Arsenal need a comprehensive squad overhaul. It's imperative.
Seeing the likes of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Mohamed Elneny, Lucas Torreira, Sead Kolasinac and Matteo Guendouzi all linked with moves away means that the club are, indeed, on the right track. Players need to be shifted in order to bring new ones in. Straight forward stuff, and everyone is accepting of the situation.
But when Hector Bellerin's name cropped up on the list of potential departees, suddenly the elation subsided and emotions ran high.
This is what supporters have been craving for years on end. An extensive clear out of underperforming deadwood in order to pave the way for club resurgence. A change. A big change.
Sentiment was always going to come into play when Bellerin's name emerged as being one of the pawns sacrificed to take a bishop. Yet now the time has come that disillusioned fans yearned for, they're suddenly disconcerted.
If Arsenal are to truly re-imagine the squad, alter the course of their trajectory and plan for the future, then sentiment can't be brought into the equation. If anything, it should be seen as a positive step that one of the long-serving players at the club is neither being sold for pittance or handed over to a direct rival.
He's not going to Manchester United and suddenly making them title winners. He's not going to Chelsea and cementing his place as the best in the world in his position. He's going to be sold for a healthy sum of money that will inherently improve the squad.
An emotional seesaw, but one that tips firmly to one side.
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Source : 90min