applause.
The Gunners have been on his trail for a number of months and stepped up their interest in May by inviting Luis to train full time at London Colney. Liam Brady is still assessing the youngster but it’s expected that he could seal a permanent place in the Arsenal Academy within weeks.
Article By – J.Sanderson
Good work J.
FREDDY ADU!!!!!!!
Reminds me of Randy Osae!!!
nice article fella, u know anything about him mate??
have we sent anybody on loan to salamanca this season as well?? keep up the good work :D
What position?
Gil is an attacking central midfielder…
Not another central midfielder we need wingers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmljadKQ2f0&eurl=http://ballhype.com/video/april_24_2009_profile_u_17_mnt_luis_gil/&feature=player_embedded
My fucking word J, I love the site but it’s been well over a year and you still can’t tell the difference between trial and trail. Considering like a 1/5 of your stories are about players we are trailing or have on trial, you’d think you could figure it out ol’ boy. :)
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway will learn on Monday whether he can have Arsenal starlet Jay Thomas on long-term loan.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder and his agent were guests at Bloomfield Road to witness Holloway’s side draw 1-1 with Cardiff City.
Holloway said: “I have done my best to sell the club and my playing style ethos to the lad. Now its down to him.
“Arsene Wenger is happy for him to come here but there may be other clubs after him.”
Holloway hopes his track record of improving young Premier League players will work in his favour.
I heard the player was Gilles Sunu not Jay Thomas, so we’ll have to wait and see.
To update that post, the us17 didn’t technically fail to win the concacaf tourney, they actually won every game they played by multiple goals. The tournament was canceled early as it was in Tijuana, Mexico and h1n1 virus had just broke out into the mainstream.
As for Luis Gil, he is a skilled player and one of a team full of exciting prospects on the usa u17s. Luis Gil will be part of the first american golden generation as other players he plays with are heading off to West Ham, Bayern Munich and other european teams. Hopefully Gil will learn a lot at Arsenal.
small quibble: Anton Peterlin was from a semi-pro team in the states, hardly a “high-profile” signing. Just saying…USA is strange for talent acquisition. It’s easy to get unknowns like Peterlin, and youngsters, but then once the MLS gets them, the individual clubs don’t get all of the transfer money, and the league has an incentive to keep high-profile players, so it reduces the number of players that actually moves. Get ’em early, or you will have trouble getting them at all…
Whats intresting is that he said he liked Spain? Myabe we might loan him to salamanc. But i have heard Real madrid, Barcelona want him on trial as well. Hes says hes a simple player and not skillful like ronaldo. What is he a winger? Or central midfield?
usa didnt win the tournament because the swine flu in mexico caused it to be canceled. Otherwise, We would have won. Also, watch for Jack McInerney, a mini Brian Mcbride, but with the potential to be a lot better. He really stood out at the CONCACAF U-17’s
If we get him we’ve got to stop him calling it ‘soccer’. Other than that he seems like a good kid, but doesn’t sound like he naturally loves the game. J how much have you seen of him? What’s his movemet like – does he read the game well?
Actually, he plays mainly as a winger for the USA Under-17’s. If you want to watch his performances, here are the matches he played in during the CONCACAF U-17 Championships in April.
USA vs Canada:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpMpsTpCqpg
USA vs Cuba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gWCDuxlUgs
USA vs Honduras:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lq9RV2X68I
– Arsenal fan in he States
I am American and I call it football but in America you say soccer to the general public so there is no confusion with obviously NFL Football. Its commen sense and he said he watches it all the time so how does he seem like he doesnt naturally love the game…let me guess, because he is American?
Gil has the volley and shot at 3:00, then the back pass for the assist, at 3:55 he gets the assist on a long ball to Arreola, short interview at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEsUb025d4Q&feature=related
Rumor’s are that Gil had trials with Barcelona and Real Madrid but US Youth National Team news is hard to come by and there are no reports how they went. Here’s an article from May on Gil’s trial at Arsenal: http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/05/another-american-youngster-eyeing-european-glory.html
A better comparison would be to Sebastian Lletget, another US U-17 that is currently with West Ham.
Oh, I forgot to add. If you’re watching those matches, he is #10
The kid can play, but he’s not Arsenal quality. He plays for the USA U-17’s week-in-week-out, but he hardly stands out as a star. What he lacks in performance he makes up for in the fact that he is young — very young.
He is a centre midfielder, but is neither a holding midfielder nor a number 10. He plays right in the centre of the park, and gets forward late — think Frank Lampard, but with less of a nose for goal. His finishing is average, his distribution is average, he isn’t too mobile, he can’t tackle, and he doesn’t close-down quick enough — but, to be fair to him, his final ball is noteworthy.
Dan Karbasiyoon (former Arsenal reserves, now scouts the US for Wenger, American) seems to think highly of him, but, having seen him play for the USA U-17’s at least a dozen times in person, I am surprised to hear that the club are considering an offer. Frankly put: he’s not that good.
Guv: he does read the game rather well, but that’s about it. He isn’t anywhere near the quality of Oyzakup, Randall, Lansbury, or Merida — nowhere near.
My bets: will he do well with the youth team?: no. Will he do well for the reserves: No. Will he will he ever play for the first team, even in the league cup?: Definitely NO.
The kid’s got a future in the game, but not at the Arsenal. As a Gooner I can say that I wish the best for the boy, just not wearing read and white. If he signs, remember this: he’ll be released by the time he’s 18, without a single first team appearance.
If anyone has any questions, or thinks that I’m off the mark, please email me at akidane88@yahoo.com.
now now shane. its probably because the kid said it himself…
Looks like a douche. We’d do much much better if we focus on South America rather than wasting time with these ‘soccer’ kids.
J, it said that JET was at Blackpool’s match this weekend as a guest of the club’s owner… That pretty much makes it clear it might be JET (maybe Sunu as well though)… Weird, we have 2 weeks left to make loan deals, only Nordveit is out of here so far, we better make some soon…(I thought JET was gonna play Carling Cup)
lower leagues have an extra month to make loans, am I correct in that?
The US ‘failed to win the CONCACAF U-17 championship’ because the final was cancelled due to the swine flu outbreak in Mexico…
I already said that JD
Luis is a simple player, but just when you overlook him he will surprise you.
He has been dealing with American coaching until he was 15 which I will concede as generally poor. Give him a few years in not just the Arsenal but european system and you may be surprised with what you come up with.
Besides, the amercians can produce the best athletes, but as far as football skills go, we tend to be quite limited. Give him a few years and I think he could be a very successful pro.
you pretty much plagiarized the content of that May soccer by ives article. it was almost a copy and paste job.
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/05/another-american-youngster-eyeing-european-glory.html#more
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lol, no he did not…
they were different articles…
akidane88 has apparently never watched luis gil play if that is his assessment of luis gil. gil has the basic tools to be a very creative midfielder. will he ever play for arsenal? chances are probably slim. youth prospects this young, 15, rarely seem to come good for the first team. but im sure he will prove himself good enough to earn a pro contract and be sold off to another club, probably in spain where he will be spending time on loan anyway. either way its a good piece of business for the arse.
I’m in agreement with akidane88 I’ve seen some footage of the youngster and I wasn’t overly impressed. However, as Arsene Wenger said on the Cesc Fabregas show he has the foundations to be a great player and I believe that the Arsenal youth system is up there with the best in the world. With the correct guidance and training he might be as good as Jack Wilshere before too long
wait a minute show many players were we supposed to be signing that havent signed like that serbian wonderkid and wellington
I have been watching LG since he was 8 or 9. I’ve seen him play and practice hundreds of times. He was always quick and skillful as a youngster, but at 12 or so he had a huge growth spurt and suddenly, he was the bomb here in Southern California youth soccer.
It should be said that he came to Pateadores after he was already dominating youth soccer here. I wouldn’t credit Pateadores with his development really, but I’m sure they did much to showcase him before he was picked up by the US residency program.
Someone earlier said he wasn’t mobile. Rubbish. He is extremely quick too and his ability to accelerate quickly to pass players is one of his big strengths. He’s a strong and powerful kid, who has been playing “up” successfully with the US U17s for a while now.
USA has a lot of raw, talented players at this age. But US coaching and development lacks as players get into their late teens. So getting some of these kids into European clubs is a great thing.
BTW, he’s a really nice kid, so I wish him all the best.
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timF, with respect, you’ve basically agreed with my post while at the same time attempting to counter it. If you recall, I wrote “The kid’s got a future in the game, but not at the Arsenal”. I think you’ve just said the same thing.
Whether or not he’ll be a “good piece of business for the arse,” I think it is very hard to say this early in his career. Were Daniel Karbassiyoon and Frank Simek good pieces of business?
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so will he play with the united states or mexico. because on goal.com they are arguing that since his dad is mexican that he would choose mexico? what do you guys think?
Like Jose says,
‘Arsenal don’t make gems, they just steal them and polish them’
442 Diamond Formation Analysis
Jose’s a twat! Easily the most overrated manager i’ve ever seen. Jose can only wish he can do what AW does.
lUIS IS A GREAT KID.gOOD LUCK IN WHAT EVER ROUTE HE CHOOSES.
Im from england and my parents work with ywam in the usa so im currently in colorado, the us coaching is better than england but they dont have as good club youth set ups, they are talented though,
Круто написано. Можно сказать за душу берет, заставляет поразмышлять над собственным блогом.