A few days ago, Mikel Arteta tested positive for Coronavirus. It was followed by the FA suspending all Premier League matches until the start of April. Meanwhile, the quarantine period and the lack of football during the rest of the month should give the Arsenal manager the time to plan a potential overhaul in the summer.
And in this article, we will talk about four players Arsenal should consider selling this summer as the Gunners look to usher in a successful era under Arteta.
David Luiz
If Arsenal are to improve themselves as a unit truly, they must make tough decisions as far as a squad overhaul is concerned. And getting rid of last summer’s marquee signing David Luiz, in that regard, might be one step in the right direction.
Indeed, the Brazilian, since arriving from Chelsea, has been no less than a liability for Arsenal this season. He has made countless defensive errors throughout the campaign while failing to provide any sort of leadership at the back – the very thing Arsenal fans were yearning for, following the departure of Laurent Koscielny.
Although Luiz’s performances have improved, of late, he still hasn’t been able to make himself a reliable figure at the back for the Gunners. Therefore, Arteta should look to offload the ex-PSG star and instead, sign someone who can genuinely provide some guidance for the Arsenal backline next season.
Konstantinos Mavropanos
While Luiz has failed to make full use of his opportunities, Konstantinos Mavropanos has become a forgotten figure in the Arsenal backline due to his lack of chances.
The Greek defender initially joined Arsenal back in 2018 but has never really been able to make the desired impact in the first-team. He has also been unlucky with injuries and lack of chances while the presence of too many central defenders in the team forced Arteta to send Mavropanos out on loan to FC Nuremberg in January. The 22-year-old has continued to struggle in Germany and his days at Emirates could be numbered.
Mesut Ozil
By far the biggest and the most controversial name on this list, Arsenal must offload Mesut Ozil this summer if they are to move forward.
The German has been on a steady decline for the past couple of years, and he has barely been able to provide any sort of consistency in the final third. His overall work-rate has been poor, and despite his improved performances under Arteta, Ozil has clearly failed to fill the hole left by Aaron Ramsey in the creative department.
The biggest issue behind Ozil’s stay at Arsenal is that the ex-Real Madrid star earns a stupendous amount of money at Emirates. It impacts the club’s overall wage structure, and to that end, Ozil’s potential sale in the summer could help Arsenal recover their financial situation, allowing them to sign new players.
Mohamed Elneny
Mohamed Elneny is another forgotten figure at Arsenal. The Egyptian international, who joined the club back in 2016 with a lot of promise, has failed to live up to the expectations.
More often than not, Elneny has found it difficult to settle himself into the high paced nature of the Premier League. Moreover, he has appeared tactically incompatible under Arsene Wenger and later, Unai Emery. As a result, he was shipped to Besiktas by Emery in the summer, in a season-long loan deal.
The 27-year-old has performed decently in Turkey and Arsenal could use that to recoup the €12.5 million they spent on the midfielder back in 2016.
