There was a report in Metro this morning that Arsenal target Stevan Jovetic has "ruled out" a move to Arsenal. Here at TSF, we like to educate, not bleat, so we're using this as a teachable moment. It's like school, but without all the nasty homework, grades, and social isolation!
First off, it's Metro, so you know that it's not the most reliable source in the world to start with. Second off, let's FJM this a bit, shall we?
‘I gave my all to Fiorentina, but [coach] Antonio Conte could help me grow at Juventus,' he said.
Well, sure. Any good coach can do that.
Juve have been after me for a year, and they say they want me and that I'm a top target. Who wouldn't be flattered by that?
Again, sure! Anybody who is mentioned by a "better" employer would be flattered, right? It shows you're doing good work.
I want to move there so I can grow.
This is the one that sticks in the craw a bit. But if you look at it in the context of the first two quotes, what you have is a player who wants to leave, is linked with a club, and is saying nice things about the club in case something happens. Swap out Arsene Wenger/Arsenal, Jose Mourinho/Chelsea, or any other Big Club Club/Big Club Manager combo, and you can write the same story.
Combine that non-story with this non-story, in which Jovetic says:
"I will also evaluate the Premier League, which is a fantastic championship, as well as La Liga. I have proposals from each of them so let's see what happens."
You also have this one, in which Jovetic says:
"For a year they (Juventus) have said they want me," he said. "I come before (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Carlos) Tevez and (Gonzalo) Higuain in their list. Who would not be flattered?
"With (Juventus manager Antonio) Conte I feel that I could continue to grow. I think the feeling is mutual.
"But the Premier League is also fantastic championship, as is La Liga. I have some opportunities so we'll see."
And you can see why the transfer season starts to bother me. On the one hand, you have Jamie Sanderson's headline which screams "JOVETIC RULES OUT ARSENAL", and on the other, several quotes from the man himself saying no such thing.
So what's the lesson here? The lesson is twofold: First, don't single-source anything in the summer. And, most importantly, don't take most of these things at face value. We know no more about Jovetic's desired destination this morning than we did yesterday; Arsenal are still in the running, so we'll have to wait and see what he decides.