Wenger pleads patience with young Gunners
442 Staff - Friday 09 October 2009, 14:21
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told two of the Gunners’ hot prospects they must be patient in their quest for first-team football at the Emirates Stadium.
The message to Armand Traore and Gavin Hoyte comes in the wake of the latter’s one-month loan move to League One outfit Brighton and Hove Albion.
Previously on loan at Conference side Grays, Hoyte has moved to Brighton to gain more first-team football, and is expected to make his debut for the Seagulls at Yeovil this weekend.
Twenty-year-old Traore spent last season on loan at Portsmouth, but has only featured once for Arsenal so far this season against West Brom in the Carling Cup.
However, Traore understands that there are still parts of his game he needs to improve if he is to get the nod from Wenger.
“I've talked with the boss, who says I need to work hard and be patient and that's what I'm going to do," he said.
“I will need to work on my positioning defensively because there's a lot of stuff I can improve on.”
Wenger’s reassurances come in light of the reports that Arsenal have sent scouts to Italy to watch Bari pair Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Ranocchia.