Arsenal wonderkid who rejected Man Utd seals transfer after Carrick intervention
Former Arsenal wonderkid Sam Greenwood has left Leeds United to join Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough.
The forward has penned a season-long loan deal with the Championship side after leaving Elland Road. He will hope to help his new side recover from a poor start to the new campaign - Middlesbrough having not yet won a game this term.
Speaking after the deal to take him to the Riverside, Boro boss Carrick said: “Sam is a really talented player. He’s two-footed and he gives us greater flexibility. We’re looking forward to working with both him and Lewis O’Brien, and helping them develop as players.”
The switch to Middlesbrough represents the 21-year-old’s latest career move as he attempts to continue his development. Greenwood kicked off his career in Sunderland’s youth ranks before moving to Arsenal in 2018 at the age of 16 for a reported fee of around £500,000, rejecting Manchester United in the process.
Speaking about his motivations behind the switch, he said: “I wanted and felt like I was ready for a new challenge. I had quite a lot of interest from other clubs, but the only concrete thing I heard about was Arsenal. I didn’t look back from there.
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“At the start I did struggle a bit. I’ve been with my family my whole life. Moving to London, which is totally different to Sunderland, you miss family quite a lot.
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“My dad is usually at every training session and is ready to pick me up. If you have a bad game, sometimes you’re like ‘Yeah I wish I had my dad to have those chats on the way home in the car.’ I used to rely on him. Moving away from home turns you into a man. You grow up and start putting responsibility on yourself.”
Greenwood was never afforded a senior appearance for the Gunners and eventually left for Leeds in August 2020. The Whites paid a reported £1.5m to sign the striker and he got more opportunities within the first team.
In all, he has made 35 appearances for Leeds, and scored one goal - that coming in a 4-3 victory over Bournemouth last season. Explaining that move, he said: “I just got on with my football down there [at Arsenal]. It was a massive difference moving from Sunderland to London. A totally different world.
“Coming from Arsenal to here [Leeds], there isn’t too much difference but I get a lot more opportunities here. I wasn’t as close to the first team at Arsenal as I am here. So it’s been a good decision for me.”
Greenwood could potentially make his debut for Middlesbrough this weekend take on Queens Park Rangers at the Riverside as they go in search of their first win of the season.
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