Arsenal accountability: The questions and the mistakes

What will become of the following players?

• Egyptian Mohamed Elneny is a leftover from Arsene Wenger’s reign. He’s a nice squad player but not a first-team automatic choice.
• Academy product Ainsley Maitland-Niles was hailed a hero and declared a vital part of Arteta’s squad following his performance in the Gunner’s 2020 2-1 FA Cup victory over Chelsea. One year later and Maitland-Niles can’t get a game.
• Why is Sead Kolasinac still here? The Bosnian is best remembered for taking on thugs trying to carjack Mesut Ozil than his game performances. He was loaned out to Schalke 04 last season and Arsenal continues to try and get Kolasinac off the books.
• Reiss Nelson has been an Arsenal player since the age of nine but has gotten limited opportunities. Early reports speculated that the winger was going to be sold. Now it’s claimed the Gunners are trying to get Nelson to sign a new contract before loaning him out to Crystal Palace, now managed by Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.
• Will Arteta’s decision to allow academy graduate Joe Willock to leave for Newcastle come back to haunt Arsenal?
• Will gold medal-winning striker Gabriel Martinelli ever get a real chance to show what he’s got?
• Lucas Torreira was signed by Unai Emery in 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite. The change in manager along with the pandemic altered the Uruguayan’s fortunes. Arteta didn’t rate him and Torreira spent last season on loan at Atletico Madrid. With his career in limbo, it’s hard to blame him for going to an amusement park as the new EPL season got underway.
• Then there’s the Willian fiasco. His Arsenal deal makes Wenger’s signings of Gervinho, Yaya Sanogo, and Kim Kallstrom look like strokes of brilliance. The former Chelsea player signed a lucrative three-year contract with Arsenal last summer and at the time Arteta said, “I believe he’s a player that can really make a difference for us.” Now we can’t get rid of him.

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