Sagna unsure about Arsenal future – My solution?: Start Carl Jenkinson

Reports online are suggesting that Bacary Sagna is unsure about his future at Arsenal. He has been quoted as saying the following about his future at the club:

"“It is a very difficult question. I don’t want to give an answer now, because a lot can happen in football.” – Bacary Sagna on his future at Arsenal."

Sagna’s contract with the club runs out in the summer of 2014. He has questioned the club’s ambition after selling key players last few years or so including two former captains in Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas.

Bacary Sagna is unsure about his future at the club. PSG and Inter Milan are both keen on him.

To me it is perfectly clear from Sagna’s performances in recent weeks that his head and heart isn’t at Arsenal anymore. This is an issue as it is costing the team goals. If you saw Sagna against Chelsea at the weekend he went forward a lot and lost the ball, but he jogged back to defend rather than bust his guts in getting back to defend like he used to. Here is a picture right before Arsenal conceded the penalty to Ramires. You will see Sagna (no.3) nowhere near Ramires, who he was meant to be covering.

Poor defending from Sagna.

Part of me can’t blame Sagna. He’s played very well for a lot of his Arsenal career and has been at the club since 2007 now. That’s 6 years. No trophies have been won in that time and Arsenal have lost a lot of key players in that period of time too. But you have to remain professional as a player and do your job. I hate to say it, but at least Robin Van Persie and Samir Nasri stayed quiet and still played for the club and certainly in Van Persie’s case, played very well!.

Sagna’s comments earlier in the season as well as these ones too hardly show a professional attitude. Personally I would bench Sagna. He’s out of form and his heart’s not in it. Carl Jenkinson started the season in fine form and he grew up an Arsenal fan so his heart will ALWAYS be in it. He was getting there, to a level where you could trust him as your right-back. So much so that he earned himself an England cap in November against Sweden.

I felt it was unfair that Jenkinson automatically lost his place in the team when Sagna returned from his injury, but as long as he played well I at least understood it. He hasn’t played that well in most games. So I do mind. I want Jenkinson to get his chance.

My personal opinion is Jenkinson deserves his chance in the team.

Sagna’s 30 in February. He needs a new challenge in my opinion. Inter Milan have been linked with him and if they offer a decent sum, then let him go.

Jenkinson is 21 in February, so he’s young, loves the club and has even committed his future to the club recently by signing a new long-term deal back in December.

If Sagna leaves before the end of January (unlikely) then unless he changes his mind and decides he wants to stay and is committed to the club, he will most likely be sold. Arsenal won’t want him going into his final year at the club like Theo Walcott just did. I’d imagine they’d like to keep him and sign him to a new deal, but if he doesn’t want to stay, they won’t force it.

Arsenal then would have the option of saying to Jenkinson “you’re our guy for the next 10 years or so” and signing a back-up / utility right-back or they could sign someone able to compete with Jenkinson for his spot. The other option of course would be promoting from within the club. Hector Bellerin for example is a talented right-back in the reserve team. He joined from Barcelona in the summer of 2011.