Arsenal Selling Santi Cazorla to Atletico Madrid in Summer Makes Sense for All

There are still more than three months until the end of the season, when football teams around the globe will look to restructure for their next campaign. But whisperings of potential transfer deals are already hitting the headlines.

One intriguing storyline to gain traction this week is that of Arsenal playmaker Santi Cazorla, who has drawn the interest of current La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, according to Guillem Balague of Sky Sports.

While Cazorla remains a fine player who has an important role with the Gunners, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him depart the Emirates in the summer for a number of reasons, and this is a move which could benefit all three parties immensely.

Santi's Status

Having been in and out of the side at the start of the season as new signings, injuries and form all combined to cause issues with Arsene Wenger's rotation, Cazorla has recently reestablished himself as a starter and an in-form member of the team.

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His quick passing combined with his ability to switch positions and find spaces in the final third—not to mention his contribution of several goals—have all coincided with, or indeed helped toward, an improvement in Arsenal's performance and results.

That doesn't immediately lend itself to leaving the club of course, but Cazorla hasn't been terribly consistent at his highest level over the past 12 months, and he will only have one year left on his contract this summer.

Now 30 years old, and with the Gunners usually only offering one-year extensions to such players, the creative midfielder could well opt to move on to a more successful team as he enters the final seasons of the peak of his career.

Atletico are certainly an attractive option for him, as they are a far more successful team of late who are more capable of challenging domestically and in Europe than Arsenal.

Arsenal's Realignment

As far as the Gunners go, they certainly don't need to sell Cazorla, but offloading him may be an opportunity for them.

With Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tomas Rosicky and others on their roster, they don't lack attacking midfielders, and that's without mentioning their preferred three forwards, Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck.

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What this most recent spell of games must have taught Wenger, finally, is that the team needs a defensive midfield shield, a mobile presence that can break up play, win back the ball and offer a platform for the offensive talents to spring from. That has been Francis Coquelin, but Arsenal could easily upgrade this summer.

Whether in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 midfield shape, they need a protector. That leaves only two other central roles to be filled, with Aaron Ramsey, Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and others vying for those spots.

Cazorla won't exactly be squeezed out, not with what he is capable of, but Wenger can certainly feel confident that his talents won't be unduly missed, given the other stars in the side—and the team balance must remain his top priority.

Atleti's Evolution

The final part of the puzzle is Atleti.

Operating most frequently in a 4-4-2, Diego Simeone demands maximum work rate from his players off the ball, with a narrow, compact midfield offering both defensive resilience and technical excellence. Cazorla would fit in perfectly on either flank, cutting infield with the ball to supply the attack and being the first to receive possession after Atleti win it back.

More importantly for the future growth of Atletico, putting a quality player out on the left would free key midfielder Koke to move to a central berth, where he features for the national side and where his game will undoubtedly rise to another level as he becomes more regularly involved.

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Cazorla has everything Atleti and Simeone could want, which is why he should play in Madrid next term alongside Gabi, who offers the defensive grit and balance to the other players' attacking instincts.

There's a long way to go until summer, and many things can impact a player's career choices—not least of all financial offers and the potential for silverware in May—but this is a deal that makes sense for Arsenal, Atletico and Cazorla.

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