Sometimes, transition can be successful, many a time troublesome. A change in manager often results in re-structuring of teams shape and line-ups. Thereafter, maintaining the stability of the club is a big ask, where not only do players or staff have to conform to new ideologies but also the fans. Therefore, a club that is buoyant even after the change is a club that fights for title.
Arsenal did have a end to the ultra-long Wenger-Era but Unai Emery did not make it look difficult for him to replace the legendary tactician. Although, his entry to the hot seat has resulted in many of Wenger’s choice paving way out for Emery’s new likings or previous students.
The first choice preferences of Wenger – Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitariyan, Petr Cech and Mohamed Elneny have found it difficult to make space for themselves under Emery. While Aaron Ramsey is set to leave the club this summer, Petr Cech retiring from football, Mesut Ozil and Mkhitariyan not filling the required pieces as of Emery, all of them have lost their places to the new signings.
The recent of the lot is Mohamed Elneny, who hinted to leave Arsenal in his latest Instagram post. He wrote,
Three years ago, on this same day, I joined the Arsenal family… I call it family because it is how it’s like to be here at Arsenal.
“I’m grateful for every single moment during those 3 years, the tough moments and the many happy ones.
“I’m grateful for the one of a kind fans, for the coaches, for the colleagues who became real brothers, for everyone.. *I’m grateful for the past and I’m very much looking forward to the future.”*
The post meant a sign of farewell by the Egyptian which have now grown the speculations of Arsenal signing a 23-year-old PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Unai Emery has already made a forte of signing his former players, Adrien Rabiot now being the one under his radar. The Spaniard managed Rabiot in his time at PSG where the Frenchman was a regular start for present Arsenal Boss.
The Gunners have competition from their arch-rivals Liverpool who are eyeing a Fabinho replacement, and the German giants Bayern Munich who look most treasured on signing the midfielder. Arsenal, however, have only £40 million in their funds to sign a new player and in order to have more, they will have to sell some of it’s present players, with Elneny being the most likely.
But why is Emery concerned in signing another midfielder when he already has a lot of creative inputs in the form of Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi, and, Lucas Torreira. With an absence of a deep-lying playmaker or a defensive midfielder, the likes of Xhaka have to play in the defensive position. The entry of Rabiot is purely an add-on to already suffice midfield, with the transfer not being a do or die but more of Emery’s liking.
An exciting call rather than a desperate one, Rabiot who declined a contract-extension with PSG will be free this summer, making him an interesting prospect of Emery’s signing list.
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