Arsenal: Gedion Zelalem Sold In Midst Of Midfield Drought

Arsenal looks set to offload Gedion Zelalem to Borussia Dortmund, which is a bit baffling given the shortage of midfielders Wenger has at the moment.

Arsenal has only two holding midfielders right now, as Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny are all missing, due to various causes. It is leaving a void so big that even Arsene Wenger has admitted that he wishes Jack Wilshere were here, because he would be finding playing time.

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But, given Wenger’s lack of foresight, there will be no loan return a la Francis Coquelin. This brief midfield drought will have to be alleviated in other ways.

And there are other ways (well, that ‘are’ is quickly becoming a ‘were’). Wenger collects midfielders for a living and two of those collected toys were readily available – Jon Toral and Gedion Zelalem. Both are just awaiting that chance and both can play that deeper role with an eye for pushing forward.

So who will Wenger turn to?

Well, neither. Jon Toral, whose loan at Granada was only a half-season ordeal, is going to be shipped off to Rangers where he will spend the rest of the season. All of this after his thoroughly captivating season at Birmingham City where he took home the player of the season award.

Surely then, Wenger will turn to Zelalem, who has already passed the Rangers loan test, can pass like a master, and can even play a deep-lying role.

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Nope, not Zelalem either, as it looks like he is being sold to Borussia Dortmund in search of first team playing time.

What gives? Wenger brags about how much he loves internal solutions and it shows when he uses guys like Francis Coquelin and Hector Bellerin to plug the gaps. When they flourish, Wenger looks like a genius.

There is a gap in the midfield and, at a time where such an internal solution could be replicating these instances, they are instead going the other way.

If Wenger is so open to admit that he is short-handed, then why are midfielders exiting the club when midfielders are needed within the club? It really is quite the question and one that really shouldn’t have to be asked.

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Give a guy a chance. Send him in late in a game. What is there to lose? If they don’t do well, you can say you tried. If they do, you look like a genius again.