With Arsene Wenger admitting that some players have to be let go to make room for reinforcements as the Arsenal squad is a bit ‘heavy’ at the moment, there are a handful of Arsenal players being linked with moves away from the Emirates. The latest player to join the list is the Gunners’ left-back Kieran Gibbs, who has once again played second fiddle to Nacho Monreal for a vast majority of the season.
According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, West Brom boss Tony Pulis is keen on acquiring the services of the Englishman, with newly-promoted clubs Newcastle and Brighton also understood to be keeping tabs on the situation. The report claims that the player’s suitors are encouraged by the fact that he has just one year left on his contract and will be willing to leave with a promise of first-team football.
In my opinion, the writing is on the wall for Gibbs. Despite being in the Gunners’ first-team picture for ten years after having made his debut way back in 2007, he still hasn’t nailed down a place in the team and continues to be on the fringes. The player has made just 10 appearances in the Premier League this season, with last season’s tally of 15 not very impressive either. Moreover, the fact that he’s highly injury-prone doesn’t help his cause and at 27 years of age, Gibbo does not have the excuse of youth either.
With the impending arrival of Sead Kolasinac, I believe the club should finally cut their losses on Kieran. But considering the fact that he counts as a homegrown player and that a few extra wide players will be handy under the new system, there is a chance he will be retained as well. But if I were Arsene Wenger, I would let him go and bring in another wide player as a replacement.
AT