Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has assured Nigerian striker, Alex Iwobi, of a chance to prove his mettle at the London club.
Iwobi joined Arsenal while still at primary school, and signed a new long-term contract in October 2015. He made his competitive debut for the club at senior level on October 27, 2015, starting in a 3–0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the round of 16 of the League Cup.
He made his Premier League debut for the Gunners four days later, appearing as a substitute against Swansea City but has yet to play again ever since.
Wenger gave a scathing assessment of Iwobi’s performance after the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in October noting that the Nigerian and the two other youngsters who started on the day for Arsenal (Glen Kamara and Ismael Bennacer) were not yet “ready” to play for the first team.
Iwobi says Wenger’s stance has since changed revealing that the Frenchman wants him to stay on at the club following several reports linking him with a loan move away from the Emirates Stadium.
“Arsene Wenger has spoken to me. He said he wants me in and around the first team as he doesn’t want me to go on loan. “I believe my future at Arsenal is bright and I just have to be patient and wait for my time,” Iwobi told supersport.com.
Iwobi has been capped twice by Nigeria at senior level and he said he always wanted to play for the Super Eagles despite representing England at Under-16, 17 and 18 levels.
“It was always going to be Nigeria for me since I was little.
“I was pleased to get my debut and have been well treated by every member of the team. It’s like a family here.
“Hopefully, I will play many games for the team but right now, I want to help us qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2018 Fifa World Cup,” he said.