Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has insisted that he would like to keep Danny Welbeck at the Emirates for an extended period despite his inability to match the goalscoring prowess of Harry Kane.
Speaking prior to the Ostersund clash, Wenger said: “I want to keep him [Welbeck] because I believe he has gone through a torrid time. He has come out well. I see signs in training now that are positive. If he can stay on the pitch and not be injured, I want him to stay here.”
The England international has notched just 22 goals over his three-and-a-half seasons with the north London side, but he has spent nearly half of that time on the sidelines with multiple long-term knee injuries.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in the ranks, Welbeck is clearly the third-choice for the centre-forward role, but he is still expected to play a key role in the backend of the Europa League campaign.
Lacazette is out for another four weeks with a knee injury and with Aubameyang also ineligible, Welbeck has the opportunity to impress until the quarter-final stage of Europe’s second competition at the least.
Welbeck is presently contracted to the Gunners until the summer of 2019, but the club are alleged to have already begun talks over a probable extension.
Whilst Welbeck would normally prefer to play upfront, Wenger has cited the attacker’s versatility to feature across the attack, and the manager believes he could yet make a late push for England’s World Cup squad.
The ex-United graduate is expected to lead the line in the Europa League round of 32 second-leg against Ostersund tonight, and he will hope for a better showing from the previous outing.
Welbeck had been wary of the 4G pitch during the 3-0 away win at Ostersund, but he may play with a lot more freedom at the Emirates Stadium.
