PARIS (AP) Top-rated Moldovan teenager Masal Bugduv has said that diplomatic issues are holding up his drawn out transfer to Arsenal as the clock ticks down to the end of the transfer window.
THE player described as the finest young player to come out of Eastern European football since Gheorge Hagi has given his first full interview which will appear in this week’s Stars of Tomorrow feature in L’Equipe.
Speaking through an interpreter, the 16-year-old said that his move has been held up by the Foreign Office and concerns regarding his international clearance.
“For many month I have dreamt of coming to play for an English football club and the interest has been shown from Arsenal.
“I was hoping that everything would be completed by now and I would be joining my new teammates, but there are issues surrounding my work permits and international clearance.
“Because I have played in several internationals at different levels this year, the club need to clarify if I qualify for immediate clearance or whether I have to wait until January.
The well-built teenager said that he feels he is good enough to play for Arsenal and that the loss at Fulham on Saturday is just a temporary blip.
“I am confident that Arsenal will recover from their loss at Fulham. It may be better to lose a game now than in March or April when it hots up.
“The team is still trying to gel itself together but it is a good team.
Bugduv, the 16-year-old hotshot of Moldovan football has been linked with a host of top clubs around Europe for most of the summer.?Bugduv was left out of his country’s friendly with Lithuania last week because of his complicated transfer negotiations that have seen him based in London.
“I missed out on the game because the coach Mr Sagaev felt it would be better if I got my club sorted and that he will be playing me in the World Cup qualifiers in the autumn. While I am sad to lose an opportunity to play for Moldova, he told me that I will have plenty of time and plenty of more games for my country. Especially if my move to Arsenal is completed.
“My mother and father are very proud of what I have done and my father has been a fan of Arsenal for many years. He has a big photograph of Smith scoring a goal against Parma in the Cup Winners final.
“For me to play for Arsenal would make him cry, I think, he would be so happy.”
Born on April 14, 1992, he shot to fame playing for his native FC Olimpia B?l?i for whom he scored a hattrick on his competitive debut in an Adzi Cup match in December 2007.?Bagduv became the youngest player capped at that level by his country and he went on to make his senior international debut aged just 16 years and 44 days when he came on for the national team in their 2-2 draw with Armenia in a friendly international in Tiraspol on May 28.?Trailing 2-1 with just ten minutes left, Moldova seemed set to lose until Bagduv lost his marker on the left wing, shimmied inside two defenders and fired in a shot that could only be parried by Armenian keeper Racif into the path of onrushing Igor Bugaev who equalised. (AP)

TIROL, MOLDOVA (AP) THE player described as the finest young player to come out of Eastern European football since Gheorge Hagi is good enough to go straight in to the Arsenal first team, according to his agent.
Massi Bugduv, the 16-year-old hotshot of Moldovan football has been linked with a host of top clubs around Europe for most of the summer.
Bugduv was left out of his country’s friendly with Lithuania this week because of his complicated transfer negotiations that have seen him based in London since Monday with conflicting news reports having him signing for Arsenal, Chelsea, Zenit St Petersburg, and bizarrely, a move to Reading that involved a loan stint in Ireland in order to secure a work permit.
Last night in London, his agent Sergei Yulikov said that he is sure that the demands of the Premiership will not phase his protege.
“I have no doubt that he has the ability of Fabregas and Nasri, but he needs a stage to perform and prove this. He can be as strong as Obi Mikel of Chelsea, but remember that he is still just a 16 year old boy.
“I cannot talk about the talks with Arsenal, but Masal is happy that he is even being linked with this great football club.
“It plays football the beautiful way, always moving, always passing, always running. It is like the football he played as a child, which is not too long ago, so he cannot believe that this type of football can be played at the top level in Europe,” he said.
Mr Yulikov was seen leaving Highbury House yesterday, the offices of Arsenal near the Emirates Stadium where twenty four hours previously, the club revealed Man Utd player Mikhael Silvestre as their latest summer signing.
Masal Bugduv has been described as one of the most exciting young footballers to come out of Moldocan football.
Born on April 14, 1992, he shot to fame playing for his native FC Olimpia B?l?i for whom he scored a hattrick on his competitive debut in an Adzi Cup match in December 2007.
Bagduv became the youngest player capped at that level by his country and he went on to make his senior international debut aged just 16 years and 44 days when he came on for the national team in their 2-2 draw with Armenia in a friendly international in Tiraspol on May 28.
Trailing 2-1 with just ten minutes left, Moldova seemed set to lose until Bagduv lost his marker on the left wing, shimmied inside two defenders and fired in a shot that could only be parried by Armenian keeper Racif into the path of onrushing Igor Bugaev who equalised. (AP)