Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have helped turn Arsenal from an underachieving sleeping giant into one of the best teams in Europe over the last few years, and while they are yet to win a major honour, it feels more like a matter of when and not if.
The manager has helped instil a steeling determination to fight in every moment, as we saw against Manchester City on Sunday, while the Brazilian has helped him to bring in the players he needs to carry out his vision.
Moreover, the pair have also overseen a huge number of player departures during their time at the club, be that superstars like former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or academy products who just weren’t of the required level like Eddie Nketiah.
It’s impossible to deny the profound impact they have had on the North Londoners over the last four years or so, but as always, there is more work to be done to the squad, and one former fan favourite, who earns more than David Raya and Leandro Trossard, must be moved on this season.
Raya and Trossard's salaries at Arsenal
Arsenal paid an initial £3m to sign Raya on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Brentford last summer, and saying there was some pushback at the time would be an understatement.
The Gunners had just come off of an brilliant campaign in which Aaron Ramsdale had impressed between the sticks, so when Arteta told the media he now had two number ones, there were more than a few eyebrows raised, with pundits like Gary Neville particularly scathing early on in the season, and towards the end when he described his distribution against City as “terrible.”
However, the manager stuck by his player and spent the £27m needed to make his move a permanent one, and so far this season, he has more than repaid him with match-defining performances in almost every game so far, particularly against Atalanta and Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut.
It would be fair to say that the Spanish shot-stopper is more than justifying his £100k-per-week wages, as is Belgian superstar Trossard, who may have stitched up his teammates on Sunday but has otherwise been imperious in red and white.
The talented winger joined the Gunners from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion for £27m in January 2023 and ended that season with a seriously impressive haul of one goal and ten assists in 22 appearances before doing just as well last year and racking up 17 goals, and two assists in 46 games.
The Waterschei-born ace currently has just one goal in six matches this season, but like Raya, he has more than proven his value to the North Londoner, which is unfortunately not something that can be said about one of their teammates who earns more than the pair of them.
Kieran Tierney's salary at Arsenal
Yes, the player in question is Scottish international Kieran Tierney, who was once tipped to become the ‘Gunners’ future captain thanks to his old-school, no-nonsense style of play.
However, despite looking impressive here and there in the five years since his £25m move to the Emirates, the former Celtic ace just hasn’t played enough football to justify his hefty £110k-per-week wages.
For example, in his first three seasons in North London, the Douglas-born star missed a whopping 55 games through injury, and by that point, he was firmly out of Arteta’s plans, and despite remaining fit for the 22/23 campaign, he was sidelined by new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
19/20
1
96
19
20/21
4
83
19
21/22
2
114
17
22/23
0
0
0
23/24
3
100
21
24/25
1
97
–
Total
11
490
76
With it clear he wasn’t going to get much game time, the Scotsman joined La Liga side Real Sociedad on a season-long loan last year. While he looked good on the pitch, he was once again blighted by injury problems. He ended up missing 21 matches due to hamstring and adductor injuries, with the former keeping him out of action this season as well.
In all, the 27-year-old dynamo has officially missed a frankly absurd 76 games through injury since joining Arsenal in 2019, and though he can be exceptional at times and would offer the club a more traditional option at left-back, it’s clear he cannot be relied upon.
Therefore, Arteta and Edu must move Tierney on either this January if he’s fit or in the summer. He cannot justify his £110k-per-week wages, and the longer he spends on the sidelines in North London, the more his career is going to stall.
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