By Tony Attwood
According to Football London, that laugh a minute, 45 articles a day drainpipe (sorry outlet) owned by the Daily Mirror, the four players most likely to depart in the remaining days of the transfer window are Shkodran Mustafi, Mohamed Elneny, Emile Smith Rowe and Nacho Monreal.
It is of course possible that Arsenal could sell any of these players AND then buy in a replacement player who is out of contract and who matches the nationality criteria – but that seems quite a stretch. The nationality criteria is the key thing since our list of players who are going to be registered for the “25” is important since we already have the maximum number of non-England/Wales players permitted.
So yes, if we sold Mustafi we could bring in another non-home-grown player, if such a player were out of contract, and if we could do it by the end of the month. It is possible but everything would have to be in place – there would be no room for delay, unless we really didn’t need the player we are selling, even as a back up.
To try and clarify this in my own mind, even if in no one else’s, I thought I would try the analysis this way: by looking primarily at who is left if we get rid of any of the players the media like to think are surplus…
Centre backs if we sell Mustafi: Holding, Chambers, Mavropanos, Monreal, Luiz, Maitland-Niles
That centre back list looks quite good providing Holding does return to full fitness (he has so far played one hour in an under 23 game), Chambers is getting back towards the promise he was showing when we first bought him, Mavropanos can get over his very long injury problems, and returns without having lost his talent. And if we don’t sell Monreal (see below).
Defensive Midfield if we sell Elneny: Ceballos, Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles.
That list does make it look as if Elneny might now be surplus to requirements in the manager’s eyes although I have always been impressed with him. But that of course counts for nothing.
Attacking Midfield if we sell Ozil or loan Smith Rowe: Mkhitaryan, Willock, Martinelli, Kolasinac
Smith Rowe played for the under 23s this week, and Mkhitaryan is certainly not a favourite among the AAA at the moment.
Left backs if we sell Monreal: Kolasinac, Tireney
Monreal is 33, and of course will lose his place when Tiereney enters the side, which makes his departure look more possible. But only if we are selling to bring in a new player. Monreal has the additional benefit of being able to play centre back, and at the moment Tiereney is going to be out for another month, which would leave us with Kolasinac, or Maitland-Niles playing left back even though he is right footed, if Monreal left.
My guess is nothing will happen, but my guesses are notoriously inaccurate.
No Sokratis?
Sell ozil Mustafa elheny
Mustafi, eleny, ozil and Miki . massive reduction in wage bill and no real difference in quality.
Use the proceeds to go back for Zaha in Jan.
You left out Sokratis! Probably our best defender, how did you forget him??
I believe we have 4 CB in Sok,Luiz, Holding and Chambers with a 5th coming from youth. I think that’s sufficient and allows us to get some cash and free up some wages by selling Mustafi.
At DM your list is good but from what I hear about how well Willock plays deep I would throw him and Chambers as an option there ahead of Elneny. I also dont feel Elneny has ever done much wrong but there are plenty of players ahead of him and young prospects with an apparently higher ceiling than him.
CAM or LAM/LW? Makes a difference, obviously would never have Kolasinac at CAM but that’s where Ozil is primarily deployed, right?
I’d say without Ozil we may play a formation without a CAM but Willock/Ceballos/Pepe/ESR/MKHI are probably options to play that role
Surely we have brought in enough new players.
New players have to gel in with the others, and that takes time.
Surely enough is enough.
Another winger?
Surely they will both want to play every game. How would we keep them happy?
We have to also bear in mind the rules for the Europa League. Mavropanos was left out of the squad to accommodate Suarez last season. There’s also the 2 year minimum residency rule for the non-homegrown players. This means both Guendouzi and Martinelli has to be part of the 17 non-homegrown players.
It’ll be nice if the 25-man squad is the same for both the EPL and the Europa League. So this still means that at least 2 non-homegrown players may have to leave the Arsenal by the end of August, either on loan or permanently.