Ex-Gunner Charlie Nicholas insists Arsenal need to offload five or six players this summer, pinpointing three names that should be on the list.
Arsene Wenger and a few of the Arsenal boys have come under criticism in recent weeks following an embarrassing Champions League exit to Bayern Munich and dropping to fifth place in the Premier League, 16 points adrift of table toppers Chelsea.
Speculation over Wenger’s future at the Emirates continues to make the headlines, while Mesut Ozil’s and Alexis Sanchez’s are also yet to commit to the club beyond summer 2018.
Nicholas, who spent five years at the club during the 80’s, has urged them to clarify the trio’s future and also mentioned that Arsenal need to sell David Ospina, Francis Coquelin, Granit Xkaka and two-three others this summer to get the club back on track challenging for trophies:
‘Arsenal are caught in a catch 22 with the Wenger situation, plus we still don’t know what’s going to happen with Sanchez and Ozil.
‘They have to get these big things sorted before they can do anything.
‘I’d like to see five or six sold and then go in after some statement signings.
‘I would sell David Ospina and bring in Joe Hart to get a bit of aggressive British attitude back in the side and then sort out the midfield by getting rid of Francis Coquelin and, if Bayern are as interested as I read, try to recoup the money spent on Granit Xhaka.’
Arsenal are well overdue an overhaul, and fans will have their own list of candidates for the chop this summer.
But does Nicholas’ trio of Ospina, Coquelin and Xhaka make your list?
Personally, although Ospina, in my view, is a decent goalkeeper, the Colombian will not become Arsenal’s first-choice between the stick whilst Petr Cech is at the club.
Coquelin had one good season but has been found out as of late and is not the player to protect the back four for years to come, while Xhaka hasn’t stamped his authority in midfield since his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer.
I wouldn’t shed a tear if any of these three are sold this summer along with a few others because they just aren’t good enough for Arsenal.
