Erratic defender Shkodran Mustafi says he isn’t leaving Arsenal
Despite not being good enough to play for the club, Shkodran Mustafi has stated that reports of his departure are “odd” and that he is staying at Arsenal.
If you’re ever looking to rile up an Arsenal fan, there is no better topic than Shkodran Mustafi, who frustrates Gooners beyond belief. Ever since joining the club for a ridiculous £35 million back in 2016, Mustafi has become something of a meme in world football for being an erratic, error-prone centre-back who costs Arsenal points far too often.
While he has been a starter for the club for 3 seasons now, there have been reports in recent months that Unai Emery deems Mustafi surplus to requirements, and is ready to let him go this summer. There is essentially no chance for Arsenal to recoup the money they paid for him, and it would be a miracle if they manage to sell him for even half of that amount.
Mustafi has been linked to AC Milan in recent weeks, with the Italian club reportedly favouring him due to his international experience, as well as his Serie A experience. AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis, formerly of Arsenal, is said to be the catalyst behind the deal.
Goal reports that #AFC actively trying to find new clubs for Jenko, Mustafi, Mkhitaryan and Özil to free the wage bill and raise budget for transfers. Buyers still to be found for the first three names. Özil loves London and there is lack of interested clubs in his services.
— Arsènic™ (@MrArsenicTM) May 19, 2019
However, Shkodran Mustafi has recently claimed to German outlet Kicker that he will be staying at Arsenal, calling rumours of his exit “odd”:
"“It is odd that there are always transfer speculations…I am an Arsenal player and have a contract until 2021.”"
This comes as bad news to Arsenal fans, who are desperate to see Mustafi leave in order to improve their woeful defence. The German is a large part of why Arsenal can’t seem to keep any clean sheets, and look no further than his performance at home against Crystal Palace to show you why. If the Gunners won that match, they would have qualified for the top 4, but 2 horrible, schoolboy mistakes from Mustafi cost Arsenal the match, and potentially a place in the Champions League next season.
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The Gunners are far better off without Mustafi, and while it might be difficult to move him on, they should be doing all they can to make it happen. He might want to stay, but Arsenal should be set on letting him go.