Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has received heavy backlash during the past couple of weeks due to his slack defending and many fans want him to be sold during the summer.
Shkodran Mustafi joined Arsenal from Valencia in 2016 and since then the centre-back has played more or less regularly for the Gunners.
But during the past couple of games, the German has been in absolutely pathetic form and his errors have contributed directly towards opponents’ goals.
While Emery has chosen to back Shkodran Mustafi very reluctantly, Gary Neville though seems to know how to get the best out of the defender without selling him off.
The former Man United man managed Shkodran Mustafi when the pundit took charge of Valencia for a brief period and talking about the defender, Neville told Sky Sports(as reported):
“I had Mustafi at Valencia for three or four months. He’s committed, he’s really good in the air, but he needs someone alongside him who can pull him into position and hold him there,
“He does like to wander into midfield. He does like to make movements, you think about a back four, staying in shape, staying connected, he does like to run into midfield.
“What that then does for his partner and full-backs, they have to adjust their position. It quickens up the attack. You give spaces for attackers to run into. It’s a real problem.
“I think at the moment he hasn’t got a strong partner beside him. He had [Nicolas] Otamendi at Valencia the year before I got there who did really well with him.
“The year after he went to City obviously. Then he had a different partner. If Arsenal are going to play him you need a strong partner beside him.”
Shkodran Mustafi is out of at Arsenal in 2021 which means that if Unai Emery chooses to sell him off during the summer, the club can get a fairly decent price for him in the transfer market.
But we believe that Emery will not be walking down that path.
As per reports, the Arsenal boss will only get around 45 million pounds to spend in the transfer market which means the manager will have to be very precise as to which players he wants to replace.
