Arsene Wenger to drastically trim his Emirates Stadium squad ahead of moves to spend significant funds on new additions.
Arsenal are set to conduct a major squad re-shuffle and as many as 13 members of their first team could be on their way out this summer.
CaughtOffside understands that whilst Arsene Wenger will be handed a significant transfer war-chest he has been told he needs to partially fund such moves from the sale of outgoing players whilst also encouraged to trim the overall size of his Gunners squad.
Wenger has adopted a transfer strategy that has seen the north London club farm out players on repeated loan deals, as many as 17 having been sent out on temporary deals this term, but the Emirates Stadium board will push the French manager to take stock of those in his squad he genuinely feels are of real value whilst pushing him to permanent offload those who are deemed surplus to requirements.
Arsenal are trying manfully to retain the services of French right-back Bacary Sagna but won’t be bullied into accepting his £100k a week wage demands, having already agreed to adjust their approach to senior players over the age of 30 by offering the defender a three year contract, and as such expect to lose the long-serving player.
Lukasz Fabianski has impressed in cup action but the back-up keeper’s deal is set to come to a completion and Arsene Wenger is ready to allow the Pole to leave as he targets a custodian to challenge Wojciech Szczesny for the Arsenal starting spot.
Thomas Vermaelen is frustrated at his lack of first team starts and after 18 months acting as back-up to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny the Belgian will demand guarantees of regular action that Wenger will be unable to provide and as such Arsenal will seek to cash-in on the former Ajax man and will look to bank as much as £10m from his sale.
Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta has been largely disappointing this term and the usually reliable performer will be made available this summer with the former Everton man having just over a year to run on a contract that will not be renewed.
Wenger is confident there will be a lot of interest in Arteta, who is a proven Premier League performer, with a move back to Goodison Park being a distinct possibility.
Wide-man Nacho Monreal is said to be unhappy with his bit-part player status at Arsenal and Kieran Gibbs’s solid displays at right-back have restricted the former Malaga man to just 12 Premier League fixtures and a move back to La Liga has been mooted but Arsenal will want to recoup the £8.3m they paid for his services back in January 2013, which could provide an obstacle to a summer sale.
German forward Lukas Podolski has shown a marked improvement in recent weeks but is still a player Wenger is willing to sell when the transfer window re-opens, especially as he has his eye on two potential striker signings.
Podolski has netted four goals in his last three appearances but has on the whole failed to offer Olivier Giroud consistent support up front and the 28 year old is said to be growing increasingly frustrated by the manner in which he is almost always withdrawn from action, indeed the former Koln and Bayern Munich man has amazingly completed just four 90 minute run-outs in his 23 appearances in all competitions this season.
Arsenal also see this summer as their best chance of making a decent sum from the sale of the experienced forward and will look to secure around £15m for Podolski, with a host of Bundesliga sides said to have already made their interest well know.
Danish misfit Nicklas Bendtner, who’s place in the Arsenal first team is due simply down to the lack of alternatives, will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer with there being literally zero chance of a new deal being offered to the 26 year old.
Injury prone Frenchman Abou Diaby suffered a set-back in his latest return from the sidelines and is a player Wenger can no longer afford to keep hold of. Having made just 23 Premier League starts in four seasons the midfielder will be offloaded for a nominal fee so as to have his wage bill removed from the club’s balance sheet.
Japanese international winger Ryo Miyaichi promised a great deal when he first arrived at Arsenal and his successful loan spell at Feyenoord had fans purring over the wide-man’s potential, potential that has thus far failed to come to fruition.
With just a year to run on his current deal Arsene Wenger is ready to permanently offload the 21 year old.
A host of loaned out performers will be sold outright in the summer with Spanish defender Ignasi Miquel hoping to have done enough during his spell at promoted Championship side Leicester City to earn a permanent move to the East Midlands.
Swiss international Johan Djourou has publicly stated his desire to leave Arsenal and having spent two seasons on loan in Germany’s top tier the big defender will hope to secure a move to the Bundesliga with a good showing at the 2014 World Cup sure to help in the pursuit of a deal.
Park Chu-Young, considered by many as one of Arsene Wenger’s strangest signings, is currently on loan at Watford and will be sold by Arsenal in the summer.
French utility man Francis Coquelin will see his six year association with Arsenal end in the summer, when the 22 year old will hope to secure a move to Freiburg, where he is currently plying his trade on a temporary basis.
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