Freddie Ljungberg is eyeing a remarkable return to Arsenal.

Gunners legend Ljungberg, 32, is due to fly to London this weekend and is hoping to convince Arsene Wenger to allow him to go back to the club during the MLS winter break.

Seattle Sounders midfielder Ljungberg would love to sort out a proper loan deal to Arsenal with the American club’s blessing, according to the Swedish press.

Wenger may allow Ljungberg to train with Arsenal in a similar arrangement to David Beckham in his first season with the LA Galaxy but is unlikely to sanction a formal deal.
Wenger admitted that he is reluctant to re-sign players but did come close to taking back Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan this summer.

That will also count the same for Ljungberg but Wenger is likely to grant the Swede’s wish after the MLS season ends and allow him to train from January to April.

Ljungberg’s potential Arsenal return was widely reported in the Swedish press and his agent Claes Elefalk confirmed the player’s interest but insisted he was going to return to Seattle where he still has two years left.

Ljungberg left Arsenal in 2007 after being played by a hip injury and revealed recently he was actually playing with a broken hip. But Ljungberg has since returned to full fitness with Seattle.

Arsene Wenger has had the chance to clear off what is on his mind to the man himself, Michel Plantini.

There is an on-going UEFA Elite Coaches Forum taking place in Nyon, Switzerland and the Arsenal boss along with counterpart Alex Ferguson – as representatives from England – were joined by several prominent managers around Europe for the big occasion.

The first UEFA Elite Coaches Forum was held in 1999 and this is now the 11th edition of the annual event, where Europe’s leading club coaches are invited to share their experience and views on a variety of issues relating to the state of the game at the highest level.

Coincidentally, this big event – held during September 3 to 4 – comes at a time when Arsenal have a major appeal to make to UEFA after Eduardo’s controversial “diving” incident.

The Gunners are due to make a move in a bid to turn over a harsh two-match ban on Eduardo on Friday, and with that being on the day this UEFA Elite Coaches Forum occasion is to be wrapped up, Arsenal may have an opportunity to force some justice from European football’s governing body.

Chances are Edaurdo’s ban appeal may be declined, but Wenger is likely to have addressed a few talking points to Platini – with whom he once disputed.

Present at the meeting were;

Laurent Blanc (Bordeaux), Giorgio Marchetti (UEFA Competition director), Manuel Pellegrini (Real Madrid), Abel Resino (Atletico Madrid), Henk Ten Cate (Panathinaikos), Martin Jol (Ajax), Leonardo (AC Milan), Bernard Challandes (FC Zurich), Pierluigi Collina (UEFA Referees Committee), Gerard Houllier, Walter Smith (Rangers), Ciro Ferrara (Juventus), Thomas Schaaf (W. Bremen), Dan Petrescu (Unirea Urziceni), Andy Roxburgh (UEFA Technical Director), David Taylor (UEFA General Secretary), Felix Magath (Schalke), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), Michel Platini (UEFA President), Alex Ferguson (Man. United), Claude Puel (Lyon), Didier Deschamps (Olympique Marseille), and Jesualdo Ferreira (Porto)

This is just about the biggest story there is at the moment – and of course no newspaper is touching it.  In simple terms it is this…

The big clubs (not Arsenal) are trying to tap up kiddies from all over the world to do a patch and mend job on their teams, as their finances fall apart.  FIFA and UEFA are charging clubs, and everyone from Crewe Alex to clubs in France you didn’t even know existed are putting in claims).

Tottenham are now so far behind in any form of youth development they have pulled their reserve team out of the EPL Reserves League.

Sir Hardly Anyone (also known as The Almighty Lord Trevor Brooking) has written this week to say England as a country of developing footballers is about on a level with Eastern Samoa (well he didn’t quite say that, but you get the idea).

And in the middle of this is Arsenal.  Winners of the youth cup and the Youth League last year and currently beating everyone who comes near them in the Reserve league with a team of 17 year olds.

And – and this is my point - Arsenal have a reserve team made up mostly of Englishmen. Now I admit, I may have got one or two nationalities wrong here, so please correct me but I think that most or even all of these guys are English born…

James Shea, Luke Ayling, Kyle Bartley, Thomas Cruise, Craig Eastmond, Gavin Hoyte, Jay-Emmanuel Thomas, Luke Freeman, Conner Henderson, Henri Lansbury, Rhys Murphy, Mark Randall, Jay Simpson, Sanchez Watt.

There are many more in the youth team – I have only gone through those players who are listed by Arsenal as “Reserve” team players.

What this makes clear is several things.  While Chelsea have failed to bring through a single young talent from its ranks since John “the English don’t dive” Terry, Arsenal is brimming with them.

While Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and other clubs have gone around stealing young players from here there and everywhere, Arsenal has been developing young English talent.

Of course I know that we brought in Cesc, Clichy, Theo and Anelka as young men, but there has never been one suggestion of illegal activity.  Everything was above board and by the books.  Had it not been the club would have been fined.

The papers are making out that every big club is involved in child trafficking – and then fail to mention that Arsenal are not – because in fact Arsenal is the youth development system of football in England.  There is no one else.  Only us.

So we have Leeds accusing  Chelsea over 3 young players a couple of years back, the Kakuta affair (15 when he signed a contract with Chelsea in June 2007).    Reggina have accused Chelsea of tapping up Vincenzo Camilleri, also 15.

Rennes have accused Manchester City of unlawfully signing Jeremy Helan.  Swindon Town announced last week that they have made the FA aware of a new tapping up case.  Dario Gradi has claimed that Liverpool made an illegal approach for a 15-year-old player from Crewe Alexandra in Feb 2008.

There are now 41 Academies in the Premier and Football Leagues – and they have the right to register 40 boys a year from age 8 to 12.  Those that survive to 16 become “scholars”.  Only Arsenal run the system with any sign of success.  As a result of the failure of others there is a real chance that the EPL and FA will dismantle the system, which would harm Arsenal, while failing to control the maniacs and child-kidnappers (ok not really kidnappers, but I am getting carried away here, and I like over the top language) like Chelsea, Man U and the rest.

One thing we should also bear in mind as we watch the glorious flowering of our youth system… In England there is a fanatical desire to see 17 year olds burst on the scene.  In the somewhat more mature Europe first-team debuts are later – 21 or 22 is not uncommon.

For those who have ever groaned as Bendtner misses a shot, remember, in the rest of Europe he would only now be getting his first few games.

Some within the game know it has all gone wrong for them.  Brian Jones, head of Aston “hold your head” Villa’s academy, is quoted as saying “Villa spend a fortune looking at boys from six years old onwards.  With the best will in the world I wouldn’t know if a six, seven or eight year old is going to play in the Premier League in 10 or 12 years’ time. It’s ludicrous.”

So the general idea is that big clubs look for young kids, except to find them, and then when they don’t, go out and steal some more.

What Sir Hardly Anyone (ie Brooking) says is “We must all accept that for a country of some 60 million people, we are not producing the depth of players at the top level with the necessary technical skills now required by the major clubs and international teams.”

Untrue Sir Brook.  Arsenal is doing it – the rest of just dumbo maniacs let loose on an unsuspecting world, nurtured by a daily round of rancid journalism and the inept financial mismanagement of a bunch of bankers and their lackeys.

Three years ago The Great Lord Brooking Who Knows said we should have an elite coaching group to share and spread good practice around the country.

The FA, EPL and other leagues said no, and set up a review which reported two years ago, and led to another committee (Professional Game Youth Development Group) chaired by that Wilkinson character from Leeds.

It was disbanded in January.

And you know, it does not matter, because the model is there for all to see.  Just go and watch Arsenal reserves.

The Great and Glorious Lord Trev says, “A co-ordinated coaching structure and philosophy is still desperately needed with significant investment and resources.  “I have always wanted the FA, as the governing body, to lead this strategic role, as every federation does in all other Uefa countries.”

Well tough Lord Brook.  Because someone got there first, and did the job, and is now gaining all the benefits.

The future of youth football in England is safe.  It is run by Arsene Wenger.

© Tony Attwood 2009

There have been several reports recently that Alisher Usmanov will announce any day now that he has acquired Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith’s 15.6% share in Arsenal.  This will take Usmanov’s holding to over 40%, resulting in him being obliged to make a formal offer for the club.

The Board, namely Peter Hill-Wood will make statements to the effect that the club is not for sale, despite the fact the Hill-Wood sold his shares in Arsenal many years ago to David Dein!  Danny Fiszman will also resist the lure of Usmanov as it will see the return to the club of his nemesis David Dein.

The real kingmaker is new board member Stan Kroenke.  Kroenke has built a stake up approaching the crucial 29.9% mark, mostly through the sale of shares for fellow board members Fiszman and the Carr brothers.  Significantly, Kroenke is not subject to the “lock-down” agreement that the other board members have signed up to.

Kroenke stake in the club is primarily to make a profit and if Usmanov offers him a premium he will accept the price and sell his shares.  Kroenke is not a long-term investor in the club.

The takeover of the club is what Arsenal needs; we need one person to be the powerbroker, one person who will drive the club forward.  At the moment we have too many people with different agendas.

Many fans will fear the Usmanov will saddle the club with debt in the same way as the Glazers did at Manchester United and Hicks and Gillett did at Liverpool.  I doubt this will be the case.  This is man who offered to pay-off the club’s £100million debt in return for a larger stake in the club only to have this idea turned down by the board.

Usmanov will bring back to the club Mr Arsenal – David Dein.  This will be the perfect move as Dein ensured that Wenger got his transfer targets, we would have bought Hangeland, Chamakh and Matuidi had Dein been at the club in the summer.

If Usmanov is successful in taking over the club, I hope he has the foresight to retain the services of Ivan Gazidis who is taking Arsenal forward in the commercial and marketing spheres.

Arsenal Football Club needs one owner and that man is Alisher Usmanov.