Arteta could make some ruthless decisionsplaceholder image
Arteta could make some ruthless decisions | Getty Images
Arsenal could consider the futures of two players under a proposed new approach.
A new Arsenal approach could see two Gunners stars enter the danger zone as far as exits go. It has been a superb season for the Gunners so far, with Mikel Arteta’s men sitting four points clear of Manchester City and still alive in all four competitions.
A historic season is on the cards for the Gunners, but at the very least, they should come away with some sort of silverware, with the Premier League title the priority.
This season has been many years in the making for Arsenal, who have spent hundreds of millions to get their squad right, and Arteta is now able to call upon incredible quality and depth in every position, with competition across the board.
This summer, it’s not clear what Arsenal’s priorities will be when it comes to fine-tuning their squad. It’s not obvious who will leave the club from the first-team players who are currently at the club, and it’s not clear which positions the Gunners will look to strengthen given their depth and recent spending across the board.
According to Football London, one priority could be to improve the club’s recent injury record, which has not been very good in the last year. As part of that, the Gunners could consider the futures of players with sub-standard injury records, and that could put two players, in particular, under the magnifying glass.
The obvious one is striker Gabriel Jesus, who has a history of knee injuries, including a major recent injury. The Brazilian is now back and doing well, but his contract is up in the summer of 2027, and he would be one of the easier players to shift, given his contract situation.
Elsewhere, another player who would have to convince Arsenal he can stay fit is Riccardo Calafiori. The italy international is an impact player, even from the defence, but he has struggled with niggling injuries throughout his time at the club so far.
The £37million or so investment from 2024 has had seven different injuries that have seen him miss Arsenal games, and his most recent muscular injury has seen him miss nine games so far. Since arriving, Calafiori has missed 38 Arsenal games in total through injury, and that is not the record of a player who is able to consistently stay fit.
The report claims Arsenal could switch to a ruthless approach when it comes to filling their squad with players with good injury records, and if that proves true, both Jesus and Calafiori will be sitting nervously.
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