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It’s still too early for Arsenal to let go of Spanish full back

By Kian Long

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: Nacho Monreal of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on April 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: Nacho Monreal of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on April 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal must think before they let this deal go ahead.

Arsenal are rebuilding for next season under their new manager, Unai Emery. Things began to look stale towards the end of the Arsene Wenger tenure, so it’s not hard to understand why players are being moved on.

However, there are a number of players who can still do a job under a new manager. Emery has recognized this by giving the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang key roles in the side.

According to reports from football.london, Real Sociedad are interested in acquiring the services of full back Nacho Monreal. Here are my thoughts on why Arsenal must avoid the situation.

Age shouldn’t play a factor.

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Monreal is undoubtedly coming towards the end of his career. Ageing at 32 years old though, he still has a lot left in the tank.

I’ve said before how Arsenal shouldn’t rely on him for too long, which I still think is the case. I think Arsenal should look in the next summer window for a left back to challenge Sead Kolasinac.

However, is selling Monreal the option? I don’t think so.

He endured his best ever season last time out, surprisingly getting on the end of many goals. He was a real contender for Arsenal’s player of the season, and selling those contenders too soon is a common theme at the club.

Take away Nacho Monreal, and everything falls apart.

Nacho Monreal was undeniably a key figure to last season’s side. He was the one to push forward and win possession in the opposing half, which is a trait Emery should wish to exploit. There aren’t many players with the athleticism Monreal has, even at such an old age.

Representing Spain, ‘La Furia Roja’, he has become quite used to an aggressive style of play. That doesn’t mean he’s going around crunching opposing players, it just means he’s always there to test opposition on the ball.

This could be key to Unai Emery in a number of ways. The Spanish coach likes to play compact football, which can often lead to full backs venturing forward.

He isn’t the type of coach to take slacking easily, either. This isn’t a worry for Monreal, who always gives his all to impress.

To summarize, I don’t think Arsenal should take the offer from Real Sociedad easily. Of course, if they can generate a worthy fee for him, then go ahead. But they shouldn’t bin him off for money’s sake, because he is still a quality player.

Next: Henrikh Mkhitaryan could play a huge role under Unai Emery

Do you think Arsenal should sell Nacho Monreal?

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