Arsenal News

Pundit advises Mikel Arteta to request the sale of two Arsenal stars

Arsenal may have to get rid of two of their stars if they want Mikel Arteta to succeed claims Gary Neville.

The Gunners named the Spaniard as their manager two matchdays ago and there have been improvements in the side, but Sky Sports pundit Neville reckons that Arteta can get more done if he gets rid of two players.

Neville believes that the noise surrounding Mesut Ozil is too much and it is causing a distraction at the Emirates.

He also believes that Arsenal should get rid of Granit Xhaka as the Swiss midfielder is unsettled.

According to the former Manchester United full-back, Arteta has to ask the club’s board to sell those two players.

He admitted that Arsenal may have to take a financial hit to get rid of those two stars, but their departure would be for the greater good of the side.

Speaking on Sky Sports News as reported in the Metro, Neville said: ‘They’re parked in 12th position in the league with a team that, to be fair, doesn’t look like it’s got the best spirit in the world. They look like they have a few players who are not quite sure if they want to be here.

‘There’s obviously speculation around Xhaka, who’s been the captain this season, Mesut Ozil is a continuous noise for managers, for the fans, for the media.

‘It’s constant noise around Ozil. Maybe it’s created by the media, but it’s constantly around the fans, it’s constantly around the manager here, he has to answer the questions about him all the time.

‘He’s become an enigma I think at this club, in the sense that he’s obviously a talented player – I don’t think anyone has ever questioned his talent – but when you’re trying to build a successful team, and he has played in successful teams, do you choose to build around him or do you choose to discard him?

‘Because there’s no in-between. He can’t be sat on the bench, because the constant noise that surrounds that is just too much for any manager – particularly a young manager. So I think he has to make a decision on him early.’

When asked if he thinks Arsenal would struggle to sell Ozil, he added:

‘I think that’s the problem. You either build around him or you ask the club to take one for you. I remember in my early days in Valencia, an experienced person that I rang said I had to get rid of two players and I had to ask the club to take a hit for me.

‘I wasn’t willing to do it. Mikel Arteta is going to have to do it at this club. He’s going to have to go to the ownership, the boardroom up there, and say: “I want these two players out of my club and you’re going to have to take a financial hit.”

‘And they’re going to have to back him. You’re going to have to do that with some players here, because they’re just not going to fit in to what he wants.’

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21 Comments

  1. Have to get a reasonable fee for Xhaka; rumored £21 million is too low, should be closer to £30 million. Tell HB to get realistic or buzz off.

    Raul has failed over last 18 months. Spent all that money and we got worse. Luiz isn’t solution, he’s barely a band-aid.

    CB’s a priority and midfielders a big issue. With Auba and Laca rumors, I have no faith in Raul, zero.

    Can’t believe he let Sven go because he thought he knew better. Raul needs to tighten up or face the sack himself.

    2. I have no faith in Raul or Edu. The structure is totally wrong and Sven should have been the main person in charge of recruitment! Marc Overmars and Sven should have been leading the club not Raul and Edu! Sorry but its the truth!

    3. I read this morning that Arteta wants to keep Xhaka. If that it so then Arteta loses my support immediately.

    4. 30.million for who? He is worth more and we want to sell???…
      Let’s be realistic he is not worth more than 12 million…

  2. I think more than 2 players need to take a hint, add Mustafi, Lacazette, Luiz and Papa also need moving on as there mentality doesn’t fit what Arteta wants!

  3. Since Emery was let go the team has collapsed.
    All the hype about Freddie and Arteta is fake.
    They play geat football..really?
    The results have been appalling.
    Emery’s football was pragmatic but he avoided defeat.
    The truth is Emery would have got a draw against Brighton, City and Chelsea.
    Getting more players is an admission that Arteta can’t cut it.
    Emery never got the players he wanted why should Arteta?
    Let Arteta manage the same players Emery had.
    If Arteta is good enough he will better Emery’s first season achievement
    which was missing top 4 by one point and making the EL final.
    If he does not at least = Emery’s achievement with the same players…sack him.

    1. Emery had a full season, and was in a good position to finish third, before he blew it with his poor decisions. And the EL final?!, how did an EL spécialist lose to a sub par Chelsea team being managed by someone who has never won any trophy before?. Arteta has been here for like how long and you can clearly see improvements (well, unless you choose not to). And unlike during Emery’s flukey unbeaten run, you can see that the team is now playing with more conviction, playing together, and for each other. I lost count of how many times Aubameyang covered for Saka today, same with Nelson. he dropped deep to ease the pressure off Niles. You should just give it a rest, and support the team. By the way, I heard your man Emery was in the running for the Westham job…. and they preferred Moyes to him. That should put things into perspective for you…. anyways, cheers… COYG!

      1. Right now I’d take Emery’s “lucky” 20 game PL unbeaten run and EL final place
        over Arteta’s “brilliant” 2 points from a possible 9.

          1. Let’s be fair to Arteta and give him time and transfer windows. Also let’s acknowledge that as Head Coach he faces the same issues as Emery and Wenger (last few seasons);squad quality and depth, particularly when players are injured.
            There are only so many ways you can “shuffle the deck” with these players. Arteta needs to be supported by the Arsenal owner and Board to bring in the players he wants, rather than the treatment Emery and Wenger suffered; particularly llayers available who don’t strengthen known deficiencies.

        2. agu eman YOU ARE REALLY THE MOST STUPID, MOST CHILDISH AND MOST PATHETIC POSTER ON THIS SITE. Will you ever stop writing nonsense? You seem to be the only fan Emery STILL has and you have written off ARTETA BEFORE HE HAS EVEN STARTED. You are a laughing stock! If you ever get married and get fed up with your wife, ten minutes after marrying her, will you seek a divorce that same day? Seems like that is your philosophy of life! You want to sack Arteta NOW and see how he is doing later, it seems. I don’t like being rude but with you it is impossible not to be, as you are so ridiculous.

    2. Agu, your insensitivity is becoming a sore to this sight and i can’t understand how you can waste all these time typing rubbish.

      Firstly, Emery came in with a decent position. A a period we had to start afresh. When he came in we were equal with everyone in the start of the season. He brought in players like Guendouzi, Torriera etc. which were good players to be fair. And then he starts confusing them with rubbish tactics.

      Emery brought in more than 10 good players during him stay and he turned them into rubbish in 18 months. Everyone would attest to the fact that even Emery was confused about his own tactic. Look at Ozil playing like the Ozil we signed in just after a week training. Someone asked you to as least share what you are smoking so we can be seeing things from your view.

      Now on Arteta, we fans have always said we aren’t just sad about losing but the way we lose. everyone saw what happened yesterday was that we ran out of gas. Energy levels dropped and the players became tired after 80mins and who’s to blame, Emery. He made these players so lazy they can’t even track back. Someone said on aftv that he has seen enough on Arteta in 2games than Emery in 2 years and that’s fact. If you observe in the fan base, no one is really complaining so much cos of the way we lost apart from opyou and your short sighted friends.

      On real criticism I tot Arteta should have done something change Chelsea domination like a substitution early on but he delayed too much IMHO. Generally speaking I’m impressed with what Arteta is trying to do. I saw the arsenal I followed earlier in my life. It’s now left for the board to support this guy with good business in January.

      Xhaka is leaving and that’s a very good thing happening and if we could replace him with Rabiot whether it’s a loan or not its fine and then get Upamcano in. Also we need to ship out Mustafi and permanently let Elneni go.

  4. I see where Neville is coming from. The pair of them bring no value to this team/squad. I see whay he is saying about the noise that surrounds them and none of it is good noise. Neither are consistent and Ozil cant last a game, has mystery illnesses, brings unwanted politics to the club and is never going to lead this team like a top player can. Xhaka has never fitted in, has also a bad attitude and the pair of them are just baggage. They aren’t the now and they aren’t the future, never were and never will be.

    1. If Özil can keep up his current level of performance, then there’s no harm in him staying. Ziyech can be bought to replace him. But Xhaka…… I think it’s just best for both parties to part

      1. Ozil is 30+ never been the most energetic of pkayers, has played two decent first halves but faded badly both second halves. Like xhaka, we are still waiting for him to really catch fire. I predict it wont happen going on his previous track record and he isnt the most commited team player anyway so he isn’t going to improve now. I think its time the club, the team and the fans move on from the distractions of ozil and xhaka. Compared to previous Arsenal players in their positions they are fakes. Its funny it isn’t the first time a pundit or an analyst has questioned these two players and all the time they have been at this club, they and we have struggled. I will ask all, how many times have Ozil and xhaka dug this club out of a hole like some of our icons of years gone by? The answer not many they aren’t that type.

      2. This is the negative publicity I was referring to in a previous post Ozil are actually playing much better under Arteta and Xhaka was not bad against the cherries and didn’t even play against Chelsea why is this a topic now. Gary is stirring up again.

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