Arsenal: Massive Decision To Be Made With Santi Cazorla
Arsenal has a major decision coming up in terms of Santi Cazorla. The Spanish magician’s contract is up next summer, but he will be 32. What do they do?
It seems to be the day of contract talks. With Ozil and Alexis both being pushed to ink new Arsenal deals, I figured it would be best to visit all of the Gunners that will be facing contract talks in the near future.
Santi Cazorla is another aging Gunner, like Laurent Koscielny, who is out of contract come next summer. The little magician has cemented himself in the Arsenal midfield yet again, striking up an instantaneous partnership with Granit Xhaka.
Cazorla’s ability to successfully play in a holding role despite his small stature continues to baffle me, but more power to him. He has been caught out at times, but so long as he has full fitness, there is no reason to doubt his ability to stay there.
That being said, the little man will be 32 next summer when his contract is up. Arsenal has a long history of extending players well beyond their actual use (see Mikel Arteta) but with this new ambitious streak that we have seen from Wenger (loaning out Chambers, Wilshere), perhaps the next big step is to seek some potential monetary return on an aging star that still has value.
Transfermarkt still values Cazorla at €20m and it’s doubtful that will change by the end of the year. He is primed to have a solid year at Arsenal, so if anything, it may even bump up a bit, despite his increasing age. Still though, Arsenal won’t be able to sell him if they don’t extend him at all. If the plan is to let him run out his contract and go for free, than Wenger can’t avoid the financial investment necessary to replace him (Isco… please).
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Cazorla has indicated that he would be open to a return to Villareal at some point, but if he wants to be any use to them at all, he would have to do that soon. It’s fun to go back to a club you are attached to, but given that Villareal aren’t scrubs and will hope to continue their quick growth in La Liga, they will want the most out of Cazorla and he’s wise enough to want to give them the most he can.
So where does that leave Arsenal? The Gunners are known to give one-year extensions to those aging stars, but Wenger is also going to be keen to improve his ranks should this season go awry and no major trophies are had.
Whatever the case, there is a decision incoming. Each option has it’s pros and cons, so I leave it up to you, Gooners. What would you do? Would you extend Cazorla, let him go on a free or try to sell him in January?