According to the Irish Examiner today, Angel Di Maria the 19 year old left wing target who has just won the u-20 World Cup with Argentina, claims negotiations with Arsenal at a club and personal level are going well.
Di Maria said (Irish Examiner): “They (Arsenal) were speaking with me and all is going well, not only on personal terms but also the talks with Rosario Central. It would be great, especially if it benefits my family and Rosario Central. I would like that all to be resolved as soon as possible because the Argentinian season begins in two weeks.”
However, some ANR readers point out he’s signed for Benfica.
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Several UK papers, including the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday and Sunday Express have reported Di Maria is Arsenal bound.
Brazilian Pedro Silva, however has already signed for Arsenal and Arsenal will will loan him out to Spanish side Salamanca because he doesn’t qualify for a work permit.
ANR reader Howard writes: the official Salamanca web site says that the management of Salamanca met with Dein and Rowley in April and hammered out the agreement.
The agreement consisted of establishing strategic ties, but the main focus was on Salamanca taking two players from South America. One of those was Pedro, and Pedro is displayed in a Salamanca shirt on their web site.
He is coming to London to train for a few weeks then returning to Brazil, where he must have to wait for some sort of visa I guess, before returning to Salamanca in a couple of months time, where he will play the rest of the season. From the look of him, he looks very slight, so in the Silvinho mould.
ANR reader Ian, has been watching Di Maria and Carlos Vela in the the U-20 World Cup. Here’s his insightful piece:
One advantage to living across the ocean is the opportunity to catch matches from the U-20 World Cup — this year held in Canada — on television at reasonable times in the evening.
I’ve paid particular attention to Mexico, who were knocked out in the Quarterfinals by a superlative Argentina side led by the magnificent Aguero.
I must say that Vela is a delight to watch. He did not score in the five matches he played, but he certainly has the potential to be a top-class forward for Arsenal within the next few seasons.
What is so striking about him is an intelligence on the pitch that belies his young age. He rarely puts a foot wrong, and in the tournament, he utilised his strength and movement to wreak havoc on the opposition. He’s remarkably adept with his back to goal, and with great ease, he can pick out a runner with a lethal ball or turn his marker and hit a powerful daisycutter at goal.
It was the latter that nearly broke the stalemate against Argentina in the quarterfinals, and but for good goalkeeping, he would have had a brace. It’s hard to pinpoint the role he plays best.
His explosive movement off the ball reminds me of Eto’o, while his intelligence and ability to drop into the half-striker role remind me of Bergkamp. At just under 185 cm, he certainly has Bergkamp’s physical build, and his displays of strength against the opposition could even see him put out as an effective target man, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see how his loan spell at Osasuna plays out.[ANR understands he’s not eligible to play for Arsenal until the second quarter of 2008.]
One other player who has impressed me is the Argentine left wing, Angel di Maria. He’s a slight, quick forward who scored a cracker of a goal against Chile.
He received a speculative looping cross from deep and sent it first time on the volley into the top corner.
While Aguero has scored the magical goals, this tournament, it is di Maria who has impressed me most, with limitless energy up the flank and a powerful left foot that is equally adept at the cross and the shot. He’s also quite fond of the odd stepover or three, which, depending on your patience on the day, is delightful or disgusting.
One ANR reader asks where has Ryan Garry gone. One or two local Gooners would have put their house on Ryan Garry making it in the first team. But he’s had injuries. The
Daily Star reckons he has joined League One side Bournemouth on trial, with a view to signing a one-year deal.