Arsenal have recruited heavily in defence in recent years without really moving anybody on, so it’s left them in a situation where they are bloated in that area of the squad.
Realistically it means a few of them will need to move on in the next couple of transfer windows, but the club will probably be hoping to get something in return.
That looks unlikely to be the case with Shkodran Mustafi, with a report from Football.London indicating that he plans to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season.
He’s been a regular starter under Arteta and it’s suggested that he was offered a new contract in the summer, but he’s decided to reject it and move on.
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It will be irritating for the club as it’s confirmed they spent £35m to bring him in from Valencia, so it doesn’t look like good business when a big money signing leaves for nothing.
It might not be all bad news as they also indicate that William Saliba is hoping to finally get a chance to impress with a congested fixture list coming up, while this news should boost his chances of getting into the team.
It makes sense to see how good the Frenchman can be, and if he does impress then it won’t be such a big blow if Mustafi does follow through with his intentions.
? Aubameyang – out wide, or central?
? Why no Ozil or Pepe?
? Go back in for Aouar?
Was a pleasure to chat about Arsenal's many issues with @MichaelThomas_4 https://t.co/tMew13kLQ5 #AFC
— Mark Brus (@mbrus88) October 27, 2020