The Gunners’ midfielder Francis Coquelin is likely to play in the La Liga next season since Valencia want him on a year-long loan.

According to a report by The Sun, the 26-year-old could be open to a summer exit as Arsene Wenger is planning to revamp his current under-performing squad. Valencia want to sign Coquelin on a year-long loan with a view to making the deal permanent in the future.

Coquelin has been in and out of Arsenal’s XI this season, with 34 appearances in all competitions. Whether or not the Frenchman is open to a move remains to be seen, but he may not have a choice considering how disappointing the season has panned out.

Coquelin has failed to find momentum at the club. In fact, he has failed to get on the scoresheet and contributed only with one assist for Arsenal since 2008 in the league.

Arguably, he is a central defensive midfielder and scoring shouldn’t be a priority for him. But, as far as his performances are concerned, he has been extremely lackluster and failed to make any sort of an impact in Arsenal’s midfield.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 18: Nicolas Otamendi of Manchester City (L) and Francis Coquelin of Arsneal (R) battle for possession during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on December 18, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Francis Coquelin has been one of Arsenal’s under-performing players and a move to Valencia will benefit the midfielder. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Allowing him to go on loan to Valencia might be a good move for Coquelin as well as Arsenal. If he does well at Valencia, the club will be likely to sign him towards the end of the spell. Doing so will also help him step out of his comfort zone and try and improve at a new club.

As far as the Gunners are concerned, Coquelin’s absence can be a good time to test out what other players can do in that role.

Santi Cazorla’s return is still doubtful, and hence it looks like Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka will start for next season in that area. Elneny can also be another option.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are likely to miss out on Champions League football for the first time under Wenger. Their star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are both rumoured to exit the club by the end of the season.

It is understood that Sanchez has even laid down an ultimatum that he will not sign a new contract unless they qualify for the Champions League, which does seem like a tough task at this point.

With his star players set to leave, Wenger needs to look for quality replacements and overhaul the current team which will also require him to let under-performers like Coquelin go to clubs where they will be guaranteed more playing time.

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