It can’t be underestimated how big a job Mikel Arteta will have to do if he wants to turn Arsenal around.
They’ve gone from a regular title contender to Europa League mediocrity, but the club has also shown they lack the money to completely overhaul the team and it’s not like they have a lot of players who can be sold for big money either.
It could be a fine balancing act when it comes to getting rid of players without disrupting the harmony of the team, so getting rid of high earning fringe players seems like a great place to start.
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In all honestly, the swap deal that took Alexis Sanchez to Man United and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Arsenal was a disaster for both clubs, as both players are now out on loan in Serie A after underwhelming since making their moves.
The Express has reported on the situation with Mkhitaryan, and this should come as great news for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
They suggest that Roma are keen to sign him on a permanent basis, so Arsenal could get a fee and will also be able to get his £160k per week salary off the books.
It’s not clear if Roma are paying his full wage for the loan spell, but it’s common to see Premier League clubs continue to pay some of the salary when a player moves abroad.
Although he’s unlikely to command a giant transfer fee, that wage could be used on two or three players elsewhere in the squad who could provide depth and quality, so this looks like a welcome start to the rebuild for Arteta.