English Championship side Leeds United FC’s new manager Garry Monk was reportedly keen to take Arsenal’s 23-year-old French forward Yaya Sanogo to Elland Road on a season-long loan yesterday on transfer deadline day.
However, According to The Sun, the Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger had reportedly rejected that offer of a temporary switch to Leeds for the former France Under-21 international Sanogo.
The 23-year-old forward has not been up to the mark since arriving at the Emirates Stadium in a £850,000 deal three years ago from French Ligue 2 side AJ Auxerre, scoring just one goal as a gunner in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League.
Apart from that, he has spent a lot of time out on loan. He has spent time on loan at Crystal Palace (2014/15), Dutch club AFC Ajax (2015/16) and former Championship and current League one club Charlton Athletic (also 2015/16) in recent seasons.
He was part of the Arsenal squad which won the FA Cup finally and ended their 9-year trophy drought in May 2014 but has only made 11 Premier League appearances during his three seasons stay with the Gunners. However, Wenger now sees Sanogo as part of his first-team plans for the 2016/17 season, despite the summer signing of 27-year old Spanish center forward Lucas Perez to aid Olivier Giroud up front, and hence he has rejected the reported Leeds loan deal.
Yaya Sanogo could be used as an emergency measure if both Perez and Giroud get injured at the same time and might get to play the domestic cup games as well in the process. However with Giroud still yet to return to full fitness following his exploits with France at Euro 2016 where his team made the final, and Perez most likely needing some time to adapt to the Premier League after his recent £17million move from Deportivo La Coruna, Sanogo might start a few Premier League games here and there as well.
With Wenger deciding to hold on to the French forward in spite of the Leeds interest it is still unclear as to how he would use Sanogo in the longer run. This season is expected to be the most competitive Premier League season in years with teams like Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United garnering 9 full points in their first three outings and having excellent squads at their disposal.
Wenger should make sure that he commits no mistakes in order to come out on top at the end of the season.
