5 players Mikel Arteta must sell as Arsenal manager

Three weeks after the sacking of Unai Emery, Arsenal have finally named their replacement, with former midfielder Mikel Arteta taking the top job at the Emirates.

Emery’s time in charge of the Gunners is not one that will be fondly remembered. It was always going to be a tough job for whoever took over from Arsene Wenger after such a long and successful spell, and it proved to be so for the Spaniard.

In his first season in charge, poor late season form meant they missed out on a spot in the top four, despite the teams around them also struggling. They also missed out on qualification through the Europa League, as they were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea in the final.

The poor form continued into this season, and when Emery was relieved of his duties at the end of November, Arsenal were eight points off the Champions League places, and had gone seven games without a victory.

The man Arsenal have turned to is one of their former players, Arteta, who has been the assistant to Pep Guardiola since he arrived at Manchester City in 2017. It is no doubt a bit of a risk for the Gunners, to put their trust in someone who has no managerial experience.

He will have to make changes at the Emirates though. This current squad simply isn’t good enough, and either when it comes to desire, or quality.

With that in mind, here are five players Arteta must sell as Arsenal manager, either in January, or in the summer.

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#1 Sead Kolasinac

Kolasinac doesn't have the defensive abilities that Arsenal need at left-back

This is certainly one transfer that Arteta should look to get done in the summer, rather than January. The left-back area has been a constant problem for Arsenal this season, with Kieran Tierney, who is without a doubt the best player in the position at the club, missing with injury, and he is now likely to be out until March.

However, in his absence, Kolasinac really hasn’t been up to the challenge. He doesn’t read the game well enough at left-back, is often caught out of position, and that has cost him when he has come up against some of the league’s better wingers this season. He will be needed as cover for the rest of the current season, but when the summer transfer window comes, Arteta needs to get rid of him.

#2 Granit Xhaka

Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in November

This one may sound pretty obvious, but it really is time for Arsenal to cut ties with Granit Xhaka. The Gunners paid Borussia Monchengladbach £34.5 million for his signature back in 2016, but he has never really impressed, and despite brief bright periods, he has always had a tough relationship with the Arsenal fans. The relationship reached a new low earlier this season when, after being substituted against Crystal Palace, the midfielder was booed off, and reacted angrily, swearing at the fans and storming down the tunnel.

He has since been stripped of the captaincy, and often found himself out of the side. It is clear that he will not regain the trust from the supporters, as well as his team-mates. He has also really lacked the quality that was expected of him in his time at Arsenal, and given that we still don’t really know what his best attributes are, it is best for Arteta to show him the door at the Emirates.

#3 Shkodran Mustafi

Mustafi has often found himself out of the Arsenal side in recent years

It is a long time since we have seen a convincing defence at Arsenal. Traditionally, they have been a team with a strong defence, which lead to the old adage, ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’. However. That hasn’t been the case for many years, and in recent years it has been their defence that has constantly let them down. In 2016, they paid £35 million for the signature of Shkodran Mustafi, and it’s fair to say, it hasn’t quite paid off.

The German has been a regular in the Arsenal side since his move from Valencia, but that was often because there was simply no other option. Defensively, Mustafi doesn’t seem to read the game well enough, often causing problems for himself, and his centre back partner. He is far too error prone to be at a club who are aiming to reach the Champions League every season, and Arteta should look to get rid as soon as he can.

#4 Mesut Ozil

Oil gave a frustrated reaction after being substituted against Manchester City

There aren’t many players who cause as much debate as Mesut Ozil. Without a doubt, the German is one of, if not the most talented player at the club. He enjoyed success during three years at Real Madrid, and is also a World Cup winner with the German national team, for whom he has made 92 appearances. However, the debate around Ozil has always been about his attitude and work ethic, rather than the ability he has.

Former Arsenal manager Emery in particular took exception to Ozil’s lack of effort and desire when he was in charge at the Emirates, and the 31-year-old often found himself left out of the side, if not the squad altogether. At £350,000-a-week, Ozil is earning an awful lot of money, to produce what appears very little. If Arteta can move the German on, he would free up a lot of space on the wage bill, and get rid of a player who really divides the fan base.

#5 David Luiz

Luiz has continued to be error-prone at Arsenal

Very much in the same way Mustafi was only in the Arsenal side because there weren’t too many other options, the same can probably be said for David Luiz. The Brazilian made the move from Chelsea on transfer deadline day in the summer, bringing with him a wealth of experience when it comes to winning trophies. The 32-year-old was a Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2012, and won the Premier League with the club in 2016-17 as well.

However, Luiz has never been seen as a solid defender, and only really looked convincing when playing at the central member of a back three for Chelsea, when he had two dependable defenders alongside him. At Arsenal, he has only played in a central defensive pair, and never with someone good enough to make amends for all of his errors. Given that he has only been there six months, it will be tough for Arteta to sell Luiz this January, but it will certainly be something he looks at in the summer.