Mputu comes back on trial at Arsenal again as Wenger has second thoughts

By Aries

As first reported on this site Tresor Mputu’s club,TP Mazembe, have been invited by Arsene Wenger himself to London for a series of friendlies, including Arsenal.

Mputu has already finished a ten day trial period at London Colney last November but as yet there are no official news. This is after Wenger himself stated that he was impressed with the player and the player’s agent predicting that the deal was as good as done!

This new “trial” will give Arsene Wenger one last opportunity to have another close look at Tresor Mputu in action against strong opposition in as real a match situation as possible.

TP Mazembe arrived in London last Sunday and have already began using Arsenal’s training ground preparing for their series of friendly games.


Arsene Wenger himself welcomed his guests and told them to feel at home. According to TP Mazembe’s official site Arsene Wenger said to Mputu:

“I hope that this time you really consider yourself as part of the family and I shall again want to see you work as you did last time”.

Interestingly enough Mputu was recommended to Wenger by his long time friend Roland Scheubel whose judgement about potential talent is highly thought of by Wenger.

When Scheubel recommended Wenger look at a young Ivorian, Wenger listened. He needed little convincing to give Kolo Toure his chance and a transfer fee of around £150,000 was soon paid to his club, ASEC Mimosas. The rest is history.

Scheubel has been at London Colney to meet up with Mazembe and Mputu. He is pictured here with Mazembe’s Financial director Salomon Idi.



Arsenal’s friendly against Mazembe is scheduled for today, Thursday 24th January and it provides Mputu with one last opportunity to impress Wenger and make his dream to move to the Premier league a reality.

But he has a host of other clubs interested in his signature inclusive of Standard Liege of Belgium and that is where Mazembe and Mputu will be continuing their series of friendly games after they leave London Colney.