The Players Unai Emery Should Cut Loose At Arsenal This Summer

 

Personally I think Unai Emery has worked wonders at Arsenal in his debut season.

It’s never easy replacing a legend, and former gaffer Arsene Wenger earned that tag after winning various trophies during his twenty-two year spell at the club.

Unfortunately for Wenger, and The Gunners, by the time of his departure things had become stale at the Emirates. The squad struggled to compete for major honours and had fallen out of the Premier League’s all important top four positions.

Emery has since come in and lifted the mood. He’s strengthened the team’s spine, has them playing with more discipline, scoring goals and even turning up in the big games against fellow top six sides!

As the Spaniard’s maiden season nears its conclusion, Arsenal are sitting in fifth position in the league with just a point keeping them out of those vital top four spots. He’s has also used his vast expertise to help guide The Gunners into the semi final of the Europa League. That competition, in which Unai has won three times previously at Sevilla, also allows the winners qualification into next season’s Champions League.

I honestly think that if Arsenal manage to get into UEFA’s most prestigious club competition next season, then Emery has overachieved in his first year.

It should also see the North London club’s hierarchy back their manager in the transfer market. As well as giving him the funds to compete for top talent and improve the squad, they also have to listen to Emery and dump those currently at the Emirates that aren’t pulling their weight.

We already know that both Aaron Ramsey (joining Juventus on a Bosman) and Petr Cech (retiring) won’t be there next season. Adding onto that if it were me, I’d axe another eight faces. That doesn’t include Denis Suarez, who I wouldn’t sign permanently from FC Barcelona.

The biggest name on the list for me would be Mesut Ozil.

Now on his day the German World Cup winner can be sensational but unfortunately he doesn’t seem to shine when his side really need him. In the really big encounters Ozil goes missing. Question marks have also surrounded the creative midfielder when it comes to his attitude. Emery has dropped Mesut on a few occasions this term, showing us that he doesn’t fully trust the former Real Madrid man.

If Arsenal can get someone to take on the player’s hefty wage, then they should allow him to leave without any fuss.

I’d also sell fellow German Shkodran Mustafi.

The centre-back isn’t reliable enough at the very top level and once again proved that in the weekend loss to Crystal Palace. His strange mistakes at odd times put the whole defence on edge.

Mustafi is a player that flatters to deceive and doesn’t seem to have the heart needed to produce the goods needed at a club that wants to challenge for major honours.

Nacho Monreal has been a terrific servant but I think the time is right to offload the veteran.

The thirty-three year old’s contract expires in the summer (Source – Transfermarkt.com) and it will probably be the best all round that he gets a new contract elsewhere and Arsenal replace him with a younger model that’s hungry to prove himself at The Gunners!

Injury has curtailed Danny Welbeck’s Arsenal career and he might be best off by trying to resurrect it at another club.

Welbeck is another star who has his contract expiring in the summer. The England international injured his ankle back in November and it’s doubtful he’ll be back before the end of this campaign, Unfortunately he can’t be relied upon. Even before this latest setback, the forward was a back-up behind fellow frontmen Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Speaking to Talksport about possibly renewing Danny’s deal, Emery said this:

“Every [English] team needs English players,”

I believe it would be better promoting within, rather than keeping Welbeck on standby as the player needs to be playing and the club could reinvest his wage. Reiss Nelson has impressed during his loan spell at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga and could takeover from Welbeck.

Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan is another highly-paid creator that doesn’t create enough in an Arsenal jersey.

The former Borussia Dortmund player has struggled to find any consistency at The Emirates and hasn’t shone in the vital clashes as was expected of him. He should be in double figures for goals or assists in the Premier League this term and isn’t.

He isn’t delivering and at £180k a week it’s better for Emery to get rid of Mkhitaryan and find someone better suited to the team’s style.

Unfortunately for Carl Jenkinson desire to succeed, durability and love for the club isn’t always enough.

The right-back did well when he first broke into the first team but that was back in 2011-12. He hasn’t managed to become a regular and it simply isn’t going to happen now.

It’s time for the player to find a new home and get more game time.

Mohamed Elneny is another player that needs to leave the club for the sake of his career.

The Egyptian holding midfielder is currently behind Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka in the pecking order and I just don’t see that ever changing.

Elneny is a good player, he just needs to prove that at another club.

Finally I’d also offload Calum Chambers.

At various points this term Arsenal’s defence suffered from injures and poor form, yet no one was calling for Chambers to be recalled from his loan deal at Fulham.

Chambers has had a rocky season at Craven Cottage, who hasn’t? I still think the twenty-four year old has it in him to be a regular in the Premier League, just not at Arsenal.

If Unai Emery can get the bulk of these players off his wage bill it could rejuvenate the squad further and allow the recruitment team to bring in more fresh faces that can help build better foundations at the Emirates!

 

One Response to “The Players Unai Emery Should Cut Loose At Arsenal This Summer”

  1. With respect your comments concerning Chambers are nonesense.I have friends who are Fulham supporters who hope their club buys Chambers who has done well.He is streets ahead of Mustafi and should return to Arsenal where his versatility will secure him a regular place in the first team squad.

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