Arsenal: Who is the cornerstone to build everything around?

As everyone awaits the appointment of a new manager, there is one nagging question that I am not sure I can answer: Who is the cornerstone around which everything can be built?

A new manager is coming to Arsenal football club. It is sure to be an exciting time full of uncertainty, change and development. There is also a whole lot of work to do in shaping this squad in a form that suits the style and the system of the manager.

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Obviously, we do not know who the new manager is, and that will almost solely dictate the style that the team plays in next season. But there are some questions that can be asked and speculated upon before we know who the manager is. One of those questions is who the cornerstone of the team could be moving forward.

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In every team, there is usually a player around which everything is built. Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid; Kevin de Bruyne at Manchester City; Lionel Messi at Barcelona. But in this Arsenal squad, it is not quite so clear who the cornerstone of the team should be.

Perhaps the most obvious and sensible candidate is Mesut Ozil. He often plays in the central attacking midfield position, when he plays close to his best, he is at the very heart of much of what is good about this team, and he is arguably the most talented individual in the squad who can elevate others to a greater level than they are capable of. But the inconsistency of his performances leaves a lot to be desired.

So, are there any other individuals in the squad who could be considered a cornerstone piece to build around? Well, I can only think of two possibilities.

The first is Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman is a marauding, all-action midfielder who likes to have a large influence on as many aspects of the game as possible. That is the type of player who you should be wanting to build around. But injuries, an inconsistent performance level, and an uncertain future make him a different candidate.

The other is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He is a prolific centre-forward who, when tailored to, has the quality to score 30-plus goals each and every season. But does it make sense to wholly shape your team around a centre-forward who offers little more to the game than just goals? Not really.

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And so we come back to the original question: Who is the cornerstone that the new manager can build around? I just don’t know if there is one.