There are evident fault lines developing between Nuri Sahin and Jose Mourinho even as it becomes inevitable that he will leave Real Madrid on a loan move to the Premiership. The question is where?
There is competition between Arsenal and Liverpool for his signature. Sahin prefers Arsenal as a club where he believes he can prosper for a year under an avowed admirer in Arsene Wenger. With Alex Song’s credentials as holding midfielder requiring lots of behavioural modification, Sahin is assured of substantial playing minutes. The possibility too of Song decamping for the Camp Nou has been playing out in a familiar way and so far Wenger has been holding out as per the Spanish media.
Jose Mourinho is offering Sahin a Liverpool gig as a plug to his past association with Brendan Rodgers who coached Chelsea’s reserve team during his time and earned the Special One’s respect with his success. He publicly praised Rodgers’s appointment as Liverpool coach saying it would bring back their glory days.
If one were Sahin, this should be a no brainer. Arsenal offers the best possible opportunity to develop further playing alongside talent like Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski, Mikel Arteta, and possibly even Robin Van Persie if he stays. Liverpool also does not give him the opportunity to shine his wares in the Champions League. Plus, there is the added attraction of a future long term move should Song move to Barca.