In order for Arsenal to contend for the Premier League championship, Arteta wants to drastically reduce the size of the team.
Highlights.
- With seven players possibly on the trade block, Arsenal is concentrating on player departures during the summer transfer window.
- Since there are currently 32 players on the squad, the club is looking to reduce the number to avoid having some players miss training sessions.
Arsenal has been very active during the summer transfer window, but with time running out, it appears that the Gunners will focus more on departures than on signings.
With Granit Xhaka being the only notable sale so far in the window, Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz, and David Raya have all joined the title-contending team.
Due to his impressive performance in 2022–2023, the Swiss midfielder unexpectedly left the Emirates to sign with Bayer Leverkusen in a move back to Germany, where he had previously played for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Other players who left were young players, including Matt Turner who has since transferred to Nottingham Forest to make room for Raya, who will be joining Brentford.
Mikel Arteta is in a situation where his team is sitting at the bloated size of 32 players, and the Spaniard is reportedly eager to significantly reduce this number.
Football London claims that there have been times when some team members have had to forgo participating in training drills because there are simply too many people present.
Who are the seven players that Arsenal is rumored to be actively pursuing in outgoing transfers before the deadline?
Kieran Tierney.
The aforementioned signing of Timber, who started the Community Shield and first league game at left-back, appears to have further pushed the Scotland international down the pecking order. In the Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, the Dutchman did sustain a long-term injury, but Tierney’s chances of starting a regular game still seem slim.
Since Oleksandr Zinchenko replaced Tierney as the team’s starter after joining from Manchester City last season, he is likely to be the top choice in this position. Up until a loan deal for Lewis Hall put the brakes on their left-back search, Newcastle was rumored to be interested in signing the former Celtic defender.
Albert Sambi Lokong.
After turning 24 in October, Lokonga will be eager to play more frequently, whether that be in the Premier League or elsewhere. Given Rice’s acquisition, it is extremely unlikely that the Belgian midfielder will start any games for the Gunners anytime soon. Although he did spend a portion of the 2022–2023 season on loan at Crystal Palace, a permanent transfer did not take place.
There are likely to be clubs considering the idea of signing the former Anderlecht player because he has experience playing in the league and at a major club like Arsenal. While a loan move cannot be completely ruled out, a permanent arrangement may be the best course of action for all parties.
Nicolas Pepe.
Nobody seems to be aware of what Pepe is going through, and many people may even be unaware that he still competes for the team. He did spend last season’s loan at Nice of France, but he has since returned to England after a less-than-successful stint there. The Ivorian will most likely leave Arteta’s squad because it is obvious that he has no interest in giving him a spot.
Bukayo Saka is now clearly ahead of Pepe in the pecking order, and his 16 goals in 80 Premier League games have not been enough to keep him at the Emirates. Given his age of 28 and limited playing time, it is unlikely that the winger will fetch a high asking price.
Robert Holding.
A sizable portion of Arsenal supporters blamed the English center-back heavily for their unsuccessful title attempt, which was perhaps a harsh assessment of his individual performances. Holding is a more than capable Premier League defender, even though he wasn’t able to fill in for the absent William Saliba.
The 27-year-old’s place behind Saliba, Gabriel, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, and Timber in the pecking order for the center-back position means that, at best, he will be restricted to domestic cup appearances. Holding would benefit from a move because he could play regularly for a team lower down the standings and, given the chance, he might even surprise some people with his talent.
Folorin Balogun.
Balogun’s departure from the team this summer seemed inescapable following a tremendously successful loan stint in France the previous year. The striker scored 21 goals in Ligue 1 for Reims, and several teams were expected to be interested in him before the 2023–24 season. Since Harry Kane was a hard player to get past in the team, he switched the country he represents internationally during the summer from England to the USA.
Balogun is positioned behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in Arteta’s plans, which is a similar problem at the club level. Although he has been linked to a number of clubs, the price tag put on him so far seems to have turned away some prospective suitors.
Donovan Tavares.
Aston Villa, managed by ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery, may be looking to bolster its defense ahead of a season in Europe, according to recent reports. Last season, he had a productive loan season at Marseille, making 39 appearances. Because the left-back position at the club is so crowded, the 23-year-old will have a difficult time breaking into the team, much like Tierney did.
His next club appeared to be Nottingham Forest, but a loan agreement has fallen through. Villa may benefit from that miscalculated attempt as they look to add someone while Alex Moreno is injured.
Cedric.
On December 21, 2021, in London, England, during the Carabao Cup Quarterfinal game between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium, Cedric Soares of Arsenal and Lynden Gooch of Sunderland compete for possession. Julian Finney/Getty Images provided the image.
The ex-Saints right-back has been training all summer in preparation for a possible transfer away from the club, which is bizarrely still under contract to him. Kenny Tete was considered to be the first choice, so his loan at Fulham in the 2022–23 season was not very successful as he only made six appearances for the Cottagers.
Since joining the team in 2020, Cedric has only ever served as a back-up right-back; however, given White and Timber’s versatility, Cedric may now be the fourth option in this position.
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