Arsenal rumours: Arsene Wenger to axe ageing midfield trio?

Jamie Clark, Sports Editor | November 3, 2015

Reports in the London press claim Arsenal are to axe ageing midfielders Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky at the end of the season when their contracts are up.

Coral make the Gunners 6/4 second-favourites to win a first Premier League title for a dozen years, but the contribution made by this 30-something trio has been limited at best.

Age before beauty

Club captain Arteta, who will be 34 before the campaign ends, has started just two games in all competitions this term so far, and is out until after the international break with a sprained ankle.

Fellow holding midfielder Flamini turns 32 next spring, meanwhile, and has played just 29 minutes of Premier League football under Arsene Wenger in 2015/16. Czech Republic centurion Rosicky, 35, has missed the entire season to date after undergoing knee surgery.

With injury problems and poor match fitness an increasing concern for Arsenal’s ageing engine room options, rumours they will be released can hardly be seen as surprising. Lousy luck when it comes to the treatment table is not confined to Arteta and Rosicky, however.

Could Gunners shoot themselves in the foot?