say yes
forum master baiter
In 2006 Giles Grimandi became Arsenal’s chief scout in France. The french talent market had been the bedrock of Arsène’s early success at the club, and Grimandi’s posting there should have seen more of the same, as France began to produce a conveyer belt of the finest talent in world football: Pogba, Mbappe, Kante and Dembele to name but a few.
However, while most of those French talents would have jumped at the chance of playing for Arsenal, Grimandi instead had us waste millions signing utter bums like David Ospina, Sanogo, Gervinho, Giroud and Chamakh.
And it gets worse. Giles didn’t just fail to spot the top talent sloshing all over the place in the French league, he actively counselled against them. See for example:
I am #raging.
However, while most of those French talents would have jumped at the chance of playing for Arsenal, Grimandi instead had us waste millions signing utter bums like David Ospina, Sanogo, Gervinho, Giroud and Chamakh.
And it gets worse. Giles didn’t just fail to spot the top talent sloshing all over the place in the French league, he actively counselled against them. See for example:
The Times on Kante said:"We will get to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but first a story about the player who could have made everything so different for Arsenal: N’Golo Kante. A friend in France told Arsène Wenger all about Kante when he was in Ligue 2 with Caen.
Wenger dispatched Gilles Grimandi, his chief scout in France, to watch the little dynamo but Grimandi was not wowed. Six out of 10. Wenger’s friend persisted and Grimandi was sent to look again, but came back with another sceptical report. The manager kept monitoring Kante, but having just brought Mathieu Flamini back, and with Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey already on his roster, he felt there was little point recruiting another central midfielder unless they were outstanding. After he joined Leicester, Wenger realised Kante was outstanding. He went for him at the end of 2015-16 but was this time put off by people around the player whose interest appeared to surround personally cashing in from a deal.
The Athletic on Aubameyang said:Arsenal’s scouts had been tracking Aubameyang since his first forays into French football. In the summer of 2012, scouts Steve Rowley and Francis Cagigao recommended him as a potential addition to the Arsenal frontline. Arsenal’s French scout, Gilles Grimandi, was less convinced, and consequently the club instead opted for Olivier Giroud. A year later, Aubameyang joined Borussia Dortmund, unrivalled by any Arsenal bid.
I am #raging.