Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the club will not stop its rising talent, Alex Iwobi, from representing Nigeria at the upcoming Olympic Games this summer.
Iwobi has been in very good form for Arsenal, a club he has been with since the age of 7. Wenger unhappy that Iwobi didn’t choose to play for England, where he would have played less and traveled less has reiterated that the club won’t stop the Nigerian attacker from participating in the upcoming Olympics games in Rio, Brazil.
FIFA stated in September 2015 that European clubs are not mandated to release players for the Olympic tournament in Rio since it is outside the calendar for international matches, but Arsenal will not stand in Iwobi’s way nonetheless according to Veteran manager Arsene Wenger.
“We have to respect his choice. He had the choice between England and Nigeria and in the end he chose Nigeria,” Wenger told Arsenal.com at Thursday’s press conference.
“We respect that, and also the possibility that he will go to the Olympic Games, that he will also go to the Africa Cup of Nations and travel a bit more than he would have done here.
“We have to respect that.”
Arsene also confirmed that the club are in talks to hand Jay Jay Okocha’s nephew a new contract.
“We are discussing extending his contract at the moment,” he said. “He’s a real Arsenal person because he’s been here since the age of eight.
“He has three years left at the end of the season anyway but we want to keep him here for longer. If there have been some positives in the last few months, it’s how well and how quickly he’s emerged as a player with a good impact.”
