Andy Massey has said goodbye at Liverpool meaning Arsenal are now likely to lose top doctor, Gary O’Driscoll.

Aaron Ramsey and Gary O'Driscoll
Aaron Ramsey and Gary O’Driscoll

Despite Arsenal’s efforts to keep O’Driscoll at the club, Liverpool have been trying to lure him away to replace Andy Massey who was set to leave for a job with FIFA.

Massey has now said his goodbyes at Liverpool, so it would seem only a matter of time before it is announced that O’Driscoll has left Arsenal for the Scousers.

https://twitter.com/andy_massey/status/1233911471786143744

Liverpool were expected to announce O’Driscoll’s signing some time in February and it’s not clear why the decision to announce him has been delayed. Perhaps they wanted to wait until Massey had officially left, maybe there has been a problem and Arsenal have convinced O’Driscoll to stay.

The latter seems unlikely, however there have been big changes at Arsenal since the doctor was first linked with a move to Liverpool and it could be that Arteta’s magic words work on him too.

As it stands it still seems a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ Liverpool announce his arrival.

Having formerly worked with the Ireland and British Lions rugby teams, O’Driscoll has been with Arsenal since the start of 2009. It’s not hard, though, to see why Liverpool would be a much more attractive proposition at present, what with them being the best team in Europe.

Aaron Ramsey and Gary O'Driscoll
Aaron Ramsey and Gary O’Driscoll

In their exclusive report at the start of January, the Daily Mail claimed that a number of staff who remained at Arsenal after the great post-Wenger cull of 2018 were less than impressed with how their sacked colleagues were treated.

They didn’t state directly that was why O’Driscoll was considering leaving, but you can read below it’s what they wanted you to believe:

Arsenal fight to keep top doc - Daily Mail, Wednesday 8 January 2020
Arsenal fight to keep top doc – Daily Mail, Wednesday 8 January 2020

The 49-year-old, from Northern Ireland, was heavily involved in helping to design Arsenal’s medical facilities.

O’Driscoll is also considered an anti-doping expert and his departure will be considered a be a big blow to Arsenal.