Fran Merida out of contract?

He left for first team football and I remember him saying something like how thankful he is to Arsenal and Wenger. If stayed with us he could have been a first team player by now, but it wasn't meant to be.

A lot of our bright youngsters often have a very poor attitude. Only guys like Wilshere and Szczesny stand out to me as having an excellent mentality.

Still not on the commitment level of G. Neville, Scholes and Beckham though, reportedly those guys are almost obsessive in the way they practice even the most mundane of footballing tasks.

Our youngsters need genuine mentors and IMO if they did then a lot more would go on to have futures at the top level.

I don't think there was ever much danger of him breaking into the team. He would have ended up like Lansbury. Just another youngster who never made it and so decided to leave. It's worked for some - look at Nordveit.

Feel sorry for him. He has talent but Atletico wasnt the right choice for him.

we all thought Fran Merida would be the next Cesc, he too assumed so and even refused a contract and went to Athletico Madrid
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How can you assume so?

The more logical explanation would be that he knew he was not going to be the next Cesc i.e. become a first team regular at Arsenal in his teens.

Therefore he cut his losses and tried to break into a first team he felt would be a more realistic target.

There are other more deserving examples of arrogant young footballers than Fran Merida

He went for free... that changes everything. Lansbury knew he was probably going to be sold but still signed a two year extension...Thats loyalty. Secondly if Wilshere (much younger than him) took his chance, so did Coquelin and the Ox, why not him?

It would have been stupid to sign a new contract if you aren't getting first team football. He did what was good for him at the time. He had Fabregas, Nasri, Diaby, Rosicky, Denilson and Ramsey a head of him.

So what? He signed a contract and fulfilled it.

I would rather we lose a player on a free, who isn't going to and hasn't made it than be stuck with over paid youngsters clinging onto their Arsenal contracts for dear life.

Players who stayed "loyal" include Denilson and Bendtner, thank God Merida isn't added to that list of over paid dross we can't get rid of quick enough