OPINION
Despite agreeing a new contract with the midfielder, Arsenal should have cashed in on Alex Iwobi this summer.
The Gunners announced that Iwobi had signed a new long-term contract at The Emirates Stadium via their official Twitter account.
Alex Iwobi has signed a new long-term contract
Congratulations, @AlexIwobi ?
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 3, 2018
Arsenal have made a mistake in giving Iwobi a new contract and should have been sold this summer to raise money for new signings, as he won’t be good enough for the club in the long-term.
Iwobi is a good player, he’s good technically, has good dribbling skills and has good movement. However, Arsenal should be a club that aim for more than simply ‘good’, they need excellent and unfortunately, Iwobi isn’t that.
The 22-year-old, who earns £30,ooo-per-week at Arsenal (Spotrac), is a symbol of the old Arsene Wenger regime. Giving chances to young players and having trust in them is absolutely the right thing to do, but when it’s clear that a player isn’t going to become an excellent player for your team, then there need to be some tough decisions being taken.
For too long Wenger persisted with good players over great ones. Iwobi, David Ospina, Callum Chambers, Carl Jenkinson, Mohamed El Neny, Granit Xhaka, Joel Campbell and Danny Welbeck are all examples of good players that should be playing in teams lower down the league.
With Unai Emery coming in, there seems to be a change in that philosophy. The players that have been brought in this summer are established players with excellent pedigree and will be able to perform at a consistent quality level of performance. The likes of Lucas Torreira, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Bernd Leno are prime examples.
They can be relied on to put in a great performance, whether it’s at home to Chelsea or away at Huddersfield, their level of performance won’t change as they have great mentalities and mental strength, which is what separates the good from the great.
Iwobi should have been sold, as he’s an example of the old Arsenal. The new Arsenal is here and Emery will demand more than just good.