MIKEL ARTETA will not stand in the way of Shkodran Mustafi quitting Arsenal after the error-prone defender revealed his struggles to deal with criticism.
The German international, 27, is tired of being made the online scapegoat by angry Gunners fans.
Mikel Arteta won’t stop Shkodran Mustafi quitting the clubCredit: PA:Press Association
Speaking the to the club website, Mustafi complained: “Even in some bad games where I wasn’t involved, I was still the one to blame on social media.
“You don’t like the stuff you read when things aren’t going well and you don’t agree with a lot of the comments.
“Sometimes you want to say something back but you just leave it because you want to remain professional.
“But then you go out and play with those comments in your head and as a central defender you always have pressure because every little mistake can lead to a goal.
“People who look from the outside only see this particular error and then they’re angry at you.
“And so you become more nervous because you have to do your job perfectly just to have a normal game.
“I am quite harsh on myself and it’s something that has affected me because when the fans are on your side it gives you so much more confidence.”
Mustafi has not even made the subs’ bench for Arsenal’s last three games.
In his last outing, his mistake led to Chelsea’s late winning goal in Arteta’s first game in charge at the Emirates last month.
Now his agent is looking at a possible move away in the January transfer window.
And Arteta is confident his team can cope without Mustafi despite losing Calum Chambers to injury for the rest of the season and loaning out Dinos Mavropanos.
He said: “I know what Shkodran can do and I know his history at this club, but it’s up to him.
“I told everyone from day one ‘show me how committed you are and you are going to have a chance to play’.
“The ideal scenario is that he stays with us, but if that doesn’t happen we will have to invent something.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
