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Mikel Arteta’s One Year Deal a Good or Bad Sign for Arsenal?

By Josh Sippie

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With Arsenal on the brink of being shoe-in title contenders, there are many calls for many signings. One such signing is to reinforce Arsenal’s defensive midfield. Francis Coquelin has earned the primary spot that the defensive midfield entails, but that does not mean that we should just leave Coquelin to manage the defensive midfield roles by himself.

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There needs to be backup and depth sufficient enough to reassure us even in the unlikely event that Francis Coquelin sustains an injury that he can not just walk off.

That being said, if last year was someone’s first time ever watching Arsenal, the hypothetical viewer would not be familiar with Mikel Arteta and would probably think him either completely out of favor, out of form, or headed out of the team.

Nope. He is the captain.

Mikel Arteta is a professional. He has made an impact on Arsenal in his time as captain and despite aging and not being as fleet-footed as he used to be, he still holds value as a depth midfielder. But to expect anything more out of him is a losing endeavor. His physicality pales next to Coquelin, his pace pales next to nearly everyone and his offensive abilities pale when compared to anyone else on the squad.

So where does El Capitan fit in?

Honestly, Mikel Arteta’s worth on the pitch may be shot. I can not foresee him getting much, if any, time on the pitch this coming year. If Tomas Rosicky was frustrated by his playing time and Aaron Ramsey is forced out on to the wings with Jack Wilshere on the bench, then what can Mikel Arteta hope to achieve?

A veteran leadership role is probably the most realistic option. I was not opposed to seeing Arteta move on but with how much Arsenal, and myself, value loyalty, seeing him stick around does not necessarily bother me, but I do have my concerns.

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Arsene Wenger had this to say (via Arsenal.com): “I expect him to contribute much more than last season but he also faces a battle. With the number of games we have ahead, we could use his experience, his desire and his quality as it will be vital for next season.”

Those battles that he is speaking of are good for Arsenal but I cannot foresee a situation where Mikel Arteta breaks through into the first team. If Arteta is Arsene Wenger’s answer to the depth at midfield question, then this contract is bad because Mikel Arteta cannot cover for Francis Coquelin. He may have been good enough at one time but as it stands, Arteta would leave the midfield pretty exposed in the event of a Coquelin absence.

That being said, if Arsene Wenger still addresses the ‘backup for Coquelin’ question, then I am all for this contract. Honor the loyalty of the players that have been loyal to you. That is how you keep players for a long time when teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City come knocking at the door with massive paychecks and bags of gold.

Next: Serge Gnabry a potential superstar?

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