After both Arsenal and Salamanca mutually agreed to end Håvard Nordtveit’s loan spell early last month, confusion has rained down regarding his playing situation.
The Norwegian centre back had an unhappy time in Spain, where he was frequently left on the bench and had to make do with operating as a make shift holding midfielder on the rare occasions he was deployed. But it wasn’t through a lack of effort on his part, indeed Håvard took time to learn the language and adapt to the Spanish culture, but even that didn’t help in his fight for vital match minutes.
Salamanca are now on the look out for another defender in January, and although he had a difficult time, Nordtveit has recommended The Union as a fantastic club to gain experience. Now back in London, the 19-year-old is unable to play for the Gunners due to a registration problem. He was not registered as a member of the Arsenal team at the start of the campaign, as his impending loan with UDS was in the pipeline.
Technically he is still on the books of Salamanca, who hold his rights until January 1st. On that date his deal expires and he can again play for Arsenal. Nordtveit’s only football since his return has been with Norway’s Under 19’s, where he is an established member and very much regarded as one of the most exciting Nordic players of his generation.
The contract issue has really hampered Håvard’s development, and with the winter transfer window closing in, Arsenal are sure to be on the look out for a suitable destination to gain the experience he missed out on.
Article By – J.Sanderson
Administrative stupidity from Arsenal is all too common.
Good thing u said this, so people dont ask all the time.
WEnger said that Gibbs HOyte and Simpson is going out on loan.. any idea why he diden’t mention Randall?
its good there have been bugger all reserve games then really. shame he couldn’t be able to do a better job than rodgers in the cc though.
Nordveit is actually 18, he won’t turn 19 till next summer.
I think calling him back was a stupid decision. He would surely be developing faster by playing and training with Salamanca than not playing at all in England.
Interesting clarification. I wonder if he was aware of this issue before returning to Arsenal? Surely sticking around and attempting to get some game time with Salamanca would have been a better option.
To the tune of the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York
Manu eboue
Wears the Arsenal shirt
Came in 2003
From the coast of Africa
And then he raised his studs
And gave Terry a punt
Well that’s ok with me –
Terry’s a right cunt
The chavs they booed him then
But by this time next year
I’ve got a feeling –
They’ll all be City fans
So support the Arsenal
A club with history
Cos Manu Eboue
Plays for the Arsenal
Where did you read/hear that BooMeR?
does anyone agree we shuld have got defensive youth players when we were buyin the sunus and meridas
Too bad the salmanaca trip didn`t work out, but the kid will be back. He will be a regular first team player in 2 seasons.
Djourou and norveit have to be the future central defensive partnership. Both very good in the air, fast and read the game well.
great stuff,J. Good information, I was wondering if he had stagnated in development, so this news is a relief
I think it would have helped Havard in the long run by staying and fighting for his place with a team who have been playing high satkes , high pressure matches as they attempt to gain promotion to the top flight.Sitting on his arse in London is`nt gonna help him much IMO.
Hadley – Get off this site, mate! Go to something like Wrighty7 or LeGrove you knuckle-dragging, Zoo-Magazine reading, neanderthal mug!
this is our future defence. hoyte-bartley-nordtveit-gibbs(clichy)
Well done J, but what a mess. I’m guessing we agreed to call him back before realising he couldn’t play till Jan 1. Otherwise it would have made more sense to leave him at UDS till Jan 1.
Jamie?
U know if Rosicky has been registered at the start of the season? :P
lol
Good luck for Nordtveit, I’m sure he would have played against Burnley if he was registered. ;)
You can’t play for two different teams in one transfer window simple as, no administrive problem at all.
J, you say it’s hampered his development… In a few months? Really? And how do you know. Love your site, but I hope for once your wrong, it would be a huge waste of enormous potential!
they must have thought it was doing more good than bad him staying there, possibly because he was only getting games as a defensive mid rather than a centre back and i presume he would have also been a DM in training aswell
Hi J, i have had your blog on my links for a while and you seem to have taken my blog off yours? Any chance it could go back on> cheers mate.
the point about him staying in Salamanca for match practize isn’t bad, but I dont think he’ll be spending his time on his bum in London and the staff and training fascilities outmatch those in Salamanca any day. that might work out better, especially when he’s not playing anyway. Salamanca might have their own priorities to consider in the central defence positions.
One other question Jay. Reports today of Wenger suggesting Gibbs, Simpson, and Hoyte. What back up is there going to be for the first team down the left?
Traore has already gone, so if Gibbs goes I don’t know who will be left to cover Clichy, unless a CD plays out of position which is not good. God help us if Clichy has a bad injury.
And we’ve already been shown to be too thin right now in LM, having to resort to Eboue to replace Nasri, which was really poor. That’s not being critical of Eboue who had been out for 6 weeks and is basically a RB! Van Persie should have covered there and Bentner or Vela gone up front…
…but anyway, I will be surprised if Rosicky plays this season. Barazite would be ideal but I expect his loan will continue for the season.
Have I missed anything?
I dont think people here get it: he wasnt sent there to pick up a few minutes. He was sent there to get major experience and Salamanca was wasting his time. Clearly they breached his expectations and those of Arsenal.Which obviously damaged the working relationship he had there.
Now he free and in one month Arsenal can find another team that is more appropriate where he can get playing time for the next 5-6 months of the season.
Which will be far better for his develpoment than sitting around at Salamanca for a whole year doing nothing.
This is my comment here. I have been a regualr reader of this blog. Please keep up the good work.
Try to send him on loan at Fulham in January. He will be staying in London and learning from a good defensive minded coach like Roy Hodgson. Also he will have lots of Scandevinean friends there.
But he won’t play regularly.
“Nordtveit’s only football since his return has been with Norway’s Under 19’s,…”
Håvard has actually been moved up to the Norwegian U21’s and has started in all of their last three matches…
ozGoonerGuy…don’t forget Silvestre and Gallas both played left back at their former clubs…plus versatile guys like eboue and denilson, maybe Song, can surely play there as Flamini in 04/05
comes to left midfield there is Vela as well as Denilson have had great success on the right. Eboue I believe was just a bad day, he has shown great stuff before and usually makes good passes. I would wonder as well as Eduardo can take a left midfield role, as he did a withdrawn attacker role last year and was excellent in build up play.
OzGunnerGuy good points, the left midfield is getting thin as I am worried about right side with Walcott and Rosicky out, but as mentioned well done by Denilson at that position
Good said amey..
Vela and Nordtveit will be the next 2 stars of Arsenal.
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Just a thought but, it would be great if Nordtveit got loaned to Portsmouth. With Tony Adams as manager and Sol as mentor he could learn bucket loads as long as they gave him some pitch time, of course. They’ve done well with Traore.
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