Arsenal are in yet another transition phase with new manager Mikel Arteta, who is trying to change the ethos of the club and the way they play. Arteta wants to play quick, attacking football, with a solid defensive structure, which has been lacking at the Emirates for years.
For the new Arsenal manager to bring about a change at the club, he will need to bring in players that will fit the system, as well as get rid of players to fund new signings and sell those that have stagnated.
Let’s take a look at 5 players Arsenal should sell in the summer to initiate an overhaul
Shkodran Mustafi
The Gunners defence and their defending have been nothing short of shambolic over the last few years and that’s an area that Arteta has to improve in the summer. One defender who has been comically poor is Shkodran Mustafi, who joined Arsenal from Valencia for a huge fee of £35 million in 2016. The German has been woefully poor in the last four seasons, making numerous mistakes that have led to Arsenal conceding important goals.
The 27-year-old does not have a future in north London, and with his contract ending in 2021, Arteta should sell him in the summer to make some money out of his sale and not let him leave on a free transfer.
David Luiz
When Arsenal signed David Luiz ahead of the 2019-20 season from Chelsea, many fans felt that it was a huge gamble. The Brazilian has had good moments in the Premier League, but he has also been shockingly bad at times defensively.
It’s quite clear that the Luiz gamble hasn’t paid off and the Gunners have to cut their losses and let him go in the summer. Luiz, who turns 33 in April, also has one-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract, and he too should be allowed to leave as he is well past his prime and fails to bring about any sense of calm or leadership when needed.
Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil is a polarising figure. Some Gooners love him for the apparent creativity that he offers in the final third, but others slate him for his languid style of play and for not contributing enough to the team. The German is clearly the most creative player in the Gunners squad, but he hasn’t been scoring or assisting enough to warrant the huge wages that he is on.
Like Mustafi and Luiz, his contract, too, expires in 2021. The Gunners should not offer him a new deal on recent form and he should be moved in the summer and they could use his transfer fee to buy a younger, promising talent.
Granit Xhaka
Before Mikel Arteta arrived at the club, Arsenal fans felt that Granit Xhaka would be shown the door after publicly falling out with them. But the defensive midfielder has stayed through January and become a key part of the team. Xhaka has been in decent form, playing alongside Lucas Torreira, but if the past is any indication, it’s only a matter of time before Xhaka makes a costly error.
The Swiss midfielder should be sold and the Gunners should bring a stronger, taller and more physical player to play at the base of midfield to give the defence some much-needed cover along with creativity from deeper areas.
Sead Kolasinac
Another area in the defence that needs to be refreshed is left-back. Kieran Tierney was signed by Arsenal ahead of the 2019-20 season, but injuries have limited his appearances in a Gunners shirt. Sead Kolasinac, who is another option at left-back, hasn’t quite been at his best, as he too has suffered injuries, while his form has been poor as well.
Kolasinac hasn’t quite lived up to expectations since signing for Arsenal in 2017 and hasn’t contributed much in attack or defence. The Gunners need to sell him and buy an exciting full-back who can support the front men, while also be solid in defence, to give competition to Tierney.
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