Not sure if it's been mentioned elsewhere but it's been announced that Bellerin has signed a new four year deal. I think it's great news and keeps Barca away! http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150717/bellerin-signs-new-long-term-contract
Great news him signing a new contract... but I'm not sure what you mean by someone signing a contract making us 'one of the big boys'.
He is a highly rated youngster at the level of an early Ashley Cole and was being linked with a return to Barca. If he carries on developing the way he is, he will be one of the best right backs in the next couple years. That's why us retaining a top player like that shows we are being competitive at the highest level.
I'm not saying we're NOT at the level you're suggesting we are, because we almost are... But Bellerin signing a contract doesn't mean that in the slightest. It's just a young player signing a contract. A good positive bit of news. Which doesn't need dressing up into something it isn't. And signing a new contract doesn't tie a player down anyway, just makes them more expensive to buy. Appreciate good news for what it is, stop dressing it up.
Not really, i'm just not someone who'd look at a birthday cake and make out it was a sign we were a big club. I'd just think it was a nice birthday cake.
Cini, the signing was significant, as you say, his price tag goes up massively which allows us to play hard ball, the same way others do. But it's not just his signing that is an indicator of us becoming a big club, we've signed two top class premium players in two successive transfer windows from two of the biggest clubs in the world. For me this exceeds what we did back in Wengers earlier years from transfer windows. These were very big statements indeed.
Bellerin is a revelation. Already first choice ahead of France's NO.1 RB. The kid has World Class potential. Our most gifted Fullback since Ashley Cole.
I have no issue with that, it'll be good to see a fully fit Debuchy after a full pre-season, and also be good to see how Bellerin develops after a pre-season in the 1st team and all the expectation on him in his 2nd season. Personally I don't think Arsenal can lose out in this battle for the RB position...
We should start Debuchy over Bellerin, the more experience at the back the better. Debuchy has proved to be a solid over-all defender. Bellerin does however bring another attacking dimension at RB.
We really have been blessed with proper world class right backs for so many years now, always a position we're really strong in.
