Arsenal: Danny Welbeck has competition in versatile attacker stakes

The Daily Telegraph are reporting that Arsenal could sell Danny Welbeck this summer. The reason for this is the return of Lucas Perez. He now has competition in the versatile attacker stakes, a competition that he might not win.

For Arsenal, the remaining three weeks of the transfer window has a very clear focus: departures. They have already made five signings this summer, four of which could very plausibly see significant game time next season. But they are yet to sell a single player.

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While Jack Wilshere chose to leave, Santi Cazorla was not offered a new contract and Per Mertesacker retired, in regards to actual sales, the Gunners have not yet agreed to any. That, though, does not mean that they are not coming. They most certainly are. And one name that has surprisingly surfaced as a possible sale candidate is Danny Welbeck.

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Per a report in the Daily Telegraph, Welbeck faces an uncertain future when he returns to Arsenal duties from his World Cup ventures with England in Russia. The attacker squeezed his way into Gareth Southgate’s England squad with a strong end to last season, scoring a number of crucial goals, especially in the Europa League. But it is now being reported that Unai Emery is not as convinced of his utility for the season ahead.

It seems like an odd decision. Yes, Welbeck is not the high-quality starter that many perhaps hoped he would become when he first signed from Manchester United four years ago. Yes, he has never been able to lock down the centre-forward position that he came to north London to find. And yes, many of his more impressive performances have come as a wide attacker. But that does not mean he is not useful.

He is extremely hard working, he is intelligent and positionally versatile, he is quick, powerful and has a good touch, combining nicely when he drifts into central positions. As a flexible squad player who can provide cover at a number of attacking positions, there are few better than Welbeck. And that is a valuable member of a squad.

Unfortunately for Welbeck, though, he now has competition in the versatile attacker stakes. Lucas Perez has returned from his year-long loan with Deportivo la Coruna and is hoping to reignite his career upon his return under a new manager who does like players of his ilk, a pacy, high-pressing, goalscoring wide attacker.

I am not saying that Perez is a better player than Welbeck. I don’t really know who is better. It’s a much of a muchness to me, really. But for Welbeck’s fate, it does not matter what I think. It matters what Emery thinks, and it is not inconceivable to believe that Emery sees Perez as a more useful member of the squad than Welbeck.

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If that is the case, then selling Welbeck, who only has a year left on his contract and would find his first-team opportunities severely limited sitting behind Perez as well as the usual starters, does make a lot of sense. He now has competition for his speciality, and it’s not a competition that he is assured to win.