Arsène Wenger will use pre-season to run the rule over Kyle Bartley, before deciding on his future. Scottish Champions Rangers have already contacted the Frenchman over a second loan spell.
Bartley was singled out as one of Ally McCoist’s top transfer targets before the season had even finished, and the newly appointed Gers boss told The Evening Times last week that he had made contact over a deal. McCoist has previously admitted his desire to buy Kyle, but said this was unlikely.
Wenger is now said to have promised Bartley a chance to earn a place in the squad during pre-season, after spending the last 18 months on loan. Should the 20-year-old not do enough to impress, another loan spell looks likely, but that would be towards the end of the transfer window.
Whether McCoist is prepared to wait until then remains to be seen.
Wondering your thoughts on Kyle and his opportunities this coming year if we do sign a centre-back, maybe two. I worry he’ll leave, but he does have a lot of development to do yet.
Wenger sign centre-back or two, your daydreaming pal!
How likely is it that he will break through, if you had to put money on it, considering the names being thrown about at the moment in his position?
Damn, another Shane lol.
How long has he got left on his contract?
Glad to see that Bartley will be given a chance. I didn’t get to see him on loan but people seemed impressed by his performances for both Sheffield United and Rangers.
Although I would have been upset if I was in Bartley’s position, considering Arsene was willing to bid 17 million for Jones before even giving him a chance.
I’m hoping this isn’t another Nordtveit situation, who was given a chance in pre-season but then never played for Arsenal again. I followed that pre-season quite closely and I thought Nordtveit did well at right back considering that isn’t his natural position. Disappointed Wenger never gave him a proper chance.
Here’s hoping we don’t see a repeat.
Why do people keep repeating that Nordveit “never got a chance”?
He played in pre-season, then rejected a new contract. He didn’t wait around to be given his chance.
Because he was never given a competitive appearance for Arsenal. It was reported that Arsene Wenger promised him some involvement in the first team but then went from August – January without being given any chances.
After that he had to what was best for his career and development. You can’t exactly blame him for rejecting a new contract. He was someone who we heard about so much at Reserve and Youth level. That’s why I am disappointed.
I’m not sure this is correct. He left in the summer after returning from Nuremburg on a season’s loan.
@AndyE Nordtveit signed for Borussia Monchengladbach on January 6th 2011.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/nordtveit-signs-for-borussia-monchengladbach
And in the article it even says how he featured heavily in pre-season before being moved down to the reserves.
Anyway this was by no means the point of my comment. I will reiterate my point.
I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to Bartley as it did Nordtveit. No one would be happy if Bartley played out of position during pre-season but then was never given a chance at Arsenal again.
Its a clear signal that the names being thrown about are the usual window shopping of Wenger…all puffs and no action!
How long is he out injured for?
Wud be good for him to go back to Bolton to toughen up for the Prem like Wilshire in any deal for Cahill
most CBs don’t mature into a good, top quality defender until they are around 23 and once they have had adequate experience. So I think it would be great if he is laoned out again.
In my opinion he is better than either Sqilacci or Koscielny who are simply not good enough. I am still confused as to why we paid 10 million for a center half who had less experience in the top flight than the ones we have in our reserves.
I say keep him !
I say keep him just because of his don’t mess with me face. Arsenal badly needs this type of player at the back. A season loan at a mid table PL club will be good for him.
I think a lot of people are underestimating the kid. He’s had a lot of first team experience in contrasting leagues under different managers for a CB his age, he’s been tested and never looked out of his depth plus he’s wanted back at ibrox by everyone and the tea lady.
He deserves his chance and I hope he takes it with aplomb. Good luck son
Wenger is not going to buy two centre backs!
Vermaelen, Djorou, and Koscielny are 3 keepers and Wenger knows it.
If we buy one solid performer and bring Bartley in to the squad we will have excellent depth.
The exception could be if Clichy goes…wenger could punt Vermaelen out left or buy someone versatile like Sakho. Unlikely though.
i’d like to see bartley stay out on loan actually…if rangers are willing to educate him for a year, why not take the opportunity?
Considering we parted with Nordveit for the benefit of this kid, let’s make sure he develops properly eh? Pissing him off by keeping him on our bench all season when he can actually play elsewhere is not the way to go.
Maybe a 20 yr old who hasn’t proven himself at the top level should stop acting so pissed off then. He doesn’t even have one season in a top flight league, he has everything to prove.
We have verminator,kosc,djourou,squill, miquel 20, jenkinson 21,& bartley 21. Total of 8 defenders plus one more recruit soon.
Imo, jenkinson can go on loan and give miquel and especially bartley a try since he was so impressed during stint with rangers. Bench or sell the squill and made 4 defenders our main defenders this term. Verm, kosc, djouroru and 1 more new recruit. Maybe samba, sakho or vertonghen but really NO cahill and r. johnson (they arent that good).
So as a conclusion, 6 def for our nex season with bartley the 5th def. Verm, kosc, djou and 1 mor recruit will definitely the first team.
man utd just spent 16 millions on a 19 years old kids but some people are wishing our 20 years should go on loan, where?
please let arsene decide in the pre-season if he’s ready for first team or not.
he’s an arsenal player dude! if rangers want him as first teamer why can’t he at least battle to take schillaci place?
remember most of these kids will refuse to extend contracts and walk away.
Kyle had a great half season at Gers and although not the best league in the world you could see the guy has got fantastic potential. I think Arsenal should keep him but with maybe some other players coming in he may be used for the lesser tourneys. I think he has a year left on his contract and I would love to see him back in a royal blue shirt for the coming season.
Good luck to the Gunners this year, the way you play football deserves some trophys
We need experience not experiment every youngster wants assurance of first team b/4 commiting their future 2 d club eg ozy lansbury now bartley any impatient dude should leave
sounds like you’re a bit impatient there about the impatientness, maybe you should leave Weezy
sounds fair, i hope he can prove his quality…
bartley is better than vidic and one of the top three centre backs in the world imo. we could easily get £15m for him.
Great news. Top talent. Aggressive defender and got the height and power that we desperately lack. I’m a big, big fan.
Does anyone know if the news on Chamberlain from the mirror is accurate?
Centre halves don’t really come of age until around 22/23.
BArtley looks like he has all the tools to become a top CB but needs to learn the trade first. It might be risky to lump him into the Arsenal 1st team squad but loan him out for one more season then bring him back into the squad
He is the exact type of defender we need. Huge presence, steel mentality and strong defensively. Just needs to learn a bit more and best not to do it at Arsenal. But he will be a top player for us
bartley has developed as a player enormously when i first saw him it was in the arsenal reserves against fulham he looked shocking as luke ayling shone, but with hard work there is no doubt he can be a top centre back
It’s a shame Arsenal have failed to succeed in recent years cos it means we have to sign players instead of promote some good young talent. Bartley will miss out on opportunites because we are going to sign a CB and its a shame because he’s good. Maybe if we win a trophy or 2 this season(2011/20120 he can be pushing for regular places next season (2012/13)
Bartley is definitely talented. Put him on the bench, reserves and games where we know we’ll win and let him get experience. That is exactly what Ferguson did with Smalling and Evans. Smalling looks the part, Evans doesn’t. Evans will be moved on, probably to Sutherland and Smalling is now ready for the rigors of a Premier League season. Kos went thru it last year and now Bartley must. If he is not good enough than sell him to Rangers and be done with it. Wenger needs to become more cut throat like SAF.
All I hope is that Squillaci is shipped out.
No offence he is a decent player, but Wenger sees him as a top defender, and he is not. He is good back up, but wenger will not buy until he is not there.
Had never seen much in Bartley at all until the Rangers loan when he was outstanding.
Difficult to measure the opposition and people are very quick to have a dig at Stokes for his goals in that league, but Bartley was terrific in a couple of Old Firm games which impresss regardless of what the level is.
Surpsies so many people are talking about CB though, when of the three games I saw in full and which he was exceptional, in none was he CB, but played in midfield.
I do hope though next season doens’t end in another loan. What will that be? five, six loans? There comes a point eg Randall, Gilbert etc, where you’ve seen everything you need to.
Bartley did more than enough to warrant a decent crack at a place next season & to figure above one or two more senior players as either CB or DM.
In my opinion, Clichy is as good as gone. Therefore, we need to sign two defenders this year and bring Bartley into the squad. We can’t be caught out like we were last year when Vermaelen was out for 98% of the season.
I couldn’t agree more with Thomas from Hertfordshire… Nordveit was in the same situation as Bartley… and he didn’t get a chance so he switched… he did then really well for Mönchengladbach… OK, I have to admit, that Nordveit isn’t that quick and he probably would’ve strugled with that high playing backline of Arsenal, but we have to question the defensive coaching qualities of Wenger, which are not so good…
OFF SUBJECT BUT WHATEVER….I do not know why we are going for chris samba (He is slow, technically inept and average at reading the game) the only thing he is good at is heading clear…. in a high backline strategy which uses the offside trap a lot, HE IS A LIABILITY!!!!!!! MR. CAHILL IS NOT THAT MUCH FURTHER UP THE LADDER!!!! let KYLE bartley play… i mean come on… in games that i saw he was better than bougherra in the back four and he was easily…. EASILY THE BEST DEFENDER…. why do you think they want him back… I cant help but feel wenger has lost the plot. he focuses intensely on the beautiful aspect of the game which involves the midfield and the reason why we have a glut of players playing that position. He ignores the down and dirty part of it…. its like smoke without fire….. its virtually impossible to win a championship…. had to get that off my chest. Last thing i coach amateur football and having evaluated bartley… mark my words he would be better than smalling in Five years if he is given equal opportunity.
@rashonwegner – thank you!
Couldnt have said it better myself. At the end of the day the #1 requirement to be an Arsenal centreback is speed. Its not a sufficient quality but it sure is a necessary one – ask Senderos, Cygan, or any other number of players who couldnt hack it. Hell even Kolo Toure found it impossible once he had lost half a step of pace and was still faster than most central defenders.
I’d say have some respect for the likes of Djourou, Vermalen and Koscielny. To look anything like half decent playing Arsenal’s high line defense with almost on midfield protection, means you’re a damn good defender.
If I were Wenger I’d keep my defenders, ship out the wantaway Matador midfielders (nasri, fabregas, Arshavin) and spend the money on two defensive midfielders and hire the best DEFENSIVE ASSITANT COACH in the business.
That’s all that stands between us a an a title.