Fabrizio Romano claims that Shkodran Mustafi‘s move to Schalke is a ‘100% done deal’, with the Bundesliga side allowing Ozan Kabak to join Liverpool.
The German international has picked up just three substitute appearances in the Premier League this term, notching up just 44 minutes of action according to Soccerway, and is now as low as fifth or sixth in the pecking order at centre-back.
Mustafi is now claimed to have completed a move to Schalke, after the Gunners agreed to terminate his contract, which has opened the door for Liverpool to get their man.
Kabak has supposedly agreed to join the Reds on loan with an option to buy, with Liverpool having struggled with a number of defensive injuries this term, resulting in both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both filling in at centre-back in recent months.
It seems odd that our club would allow such a move when it clearly boosts our rivals, although it would have been interesting to know if the Bundesliga side would have had a back-up option in case Mustafi could not have gotten over the line.
Mustafi will join his former team-mate in Sead Kolasinac at Schalke 04, who joined the club on loan until the summer.
Could Arsenal not have found Mustafi another destination in order to avoid helping a rival in the market?
Patrick
How apropos, we can’t get anything out of Pool for this clown defender, who’s cost us a small fortune during his far too long of a stay at the Emirates, then we release him outright, getting nothing in return AGAIN, so that the only real benefactors of this move are both he and Pool…that said, I’m pleased to see this bang average player out the door, I just wish this team had pushed for a move in the summer so that they might have received a little something in return; not to mention, if he and Sokratis could have been properly dealt with in the off-season, maybe the whole Saliba debacle would have played out differently
Who is this rival that you speak of – Liverpool??!
Patrick, with the utmost respect, currently we are not a “rival” to Liverpool who are a cut above us even without their two top centre backs.In any event, I am not saddened by the departure of Mustafi, who’s signing finally convinced me that Mr Wenger had lost the plot.
It’s so sad – this isn’t even what the Americans call a fire sale. We are just giving them all away for free. Can’t we at least get £1 each for them, so I can brag that we actually sold them?
Presumably we have done the usual and agreed to pay 99% of his salary until the end of the season. And bonuses. And allow him to keep the company car. And the house. Maybe give him some shares and a box at the Emirates for life? Nothing would surprise me.
This club is just one financial cockup after another – any other club and I’d be laughing my socks off. If as many say, football IS just a business, we would have been declared bankrupt by now.
The way our club has been ruinously run financially over more than the last decade, WOULD have bankrupted a business that was not helped by Sky and BT money. They are all that have kept us stable frankly.
Bad business financials wise, but clears much needed squad room. I hope we can sell in the summer though. We need to stop giving away players for free.
Patrick, Odd thinking of yours to suggest we are aiding a rival! Liverpool are way beyond being a rival to us this season and probably next too. We ARE helping ourselves by getting this clown off the wage list and THAT is what matters.
A fee for the loan would have been better still but this is Arsenal, not a club with financial acumen we are talking about!
Who cares about aiding Liverpool. They get a 20 year old from the worst Bundesliga side. There’s no guarantee he’ll get significant gametime for them too. Offloading players we dont need anymore is more essential. Well done Arsenal. BIG changes needed in the future though. All these players having their contracts terminated and leaving on frees is just unacceptable and not sustainable. Which again makes you wonder why we thought Willian was a good idea. No resale value, and high wages. Exactly what we shouldnt have aimed for.
Glad to see Mustafi go – his brain farts are the stuff of legend, popping up just when he was on the verge of convincing many that he had put them behind him.
Double cock-up really. As many others have pointed out, yet another player released on a free when he probably had value at the end of last season. But the more frustrating is that he probably took a place away from Saliba in Europa League and sadly I can only see one way that’s going to end.
Liverpool, our rival, lol, lol, lol.
While not understanding why we are not getting any money for these players, rather terminating their contracts, it signals the fact that MA is most definitely being backed in the long term.
He is bringing in /getting out the players as he sees fit and the club are backing him to the hilt.
I believe it also signals that kronkie is prepared to cut his losses and backs MA for the long run.
KEN , You I, and all the entire thinking football world knows that no well known high profile established manager would ever agree to work under Kroenke.
He has also known this, as does MA too. THAT is one – among several other reasons, all to do with MA’s obvious ability – why Kroenke will allow MA real time to heal the wounds of the last years inflicted by the financial incompetence.
I remain as certain as anyone can be in an uncertain world, that MA will be here for many, many years ahead. Personally, I rejoice in that knowledge too.
Well these players are prepared to leave on a free transfer anyway…
with the season ending in approximately 4 months
Its best to let them go for free…thus freeing up millions of wages…
Not forgetting the Covid hit the club is getting
Getting loan to finance the team operations