5 Arsenal Players at Risk of Down Years

3. Mikel Arteta

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Arteta has done so much for Arsenal and despite being a background captain, he is still an invaluable veteran leader for this team.

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That being said, his usefulness on the field has all but evaporated. The Spaniard had always been played out of position when he was used in deeper roles, as he preferred a more forward-lying position, so expecting him to cover for Coquelin is just unfair.

In the event that Arteta is used as the primary defensive midfielder, we are going to see the gap between what he can bring to the pitch and what Coquelin can bring, and it is not going to be pretty.

This one year deal figures to be more of an award-for-loyalty contract than a get-back-on-the-pitch contract. I do not reckon we will see much of Arteta this year.

Next: Number 2