Arsene Wenger refuses to rule out a Shkodran Mustafi departure

Bought 12 months ago from Valencia for £35 million, Shkodran Mustafi’s future at Arsenal appears to be on shaky ground following Arsene Wenger’s tepid, non-committal comments regarding ongoing interest from Italian club Inter Milan.

When asked earlier today during his press conference about the rumors, stories which appeared a couple weeks ago and were laughed off by many, Wenger’s response produced far more questions than answers:

‘No I don’t expect [him to leave]. It’s difficult for me to speak about individual cases.’

‘The transfer market is now in the final seven days and it’s always difficult to predict what happens. You have got to make quick and sharp decisions.

‘You cannot come out in press conferences and say how you will respond to any solicitation.’

Considering how adamant he’s been about the futures of Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the simple fact that he did not solidify Mustafi’s place within the club speaks volumes to the rumors that Inter are being encouraged by Arsenal to make them an offer for their center back just a week away from the summer transfer window’s closure.

Quite what this means is anyone’s guess. Is Wenger conceding defeat in the 3-4-3 setup he’s deployed since last spring and reverting to a back four? Is Mustafi unsettled at Arsenal? Is Wenger after another center back target, one that he rates much higher than a guy he just bought a year ago? Is it all of the above? Or none of the above? Who the hell knows anymore?

What I do know is that my alcohol consumption levels will dramatically spike these next few days.