Sports£34m: Arsenal reaped a great deal for academy graduate who has flopped this season [Opinion]
This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.
When academy graduate Alex Iwobi, relative of Nigeria footballing legend Jay-Jay Okocha, made his debut for Arsenal in the Premier League in October 2015 under Arsene Wenger, many were excited to see ‘one of their own’ come through the ranks.
However, after a few years in and out of the team, it seemed like the winger was struggling for consistency at the Emirates Stadium; and when Nicolas Pepe was bought last summer for £72m, Iwobi was sold to Everton.
At the Gunners, the Nigeria international made 149 appearances in all competitions, including European games, and scored 15 goals whilst providing 27 assists, per Transfermarkt. This isn’t a stellar record for a winger and it highlights how inconsistent he could be at Arsenal.
There were some great moments during his career at the club, like winning the 2017 FA Cup final, his first trophy for the club. He also scored against Chelsea in the Europa League final in Baku, so he wasn’t a total failure at Arsenal – rather, he just didn’t seem to have the consistent quality to hold down a permanent place in the team.
He was sold to Everton for an initial £28m – potentially rising to £34m (as per BBC) – so the Gunners made a lot of money on the player despite his inconsistencies.
His first campaign with the Toffees has not gone as planned as he has been heavily criticised throughout parts of the season by some fans, which is not surprising when you consider that he has played 28 times and only scored twice whilst picking up one assist, per Transfermarkt.
His career at Everton so far highlights that he was just not good enough for Arsenal in the end, and the fact they managed to make so much money on him highlights how good a deal they brokered when agreeing his transfer fee to the Merseyside club.
Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on Iwobi? Let us know in the comments below!
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