Mikel Arteta is expected to become the new Arsenal manager officially, and the first order of business for the club's former captain is a thorough housecleaning that will see an exodus of key members of the Gunners. At least five players could exit if the new Spanish coach will pay heed on suggestions from pundits.
To implement his planned reform, Arteta has to let go of Mesut Ozil, who, according to Phil Babb, has so far failed to live up to grand expectations. The German playmaker is believed to the Gunners' most expensive player, and it looked like the investment was not worth it, added the former Liverpool defender.
"I think this guy is so marmite, you love him or hate him, but it baffles me how Arsenal in the first place gave him that contract, that sum of money, for the output that he gives," Babb was reported by Football London as saying.
Babb added that Ozil is now a "luxury item" that Arsenal can do away at any time, stressing "he's the guy who is supposed to be leading that team and I think the Premier League has bypassed him."
Tony Cascarino, a former player and now a pundit, also agreed that Arteta will need to clean things up at the Emirates. Top on the list of the Spaniard is doing smooth business with the senior players of Arsenal, most of which he will need to sell, Cascarino said.
"The biggest challenge he will face is dealing with the senior players," Metro reported the analyst as saying.
To make things easier for Arteta, a good start will be to offload the Gunners that are deemed hard to handle, led by Ozil and current captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Alexandre Lacazette, David Luiz, and Shkodran Mustafi must be added to the list as well.
Lacazette is someone that the incoming boss might find difficult to work with because of his tendency to so Arteta will need to find a buyer and earn money in the process, Cascarino said.
To replace these players identified for immediate departure, the Arsenal coach will need to sign up for new players that will fit his game plan. An easy target would be Fernandinho, currently one of the stars in the Manchester City roster.
Getting Fernandinho to the Arsenal side has to be a top priority for Arteta and as part of a drastic plan to make the club competitive again.
The reforms called for might be a bit extreme, but according to Cascarino, "that is what Arsenal need."
Reports said Arsenal will formally announce the hiring of Arteta as the new team manager on Friday, and he is expected to report for work in time for the club's Saturday match with Everton.
