Arsenal: Two Gunners that seamlessly replace Mesut Ozil and Alexis

Arsenal’s focus on superstars and individual talent is coming to an end, and thankfully, the club already has two guys that can replace them.

Arsenal’s newfound focus on blue-collar players rather than the magical artists that they have relied on these past few years is going to make the transition remarkably easy from losing out on about £120m of super-stardom in Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

There are two guys in line to seamlessly replace these two, though. And these two guys follow that trend of focusing on the effort and enthusiasm of the game rather than the artistry. Plus, I don’t think there will be much argument, seeing as they are fan favorites.

I am speaking of course, of Danny Welbeck for Alexis and Jack Wilshere for Ozil. Yes, we lose that fine-tuning and clinical edge, but in return we get two determined workers with enough class and quality to bridge the gap.

Let them go in January, because we are ready to let the internal solutions have a chance before addressing more permanent solutions in the summer, should the need arise.

The problem isn’t replacing them, however, the problem is keeping the two Englishman capable of replacing them healthy. And if you are worried about injuries – as you should be – then rest assured that with Alex Iwobi backing Wilshere and Reiss Nelson backing Welbeck, we have a solid set of fill-ins come to pass.

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There is no denying that the class of Alexis and Ozil will be missed. They are among the most tactful and talented players in the modern game. But relying on those skill sets and the super star mentality has gotten the Gunners to a few minor trophies, but not the heights they were supposed to reach.

Seeing what Sead Kolasinac can do and then seeing it in Danny Welbeck helped us to see that we are not as dependent on any single player as we might have thought. Sure, supporters love to have world class stars they can get behind, but what is world class if it doesn’t help the club elevate to that level?

I, for one, have been much more enthused by Welbeck’s return than by Alexis’s prolonged stay. Welbeck still has so much to prove while his counterpart doesn’t.

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And the same can be said of Jack Wilshere vs Ozil. You have to look at their motivation, even for guys like Alexis who seem to never stop. And the motivation of having something to prove is hard to beat.

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