Arsenal and Nigeria are at odds over Alex Iwobi’s potential involvement in this summer’s Olympics, the Super Eagles’ Under-23 coach has revealed.
Samson Siasia, who will manage Nigeria’s squad in Brazil, is keen to take the Arsenal youngster after he secured a first team spot in north London towards the end of the season.
But Siasia says Arsenal’s chief negotiator Dick Law has warned Iwobi could lose his place in the team if he jets off with Nigeria.
“I went to Arsenal and I saw Richard Law and he said that we still need to look at [whether or not Iwobi could go to Rio],” Siasia said .
“He said that he wants Iwobi to stay with Arsenal because they are having a new team and Alex is getting to play in the team for now.
“He said if he leaves to play for Nigeria at the Olympics, how is he going to be a part of the team and maybe someone is going to take his position.
“I said, well we have to meet half way because we are trying to give Alex a platform to show himself in the Olympics and he has to look at it that way too.
“He said we should continue to talk and we would see what we would do.”
Nigeria’s opening match at the Olympics takes place on August 4, just before the start of the Premier League season.
Were Iwobi to go, he would miss Arsenal’s pre-season as well as potentially the first month of the season.
Agency Reports
