Over the last couple of months or so, it has become increasingly clear as to who is part of Mikel Arteta’s project at Arsenal, and who is not. Granit Xhaka has been completely reintegrated and is again an integral part of the side, despite looking like leaving the club back in January after his falling out with the fans under previous manager Unai Emery. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a new contract to show his commitment to the cause, while his strike partner Alexandre Lacazette continues to score despite rumours linking him with an exit. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who has reportedly of huge interest to Wolves, has found a role in Arteta’s tactical system, while David Luiz was also given a contract extension, even though most people felt that he was set to be moved on this summer. These are some of the players who can feel reassured about their place in the team under Arteta, having looked like leaving the Emirates at some point in the last 12 months or so.
On the other hand, there are quite a few players who do not seem to have a future in the current regime. While Arteta has never said anything to that effect publicly, always stating that players need to show in training why they should be picked for games, his team selections have made clear the players he does not want. Matteo Guendouzi, the young French midfielder, seems to have been bombed out of the squad due to one off-field issue too many. The case of Mesut Ozil continues to get even more curious; Arsenal’s highest-paid player has not featured for the club since March, and failed to even make the bench for the Carabao Cup tie against Fleetwood Town. Of course, Ozil’s case is the most high-profile, with the German having made it clear that he intends to stay and fight for a first-team place for the duration of his contract, which expires next summer. However, another midfielder who is seemingly on his way out could be a very useful option if Arteta chooses to keep him around. You can visit esportbetting.net to see the latest odds for all of these players leaving the Emirates.
Lucas Torreira was supposed to be a harbinger of the new Arsenal, as one of the few midfielders at the club who was known for his ball-winning rather than playmaking abilities. The Uruguayan had a very encouraging debut season, but last season was marked with injuries as well as loss of form, and the departure of Emery meant that the manager who brought him to the Emirates was no longer around. Arteta has played the diminutive midfielder on occasion, but he is not among the first-choice options, and it is believed that he is now close to a move to Atletico Madrid. Instantly, one can see him dovetailing perfectly with Diego Simeone’s high-intensity and aggressive playing style, and given that Arsenal are chasing Thomas Partey, another midfielder earning rave reviews under Simeone, it begs the question as to why they can’t just keep hold of Torreira, given that the two midfielders perform similar roles, even though they may be physically very different.
