Arsenal: Shkodran Mustafi transfer rumors can’t be undone

Arsenal are supposedly receiving inquiries for Shkodran Mustafi, and if that’s the case, this can never be undone. You sell him and you sell him now.

Seeing Shkodran Mustafi play thus far in the preseason, the verdict is being oversold. He has had his chance at Arsenal and it’s clear that he is not going to cut it. So much physical ability, but the mental acuity just isn’t there. He can’t seem to grasp the decision making required to succeed at this level.

After spending £35m on him, that’s disappointing. But he’s still young and, as mentioned, he still has tremendous physical ability so it didn’t make a lot of sense why we weren’t seeing much interest, especially in the continent, from teams that could make use of his physical abilities alone.

But now we have. Now there are rumors that Monaco, and potentially some Serie A clubs, are interested in spending upwards of £27m on his services, and now that the cats out of the bag, it’s game over. Pandora doesn’t go back into the box, he only comes out.

He has to be sold now. I can’t recall a time where I have been so adamant that a guy be sold, but seeing that kind of price attached to the German made my jellies go haywire. To think that there is actually the potential to move him on somewhere else, which would be better for both parties, is extraordinary.

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That’s the thing though. There’s no going back now. If he remains at the club, there are going to be serious, necessary questions asked, because like I said, the fact that we have interest from anywhere should necessitate an immediate sale, with little regard for price.

The sad fact of the matter is just that he is a mistake waiting to happen. And as we saw last season, a mistake that costs us points could mean the difference between fourth place and fifth place. Do you really trust Mustafi to safeguard any points at all? Because I don’t.

I would rather sell Mustafi and not replace him than keep him on the team. It sounds awful (maybe), since I like the guy, but it’s where we are right now. Give me Calum Chambers and Rob Holding and lose the mistakes.

It’s exciting to see where this goes, especially if we can get that kind of fee for him. That would be the first good sale we’ve seen in years.