Arsenal at Risk of Losing Santi Cazorla?

Arsenal are linked to hundreds of players worldwide, from strikers to keepers, but there are very few Gunner’s aside from Lukas Podolski, who are rumored to be leaving.

Now, however, reports are emerging from the Daily Star that La Liga Champions Atletico Madrid are among a host of Spanish clubs that have set Santi Cazorla pretty high up on their wish list.

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Cazorla turns 30 soon and he’ll have just a year left on his contract come this summer, so is it perhaps time to get what we can out of the little Spaniard and move on?

For starters, he plays an absolutely overstocked position at Arsenal, with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all competing for a mere three or four spots (not to mention Serge Gnabry).

Just looking at that list, it’s hard to pick one from the other as to who to start. But given Arsenal’s new Anglo-centric movement of players and the youth of the other names fitting the roll Cazorla plays, would it be so inadvisable to part ways with the aging Spaniard while he has some decent value and place our midfield in the hands of our talented, youthful core?

While I am in favor of shipping Cazorla off for a decent sum, I highly doubt if Arsene Wenger will be. Take for instance Tomas Rosicky.

Rosicky is a skilled player, albeit an aged one (at 34) yet Wenger offered him a new contract in May of this year just to see him sit on the bench. Sure, he’s a great resource to have, but we never use him.

I see the Cazorla situation much like the Rosicky one. Wenger won’t part with Cazorla because he likes having older, experienced players on his bench. What do you think?

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