Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck | Manchester United & England

TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan believes Arsenal have done the right choice to decline contract extensions for Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck. The duo have just seven months remaining on their existing deals and reports have recently indicated that the club won’t hand renewals for either player.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Jordan has backed the Gunners’ decision on the players and believes there is no means for compassion when it comes to the case of Welbeck, who has been sidelined with another season-ending injury, he said: “I just think this is a clearing of the guard. It’s a changing of order, new broom, sweep clean. The idea is that Ramsey and Welbeck are probably not players that Emery sees as part of the makeup of the team that he wants to build.

Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi has acknowledged that the club could dip into the transfer market for a new marksman when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year. The Gunners recently witness Danny Welbeck sustain a serious ankle injury and this has left them with just two senior strikers in the form of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

Amidst this, there has been plenty of speculation regarding the pursuit of a new striker and Sanllehi has admitted that could become a possibility when the transfer window reopens, he told Sky Sports: “That is absolutely something unplanned. Yes, that makes you consider things. I am not saying that's a green light to go to the market but we have good players in the house also that may get further opportunities, like Eddie Nketiah for example. We need to see. We are in November, so it is a good time to start analysing what options we have in the market. We are not closing the door but it's still not the preferred one.”

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has confirmed that Danny Welbeck is expected to be sidelined for the long-term after undergoing a surgery on a broken ankle. The England international sustained the damage during the recent Europa League group stage game versus Sporting which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Speaking after the Gunners’ 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Emery confirmed that Welbeck has undergone a surgery on a broken ankle and he refused to give a potential timeline for the versatile forward to return, he said: “The ankle is broken, we will be without him for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Welbeck’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the season and when asked on the attacker’s future with the club, Emery deflected the question by suggesting that the club are more concerned about the injury suffered, he added: “The best thing for him now is to think about the person. He is a very good person, his commitment with us is a very big commitment. He helps us with his quality and capacity. This injury is very big for him, for us and for all people who like and love him as a person.”

In the same way that some superstitious people will claim that bad things will come in threes, a lot of frequent punters will see the use in placing their bets in threes.

More often than not, you’ll find that a lot of football betting tips are formed from three selections, and there’s more reasoning behind this than you might realise.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery has claimed that Mesut Ozil was unable to feature in the win over Fulham because of a back spasm that he suffered in the previous match. Ozil was expected to play a key role in Arsenal’s game against Fulham at Craven Cottage as he has been a regular under Emery so far this season. He has featured in six out of the seven league matches so far. The game against Fulham witnessed Emery naming Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi in the starting line-up in favour of Mesut Ozil. This turned out to be a major surprise even if Arsenal ended up winning the game with a huge 5-1 score.

However, Emery has confirmed that the absence of the former German international was in town to an injury sustained in the previous match. However, he expects Ozil to come back into the starting line-up just after the international break. Emery will have a lot of concerns about plenty of key players being unavailable for the upcoming round of fixtures, as the international break does provide a significant possibility of key players picking up injuries while playing for the national teams. Arsenal have been on a brilliant run of form that has seen them pick up nine consecutive wins.

Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Rio Ferdinand believes the Red Devils made the mistake to offload both Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck under the tutelage of former manager Louis van Gaal. The United graduates were influential during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge between 2012 and 2013 where the club won the Premier League crown but they thereafter lasted for just one more season before Van Gaal axed them from the squad.

Both Cleverley and Welbeck had a forgettable season under David Moyes after the Ferguson era and upon the arrival of Van Gaal, they managed to last for only a couple of weeks before they were deemed surplus to requirements. Whilst Welbeck made the switch to Arsenal in a deal worth £16m, Cleverley was shipped to Aston Villa on a season-long loan after which he joined Everton on a free transfer.
"I’m fairly confident the likes of Clevs & Welbs who came through the Manchester United system would have been at the club longer if SAF had stayed as manager. [They] were vital members of the squad that loved the club & know the DNA!,” Ferdinand tweeted in response to the BT Sport interview with Cleverley earlier on Saturday.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has hinted that Danny Welbeck could be utilised in the left-back position, should an emergency arise during the course of the season. The England international was heavily tipped to make way from the Gunners earlier in the summer but the speculation has since ceased with Emery highlighting the player’s importance.

In a report covered by The Mirror, Emery hailed the versatility of the former Manchester United man and believes the Englishman is capable of slotting onto the left side of the backline, he said: “Danny Welbeck is one of the players who has a multi-position possibility. Right winger, left winger, striker, and also yesterday he worked with us at left-back -- his performance was good! I like this spirit. To help positions across the team with positive spirit.I said to him when he arrived with us after the holidays, I want the best performance in his career from this player -- and to work for that.”

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour believes Danny Welbeck could be a bargain for rival Premier League clubs with the Gunners deemed to have placed £15m price tag on his head. The England international has been with the Gunners over the past four seasons but has not quite cemented a regular role owing to fitness regular injury concerns.

Despite this, Parlour feels there is plenty to come from the attacker, who has only turned 27 despite nearly a decade in professional football, he told TalkSPORT: “I think people forget he’s only 27. [He’s been around forever,] that’s why people forget that he’s so young. He should be in his prime now, he needs to play on a regular basis and whether he’s going to get that opportunity, I don’t think he will at Arsenal with the players in front of him. With the money bounding around now for players, like £50m-plus for not brilliant players, but average players, then £15m you’d think: ‘I’d take that chance.’”

Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck has urged Jack Wilshere to step up to the next level after deciding to part ways with the Gunners. The England international had the option of a three-year contract on the table with a small pay-cut but he opted against the deal after failing to receive assurances of regular gametime under Unai Emery.

As such, he is due to leave the Emirates at the expiry of his contract this month and Welbeck has spoken positively about the midfielder’s decision. Speaking to reporters, he said: “Obviously Jack with his contract, it was running out and it’s come to an end.The contract was there for him to sign and he’s decided that it’s best for him to leave.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer believes Gareth Southgate made the right choice to pick Danny Welbeck in his squad for the summer World Cup. The England international managed to net just five goals during the recently concluded Premier League season but the Arsenal striker was still able to make the Three Lions squad ahead of Glenn Murray and Callum Wilson who remain uncapped.

Speaking on BBC Sport, Shearer highlighted that Welbeck has a better goalscoring record internationally with 15 strikes from 37 appearances and believes this may have played a key part in the selection process. He said: “Welbeck has a better scoring record internationally than in club football. You wouldn't say he was bang in form and he hasn't pulled up any trees with Arsenal this season.But he is the best option we have as back-up to Vardy and Kane.Overall, Gareth has picked pretty much the strongest squad available to him.He has got to make the best of what he has got.”