Arsenal: Nacho Monreal transfer requires subsequent reaction

Arsenal favorite Nacho Monreal is being linked with a move to Real Sociedad, which is fine, but there has to be an opposite and hopefully equal reaction.

Nacho Monreal had an amazing stretch of a couple months last year where he was everything to Arsenal. He could do no wrong, he was a dominant force, always popping up where he needed to be, and it helped drive him to the No. 2 most valuable player on the team.

There were problems around that magnificent stretch though. Problems that involved his increasing age and the effect it was having on his ability to play out wide, where speed is constantly being utilized against you.

Playing centrally on defense, he has the instincts, but not the size or strength. Which leaves him in a tough middle ground.

And now, he is being linked to a potential sale to Real Sociedad. Just like the old Arsenal, this would be a move to sell someone at his peak value, when it isn’t going to get any better.

Overall, it’s a sensible move. Monreal doesn’t have much gas left in the tank and he may well be better served individually playing in Spain, where less will be asked of him on a weekly basis.

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All of that considered, it’s a move that I feel like we can get behind, despite the emotional taxation of potentially losing a player that we are all very fond of.

The other good part is that it clears the way for the bruiser, Sead Kolasinac. Kolasinac, when given consistent runs in the starting XI, is a monster in the best way possible. It’s just a matter of staying on the pitch due to health concerns.

This was a big problem last year. His inability to stay healthy gave Monreal the chance to retake the starting role – which he did – and subsequently kept Kolasinac planted on the bench.

Therefore, if Monreal were to be sold, there would have to be a reactive move. Someone who could ensure that we don’t live or die on the health of Sead Kolasinac, because that is a game that we don’t want to play.

Someone like Miguel Layun could be perfect, because expectations (and price) are low, and versatility is high, so he would be able to play across the board in any wide position.

Next: Arsenal's End Of Season Player Rankings

Whatever the case, if Monreal is sold, there has to be a security option behind Kolasinac. And I mean a real one.

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