Shkodran Mustafi comments on criticism from Arsenal fans

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Shkodran Mustafi has been heavily criticised by supporters and pundits of late and the defender has told Arsenal’s official website that it is “frustrating” to always be blamed for The Gunners’ lack of form.

Mustafi, signed by Arsenal for £35million (BBC) in the summer of 2016, has become one of Arsenal’s more experienced players in the past 12 months – having clocked up a total of 125 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions.

But the 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order this season, with the 2014 World Cup winner managing just 10 appearances for Arsenal during 2019-20. He has been used in the Europa League and Carabao Cup instead of the league.

David Luiz, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Sokratis are all ahead of him in the pecking order, and it has seen Mustafi linked with both Galatasaray and Inter Milan this month. The German defender has commented on criticism aimed his way.

“Did I feel like a target? Mustafi said. “I wouldn’t say a target because it’s very hard to say that. I don’t think the world turns around me. But it was difficult sometimes to understand, even in a few bad games where I wasn’t involved, I was blamed.

“It gets a little bit frustrating to read those comments but you have to be professional and I tried to be as professional as I can. Sometimes you read comments and disagree. You want to say something but you leave it because you want to stay professional”

TBR’s view – Does Mustafi have a future at Arsenal?

To be brutally honest, no. If you are Mustafi, receiving the kind of criticism that you have done from your own support – you need to jump on the first ship out of Arsenal. Even Gunners legend Ian Wright has said he needs to go, as per TeamTalk.

If a team such as Inter Milan come calling, still in the Champions League, fighting Juve for the Serie A title and working under Antonio Conte is an offer that will be difficult to turn down for most players – especially Mustafi. He needs to go.