By Jeorge Bird
A season that promised to be so memorable for Arsenal has petered out in frustratingly familiar fashion; the Gunners’ hopes of securing the Premier League title long since over, while they are involved in their yearly battle to secure a top four finish.
Arsene Wenger takes his side to face Manchester City on Sunday in a game that could be crucial in determining whether his side will be participating in the Champions League next season.
The Frenchman will be aware, however, that he will have to make some significant alterations to his squad this summer if the club are to stand any chance of seriously challenging for the title in 2016/17.
Here are five players Wenger should consider replacing in order to help Arsenal move on to new heights next campaign.
Olivier Giroud
The forward is in the midst of a woeful run of form – he has gone 15 Premier League games without a goal – and Arsenal clearly need an upgrade up front.
Giroud’s link-up play is still an asset, as shown with his assist for Danny Welbeck’s strike against Norwich City, but the forward squanders too many opportunities, and, even though he is a better player than he is showing at the moment, he certainly can’t be categorised as an elite forward.
The last time he scored in the league, against Liverpool in January, Arsenal were top of the table.
Giroud has a conversion rate of 18.6 in the Premier League over the past four seasons.
Kieran Gibbs
Gibbs has his plus points – he offers a threat going forwards and can also make crucial last-ditch challenges – but his positioning, or lack thereof, remains a concern. The left-back lost his place in the side to Nacho Monreal and has been unable to win it back, firstly because the Spaniard is a more dependable performer, but also because Gibbs has an alarming tendency to suffer injuries with regularity. It may be best if he is allowed to move on.
Gibbs has recorded the lowest pass accuracy of any Arsenal defender in the Premier League this season.
David Ospina
Not too long ago, Wenger elected to keep faith with Ospina for a few games at the expense of Petr Cech. But it is clear that the latter is by far the superior goalkeeper. That’s not to discredit Ospina, who has made an average of 3.75 saves per game in the Premier League this season, but it seems as if he is never going to permanently overtake Cech. The Colombian has made some concerning errors this season and needs regular playing time elsewhere.
Ospina averaged 0.86 saves per goal for Arsenal in the Champions League this season.
Joel Campbell
Perhaps a harsh inclusion when it is taken into account that Campbell has performed rather well when called upon this season, but Arsenal are in need of a high quality option out wide, which would push the Costa Rican further down the pecking order. Campbell is hardworking and tactically astute, but his finishing is erratic – he has a shot accuracy of 41% in the Premier League this season – and he has barely featured recently.
Campbell has created 13 chances in 18 league appearances for Arsenal this season.
Mathieu Flamini
Flamini will almost certainly be leaving Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of June, and for some Arsenal supporters, his departure can’t come quickly enough. The Frenchman is passionate, but he is extremely error prone and fails to offer the requisite protection to the Gunners’ back four. Allowing him to depart could pave the way for Arsenal to add greater depth to their midfield ranks.
Flamini has contested fewer duels per 90 minutes than any Arsenal player in the Premier League this season (5+ games).
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