- Arsenal have much to do to sort out their long-term plans
- Various stars on expiring deals, other bit-part players could seek exits
- Wenger will have a task on his hands to rebuild if he doesn’t keep group together
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Things aren’t going well for Arsenal on the pitch, and supporters have been reminded of the dangers that they face off it too.
The Gunners were dumped out of the FA Cup at the weekend after a disastrous trip to Nottingham Forest, while they currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table, five points adrift of the top four.
In turn, the pressure and scrutiny will only build from this point if things don’t improve, and it doesn’t help that there is so much uncertainty surrounding so many players in the first-team squad.
Sanchez and Ozil biggest concerns
According to The Sun, there could be up to 10 players facing uncertain futures at Arsenal, with star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil the obvious pair to start things off.
With both their contracts set to expire at the end of the season, it remains to be seen whether or not they pen new deals, although the closer we get to the summer the more unlikely it seems.
Meanwhile, bit-part pair Francis Coquelin and Mathieu Debuchy have also had doubts raised over their futures, while Jack Wilshere is also out of contract in six months time, as per the report.
The England international is playing regularly and performing well after years of injury problems, and so it’s seemingly a no-brainer that Arsenal will offer his a new contract before too long.
Bit part players also have question marks hanging over them
Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott are also put under the spotlight by the Sun as the pair have struggled to force their way into Arsene Wenger’s plans on a consistent basis this season.
It could be argued that Walcott is expendable given the options ahead of him in the pecking order, although Giroud may split opinion. The Frenchman offers a different option up top, and there is a case to be made that Arsenal should keep hold of him. However, if he doesn’t get regular playing time, he will surely want a move elsewhere himself.
The Sun also raise doubts over Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck, while Santi Cazorla’s injury nightmare continues and fears remain over when we might see him back on the pitch, if at all.
As a result, that’s a lot to sort out. It’s impossible to plan long-term with all that going on, and if Wenger does see key pieces leave over the next six months to a year, he’s got plenty of work on his hands to put a new group in place.