Arsenal’s squad needs a major overhaul in the summer, and that may be without Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, says John Cross on Sunday Supplement.
I think the board are looking for someone who can reinvigorate the team, go again,” Cross said on Sunday Supplement.
“I think this squad is going to need major surgery. Sanchez is clearly going to go this summer, in my view. They’ve offered Ozil an astronomical amount of money to stay, and he is yet to sign it, and in my mind that points to him leaving.
“Then he’s going to have to rebuild this squad without his best two players.
“They somehow managed to squeeze into second place, and their plans of an overhaul were waylaid, and he ended up signing Xhaka and Mustafi as his big buys, and I think both have been incredibly disappointing.
“I’m not sure, based on that evidence, whether Wenger has got the nouse, energy and drive to go again.”
The Daily Mail’s Ian Ladyman agreed, pointing out Olivier Giroud as a key indication of Arsenal’s need to freshen things up.
“His mojo has gone at Arsenal. And that is the reason why it is time for them, as painful as it might be, to start again,” Ladyman said.
“The key point in that game was about five minutes into the second half when Olivier Giroud had a free header from six yards to make it 2-0, and put it over the bar.
“That sums Arsenal up. Arsene Wenger thinks Giroud is good enough. Giroud, like quite a few of those players, is not good enough. He’s a good player, he’s not a world-class player, not good enough to lead the line for a team who wants to win the Premier League.”
