Kevin Whitcher
Sead Kolašinac and Alexandre Lacazette seem to be examples of good business by Arsenal. Optimism is high about what both players will bring to the squad, and specifically there is a belief that both will be regular first team starters. So far, so good. Ivan Gazidis told supporters at the end of June that “On the squad side, we’re not looking to add more squad depth now, we’re looking at players who can come in and compete for a starting position”, which to me is at least an admission that the current first choice eleven could do with some improvement.
Let’s imagine that, given the success Arsène Wenger enjoyed when he switched to a 3-4-3 formation after the Palace defeat, the manager will continue with it. Currently, he seems well covered for central defenders and left wing backs. But, on the right flank there could be problems if the Ox does not sign up for a new deal and the club decides to cash in. Granted, Mathieu Debuchy has another two years on his current deal, and Carl Jenkinson three more, but in the former case, will the former French international be content to continue playing second fiddle to Hector Bellerin, and is the latter good enough for the role? Or maybe the manager has Rob Holding earmarked as Bellerin’s back up. Maybe that’s a position where, even without the Ox, the club can get by.
The quality of depth in the middle of the park is a concern though, and this is why I think the club should go all out to secure young German international Leon Goretzka from Schalke. The player has a year left on his contract with his club, and can play both a box to box role or as a more disciplined holding midfielder. And he is very highly rated by people that watch far more German football than I do. At present, the first choice central midfield would be Xhaka and Ramsey. But the back up? Let’s forget Cazorla, effectively out for the season, and Jack Wilshere, who seems to have burned his bridges with the manager and is currently injured, with no date set for his return.
That leaves us with Elneny and Coquelin. I know the Egyptian has his fans, but I am not convinced he has the quality necessary to be the authoritative figure required, and the stats of the team’s defeats with Coquelin in the side last season are pretty damning. Effectively, Xhaka and Ramsey are secure in their positions and if one gets injured, the club are in trouble. So I say buy Goretska and be done with it. Perhaps secure a contract extension for Ramsey first, but don’t hang around as Goretska seems set to move this summer and other clubs may gazump the Gunners.
Up front, I’d be astonished and delighted if the club allowed Alexis Sanchez to run down his deal and leave as a free agent next summer. So on that front, assuming Alexandre Lacazette has been bought to add to the team rather than replace Sanchez, the club’s interest in Monaco’s Thomas Lemar is encouraging and the signs are that this deal may well happen sooner rather than later. So another player who would surely be an automatic starter, especially if Sanchez departs as expected.
That would leave one position to fill in the front three. One imagines Mesut Ozil will be at the club next season for the simple reason that no club will pay the amount Arsenal would ask for him (unlike Sanchez) and the player would be open to running down his own deal. There is obviously a long running debate about the German’s value to the team, but I’d put him in the front three alongside the two new imports, with the likes of Welbeck, Giroud and Iwobi as quality back up.
Theo Walcott should never get anywhere near an Arsenal starting eleven again if the club are serious about pushing on. Definitely one to try and offload, along with Kieran Gibbs. It’s a shame Lucas Perez was never given a proper chance by Wenger, but we don’t know the thinking behind the decision not to play him. My suspicion is that it’s personal between the player and the manager, something was said and that Wenger decided Perez had no future. Maybe one day the truth will out.
Might we assume that Serge Gnabry was another outspoken character? Arsenal sending him to West Brom when he had two seasons remaining on his deal turned out to be a wasted move, and when the player returned to Arsenal he didn’t get a look in. No wonder he rejected the club’s offer to sign an extended deal. He returned to Germany and is currently a Bayern Munich player.
Gnabry and Perez. Arsenal are looking at Thomas Lemar for a wide attacking position, and yet, they have let go (or will do in the case of Perez) two perfectly good players who never got the extended run they deserved. Strange. And what’s the betting Theo will be hanging around like a piece of fish gone off next season?
Today’s T-Shirt offer
Most of the £3.99 BFG t-shirts have been sold (just 5 x small and 1 x medium remain), so now to flog a few shirts celebrating a famous trio of French superstars that combined with such devastating effect between 2000 and 2005. Goonershirts have a very limited supply of small (just the one), medium (five) and large (three) and XL (one only). For these, as numbers are very limited we are charging £5.99 with free postage (UK only). It’s first come, first served, but be warned… I will be offline until approx. 10am tomorrow morning (Wednesday). So drop a line to [email protected] with your requested size, name and address and we’ll send you details of how to pay tomorrow morning – which will be via PayPal or online bank transfer – but only if we still have the shirt in the size you want. As stated, it’s first come, first served and these are likely to sell out by the end of the day.
