Why Arsenal must offload Shkodran Mustafi before next season
According to Todo Fichajes (h/t Daily Express), Arsenal want around £9million for centre-back Shkodran Mustafi in the summer transfer window.
The £90k-a-week German defender looks set for the exit door at the Emirates ahead of next season, with the club now ready to offload him.
Despite undergoing a resurgence under new boss Mikel Arteta, the 28-year-old has been largely inconsistent this season, proving right Arsenal’s decision to let go of their seasoned campaigner.
Mustafi has played a mere 8 matches in the Premier League this season after falling down the pecking order under former boss Unai Emery. Most of his performances have come recently under Arteta, who deployed him in five of Arsenal’s last six league games.
Despite moving from Valencia in the summer of 2016, after some stellar displays at the back for the La Liga side, Mustafi has never been able to emulate those at Arsenal.
The German has still failed to establish himself as a regular within the side even after switching to the North London club four years back, raising serious concerns regarding his defensive abilities.
Mustafi has failed to establish himself at Arsenal
He played his maximum matches in the Premier League last season for Arsenal, featuring in 31 games, however, he managed just six clean sheets, losing his spot in the first-team line-up earlier this season.
Mustafi has made some costly errors while featuring for the first team which saw him fail to nail down a spot within the side. With his form dipping even more with time Arsenal had to rope in new faces like David Luiz and Pablo Mari.
Luiz arrived last summer while Mari is on loan until the end of this season. They also have an abundance of talents in the centre-back role, including Rob Holding, Sokratis and Calum Chambers, and now William Saliba, who will feature for them from next season.
With the side already well-stocked at the back, Mustafi’s chances of making a first-team entry seem increasingly limited. Also, considering his current poor form, he just seems surplus to the club’s requirements at the moment. Thus, by all means, Arsenal must offload him quickly and use that money to invest in areas that need improvement.
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Verdict
Arsenal currently have as many as seven centre-backs including Mustafi in the side, meaning they could let go of the out-of-form German. With their defence failing to perform despite new signings, holding on to Mustafi seems like a foolish decision by the Gunners. Also, with youngster Saliba coming into the side next season, opportunities will be even rare for Mustafi.
