The Arsenal supporters have had their say on the players they would like to see sold in the upcoming January transfer window. Along with some of the names you would expect to see make the list, there are a couple of surprises.
Football.London also gave fans the opportunity to vote for the players they would like to see kept but it’s the exit list that has thrown up a number of surprises. Although Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi made the list, the poll was led by Sokratis, David Luiz and Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos.
We take a look into why the trio have failed to earn the adoration of the supporters.
Sokratis – An ever-present in a weak backline
Sokratis arrived from Borussia Dortmund in Germany and despite some solid performances, the general feeling is that his passion and effort can mask his incompetencies as a centre-back. The Greek has started 92% of the clubs Premier League fixtures this season but since his arrival, there has been no improvement in the number of goals Arsenal are shipping.
According to Whoscored.com, he has turned in an average performance rating of 6.75/10 so far this season, as he manages to make an average of 1.3 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 3.8 clearances in his top-flight appearances. He is by no means the sole reason for the team’s defensive struggles but given his selection record, it’s widely believed he is one of those largely responsible.
David Luiz – Same old story
The Brazilian completed a move across London from Chelsea on Transfer Deadline Day but it was a transfer many described as a panic buy given the club were unable to persuade Laurent Koscielny to stay. Luiz’s flamboyant style has always divided opinion – his ability on the ball is outstanding but his defensive awareness has at times been questioned. That’s a worry when you’re a central defender.
Similarly to Sokratis, Luiz has featured in all of the Premier League games apart from one. The former Paris Saint-Germain defender has contributed two goals but has made a number of individual errors leading to goals against – most notably up at Anfield. Indeed, like his defensive partner, his statistics have, arguably, not have been as many would have desired, as he has averaged just 0.7 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 4.3 clearances in his 11 appearances (WhoScored.com).
Dani Ceballos – A flop?
Dani Ceballos’ arrival was met with much excitement. The Spaniard joined on loan from Real Madrid with a point to prove and the hope was he would add quality and creativity to the Gunners’ midfield.
However, the 23-year-old has failed to make a significant impact and establish himself in Unai Emery’s side. He has started just 58% of this season’s Premier League fixtures and has been labelled as a flop and with figures of two assists and an average of one key pass per match, perhaps it’s easy to see why. There have been flashes of quality but ultimately the former Real Betis man hasn’t done enough to convince the club’s faithful he’s worth trying to sign on a permanent deal.
Given the significant investment made in the summer which included the £72m signing of Nicolas Pepe, it’s unlikely Arsenal will do any significant business during this upcoming transfer window. It appears Granit Xhaka could be on his way to Milan and with Lucas Torreira reportedly seeking to engineer a move away it’s unlikely any of the aforementioned three will be departing the Emirates Stadium this winter despite the fan’s opinions.