Arsenal Transfers: 5 Players That Should Definitely Be Sold
2. Nacho Monreal
The arrival of Nacho Monreal in January 2013 was key to the side as Kieran Gibbs struggled with an injury problem and Arsenal were lacking depth in that area. He's still proved useful in this aspect, providing an alternative option for Gibbs or replacing the Englishman when he's injured. Unfortunately, this doesn't change the fact that he's not good enough. In Arsenal's recent dismantling at the hands of Everton, Monreal was central to Martinez' tactics. The Spanish manager exploited the left-side, which he correctly identified as the Gunners weak spot, throwing Romelu Lukaku into the frame and causing Monreal real trouble. Lukaku isn't easy to deal with but it was almost as if Monreal wasn't there at all. More concerning is the fact that we saw similar scenes during Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final victory over Wigan Athletic, as the Championship club had their best chances crafted by exploiting Monreal. When the Spaniard was forced off, and replaced by Kieran Gibbs, Arsenal were a far better side in defence and going forward. Now that Monreal has been identified as a weak point, every team will focus on this area. With Lukas Podolski the player usually ahead of the left-back in the Arsenal line-up, the Gunners need a solid full-back who can deal with the problems thrown at them. Monreal is not that man, nor will he ever be.
Josh has had work featured in the Evening Gazette and on Newcastle United website. He is a Multimedia Journalism student at Teesside University and runs a successful sports blog. He also enjoys films, comics and TV, writing about anything he can. Josh has recently started writing his first of what he hopes will be many books.