Another Arsenal defender likely to leave for free in the summer

The Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny is out of contract next summer and has admitted he probably would have left last summer if he hadn’t been injured, our consistent left-back Nacho Monreal is yet to agree an extension with the club as he approaches his 33rd birthday in February and of course Stephan Lichtsteiner was only signed on a one-year contract as a short-term fix.

Now the 21 year-old Julio Plezeguelo, who has only just recently made his senior debut, has admitted that he could have left last summer and still hasn’t agreed a new contract with the Gunners. “I had options to go out in the summer, but I wanted to stay here,” Pleguezuelo said in Marca. “The first step I have already made with this debut, now what I want is to continue having opportunities in the first team. I do not want to be overwhelmed either, I only think about my work and training.”

“I’m waiting to see how everything happens, I have to talk to my agent,” he said. “My goal is to stay at Arsenal, I would like to continue and, if it is not here, then in England. I have offers in Spain, but at the moment it’s not my idea to go back.”

I know defenders generally have longer careers than forward players, but 21 still seems pretty old to be making his debut for a club like Arsenal. I would be very surprised if he is given a new contract but you never know we may be desperate by then. It is unlikely Carl Jenkinson will be staying either if he can find a new club, so we could be urgently looking for many defenders at the end of the season. Well, we certainly need a shake up at the back!

Admin