Charlie Nicholas has had his say on the current Arsenal squad, and has picked three individuals who he thinks will be shown the door.
Question marks remain over Arsene Wenger’s future with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season, but there are also concerns over the squad and whether it’s good enough to deliver a Premier League title.
Sky Sports have picked out five players as a discussion point to determine whether or not there could be wholesale changes at the Emirates.
Surprisingly, Mesut Ozil isn’t one of the individuals to leave in Nicholas’s opinion, as the playmaker has been tipped to stay by the Sky Sports pundit despite his horrendous form in recent weeks.
It essentially comes down to the fact that he doesn’t see where the German international would go as his options are limited, and he believes he’ll be easier to persuade to stay than Alexis Sanchez.
Further, the former Gunners man doesn’t believe Theo Walcott will leave either as despite continuing to fall short of expectations, he believes that he remains an asset for the squad if he remains fit and steers clear of injuries.
However, it wasn’t a similar picture for Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the first two being hindered by Ozil’s presence and monopoly over the advanced playmaker role.
Nicholas believes that if the right offer came in for the former Real Madrid ace, then he would personally accept and give Wilshere the nod. It doesn’t look likely though.
Meanwhile, he’s argued that Oxlade-Chamberlain should be playing more often that he does if he has a future at Arsenal, but given his lack of opportunities aside from his recent run in midfield, it would suggest that he might have to move elsewhere to fulfil his potential.