Osasuna replace Carlos Vela with Arsenal trialist

By 1970’s Gooner

Osasuna were so impressed with Arsenal’s Carlos Vela that they sent a delegation to London last April to ask for an extension of his loan for another year.

But Arsene Wenger would have none of it of course and Carlos will be joining up for pre season in early July.

Osasuna who have just managed to avoid relegation usually play a tight 4 3 3 or 4 5 1 formation where the wide midfielders play a key role not only when they attack but coming back to close in the midfield areas and defend.

And Carlos played that role on the left wing quite well. Now he has gone they have been on the look out to replace him and it appears that the new recruit to do that is a player that Arsene Wenger had on trial last December.

It is reported that Bulgarian Nicolay Dimitrov will be that man. We don’t know if Wenger has been advising his friends at Osasuna, President Patxi Izco and sports Director Juanjo Lorenzo but they are willing to pay 1.5 m euros for his signature.


He is a similar player to Vela. He is on the shortish side, left footed and full of trickery.

As reported on this site Dimitrov has been under the close eye of Sunderland and Newcastle recently and there was also keen interest from German clubs Nuremberg and Leverkusen.

Dimitrov was invited by Arsenal to London Colney last December for a 10 day trial. Wenger also had the player watched by scout Bobby Bennet in a tournament his club Levski played in Israel.