Arsenal are reportedly willing to listen to offers for seven first-team players, with Mikel Arteta eager to revamp his squad over the coming months. The Gunners are widely expected to be active in the summer market as they prepare to mount a renewed Premier League title challenge next season.
A number of players could leave the Emirates Stadium this summer, with Arsenal looking to increase their transfer budget by raising money through sales. Cedric Soares, Mohamed Elneny and Arthur Okonkwo are set to depart when their contracts expire in June, while seven other players have reportedly been put up for sale by the Gunners.
Bids will be considered for Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney, Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson, according to The Mirror. All seven players are firmly on the fringes at Arsenal and it is said that sensible offers will be listened to by those in power in north London.
Ramsdale has slipped behind David Raya in the pecking order and is now Arsenal’s back-up goalkeeper, playing most of his football in domestic cup competitions. He was linked with an exit in January but ended up staying put, although it is said that he will be allowed to leave the club in the summer.
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It was reported earlier this year that Nketiah had been deemed surplus to requirements by the Gunners and was free to find a new club. Several teams in the Premier League are said to be interested in snapping him up, with the likes of Crystal Palace and Brentford having been linked with his services.
Smith Rowe and Nelson have also reportedly been put up for sale after failing to earn regular minutes at Arsenal this season. They will join Tierney, Tavares and Lokonga, who have all spent the campaign out on loan, on the transfer list when the bidding opens next month.
The report adds that Arsenal are willing to back Arteta with a ‘substantial’ transfer budget in order to achieve their goal of sealing Premier League glory next season. However, that budget can be supplemented by a handful of notable departures and it will be important for Arsenal to strike the right balance when it comes to their summer recruitment.
Arsenal have been widely tipped to sign a new striker, with Newcastle forward Alexander Isak among their targets, while the addition of a deep-lying midfielder has also been mooted in recent weeks. The Gunners are said to be interested in a move for Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi, who emerged as a target in January but ended up staying in Spain.
