“?Borussia Dortmund are weighing up a move for Arsenal’s Gideon Zelalem – though no transfer will be forthcoming in January.
The Bundesliga club are monitoring the 19-year-old’s situation at the Emirates, according to the “?Daily Mirror, with chances for Zelalem to show his qualities in the first-team at Arsenal at a premium.
However, Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel appears to have rejected any claims that a move for Zelalem could be made in the winter transfer window, with the German stating that the Westfalonstadion-based side would not be looking to strengthen their squad this month.
He said: “I don’t think that we add somebody [in January]. We had a lot of new players and it all takes time [to settle]. Even the German guys, who have a lot of experience, you have to admit that it took its time for them [to settle]. Every change in a club takes time.
“Right now, the group is growing together. We had to change a lot because we had too many injuries. We wish for more players to be healthy, more players on the pitch who can play week after week, they need those minutes. Right now, we don’t want to add somebody.
“(Zelalem?) Right now? No. Not as far as I’m concerned.”?
What is it that Borrusia Dortmund can do with Gideon Zelalem that Arsenal could not do? @mrdt2016 @leemarkjudges @AFCMemz @AFSCLondon
A defensive midfielder by trade, Zelalem has been restricted to just four senior appearances for Arsenal since making his first-team bow back in January 2014. He made his first ever appearance under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger during an FA Cup tie against Coventry City almost three years ago, and has only featured on three other occasions, despite making the bench in three Premier League matches.
Zelalem has also taken to the field against Galatasaray in the Champions League, as well as appearing against Nottingham Forest and Reading in this season’s EFL Cup, but the Berlin-born star has been restricted to substitute appearances in all four of his senior games so far.
With the likes of Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka blocking his path to further first-team appearances, and with Santi Cazorla due to return before the season’s end, Zelalem may need to look elsewhere in search of regular game time.
Read more from Tom Power by following him on Twitter!
Leave a Reply