At a press conference in midweek, Mikel Arteta himself said that Arsenal's squad needs to be streamlined. The Spaniard said the current 30 members of the first team would be unsustainable. The number of players for the new season is 25, so there will be 5 (or more) players leaving the Emirates.
Kieran Tierney arrived at Arsenal in 2019 and is loved by many. However, continuous injuries have prevented the defender from regularly contributing to the "Gunners". The Scots star has not been a key factor since the appearance of Oleksandr Zinchenko. Arteta said Tierney was still part of the Emirates team's plan, but the star himself understood that if he had stayed, he would have only played as a reserve for Zinchenko.
Currently, Newcastle, Aston Villa and his former club Celtic are potential destinations for this winger to continue his career. If Arteta receives a good enough offer (about 30 million pounds), he can let his student find a new destination. Newcastle will be the best for Tierney as he is certain to play in the Champions League.
Next on the list is Albert Sambi Lokonga. Since coming from Anderlecht for £15 million in 2021, Lokonga has struggled to find a place at Arsenal. In the second half of last season, Lokonga was loaned to Crystal Palace but did not leave an impression.
In the pre-season, Lokonga have also failed to feature in the Gunners' squad for their two games in the US. The reason given is injury, but for Arteta, the presence of this star is not really necessary. With Jorginho, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice available in central midfield, Lokonga are certainly on the edge.
Currently, Burnley is a possible destination for the 23-year-old star. Lokonga will have the opportunity to reunite with Vicent Kompany and still play regularly in the Premier League.
Nicolas Pepe is considered one of the most failed contracts in Arsenal's history. Before the "Gunners" welcomed Rice, Pepe was the most expensive star in the team's history with a transfer fee of £72 million from Lille. In the past 4 years, this striker has never once proven his worth and responded to the expectations of fans.
Last season, Pepe was loaned to Nice but his injury plagued him as a player. There are many rumors that the Ivorian star will move to AS Roma this summer. If he refuses, Arteta could let Pepe out of his contract and become a free player. Pepe's competition for a position with Bukayo Saka is now considered unimaginable.
Cedric Soares arrived at Arsenal in 2020, after a successful season on loan at the Emirates but has never been seen as a first choice. In the second half of last season, he moved to Fulham on loan but for 5 months, Soares only played 200 minutes.
Soares' right-back position at Arsenal is now being such that Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White and Jurrien Timber are in charge. Therefore, Arteta no longer needs Soares. Villarreal are being rumored to want Soares, but if this defender returns to Portugal, it is not a bad idea.
Folarin Balogun and Rob Holding are the two remaining names that could be liquidated. Balogun is a potential player and is being noticed by Inter Milan. However, the number of times Arsenal screamed for the striker is up to 50 million pounds, too much for Inter and other teams that wanted the young American star. If Arsenal do not lower the price, it will be difficult for this American to leave the Emirates.
With Holding, he has entered his 7th year of dedication to the "Gunners". Injuries and unstable performance are the biggest barriers that prevent this central defender from continuously contributing. The disastrous performance in the recent friendly match against Barcelona has made Holding's image worsen in the eyes of the coaching staff and he considered no more opportunities.
Holding is entering the final year of his contract and has just received an offer from Besiktas. However, the price the Turkish team wants to pay for this deal is just over 2 million pounds. That is a road number for Arsenal and The Gunners will never accept.
