‘Unless he leaves, nothing good will ever come to Arsenal’: Man united LEGEND Rio Ferdinand issues strong warning to Arteta to Offload £50m Star before window closes on Friday or will not finish at Top10 this season
Mikel Arteta has reportedly given Rob Holding permission to seek a move away from Arsenal ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline.
Having already spent in excess of £200million this summer, Holding, 27, is one of a handful of players who could be moved by the Gunners in the coming days. The central defender, who moved to the capital from Bolton Wanderers back in 2016, has yet to make an appearance for Arsenal this season.
Although he is not usually a starter at the Emirates, Holding has no shortage of suitors; Premier League new boys Luton Town are hoping to agree a loan deal with the Gunners, while Spanish outfit Sevilla have also registered their interest in Holding.
And according to The Evening Standard, Arteta has already given his blessing to a potential exit – meaning Holden is free to leave the club if he chooses to do so in the coming days.
Arteta’s decision to move Holding on comes three years after he was warned that the defender wasn’t good enough to play for Arsenal by Roy Keane. The Irishman branded Holding – alongside David Luiz and Kieran Tierney – as a player who had “big question marks” around him.
Speaking on Sky Sports back in 2020 after a defeat to Liverpool, Keane said: “There’s no getting away from that but [Arteta] will still want some improvement. His hands are tied which is a big problem because he still needs a couple more players in.
“We saw again tonight that defensively – I still think David Luiz, Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding, there’s big question marks over them. Luiz still has that mistake in him.”
Holding was drafted into an Arsenal side that faltered in the title race during the closing stages of last season following an injury to William Saliba. The defender drew criticism from some fans and pundits due to his performances during the run-in.
Arteta has already strengthened his defence in the summer transfer window with the capture of Jurrien Timber from Ajax. However, the Dutch international is expected to miss the majority of the season after sustaining an ACL injury on his Premier League debut.
