Arsenal: Arsenal are having a clearance sale right now. At the Emirates Stadium, a summer fire sale is now underway as Arsenal looks to generate £100 million by cutting up to nine players from Mikel Arteta’s roster. After coming very close to beating Manchester City in the Premier League title fight last season, the Gunners vowed to improve this summer.
Also Read: AFC Champions League 2023-24 Draw Highlights: Mumbai City FC, Neymar’s Al Hilal in Group D
Arsenal looking to clean house
Mikel Arteta’s team have spent £105 million on Declan Rice, £65 million on Kai Havertz, and £36.5 million on Jurrien Timber in the hopes that they can finally win the league championship after a two-decade wait.
Granit Xhaka, the previous captain, left for Bayer Leverkusen for £21.4 million, while the sales of Pablo Mari, Matt Turner, and Auston Trusty have also helped the team’s finances a little.
But before the transfer market closes on September 1, more players who have been considered surplus to requirements are expected to follow them out the door. Unlike some of their rivals, Arsenal is not experiencing the financial fair play pressure.
Instead, club revenue streams have increased dramatically to counterbalance significant investment in recent years, and they are once again competing in the lucrative Champions League.
Given that center-back coverage is now a top priority in light of Timber’s ACL injury, any money obtained may very well be reinvested immediately. The Gunners & Mikel Arteta have high regard for the defender Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace.
Arsenal players deemed surplus to requirements
- Folarin Balogun
- Gabriel Magalhaes
- Kieran Tierney
- Takehiro Tomiyasu
- Albert Sambi Lokonga
- Rob Holding
- Cedric Soares
- Nicolas Pepe
- Nuno Tavares
Folarin Balogun
No fan wants to see a good academy product depart, but Balogun may fetch £40 million from Arsenal. He has been on loan for the last season and a half. Balogun made an impression when on loan at Ligue 1 club Reims last season, scoring 22 goals in 39 games. He had previously played for Middlesbrough.
This summer, Balogun has drawn interest from Chelsea, West Ham, and Tottenham, but Monaco, a club in France, has shown the most enthusiasm for the American international.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Real Madrid, who are looking for a replacement for long-term injured player Eder Militao, as well as a number of wealthy Saudi Arabian clubs have been linked to Gabriel.
Given the four years left on his contract and the Timber situation, he is probably going to stay, but there’s a slim chance Arsenal might contemplate letting the CB depart if they could find a better option.
Kieran Tierney
This summer, the Scottish international Tierney has been wanted by Real Sociedad, Newcastle, Aston Villa, and even his old team Celtic. However, it seems the defender will be going on loan to Spain.
He has yet to be included in either matchday squad for a Premier League game this season.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
This summer, Crystal Palace expressed interest in the adaptable Japan defender. Prior to missing the final weeks of the season for knee surgery, he had a bit-part role in a number of backline positions last season.
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Following the departures of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton has focused on Sambi Lokonga in an effort to bolster their midfield options.
The Seagulls want to initially bring the Belgian to the Amex on a loan, but Arsenal might seek a full sale of a player who played for Crystal Palace for the second half of last season.
Also Read:
Who is Lionel Messi’s new bodyguard? Check out former MMA star and US soldier
Neymar in India? Mumbai City drawn with Al Hilal FC in AFC Champions League 2023-24
Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ittihad confident of roping in Liverpool’s Mo Salah
Rob Holding
This season, Holding is probably at the bottom of the defensive food chain. The 27-year-old saw action in the Premier League only following William Saliba’s injury, and he spent the majority of last season playing in the Europa League and domestic cup competitions.
This week, Besiktas of Turkey expressed interest in Holding, according to reports in France.
Cedric Soares
Cedric spent the latter part of last season on loan at Fulham. Even there, Soares completed just a couple of games and we’ve yet to see him in this campaign.
After failing to sign him in January, reports earlier this summer suggested Villarreal was still interested. In his native Portugal, the “big three” clubs Benfica, Porto, and Sporting Lisbon have also been linked.
Nicolas Pepe
In his 112 appearances for Arsenal, Pepe has contributed 21 assists and scored 27 goals. Not bad considering he cost them a staggering £72 million back in 2019. After he spent the previous season on loan at Nice, the Gunners are trying to cut their losses.
As he reaches the final year of his contract, there have been links to Besiktas in the past, and now Saudi Arabia is showing interest.
Nuno Tavares
When it comes to Tavares, Aston Villa is in the driver’s seat as Unai Emery searches for more defensive depth.
Tavares spent the 2017–18 season on loan at Marseille, where he excelled, but after being acquired from Benfica just two years ago, it seems he has no place at Arsenal.
