Morning all. Although it might be afternoon by the time I hit publish.
I sit hear having watched an entirely predictable first 10 minutes from England as Pakistan put on a quick fire 30. That little 10 minute session makes a big difference.
But that’s enough about cricket.
The news coming out of Arsenal today is that we need to be prepared for some popular faces to leave Arsenal to fund the rebuild.
The most popular, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is likely to stay. But who could be gone?
Rob Holding
The young Englishman isn’t really that young anymore. He turns 25 in September.
A lot of fans rate him. But he has yet to start 1 Premier League games in a single season.
With the arrivals of Pablo Mari and William Saliba, and the new contract for David Luiz, Holding will be at best 4th choice centre back next season.
We have been heavily linked with Lille’s Gabriel this summer. If we do buy another central defender, Holding will be relegated to 5th.
Holding will never be good enough to be a first team regular for Arsenal. We’d be best cashing in for £20m and reinvesting that on someone like Gabriel who is younger, better, and still improving.
Lucas Torreira
We were all excited about Lucas Torreira when he signed in a couple of years ago, but he has not quite lived up to what we wanted.
He failed to fully nail down a spot under Unai Emery and has barely had a sniff under Mikel Arteta.
Torreira is a very good player, and it is tough to work out just why it has not worked out for him at Arsenal.
Like replacing Holding with Gabriel, selling Torreira and buying Thomas Partey would still Arsenal cashing in on a squad player and signing a starter.
Matteo Guendouzi
In years to come, Arsenal fans are going to look back and either say “we let go a world class midfielder there” or “I’m glad we cashed in when we could”.
There is no doubting Guendouzi’s talent. His attitude is the problem. And it isn’t just what happened at Brighton.
He often undermined Unai Emery by mocking his accent. He showed zero respect for Freddie a Ljungberg. He fell out with Mikel Arteta and the coaching staff in Dubai.
He is clearly immature, despite his mature performances on the pitch. It cost him an FA Cup medal.
Compare that to Dani Ceballos who has overcome a tough transition and has become a key player for Arsenal.
Cash raised from selling Guendouzi and Torreira would finance the dead for Ceballos and Partey.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Too little too late from Ainsley it feels.
6 months ago he looked like he had played his last game for the club.
Since the suspension of football was lifted, he has knuckled down and started the FA Cup final.
But he is still a man struggling for an identity.
He isn’t good enough in defence to play right back. He has shown little in the centre of the park to show he deserves a place there.
We’re Arsenal to continue with 3 at the back, he would be starting right wing back ahead of Hector Bellerin. But Arteta will return to 4 at the back next season.
Having signed Cedric for nothing, cashing in on Ainsley Maitland-Niles will be pure profit.
He is a player that would not need to be replaced in the Arsenal squad. Funds raised on him could immediately go to improving elsewhere.
Alexandre Lacazette
With just 10 league goals this season, it has been a tough one for the Frenchman.
Once Aubameyang’s long term future at Arsenal is confirmed, Lacazette could find himself being sold.
With Bukayo Saka set to make the left wing his own, backed up by the incoming Willian, Aubameyang will play upfront next season.
That would leave Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli backing him up.
It makes little sense on having Lacazette sitting on the bench when his transfer fee and wages can be invested better elsewhere.
Aubameyang upfront backed up by Nketiah and Gabriel is not much weaker. And the funds from Lacazette could go towards buying someone like Coutinho.
So playing Football Manager, what can Arsenal expect from selling the 5? Over £100m?
Holding (£15-20m), Torreira (£20-25m), Maitland-Niles (£15-20m), Guendouzi (£30-40m) & Lacazette (£30-35m).
That could be £110-140m raised. And who would actually be missed?
And then let’s say we go and sign Gabriel, Partey, Coutinho and Willian, as well extend Ceballos’s contract further. That is then a Champions League chasing squad.
Plenty to think about whilst England do their best to give us hope before collapsing in this run chase.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Rather we sell kolasinac than Ainsley Maitland-Niles…kolasinac and mustafi are just always costing us with their errors in our defence…poor choice of sacrifice
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Disagree with you on Mustafi probably our best defender bar none since Arteta has come to the club. Yes he had a mistake in him when he confidence was shot but since then. The guy hardly if ever made a mistake and it showed how much he had improved when he went off injured. As the league games without him we struggled….I agree with you on Kolasinac the guy is woeful and the same can be said about Sokratis. Koslasinac is leaving the club this summer only problem is who to.Same said about Sokratis. Both have contracts so loaning will probably be the only answer. As for Holding for me he is one to hold on to. last season proved it up until he got injured he was our best defender and the reason why we went on that 20 game unbeaten run. He just needs game time to get back to his best. As he was out for ages with a bad injury…….
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Agreed on Kola and holding. Sokratis only makes sense to sell as he’s in the last year of his contract. Personally I like the no nonsense toughness of the man, something of a throwback to days of old.
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Really??? To say Holding is not good enough for THE ARSENAL! really? what short memory you have. Only last season was it not that the team went on a 20 game unbeaten run? and behind the run was Holding.A player that was immense and his stats on that run back me by what i say. He was the best defender at the club and in the league at the time. But sadly got injured and a bad injury to boot. Since he has come back he hasn’t had the game time he needs to get back to his best. But to say he isn’t good enough is just laughable. During the FA cup Final he hardly put a foot wrong and was solid in everything he did. The guy is 25 yrs old and just needs a run of games and that is all he needs.
Like Mustafi you and everyone was begging Arsenal to sell him but he got a run of games and a manager that trusted him and look at the improvement. Truthfully Mustafi has been sadly missed in the team since he went off injured this season. Probably, no not probably he was our best defender by a mile.The same goes for Luiz wasn’t it you guys saying he is useless and had to go and what had we brought? and look at him after he shook himself down.The guy has come back stronger and far better….
There are players that simply are not good enough to put on an Arsenal shirt but i do not hear you mention them in this article. Lets look at Lacazette? the worst striker we have ever had at Arsenal football club. A guy that made Ade bye bye look brilliant. As Ade bye bye took 10 clear cut chances to score a goal, when Laca needs 12 or 13.what does Laca bring to the team bar his energy errr nothing. He hasn’t even got a game. In that i mean has doesn’t play on the shoulder of the defender, he doesn’t play use the channels, he isn’t a target man.In fact the guys is always out of position, always behind the play and never where we need him upfront getting on to things making runs into the channels etc . Just a waste of time and effort being on the park,and a waste of money on his wages and the money we paid for him.
Then you have Sokratis probably our worst defender, Far to slow, clumsy, cannot read a line and struggles every single game. A total accident waiting to happen.
Then you have Kolasinac where do start with a player as bad as this. Shocking defending, shocking tackling, shocking actually at everything. Paying his wages just hurts the club and would be better spent on someone else. So glad we got Tierney to replace him.
Maitland niles sadly is a player that just cannot hold down a position or just doesnt know what is his best position. Personally i’d would keep him and mold him into a defender for cover for Tierney and Saka. The guy proved in the semi and final he has what it takes but again needs to be trusted and get game time, for me he is one to keep.
As for Torriera well what can i say. Yes he came in and looked the part but at the time anyone would have looked the part against what we had playing at the time. We had a Xhaka that was lost and couldn’t find his game and wanted to leave.We had a hole to fill after Ramsey had left as well. But in all honesty Torriera wasn’t ever good enough for the club, yes he can tackle yes he has energy to burn but what else does he have? no positional sense, no ability to link up play and no real passing ability. Yes he can come off the bench for the last 20 mins.When you need to shut a game down and hold on to what you have. He puts himself about and maybe breaks up play now and then. But a starter he is not.
So for me Holding is one to Hold on to and same for Matiland Niles, As for the rest we have to get rid and bring some money back into the coffers and the money we will save by not having to pay their wages.
One last thing Ozil a player that promised so much but sadly hasn’t given.But a player we cannot get rid of for love nor money.As no one wants him and no one can afford him……
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I’m sorry but if you think Laca is “the worst striker we have ever had at Arsenal football club” then you haven’t had the good fortune to have watched the Gunners for as many years as some of us.
John Hawley, anyone? Ray Hankin? Lee Chapman? Even the one man ego trip that was Bendtner.
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Legitimately a trash article.
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Hi.
Your write up is riddled with grammatical errors. It takes the shine off the information you’re prividing.
Let me suggest Grammarly! It will significantly improve your articles.
That being said, I don’t care how talented Guendouzi is, his bad attitude and disrepect will surely impact negatively on the team. If he is unwilling to improve that aspect of his person, he will never amount to much.
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