3 senior players that should leave after Alexandre Lacazette’s departure

1. Kieran Tierney

If the presence of Xhaka on this list started some fights, Kieran Tierney’s inclusion is likely to ignite full-blown riots. The basis for Tierney’s transfer is no indication of his ability. He is a world-class left-back that would slot into any team in the top four.

The question is how many games does he play as that world-class left-back?

The Scot has suffered injury after injury at Arsenal. His layoffs have been so extensive that he has played around half of the available games since his move to London. He is not a young player growing and adapting to the rigours of top-flight football. He is a senior member of the squad and a potential captain. Yet this squad needs players that can stay fit and showcase their talent for the entire season.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as if Tierney’s injury struggles are going to improve. He has been at Arsenal for three years and has yet to be available for every single game (or the vast majority, at least) in a given season. Selling Tierney would be fairly straightforward. Unlike some other sales, his quality is well-known and there would no shortage of suitors for the defender. Finding an adequate replacement, however, would be difficult, to say the least.

If Arsenal could find a left-back (perhaps Brighton’s Marc Cucurella) that fits Arteta’s desired style and can stay fit, the club should move on from an exceptional but unlucky talent.

Arsenal have put together some amazing performances this season off of their burgeoning young players. Arteta must look beyond the exuberance of these players to the senior members of his squad as he looks to find the right balance in the dressing room.