Shaka Hislop reacts to Per Mertesacker's decision to head up Arsenal's academy after the 2017/18 season. The clues were there in January, when Arsenal's sidelined captain Per Mertesacker was given a new contract despite not playing a single second of the season. "He's always ready to give advice, and many young players go to see him," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, explaining the importance of keeping hold of a creaking centre-back who had his best days firmly behind him. "Per has the right mixture." Six months on, the message is the same, but the circumstances have changed. Fundamentally so. Mertesacker will spend one final season as an Arsenal player, fulfilling...
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