Arsenal had an impressive summer transfer window under Unai Emery. The Gunners broke their transfer record by signing Nicolas Pepe, and also strengthened some other areas of the pitch.
From what has transpired so far this season, the north London outfit have shown that there are still areas where they need to improve on to challenge for trophies.
Arsenal will need players who can perform better than some of the current crop. However, they also need to clear up space to make way for new faces.
Here are three players Arsenal need to get rid of in January or in the near future:
3 players Arsenal should sell in the January transfer window
Mesut Ozil
Former German international Mesut Ozil divides opinion amongst the Arsenal fans like no other player. While there is no doubt that he has a lot of qualities, his work rate and inconsistency means he is no longer a regular.
Ozil has clearly fallen behind the pecking order at Arsenal, having made just one appearance in the Premier League. If he doesn’t work, he’s a liability, and it doesn’t seem like the situation will improve.
The 30-year-old attacking midfielder pockets an exorbitant wage of £1.4million a month. Selling him will help Arsenal free up more wages and in the end, signing someone better come January or next summer.
Shkodran Mustafi
When Shkodran Mustafi was signed from Valencia for £35million in the summer of 2016, a lot of expectations were nested on his shoulders. He featured regularly at the back in his first two seasons at the Emirates Stadium, but never really convinced.
The central defender’s Arsenal career took a real nosedive since the start of the previous campaign as he made too many mistakes, and has looked short of confidence since.
While the likes of Sokratis and David Luiz haven’t exactly impressed, in Callum Chambers and Rob Holding, Arsenal have the cover. So, perhaps January is when they should get rid of Mustafi for good and use the money to sign a proven centre-half in the summer.
Granit Xhaka
Being appointed as the club-captain, Granit Xhaka has been persisted with and backed adequately by Emery despite the fact that the Swiss international has become more of a liability for Arsenal lately.
While Matteo Guendouzi has done well, Xhaka’s error-prone displays have only earned him more criticism.
Xhaka’s passing can be a bonus, but his tackling is a liability, and he doesn’t really cover a lot of ground either. Arsenal can do with someone who is more mobile, and can pick a pass.
If they are to move forward under Emery, the midfield will have to be perfect for the style to work. Is Xhaka the answer? No.
