Arsenal look set to be rewarded for their superb 2022/23 season with a transfer war chest by Edu that could be boosted by the club selling six players. The Gunners have successfully navigated the last few trading periods by making smart transfers and steadily building a squad for Mikel Arteta that has pushed towards the Premier League title in this campaign.
The upcoming summer window looks set to be the most crucial now as Arsenal aim to improve their squad depth to continually challenge Manchester City's dominance. As football.london have reported throughout 2023, West Ham star Declan Rice is the primary transfer target for the Gunners.
Moises Caicedo of Brighton, Real Sociedad defender Ivan Fresneda and Chelsea's Mason Mount have all emerged as other targets for Arsenal. Sporting director Edu now faces several decisive decisions this summer over who the north Londoners acquire.
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Champions League qualification being secured for next season has already handed the Gunners a healthy windfall and the sale of players could also be key in ensuring the club have funds available this summer. With that said, football.london has outlined six Arsenal stars who could be sold at the end of the season with the money generated being used in the transfer market.
Kieran Tierney
The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko has significantly impacted Kieran Tierney's minutes and the Scotsman looks set to leave the club in search of more game time. Newcastle have been the dominant Premier League team making enquiries to sign Tierney, while Manchester City have also registered a shock interest as well.
The Gunners forked out £25million for the 25-year-old in 2019 and selling to a domestic rival would make it likely a similar fee can be garnered. Tierney has appeared in 22 games in the Premier League season, but they have mostly come in cameos from the bench.
Folarin Balogun
One of Arsenal's biggest decisions for the summer will involve Folarin Balogun. The Hale End forward has enjoyed a fantastic loan spell at Reims in Ligue 1 scoring 19 goals from 33 appearances which has alerted several European clubs.
Balogun could remain at his boyhood club but he will likely be behind Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus in the pecking order. After a fruitful spell at a top-flight team that will almost certainly not be accepted by the 21-year-old which is why a sale could be best for all parties.
AC Milan are one of the clubs chasing his signature after RB Leipzig deemed Arsenal's £35million price tag to be too high.
Granit Xhaka
Although Granit Xhaka has enjoyed his best campaign in an Arsenal shirt, the midfielder could be sold in the summer.
According to the Daily Mail, the Gunners are prepared to listen to offers for both Tierney and Xhaka as part of the trimming of their squad. The Swiss midfielder has only missed one Premier League game this season and has added goals to his game with 12 contributions.
As per CIES Football Observatory, the 30-year-old is valued at £26.5million but after an impressive season, the Gunners could demand more. His current deal expires in 2024 but there is an option to extend that deal by an extra 12 months.
The bulk of Arsenal's summer business looks set to be done in midfield with two arrivals expected and the sale of Xhaka could help Edu and Arteta have more funds available to bring in a younger replacement
Pablo Mari
If Pablo Mari's Monza win and Verona lose on matchday 32 of the Serie A campaign, Arsenal could be a key beneficiary.
Monza are on the brink of sealing Serie A safety and football.london understands that a £5.9million windfall would be on the way - as per the condition that Pablo Mari's loan move would be made permanent due to Monza.
Mari has made 25 league appearances this season missing a large chunk of the season after being stabbed in a supermarket last October. Since his return, Mari has made 14 consecutive starting appearances only not completing 90 minutes on one occasion.
Nicolas Pepe
Another loan player in Nicolas Pepe also looks set to complete a permanent move away from Emirates Stadium. The 27-year-old is on loan in France at Nice and with Arsenal acquiring Leandro Trossard in January, his future looks set to be elsewhere.
Injuries have hampered his minutes this season and recent comments from Pepe seem to indicate he is keen on sealing an exit
As translated by France Bleu Azur, Pepe said: “I don’t know what Arsenal want. I still have a lot of friends there. I could have been important for the club, but those are the coach’s choices."
It is highly unlikely Arsenal will recoup the £72million they paid in 2019. With his value deteriorating several in the last three years, an offer in the region of £10-£15million is more likely to arrive and will almost certainly be accepted.
Rob Holding
It's fair to say that Rob Holding has struggled in the Arsenal back line after replacing the injured William Saliba for the last few weeks. The 27-year-old has been a mainstay in the Gunners' squad for the last seven years, but his time at the club looks set to end soon.
His current deal expires in 2024 and to help generate income ahead of the summer window selling the defender should occur in the coming months.
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