Arteta should lastly axe Arsenal dud who earns greater than Trossard & Raya

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have helped flip Arsenal from an underachieving sleeping large into among the best groups in Europe over the previous couple of years, and whereas they’re but to win a significant honour, it feels extra like a matter of when and never if.

The supervisor has helped instil a steeling willpower to struggle in each second, as we noticed in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Sunday, whereas the Brazilian has helped him to herald the gamers he wants to hold out his imaginative and prescient.

Furthermore, the pair have additionally overseen an enormous variety of participant departures throughout their time on the membership, be that superstars like former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or academy merchandise who simply weren’t of the required stage like Eddie Nketiah.

It is inconceivable to disclaim the profound affect they’ve had on the North Londoners during the last 4 years or so, however as at all times, there may be extra work to be achieved to the squad, and one former fan favorite, who earns greater than David Raya and Leandro Trossard, have to be moved on this season.

Raya and Trossard’s salaries at Arsenal

Arsenal paid an preliminary £3m to signal Raya on a season-long mortgage with an choice to purchase from Brentford final summer season, and saying there was some pushback on the time could be an understatement.

The Gunners had simply come off of an good marketing campaign during which Aaron Ramsdale had impressed between the sticks, so when Arteta informed the media he now had two quantity ones, there have been various eyebrows raised, with pundits like Gary Neville notably scathing early on within the season, and in direction of the top when he described his distribution in opposition to Metropolis as “horrible.”

Nevertheless, the supervisor caught by his participant and spent the £27m wanted to make his transfer a everlasting one, and to date this season, he has greater than repaid him with match-defining performances in nearly each recreation to date, notably in opposition to Atalanta and Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut.

It might be honest to say that the Spanish shot-stopper is greater than justifying his £100k-per-week wages, as is Belgian famous person Trossard, who might have stitched up his teammates on Sunday however has in any other case been imperious in purple and white.

The gifted winger joined the Gunners from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion for £27m in January 2023 and ended that season with a critically spectacular haul of one purpose and ten assists in 22 appearances earlier than doing simply as nicely final 12 months and racking up 17 objectives, and two assists in 46 video games.

The Waterschei-born ace at present has simply one purpose in six matches this season, however like Raya, he has greater than confirmed his worth to the North Londoner, which is sadly not one thing that may be stated about certainly one of their teammates who earns greater than the pair of them.

Kieran Tierney’s wage at Arsenal

Sure, the participant in query is Scottish worldwide Kieran Tierney, who was as soon as tipped to develop into the ‘Gunners’ future captain because of his old-school, no-nonsense type of play.

Nevertheless, regardless of wanting spectacular right here and there within the 5 years since his £25m transfer to the Emirates, the previous Celtic ace simply hasn’t performed sufficient soccer to justify his hefty £110k-per-week wages.

For instance, in his first three seasons in North London, the Douglas-born star missed a whopping 55 video games by damage, and by that time, he was firmly out of Arteta’s plans, and regardless of remaining match for the 22/23 marketing campaign, he was sidelined by new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.

With it clear he wasn’t going to get a lot recreation time, the Scotsman joined La Liga facet Actual Sociedad on a season-long mortgage final 12 months. Whereas he appeared good on the pitch, he was as soon as once more blighted by damage issues. He ended up lacking 21 matches on account of hamstring and adductor accidents, with the previous preserving him out of motion this season as nicely.

In all, the 27-year-old dynamo has formally missed a frankly absurd 76 video games by damage since becoming a member of Arsenal in 2019, and although he might be distinctive at instances and would supply the membership a extra conventional choice at left-back, it is clear he can’t be relied upon.

Subsequently, Arteta and Edu should transfer Tierney on both this January if he is match or in the summertime. He can’t justify his £110k-per-week wages, and the longer he spends on the sidelines in North London, the extra his profession goes to stall.