Arsenal: Lucas Perez exit must confirm Danny Welbeck’s future

Lucas Perez has signed for West Ham United for £4 million. The move must confirm the future of Danny Welbeck, who had been rumoured with a possible Arsenal exit also.

The departure of Calum Chambers was a peculiar one. Although Arsenal had six centre-halves by name, one would not return until December at the earliest, two were young prospects who have limited first-team experience, one was wholly unconvincing after two tumultuous seasons in north London, and another was a new signing that has never played in England before. And the other was Chambers.

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While Chambers is far from an established and reliable Premier League starter, his exit does weaken the centre-half position substantially, with only Konstantinos Mavropanos and Rob Holding currently available to back up the questionable pairing of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis.

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And it looked as though Arsenal could be slimming down another position to a worrying extent this summer. While Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang offer two excellent goalscoring options as starters, there isn’t a great number of alternatives beyond the pair. That is more of an issue with Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck both potentially linked with a departure throughout the summer.

Those links have culminated in Perez’ exit on the morning of transfer deadline day. The Spanish striker signed with West Ham United on Thursday morning, the official fee being reported as £4 million — there are a series of add-ons, though they are anticipated to be modest ones that will not make a massive difference to the price. It is not an especially substantial fee, one that is far below his value, and does indicate that Unai Emery was insistent on selling him.

So that leaves Welbeck. With the deadline looming, for English clubs, at least, and time running out, it seems as though Welbeck will remain at the Emirates. With Perez’s exit, that is important.

If Welbeck were now to leave, 19-year-old Eddie Nketiah, who has not made a single Premier League start in his career, would be the back-up to Lacazette and Aubameyang at the striker position. And in wide positions, another area of the pitch that Welbeck can provide depth for, only Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson, another 18-year-old who has limited first-team experience, are available for selection — Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil can play in wide positions, but they do so with a greater nuance, not as traditional, speedy wingers.

Like centre-half, it is hardly the most assured and reliable group of players. It would not be all that confidence-instilling to see Nelson, Nketiah and Iwobi sat on the bench needing to change the game late on. And then if Lacazette, Aubameyang or another starter were to suffer a long-term injury, could Nketiah, for instance, be relied upon to start for a series of matches?

It seems as though Welbeck will stay. Although he could move abroad with the deadline not so pressing, it is far less likely than a domestic move. And that, given the other internal options, is important because Arsenal can’t really afford to lose him with Perez now gone.