While Arsenal have been linked with some big moves this summer, there was always a feeling that players would need to move on first to clear some space for those incoming players.
There’s been a frenzy surrounding William Saliba over the last 48 hours as he looks set to go out on loan again, but the talk of an option to buy did suggest that Arsenal don’t see him as a long-term option at all.
Fabrizio Romano has offered an update on Saliba and his French teammate Matteo Guendouzi, and this should be positive news for the fans:
It’s pretty clear that Guendouzi isn’t going to get a chance to win Mikel Arteta over and there’s no point in keeping a senior player around if they won’t play, so hopefully, they are able to get a fee and clear his wage which allows at least one player to arrive.
Including an option to buy with Saliba could be seen as a short-sighted move and all it would really do is limit what Arsenal could receive for him next summer if they want to sell, so this keeps everything in their hands when it comes to his future.
If two potential first-team players are leaving then it should also signal that some incoming business is due, so this could be an exciting few weeks for the fans.