Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit thinks Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel could be a “very interesting” signing for his former club and has compared his mentality to Man Utd’s Marcus Rashford, who has “disappeared” since signing a big-money contract.
We had the pleasure of speaking to French icon Petit at the opening of the new Sports Betting Lounge at Grosvenor Casino Luton.
The topic of conversation was always going to be Arsenal but it quickly shifted into a hottest topic of the January transfer window: Marcus Rashford and his Man Utd future.
Bayern youngster Tel has reportedly asked to leave due to a lack of game time and we asked Petit if he is a player Arsenal – who are crying out for a new striker – should sign.
“He is a talented young player, he doesn’t get much time to play for Bayern Munich and he has got ambition, that’s why he wants to leave the club because he wants to play regular football. That’s very important when you’re young,” Petit told Football365 when speaking at the new Sports Betting Lounge at Grosvenor Casino Luton.
“He has got quality, he has got intelligence in terms of movement, he has some flair, the way Arsenal is playing in terms of DNA and movement, especially up front, I think that could be something very interesting.
“He has got a big margin to improve but his desire and ambition is very important. For me, this is the most important things to watch if you bring a young player into the team, especially at Arsenal.”
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Asked if his attitude should be praised having decided to leave one of the biggest clubs in Europe in search of consistent playing time, Petit replied: “Of course, yes.
“Most of the time, especially nowadays you meet some players that are happy to get the money and stay on the bench, even not playing at all. In comparison, a name that comes into my mind is [Marcus] Rashford.
“If you love football, your desire is to be on the pitch, to improve, you have personal ambitions and targets. Earning a lot of money is one thing but the fact you want to play regular football is very important for the manager.”
Emmanuel Petit speaking at the new Sports Betting Lounge at Grosvenor Casino Luton
Diving deeper into Rashford’s issues and whether he would fit in at Arsenal, the 1998 World Cup winner added: “The problem with Rashford is it’s not his talent, we all know that, what he is capable of doing on the pitch. He is capable of a lot of things, he has got such talent.
“The problem is very simple: why is Rashford for the last two years? I don’t know him, I don’t know what’s happening in his life, but ever since he signed his big mega money deal, he is not there anymore.
“When you are not starving anymore, you don’t have any more ambition in your life. On top of it, if you have troubles outside the pitch in your private life then you can’t perform well on the pitch.
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“I really like him, I am sure he is a decent person, he has shown great things for Manchester United since he started playing for them years ago.
“All of a sudden he disappeared. Is it just because of the money? The deal he signed with them, I don’t think so. I think something away from football happened to him and I have no idea what it is. He must solve his home problems before coming back on to the pitch.”
Petit continued: “He’s not happy at all, you can see that. His body language speaks (volumes), he never smiles as you said, I’ve seen him a couple of times this season playing for Manchester United and I had the same feeling, this guy has lost his happiness.
“Is it because of the money? I am sure it’s not that. I’m pretty sure the problem is somewhere else.
“He must solve something outside the pitch; is it because of what’s happening at Manchester United for the last four, five years, maybe. Maybe that has an impact on him. Probably. But that is not an excuse, especially when you sign a big deal like this.
“If it’s unrelated to your club, then you have to be responsible. You have something to give back to the club.
“I have a feeling somewhere he has let people down in the club, but again, if it’s something different not related to the club, then it’s something the club cannot solve and the solution only can come from him.”
