Arsenal opinion: Gunners considering selling Shkodran Mustafi – good move?

According to a report in Daily Mail, Arsenal manager Unai Emery will sanction a clearout of players that are not good enough for the club – and Shkodran Mustafi falls on that list.

It is suggested that the manager will go into the summer transfer window with a budget of around just £45m. But he has iterated the fact that the Gunners can reinvest money raised from the sale of players (h/t Daily Mail).

Despite this being an improved season in terms of points scored, as compared the last under Arsene Wenger, Emery believes there is a lot of work to be done before his team gets closer to challenging for the league title (h/t Daily Mail).

Hence, it won’t be a surprise to see a few non-performing players leaving the Emirates this summer. Here’s why the manager is right to put Mustafi on the list potential departures:

Mustafi has been nothing but a liability in this team

The German international arrived at Arsenal back in the summer of 2016 for a fee around £35m. He was then a World Cup winner and a quality defender who had the potential to raise his game to the elite level.

The 27-year-old did make a good start to his life at the club but things have unravelled for him in the last 18 months. He has become one of those error-prone defenders who can have a period of good games but still possess the capability of making a mistake when it is least expected.

A perfect example being the previous league game Arsenal played against Crystal Palace. Mustafi came into that game in decent form but made an error of judgement to hand Wilfried Zaha a goal.

The German simply doesn’t seem to possess the composure and the shrewdness required to feature for a team aiming to win league titles and it’s time Emery offloaded a player who simply doesn’t seem to show the promise that is required at the back.

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Conclusion

It is clear to understand why there is a general consensus that the 27-year-old shouldn’t be wearing the Gunners jersey next season.

Furthermore, it would be good from the player’s viewpoint to move elsewhere as well. That will help him reassess his game and start afresh and maybe, become a better player in the future. Being a centre-back, he still has a lot of football left in him.