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After taking one wrong turn, Lupoli determined not to stray from the right path again

15th September 2008 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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It wasn't so much what he said after grabbing his third goal in as many games that was of interest; it was what he said before Saturday's trip to Plymouth that caught the eye.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail on Friday, Arturo Lupoli gave a fascinating insight into the way that his career has panned out of late – particularly when it came to that crossroads moment early in 2007; wait and sign a new contract with Arsenal or return to his Italian homeland with a five-year deal with Serie A giants Fiorentina tucked away in his back pocket…

In the end, the 21-year-old on-loan City striker appears to have made a decision in haste, one that he came to regret at his leisure with that wasted year with Treviso in Serie B last season.

The loan spell at Derby County the year before was OK, but nothing to set the world alight. All too foten played out wide on the left, he never quite hit it off with the boss Billy Davies – busily bull-dozing his way into the Premiership with Steve Howard up top.

Now, however, and the Canary striker is all too well aware of the opportunity that knocks in Norfolk. Carry on where he left off this weekend in the back-to-back home games against QPR and Sheffield United and the one-time record-breaking Italian teenager could be catching up fast with many of his ex-Gunners team-mates.

“You have very difficult moments when you change teams four times in four seasons, but if I want to get to the Premier League, Serie A or La Liga, I have to find the right place to make a name for myself,” Lupoli told The Mail, before finishing Antoine Sibierski's 15th minute flick-on with aplomb at Home Park on Saturday.

It was the kind of sure and certain finish that made Lupoli such a goal-scoring sensation as a 17-year-old – a strike rate that swiftly, almost inevitably, came to Arsene Wenger's attention as the Gunners chief prowled the scouting networks of Europe for the next big thing.

And, of course, but for the width of a crossbar and a far linesman's flag, Lupoli could have left Plymouth with the match-ball as the Pilgrims threatened to sink without trace under the weight of Norwich's bright, attacking football.

Read that Mail interview carefully and it is clear that Lupoli has much by the way of unfinished business; that this is a bright young man who knows where he wants to get to – and by putting himself in such a shop window as Norwich, how he might get there.

In theory, both parties could be a winner. Lupoli scores the kind of goals to earn his a lucrative move to the top flight as Norwich motor on up the Championship table with his goals translating into priceless points. The only downside is that it will be Fiorentina, not Norwich, picking up the phone when the big calls come.

But that's the loan system for you. Buying Lupoli outof the remaining four years of his contract with the Viola was never an option for a club of Norwich's ilk; making the best possible use of his talents whilst he's in Norfolk is City's only option – unless, of course, a Peter Cullum of this world wants to splash a third of his ?20 million in cash on one, free-scoring Italian.

Gael Clichy, one-time City loan target Nicklas Bendtner and Mathieu Flamini – now, of course, back in Italy himself following his money-spinning summer switch to AC Milan on a four-year deal – were his counterparts in that Gunners' reserve team. Two now play regularly at The Emirates; the third at the San Siro.

“They are very good players, so they deserve to play at the highest level,” Lupoli told The Mail, displaying a welcome degree of self-assessment and honesty.

“I wasn't ready to make the big step and play regularly in Arsenal's first team. That is why I went to Derby,” he said.

“I had played regularly with Bendtner, Flamini and Clichy in the reserves. We were all together and good friends and I wish them luck. I still watch them every week and my aim is to get to their level.”

To get to that level, he knows he has to score goals. The manner in which he celebrated that late leveller in the 2-2 draw at Ninian Park suggested someone who was very much on a mission and with an ideal foil now alongside him in the shape of the footballing Frenchman Sibierski, Lupoli could soon find his name back up in lights after, he admitted, taking the wrong turn when Fiorentina came to call.

“I thought long and hard about returning to Italy, but maybe I made my decision too early,” he said. “My contract was up in June but by February I had already signed with Fiorentina. I should have waited for the season to end before making up my mind.”

Hindsight is always a wonderful thing. Besides, Arsenal's loss may prove to be Norwich's immeasurable gain if the left-footed Italian really clicks into gear with his new best pal 'Sibi'.

“I think we have a lot of quality that mixed together could be great because he can head the ball for me, he's a technical player and he sees a lot of my movement as well,” Lupoli, told the Evening News tonight.

The pair had this continental wave-length thing going on; that and Sibierski's 16-years of experience.

“It was his first game but it was like I'd been playing with him already for 10 or 20 games. It's good and hopefully will get better,” added Lupoli.

“It was his header for my goal and then he tried to look for my run two or three other times. He's an experienced player, so you always play well when you play with this kind of player.”


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