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Danny Welbeck is set to leave Arsenal when his contract expires next month.
The Arsenal forward who’s been out of action since November after breaking his ankle against Sporting Lisbon is back in training and bagged a hat-trick in a training match last week.
However, Welbeck has not been offered a new deal and will follow Aaron Ramsey out of the Emirates next month.
Ramsey has joined Juventus for a hefty pay packet, while it remains to be seen where former Manchester United striker Welbeck will end up – although he has been linked to Newcastle.
Arsenal chief Raul Sanllehi has explained why the Englishman has been allowed to leave for free.
“In ways it is quite similar to the Aaron situation,” he said, speaking to Arsenal’s official website . “This summer we were in talks with him to see if [he would stay or go], he had several offers, he decided to continue in the club until the end of the contract. We respected that.
Danny Welbeck missed the last 6 months of the season through injury
“We knew that he was going to add a lot to the club over the last year, but again, we were in the last year of contract so it was a very similar situation.”
Asked whether that policy had backfired in light of Welbeck missing six months through injury, Sanllehi said: “Well, that’s the only risk of going to the last year of the contract.
“You have all the upsides on the strength that you have to negotiate a new contract elsewhere, but the risk that you’re running is getting an injury on your last year, yes.”
Welbeck joined Arsenal for £18million in 2014 from Manchester United. He’s been plagued by injury since, including two serious knee injuries and his recent ankle break. His tally at Arsenal will stop at 16 league goals in 88 games.
