With there set to be a major squad overhaul at the Emirates this summer, these are the five players who we expect are coming in and the five leaving the north London club …
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Five In …
Calum Chambers (Southampton)
With experienced France international Bacary Sagna expected to leave Arsenal on a free transfer when his contract runs out this summer, manager Arsene Wenger will move for the highly rated young Saints England Under-21 international to replace him.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Gunners head coach Arsene Wenger is known to be a huge fan of the prolific France international and has been trying to lure the attacker to the capital for some time now, but with Los Blancos now set to offload the player when the summer transfer window reopens for business, expect Benzema to be wearing the red and white of Arsenal next season.
Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)
Another in-form La Liga marksman who has been catching the eye of the Gunners boss, so much so that Wenger has been sending his scouts over to watch the young France international in action first hand for the Basques of late.
Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton)
The north Londoners are urgently on the look out for a new and more mobile holding midfielder following the drop off in form of Mikel Arteta, with the Saints’ newly called up France international understood to be their first-choice target.
Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid)
The Gunners came very close to landing the brilliant Argentina international during last summer’s transfer window, only for Los Blancos’ new boss Carlo Ancelotti to opt to keep hold of the wide man in the Spanish capital at the last minute, but with the La Liga giants having now decided to part company with the player this summer, expect to see the South American star at the Emirates next season after all.
Five Out …
Bacary Sagna
With the right back’s current deal in the capital expiring at the end of June and the two parties having failed to come to any agreement about extending the player’s stay at the Emirates, the 31-year-old now looks like having played his final game for the club.
Lukasz Fabianski
The Gunners’ reserve goalkeeper also has a deal that expires at the end of next month and despite manager Arsene Wenger’s recent pleas for the Poland international to stay put this summer, it appears those calls have fallen on deaf ears.
Mikel Arteta
The cultured Basque has at times appeared to be well off the pace in the heart of the Arsenal midfield this season, so much so that head coach Arsene Wenger is already said to be planning for life without the former Everton star at the Emirates in the new campaign.
Thomas Vermaelen
With the experienced Belgium international having spent the majority of the previous campaign warming the substitutes’ bench in the capital, the Arsenal captain is now set to quit the Gunners this summer in order to join Serie A outfit Napoli.
Lukas Podolski
The Germany international recently revealed that it was his desire to return to play for his boyhood club Koln now that they have returned to the Bundesliga for next season, and do not be at all surprised of the forward’s wish is granted.