Samuel Galindo – “Arsenal Move Is A Dream”

UD Salamanca presented Arsenal loanee Samuel Galindo at their El Helmántico stadium this afternoon. The Bolivian midfielder only completed his move to the Gunners in July, but after failing to win a work permit, he has been loaned to the Spanish Segunda outfit for the season.

Galindo agreed on the loan move over a month ago but problems getting the correct paper work to gain a Spanish visa have held up the official signing. Samuel flew into Salamanca yesterday and was presented to the media at lunch time. He will wear the number 16 shirt for the new campaign.

The youngster, who has been compared to Inter Milan midfielder Thiago Motta by Spanish football opinionista Marcos Lopez, was quizzed by the media after posing for pictures. Samuel began by admitting his relief now the transfer had finally gone through;

“It’s been very hard work with all the issues with the paperwork. It is difficult for a player out of South America because there are many bureaucratic problems. It took a lot but I’m here. Now I’m really looking forward to working with all my new team-mates.”

Galindo now faces a prolonged spell in Spain as he bids to gain the criteria needed for an E.U visa, meaning he can finally move to Arsenal. When asked about the Gunners, the rangy midfielder gave a determined response;

“Arsenal? it is a dream. The truth is that I didn’t expect it. When they announced their interest, it really touched me. Now it is a reality and I have to prove they made the right decision to sign me.”

Samuel’s father confirmed last month that if the player can earn enough international caps, he would win a work permit outright by early next year.

42 thoughts on “Samuel Galindo – “Arsenal Move Is A Dream”

  • August 27, 2010 at 7:12 pm
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    How long is he going to be loaned out?

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    • August 27, 2010 at 7:37 pm
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      36 months (3 years) if he doesnt qualify for work permit sooner

    • August 27, 2010 at 7:48 pm
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      he can come as early as this January if he remains a full time regular for his National team….

    • August 28, 2010 at 4:10 am
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      If the wee lad picks up a bad injury and delays his long awaited arrival, we will have another peice of proof for the suspected curse on our illustrious club. BEWARE!!!

    • August 28, 2010 at 4:31 pm
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      People of Spanish heritage can usually qualify for Spanish citizenship after only 2 years of residence in Spain, but like it has been said, hopefully he will get enough caps for Bolivia to qualify earlier.

  • August 27, 2010 at 7:25 pm
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    Thanx J for the wonderful news that he will come early.. All The Best to him for his spell with Salamanca and hope He is a regular for the Bolivian National team….

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  • August 27, 2010 at 7:28 pm
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    So lets hope he gets the permits soon.Our future midfield looks really great (Wilshere,Ramsey,Lansbury,Frimpong,Aneke,Eastmond and now Galindo

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  • August 27, 2010 at 8:15 pm
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    How many caps does he have and how many more will he need?

    Btw this goes back a long way, but remember when arsene said we had two kids technically perfect, i thought he meant aneke and afobe, but i heard he was talking about aneke and someone called Alban Bunjaku, has anyone seen him play?

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    • August 27, 2010 at 8:41 pm
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      I believe he needs to play in 70% of full international matches over two years.

    • August 28, 2010 at 2:16 pm
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      It was Aneke and Afobe. You were right originally.

  • August 27, 2010 at 8:41 pm
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    J… Just noticed that u still have Fran 32’s top in the bottom left corner – player profile section – any hidden message there? ;)

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  • August 27, 2010 at 8:48 pm
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    How come it’s so much harder to get from South America into the UK than into Spain? Doesn’t UK follow the same EU regulatives as the rest of the EU or is it Spain that is different?

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    • August 28, 2010 at 4:45 pm
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      I think it’s quite easy for someone from a former Spanish colony like Mexico or Bolivia to get a work permit in Spain provided a club wants to employ them.

      In England they didn’t know how to objectively judge whether a player was good enough for a work permit so they came up with this idea that if a player plays for his national team, then he is considered good enough to get a work permit.

      Obviously this doesn’t make too much sense when Arsenal can’t sign a good player from South America or Africa because he doesn’t have the caps, but any English team can get a work permit for a mediocre player from poor footballing nation if he does regularly represent his country.

    • August 28, 2010 at 11:22 pm
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      South America was one of the few parts of the World the murdering English didn’t colonize as much as the rest of the Continent you see.

  • August 27, 2010 at 8:55 pm
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    It”s not an E.U. visa, it’s an E.U. passport, in the form of a Spanish passport.

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  • August 27, 2010 at 9:00 pm
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    how old is he?

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  • August 27, 2010 at 9:50 pm
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    hope he gets a permit soon and not in 3 years like pedro and vela

    and in other news Merida won the Super Cup with atletico in his 1st match

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  • August 27, 2010 at 9:51 pm
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    OMG anova youngsta, we need a gk wenga!!!!

    Sorry, couldn’t resist. ; )

    According to wikipedia, Galindo only has the one cap so far for Bolivia. If he needs to have played 70% of internationals in the past 2 years to earn his work permit, it will take a while yet. Six months doesn’t sound realistic to me.

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    • August 28, 2010 at 10:31 pm
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      thsi is a site for youngsters..

      go to Arsenal.com and complain

  • August 27, 2010 at 10:05 pm
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    wrenny if he plays in the next few internationals for Boliva he could be granted a special talent work permit, the caps would be proof of his special talent

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    • August 27, 2010 at 10:42 pm
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      I’ll take your word for it eduardo, and I hope you’re right. I think the sooner we get to bring in great talents like Galindo and Wellington into England the better. Learning the language, playing ‘the Arsenal way’ etc., takes time.

      I do believe Vela could have been further along in his development had he come to Arsenal earlier.

  • August 27, 2010 at 10:23 pm
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    I saw videos of gallindo play what catches me is that he has really good vision he’s tall and he looks pysically strong

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  • August 27, 2010 at 10:57 pm
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    how many national caps ha he got to date?

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  • August 27, 2010 at 11:10 pm
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    According to his wikipedia Hiro he only has 1 cap

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    • August 27, 2010 at 11:46 pm
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      “A highly-technical and skilful left-winger, Alban will be hoping to make a significant impact in the Premier Academy League this season having worked arduously to earn a scholarship last campaign.

      Born in Romford but possessing Albanian heritage, Alban has steadily worked his way up through the ranks at the club’s Hale End Academy, which he joined at the age of eight.

      He was a key player for Steve Gatting’s under-16 side last season, scoring several decisive goals and creating many more with his sublime passes and pinpoint crosses. One of the few Arsenal players to impress in the under-16 Ferroli tournament in Italy, Alban also made his under-18 debut last campaign, replacing Nigel Neita in the 4-2 defeat to Reading.

      Although injury hampered his pre-season, Alban will be looking to challenge Jernade Meade for a starting berth in Steve Bould’s side this campaign.”

      http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/first-years/alban-bunjaku/

    • August 27, 2010 at 11:50 pm
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      left winger, 16 years old I think

  • August 28, 2010 at 12:27 am
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    JS whats happening with henri lansbury is he going to swansea? I heard hes got an injury.

    Also heard Wenger wanted to keep kyle bartley but bartley wanted to go on Loan.

    Any news on Havard nordtveit will he stay or go will he be used as a back up right back?

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    • August 28, 2010 at 9:51 am
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      my cousin is going out with henri lansbury, believe me or not but its up to you, leeds/newcastle/ notts forest and swansea are after him, wenger has told him he has to go on loan

  • August 28, 2010 at 12:27 am
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    Don’t think the 70% rule applies to some “exceptional talents” with regards to full-capped U21 players – really don’t know the criteria applied to define exceptional talent but it was applied as recently as the Javier Hernandez transfer, he didn’t hit the criteria for full caps.

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    • August 28, 2010 at 2:22 am
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      Galindo sort of reminds me of Sergio Busquets.

    • August 28, 2010 at 10:46 am
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      thats concerning if he reminds you of busquets.

    • August 28, 2010 at 12:40 pm
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      why is that concerning?

  • August 28, 2010 at 6:04 am
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    I dislike the E.U – it is now even interfering with allowing our youngsters to play for us.

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    • August 28, 2010 at 11:24 am
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      It’s not the EU, it’s British rules that are keeping him out. If it was the EU he wouldn’t be able to play in Spain would he now? The EU will in fact be what lets him in.

  • August 28, 2010 at 10:51 am
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    what do you think the first choice centre backs wil be
    kolcielny-vermaelin
    or
    squillaci-vermaelin

    i am not to sure about this squillaci signing, it will just put djourou, nordtveit and bartley(next year) down the order and i think those three are ready for first team football. i know last year wasn’t a good example with arsenal, man u and chelsea to some extent having their centre backs injured but in other years, clubs can go a whole season with out having their centrebacks injured.

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    • August 28, 2010 at 12:42 pm
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      Most centerbacks should not be starting tell like 22 or 23. They need to gain experience on loan or you will just see them like Senderous was…making mistakes in huge games and the fans jumping down their throats.

  • August 28, 2010 at 11:02 am
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    yeh….nooo….yeh….

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  • August 28, 2010 at 12:06 pm
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    It will be hard to find a team who has as many talented midfielders as we have

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    • August 28, 2010 at 12:43 pm
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      Its amazing. Short for me at the holding role but still.

    • August 28, 2010 at 3:16 pm
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      I mean going from first team to the youth side

    • August 28, 2010 at 6:10 pm
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      You are right!

      1 Fabregas (23)
      2 Diaby (24)
      3 Nasri (23)
      4 Rosicky (29)
      5 Denilson (22)
      6 Wilshere (18)
      7 Ramsey (19)
      8 Aneke (17)
      9 Ozyakup (18)
      10 Lansbury (20)
      11 Henderson (18)
      12 Galindo (18)
      13 Ebecilio (17)
      and JET (19) – who can play attacking mid just as easily as striker

      D-Mids
      1 Song (23)
      F2 rimpong (18)
      3 Eastmond (19)
      4 Yennaris (18)
      5 Coquelin (18)

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