According to Turkish-Football, Arsenal has offered Shkodran Mustafi to Galatasaray in this January transfer window. The Gunners are aware of the fact the Turkish giants are looking to strengthen their defensive department. As a result, they are willing to part ways with Mustafi to boost their finances.
But, is it the right decision by Mikel Arteta? Here are the pros and cons of Mustafi’s potential departure from Emirates in January.
Pros
As mentioned earlier, Mustafi’s departure from Emirates could boost Arsenal’s finances as Galatasaray would likely have to pay a sizeable fee for the defender. Although his current contract at the club expires at the end of next season, it won’t be surprising to see Arsenal managing to salvage at least €15 million from the sale of Mustafi.
Not to mention, offloading Mustafi would help the Gunners balance their wage structure, which, combined with the defender’s transfer fee, should enable Arteta to fund a move for a top-class defender.
Moreover, it is fair to point out that even though Arsenal have lacked depth in the defensive department, especially with so many players struggling with injuries, Mustafi has hardly been utilised. Indeed, the German international has made only three Premier League appearances, only one of which was a start. He has mostly played in the Cup fixtures. And so the potential departure of Mustafi might not practically affect the Gunners as much.
Cons
There is a fine line between practicality and theory. While Mustafi hasn’t featured in a lot of matches this season, his absence would create a large void in the Arsenal backline. And this could seriously put Arteta in a big spot of bother, especially with Calum Chambers being ruled out with a long-term ACL injury.
That means David Luiz, Rob Holding and Sokratis remain the only viable options for Arteta in central defence. So unless the club manages to sign a new defender, which is undoubtedly going to be difficult, the Spaniard could struggle to cope with the hectic schedule during the second half of the campaign.
Besides, it is needless to say Luiz has looked incredibly inconsistent throughout the campaign. Hence, it is always a bonus for Arteta to have an additional alternative, one who has considerable experience of playing in the Premier League. Mustafi, in that regard, has provided himself to be that option this season.
