Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores has been criticised for his decision to move to Mexico and join Tigres rather than moving somewhere else.
The Arsenal midfielder is on the verge of completing a move to Tigres, having flown into Mexico to complete a transfer to the club today.
The move is causing plenty of conversation, including a debate on show La Última Palabra, where they were less than impressed by the player’s choice of new club.
The show includes various personalities discussing the issue of players returning to Mexico from Europe, with it usually either players returning who have failed to make the grade or those at the end of their career.
It’s case of the former for Flores, who had been highly rated for several years after arriving in Arsenal’s youth set up from Ipswich in 2019 but hasn’t lived up to the hype at the Emirates and struggled during a loan spell at Real Oviedo last year.
He’s now heading to Mexico aged just 19 in an attempt to kickstart his career, something former Mexican midfielder Salim Chartouni is less than impressed by.
“It’s a tremendous step backwards,” he said.
“It would hurt me to think that these youngsters are going back because, in reality, they are not as good because with Lainez nothing happened, with Pizzuto nothing happened and with Flores even less.
“With all that budget, Tigres should come up with a great school of trainers, nurture their great team and then think about selling them.
“This is not a step for Marcelo, it’s four steps backwards for his career. I understand that money seduces, but with the qualities and conditions that Marcelo’s father knows he has, leave him somewhere else.
“Tigres doesn’t force anyone, it offers contracts, and, in the case of Marcelo Flores, he probably took it because there was nothing better,” added journalist Gustavo Mendoza.
“I don’t think he had more offers than this. I don’t like a 19-year-old talent coming to Mexico because he couldn’t make his way in Europe.”
