2021 has been a transformative year for Arsenal, and the signings Mikel Arteta brought in have been key to this change in atmosphere around the club and set them up for a bright 2022.
There have been plenty of lows and many highs, and heading into 2022, Arsenal fans can overall be quite optimistic of what’s to come in the second half of the season.
The likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard have instilled new life into the club, whilst Ben White and Albert Sambi Lokonga have brought an extra dimension to the side.
Indeed, there are some areas of the pitch that could do with improving. And there are still some players who Arsenal will be better off without as jump into the New Year. Here are three names who the Gunners should sell in 2022.
Bernd Leno
When Ramsdale was signed in the summer, nobody could have predicted just how good the former Sheffield United keeper was going to be for Arsenal. And for Bernd Leno, it has put the German international right out in the cold.
With the 29-year-old one of Arsenal’s best-performing players since arriving in 2019, it seems harsh that the £100,000-a-week shot-stopper has been discarded in such a ruthless fashion. However, it has proven to be the right decision, with Ramsdale much younger than Leno and much more comfortable on the ball.
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicking-off next November, Leno simply has to move on if he is to win a place in Germany’s squad. And a player of his qualities is more than capable of starting for many top clubs around Europe next year.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Another season, another captaincy drama episode at the Arsenal. This time involving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who lost the armband midway through the season.
The attacker, who Arsene Wenger signed in 2018, has fallen off his perch dramatically. The once key player for the club who fired Arsenal to FA Cup glory in 2020 could leave next year. And it might be for the best.
After all, the striker has been poor over the past two seasons. And with Alexandre Lacazette performing much better than Aubameyang, the Gabon captain could well do with leaving north London after having the armband and his place in the squad taken away from him.
Granit Xhaka
Let’s be real, you knew Granit Xhaka was going to end up on this list. The Swiss international was close to departing Arsenal in the summer for AS Roma. However, a transfer collapsed, with the Gunners in retaliation extending the midfielder’s contract.
Indeed, the decision remains as bizarre as it did in August. Yet despite this, 2022 could and should be the year Arsenal cut ties with Xhaka, who joined Arsenal back in 2016 as one of Wenger’s final signings for the club.
With performances not up to scratch and his partnership with Thomas Partey continuing to go nowhere in the midfield, Arsenal will be better off selling the former Bundesliga star in the new year, even with his new deal now expiring in 2024.
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