Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reportedly moved to block Rob Holding’s transfer away from the club during the summer.
A few months later, Holding is now said to have committed his future to the Gunners by signing a new contract, according to The Athletic.
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It seems the 25-year-old is highly rated at the Emirates Stadium, with both Arteta and Arsenal chief Edu viewing him as one of the emerging leaders in the squad.
We’re not sure most Arsenal fans would agree with this, though Holding certainly has his qualities and looks a reliable squad player based on his performances this season.
That said, defence seems a clear area of weakness for Arsenal, so it might not be too hard for Holding to stand out compared to flops like Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Still, The Athletic’s report suggests Arteta sees something in Holding, with the club coming close to allowing him to join Newcastle in the summer.
It seems, however, that Arteta played a key role in blocking that move, according to the report.
“I was on the bench thinking ‘please don’t put me on, I can’t go on this pitch after three brandies and Coca-Cola’ And then I was brought on.” – PL legend reveals playing whilst DRUNK against Arsenal! Click here to read more.
No. Not true.
The club realised they HAD to keep holding because of rules around home grown players.
You need to do more research before publishing stuff like this. There are only 3 clubs with better defensive records than Arsenal this season and the majority of Arsenal supporters are 100% behind Rob Holding, who has been excellent. It was only the Don and the bureaucrats who thought it would be a good idea to sell him.
lol