Having been strongly linked with a move away from the club before the end of the transfer window, it now looks as if Shkodran Mustafi will remain an Arsenal player after potential moves to Inter Milan and Juventus fell through.
The German international, who only signed from Valencia last August, was on the brink of an exit, with the Gunners seeking a loan fee and a commitment to buy as part of the deal.
Now, however, he’ll spend the season in North London:
So Mustafi stays (suiting neither him nor Arsenal) & that means #AFC ending own interest in signing #WBA Evans – also a target for #LCFC !
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) August 31, 2017
Quite how he feels about that remains to be seen. Having been deemed expendable by the manager doesn’t augur well for that relationship, but at the same time professionals know how the game works so hopefully he’ll get his head down and work hard. It’s far from ideal all hought.
There were suggestions that a move for a central defender was on the cards, but that seemed reliant on Mustafi leaving, so the chances of a signing in that area are slim, to say the last.
This isn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened.
Glad he is staying. Can’t Arseblog orchestrate some kind of campaign against Kroenke. I know people are divided on AW as manager but I think we are pretty unanimous in our agreement that the yank has to go. Arseblog has a massive following with no direct ties to the club (as far as I know). Can you not use your platform to try and engineer positive change? It can’t go on like this.
Don’t think there is still a divide on wenger?
thats a sad thing..but increasingly feel its true. not sure what arsenal fans hate more. agreeing with piers morgan or not able to see the club disintegrate.
If it’s true that we don’t have any money (!) I am less annoyed with Wenger although still not entirely happy …
Good idea Tommygun. I’d be right behind this.
Thanks Clock End. I just think there should be some kind of joined up approach between the AST, Arseblog and RedAction. The fans are not powerless, there just needs to be a bit of organisation. Some are still divided on AW, I love him to bits but it’s not working and we need new leadership at the top. We need to pressure Kroenke to sell and if that mean boycotting part or all of games and the clubs other retail outlets and sponsors then so be it.
The yank doesnt bench kolasinac or lacazette..
Maybe thousands of us should disrupt his other businesses. All I can come up with is posting him our shit
Yes I will be all for this. But I feel the only protest that will make a dent will be if we vote with our feet. Nothing will frighten Kroenke out quick than empty seats.
I’d love a change at the very top, but how exactly would a social media campaign force a billionaire on the other side of the ocean to sell a team? You think ol Stan cares about some mean FB and Twitter posts?
Doug, if it is a social media campaign that encourages hundreds of thousands of Arsenal fans not to spend money at the stadium bars, club retail outlets or with club sponsors and boycott part or all of certain games then it is likely to have an effect in my view. There will always be people willing to buy tickets for games but it would be a PR disaster if large sections of the crowd walk out or don’t turn up for the first 10 minutes. Taking money out of the tills will also hurt Kroenke and whilst it may be… Read more »
Yes, I agree 100% and will join all activities against Kroenke Should work together with DT and Troopz at arsenalfantv. Get out of my beloved club!
It’s not if the boss decides to use him properly. If he does a Perez, it hurts everybody.
Well this is awkward.
Exactly. Think he could be a great player but how motivated is he going to be knowing the manager doesn’t want him.
Farcical from arsenal. Thought previous windows took some beating but this tops the lot for incompetence.
I’ve still no clue how or why it all fell apart with Mustafi so quickly. He had an up-and-down first year, but it wasn’t horrible. Someone mentioned in another article that he did something after the Stoke loss – but I can’t find a thing about it.
From what I hear, and it’s only a rumour but it makes sense, Mustafi tore into everyone after Stoke. Not just after the game but in training over the days that followed. I can imagine that he might have let Wenger know just how shit he is as well which I guess is where the sudden urge to sell arguably our best defender came from.
People talk of a lack of characters like Bould and Adams who’d police the team during weak performances and here is one who allegedly did just that. All power to him!
Allegedly he laid into everyone after Stoke and kept going throughout the week that followed. Possibly, which would explain the urge to offload him, he gave Wenger a few choice words as well.
There’s often talk of a lack of characters like Bould or Adams who’ll kick people up the arse during lacklustre performances and here’s one who did it. All power to him!
He shoulda laid in to himself. He was a fucking liability against Stoke, diving in like a Sunday league player. If he’s gonna stay, I hope he stays on his feet.
If Wenger is offloading him because he gave him and the squad a few choice words, then this team is fucked for as long as Wenger is in charge.
Holy crap we’re useless at transfers!! I always think we couldn’t be any worse than what we are and every day I am unpleasantly surprised.
Thank God.
Kroenke trying to offset the CL money by selling whoever has value.
I see the #CLEAROUT of players who are not fully committed to the club is going well.
Is there a single report that comes out of the club that is not contradicted five minutes later?
at least evans wont be coming here
This pleases me a lot. I have no confidence that we would have been able to get a replacement for him if he left.
But now we have a player who we have told we don’t want. So knowing Wenger it will either mean he plays every game on the left wing or we won’t hear from him ever again
Lucas Perez all over again
*or Joel Campbell*
Isn’t it about time we had some pictures of puppies, Blogs?
I doubt he was ‘deemed expendable’, that doesn’t really fit. More likely that Mustafi has thrown a strop behind the scenes, which just adds to the disharmony in the squad, with Bob Wilson saying members of the squad don’t want Alexis around at the moment.
Wtf. If arsene want him out and benched both him and per cause they confront alexis, then this is really madness.
Probably for the best.
Hope he gets his head down and plays well when called upon
Still completely perplexed by the Mustafi situation. Really no idea if he wants to leave, the club wants rid or both. Whichever it is, what’s the reason?
I honestly believe that kronke is short on cash and has struck an agreement with Wenger that if he makes him a load of money in next 2 years and Wenger takes all the shit for it, then Kronke will pay him some huge cash bonus when he leaves in 2 years
Why the hell were we looking to sell him anyway? First part of last season everyone loved the guy. I don’t see why the boss who persevered with never-was players like Denilson has given up so fast on Mustafi.
Our transfer incompetence saves the day again! Joy!
This is similar to the De Gea’s saga to Madrid few years ago, and De Gea able to kept his professionalism. Hopefully Mustafi has the willingness to prove the boss is wrong and can come back stronger.
Off topic, are we the only one that have an interest in Draxler (if Sanchez leave)?
I think the issue that he knows the boss is wrong
Well if he did anything to annoy Arsene such as voice a dissenting opinion to insanity, then long may it continue. I’m not sure how great he is as a defender but all the same when the midfield protected them he was unbeaten in 23 games. That’s not nothing.
An act, albeit unintended, of common sense at last!
Damn our defense is done.
I will say it again, it was indeed ludicrous to think of selling him in the first place. He isn’t even a poor defender by all standards (he made mistakes yes! but it was his debut season). That apart, his performances from now on will never be as they ought to be. The talk about “professionals doing their job” is hardly consoling. He is first human before anything else and deserved to be treated with respect which he didn’t get from the club. I just don’t just understand my club again. 3 weeks ago; after our win over Chelsea, I… Read more »
If it saves us from signing Evans I’m not going to complain
Hear, hear!
Good thing he didnt go otherwise we’ll be seeing him leave with no replacement. Im very sure the $ we generate from sales will not be reinvested. Kronke is just shitting us.
Why save all this agro till late August? Anything to do with season tickets and merchandising?
He´s a professional who will continue to play well for Arsenal.
I don’t think he is that bad of a player at all, but worry that we are keeping a player that either wanted to leave or Wenger didn’t want here (or both).
I do wonder if shithead Kroenke has told AW he has to make up the deficit for not finishing in the CL through transfers. This would be one possibility which would explain why we made a 30 million profit in this window and are unlikely to invest anymore, especially if Sanchez stays. This may be why AW feels like he has to do something drastic with the formation/player positions in whatever is left of the squad to squeeze an extra 10% out of performances. Unfortunately it is backfiring spectacularly and I have no idea why AW would have undertaken such… Read more »
He is the second best CB at the club. Glad he is not moving away.