Arsenal: If Aaron Ramsey is gone, then let’s talk Danny Welbeck

Arsenal look to be headed to an inevitable future with Aaron Ramsey. That being the case, can we at least talk about Danny Welbeck?

Whatever happens with Aaron Ramsey, I’m tired of talking about it. Arsenal have two major players that are heading to the end of their contracts this year, and Ramsey is only one of them. The other is Danny Welbeck, third striker extraordinaire.

For as much as Ramsey has been talked about, and for as much drama as their is regarding his future, the inverse is true of Danny Welbeck. No one is talking about it, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.

What is a good thing is how Welbeck has been a pretty consistent performer for the Gunners in what capacity he has been used. And let’s go ahead and talk about that really quick, the capacity that he is being used.

As it stands, the Gunners rely on both Lacazette and Aubameyang to provide the girth of the goals in the Premier League, which they’ve been doing. But part of what makes them so sure to succeed is that they are getting proper rest in between matches, and they are being saved for when it really matters.

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That’s only possible because Danny Welbeck has done such an upstanding job as the third striker, scoring when needed against opposition outside of the Prem. If you want to get technical, he has scored more goals in all competitions than Romelu Lukaku, but that’s a topic for another day.

The point is, if anyone was doubting the value of Welbeck, they shouldn’t be anymore. He is carrying his weight and more. he is also finding consistent playing time, which makes me wonder if he might even be coaxed into committing himself to this club for the long haul, rather than aiming to be a No. 1 somewhere less prestigious.

The other big question is what his presence does to the rise of Eddie Nketiah, but Unai Emery has shown such a propensity to experiment with strikers playing on the wings, or even playing in a 4-4-2, that it’s looking less and less like Welbeck’s continued presence will have any effect on Nketiah at all.

Brushing that off, I think we might actually be able to all say that Welbeck should stay, if the price is right. No point in replacing what doesn’t need replacing. Welbeck fits a specific role with this club and I’d like to see it continued.