Does Arsenal need to move on from Danny Welbeck?
By John Wozniak
The Independent is reporting Arsenal are ready to offer Danny Welbeck to a new deal. The Top Flight sat down with site expert Mahith Gamage to discuss the Gunners and the future of Welbeck.
Arsenal are locked in a four-way battle for Champions League qualification. Tottenham’s recent poor run of form has allowed the Gunners, Manchester United and Chelsea to close the gap. It’s a Premier League tussle with plenty at stake.
A 2-0 win over Newcastle United moved the Gunners up to third place in the Premier League, one place above Tottenham. It’s Arsenal’s highest league position all season. Unai Emery’s inaugural season at the Emirates will be judged on his ability to guide Arsenal to a top-four finish, there is, of course, the added bonus of the possibility of Europa League success.
The increased spending power of several Premier League clubs has made the job of winning the league more difficult. Emery’s recruitment will be important this Summer, Welbeck could be one player who secures his future at the Club, is he worth keeping? The Arsenal striker is been out since November after breaking his ankle.
Danny Welbeck has scored 32 goals in 126 appearances for the Gunners. Do you think he deserves a new contract, or is it time for Welbeck to move on?
I think it’s a very tough call. Welbeck is the sort of player that every big club needs to have to be successful over a long season – a hard-working, versatile forward who can play gritty football and handle high-intensity matches. However, his age, along with his injury problems, make it very difficult to give him a new contract, especially with so many talented young forwards coming through the academy ranks. Although I do like Welbeck a lot as a player and believe he deserves more respect and recognition than he often gets, he should be moved on.
What have you made of Unai Emery since his arrival in North London?
This is an interesting question because my stance on this subject has fluctuated throughout this season, and I assume it has for most Arsenal fans as well. Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil are arguably the two very best players at Arsenal, yet the way they’ve been treated by Unai Emery this year has been far from ideal. Despite this, they have both been re-introduced to the XI in recent weeks, which has made the team far better.
Earlier in the season, this issue, along with Emery’s very negative starting XI’s, made it difficult to support him fully or believe in his qualities. However, he has reversed both lately and the rewards have been exceptional, with Arsenal now sitting 3rd in the table. I think he has done quite a good job seeing as the squad he inherited is weaker than the rest of the top six, and he didn’t get much money to spend either. The fact that Arsenal are now favourites in the top four race when nobody gave them a chance to be anywhere near it at the start of the season speaks volumes.
What’s more important, finishing ahead of Spurs or qualifying for next season’s Champions League?
Champions League is always the priority. I would much rather have Arsenal finishing in 4th and Spurs finishing in 3rd, than have Arsenal in 5th and Spurs in 6th. At the end of the day, the rivalry can only go so far, and you have to quit looking at the noisy neighbours and focus on yourself. If Arsenal does not qualify for the Champions League for a whopping 3rd consecutive season, it would be a calamity in terms of their finances and ability to attract star-power. Qualifying is an absolute must.
Where areas do Arsenal need strengthen, and who would you like to see the club sign in the Summer?
As good as the Gunners have been as a whole this season, there are still some really weak areas of the squad that need some mending. I think the first one that comes to everyone’s head is at centre-back, where the disastrous Shkodran Mustafi continues to get minutes despite hardly being worthy of playing for a relegation candidate, let alone Arsenal FC.
Since Koscielny is also ageing and Holding suffered a serious injury that will keep him sidelined till a few months into next season, Arsenal most certainly needs to upgrade at centre-back. Since there is presumably going to be a lack of homegrown players, I think someone like Lewis Dunk, Conor Coady, or Jamaal Lascelles would make an excellent, underrated addition to Arsenal, and could play the rotation role that Mustafi currently plays.
They would need a 2nd player, and I’ve got my eye on Mario Hermoso as a potential addition, or even Ibrahima Konate who is an excellent young player. With Ramsey departing, Arsenal also needs to bring in a midfielder, along with a winger or 2 that could aid Aubameyang and Lacazette in their goalscoring and final-third. Left-back could also be an issue with Monreal getting up there in age, and Kolasinac being less than convincing on the defensive side of play. Overall, there are still many positions to improve.
Finally, how far do you think Emery can take the club in the Europa League?
I think when you look at all the teams remaining, you have to say that Arsenal does have a chance to win the tournament. Of course, the tie against Napoli is going to be a massive test, but they aren’t a much better side than Arsenal are and it’s essentially 50-50. The likes of Benfica, Frankfurt, Valencia, and Chelsea would pose difficult tests, but Arsenal would be able to beat any of them over two legs. It would be fantastic for the club to win their first significant European trophy, and I certainly hope they can get the job done.
Champions League football is crucial for three London clubs, all with ambitions of attracting football’s top players. With Manchester United in the mix for a top-four finish, a 3rd place finish for the Gunners and a 5th place finish for Spurs could be a good end to Emery’s first season at the Emirates.
Thank you to Mahith for his thoughts on the Gunners. Check back at Top Flight, we’ll be tracking Arsenal’s progress through the rest of the season. Can they maintain a top-four league place?