‘Lot of character and personality’: Martin Keown in awe of £35m Arsenal ace

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Arsenal legend Martin Keown has spoken highly of Shkodran Mustafi, praising the Gunners defender for his return to form, in conversation with Goal.

Several months ago, it looked like the 27-year-old’s Arsenal career was as good as over as Unai Emery froze him out of contention.

Mustafi had not featured for Arsenal in the Premier League during the opening three months of the season and a departure from the Emirates Stadium looked very much on the cards.

However, Emery’s successor Mikel Arteta has given the Germany international a second chance, which has been taken with both hands.

Keown believes that Mustafi deserves credit for the way he has turned things around since Arteta’s arrival.

However, the former Gunners defender still feels that Arteta will ultimately want to bring in someone new at the end of the season.

“In fairness to the player, I do think that he has shown a lot of character and personality in coming back into the team because when you make those kind of errors, I sensed a bit of fear around him,” Keown told Goal.

“So all credit to Arteta for giving him another opportunity, but long-term it’s an area where the manager will want to strengthen.”

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Mustafi definitely deserves credit after bouncing back not only from being frozen out under Emery but also from plentiful criticism which came his way from sections of the fanbase.

With his contract expiring at the end of the 2020-21 season, however, his future at Arsenal is far from secure, and with the likes of Pablo Mari coming in, there could well be an overhaul at the back.

Given his arrival at Arsenal for a reported £35million (The Guardian), the Gunners will likely not want to lose such an expensive player for a reduced fee the following January or for free in the summer.

It all depends on how Arteta assesses his squad at the end of the season and whether he deems Mustafi an important first-team player, a back-up, or surplus to requirements, and then the player will have to mull over what his next step will be.