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Arsenal has been on the periphery of greatness for more than a decade now. From going invincible for a season, to being top four contenders, they have been forced to fight for a place in the Champions League battling it out with Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea. Gunners fans talk of the glorious history of the club, but the history is in the past. At present, Arsenal are barely scrapping by into the top 4. Where is the Arsenal of old, who won titles undefeated?
Arsenal are now being plagued by decisions made in the past. Stop gap signings were made which have hurt them in the long run. The Londoners need to get rid of deadwood, but more importantly, they need to sell some squad and fringe first team players to make way for the stars of today and tomorrow.
Laurent Koscielny
Signed in the summer of 2010 for £8.45m from Lorient in the second division of France, Koscielny has been a mainstay in the Arsenal team, developing into one of the best center backs in world football. He was a French team regular till 2018 and has played over 330 times for Arsenal in all competitions and 51 appearances for France.
He scored the crucial equalizer enroute to winning the FA cup in 2014, ending a 9-year trophy drought and has been a massive loyal servant to the club. Of late though, he has been struggling with injuries and it has reflected on his play, with error strewn performances which are uncharacteristic of a player of his caliber.
A true professional, he will always be loved at Arsenal, but it's time to move forward with a stint on the sidelines with the youth sides a definite option following in the footsteps of Mertesacker.
Mohamed Elneny
Mohamed Elneny was signed in January 2016 from Basel for an undisclosed fee but somewhere close to £6m. Hailing from Egypt, he is a regular Egyptian international with over 67 appearances for them and 83 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal.
A thoroughly solid player, he rarely makes mistakes but doesn't really bring much to the team. There are always hints of greatness, like the goal against Barcelona for which he will best be remembered, but he never really got out of his shell, and plays a safe game always. He will be an asset to most teams with the solidity he brings, his long range shots and decent passing range, but Arsenal needs someone better and Elneny is not it.
Carl Jenkinson
A boyhood Arsenal fan, he came through the ranks of Charlton and signed for Arsenal in 2011 for a fee of £1m in a dream move. Since then, he has made 69 appearances for the club but has never really convinced. He has been sent on loan twice to West Ham and once to Birmingham City, but didn't excel there either.
Though he plays with his heart on his sleeve and loves the club, he is simply not top class. He isn't near Hector Bellerin's level and wouldn't start for any of the other top 6 teams either.
He would do well at a bottom half club or a championship club as he is a solid player but just isn't world class and at age 27, he doesn't look like he will ever be.
Danny Welbeck
Danny works hard. He gives his all every game. Unfortunately, his all isn't enough. He gets the odd scrappy goal. He has 32 goals from 126 appearances, which is very far from top class. It was astounding how Arsenal decided to keep Welbeck but sell Giroud.
Welbeck is 28 and is no longer a prospect. He is struggling with injuries now and his contract expires in the summer. He is almost certain to leave on a free.
Shkodran Mustafi
Signed from Valencia for more than £35 million pounds, he started his Arsenal career with a bang with 18 wins without defeat. He formed a formidable partnership with Laurent Koscielny in the heart of defense, but things have gone downhill since then.
He is the anti-Van Dijk, instilling zero confidence in the people around him, but has horrendous mistakes littered in almost every appearance in the Arsenal jersey. He is far from world class, and rumour is that, Emery is desperate to ship him off in the summer. Replacing him with a world beater like Koulibaly will propel Arsenal back to the top.
Mesut Ozil
Undoubtedly, the most controversial player on the list, Mesut Ozil is one of the best players in the world in his position. His vision, passing and creativity make him a joy to watch, gliding across the field, creating chances out of nothing and reminding us why football is called the "Beautiful Game". Signed in 2013 for €50 million, he was the signing that marked Arsenal's intent to become world beaters.
He has scored vital goals in big games but he has also played "Houdini" plenty of times, going missing when Arsenal need him the most. He is a confidence player, who needs a good environment with plenty of support from the coach, players and media to perform. That is not the case lately, especially after being ostracized in Germany and retiring from the German team.
Unai Emery doesn't seem to think he fits into his philosophy and future plans, barely playing him. Though he is 30, his playing style isn't based on physicality or pace, which means he has quite a few years left at the top. This means it is not too late for Arsenal to cash in on him. Most importantly, he is is the highest paid player in the Arsenal squad with £350,000 a week, which has disrupted Arsenal's wage structure.
Arsenal players are asking for more money (Aaron Ramsey), which Arsenal cannot afford, nor are they able to attract new players due to FFP restrictions. This would be the last summer Arsenal can get good money for Ozil and they should definitely sell him.
