Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have helped flip Arsenal from an underachieving sleeping big into top-of-the-line groups in Europe over the previous couple of years, and whereas they’re but to win a serious honour, it feels extra like a matter of when and never if.

The supervisor has helped instil a steeling willpower to combat in each second, as we noticed in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Sunday, whereas the Brazilian has helped him to usher in the gamers he wants to hold out his imaginative and prescient.

Furthermore, the pair have additionally overseen an enormous variety of participant departures throughout their time on the membership, be that superstars like former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or academy merchandise who simply weren’t of the required degree like Eddie Nketiah.

It is unimaginable to disclaim the profound impression they’ve had on the North Londoners over the past 4 years or so, however as at all times, there’s extra work to be executed to the squad, and one former fan favorite, who earns greater than David Raya and Leandro Trossard, should be moved on this season.

Raya and Trossard’s salaries at Arsenal

Arsenal paid an preliminary £3m to signal Raya on a season-long mortgage with an choice to purchase from Brentford final summer time, and saying there was some pushback on the time could be an understatement.

The Gunners had simply come off of an sensible marketing campaign wherein Aaron Ramsdale had impressed between the sticks, so when Arteta advised the media he now had two quantity ones, there have been various eyebrows raised, with pundits like Gary Neville notably scathing early on within the season, and in direction of the tip when he described his distribution in opposition to Metropolis as “horrible.”

Nonetheless, the supervisor caught by his participant and spent the £27m wanted to make his transfer a everlasting one, and to this point this season, he has greater than repaid him with match-defining performances in nearly each sport to this point, notably in opposition to Atalanta and Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut.

It might be honest to say that the Spanish shot-stopper is greater than justifying his £100k-per-week wages, as is Belgian celebrity Trossard, who could have stitched up his teammates on Sunday however has in any other case been imperious in crimson and white.

The gifted winger joined the Gunners from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion for £27m in January 2023 and ended that season with a significantly spectacular haul of one purpose and ten assists in 22 appearances earlier than doing simply as nicely final yr and racking up 17 objectives, and two assists in 46 video games.

The Waterschei-born ace at the moment has simply one purpose in six matches this season, however like Raya, he has greater than confirmed his worth to the North Londoner, which is sadly not one thing that may be mentioned about one in every of their teammates who earns greater than the pair of them.

Kieran Tierney’s wage at Arsenal

Sure, the participant in query is Scottish worldwide Kieran Tierney, who was as soon as tipped to change into the ‘Gunners’ future captain because of his old-school, no-nonsense model of play.

Nonetheless, regardless of trying spectacular right here and there within the 5 years since his £25m transfer to the Emirates, the previous Celtic ace simply hasn’t performed sufficient soccer to justify his hefty £110k-per-week wages.

For instance, in his first three seasons in North London, the Douglas-born star missed a whopping 55 video games by harm, and by that time, he was firmly out of Arteta’s plans, and regardless of remaining match for the 22/23 marketing campaign, he was sidelined by new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.

With it clear he wasn’t going to get a lot sport time, the Scotsman joined La Liga facet Actual Sociedad on a season-long mortgage final yr. Whereas he regarded good on the pitch, he was as soon as once more blighted by harm issues. He ended up lacking 21 matches resulting from hamstring and adductor accidents, with the previous conserving him out of motion this season as nicely.

In all, the 27-year-old dynamo has formally missed a frankly absurd 76 video games by harm since becoming a member of Arsenal in 2019, and although he could be distinctive at occasions and would supply the membership a extra conventional choice at left-back, it is clear he can’t be relied upon.

Subsequently, Arteta and Edu should transfer Tierney on both this January if he is match or in the summertime. He can’t justify his £110k-per-week wages, and the longer he spends on the sidelines in North London, the extra his profession goes to stall.