According to Football.London, Arsenal are ready to undergo a major squad overhaul in the summer. Manager Mikel Arteta could offload a host of his first-team options, including captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The list also includes Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi, and Sokratis as well as Henkrikh Mkhitaryan and Mohamed Elneny. The report states that the Gunners could net £158.87m from the sales according to projections from Transfer Markt.
In this article, we will discuss how each of their potential departure from Emirates could affect the Arsenal side next season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Arsenal will undoubtedly try their best to keep hold of Aubameyang for the long-term. However, considering the club’s underachievement in recent years, it won’t be surprising to see the Gabonese international moving to pastures new in the summer.
And that could serve as a significant blow for Arteta. The Spaniard has lacked proper goalscoring options, especially with Alexandre Lacazette failing to find the back of the net consistently. That means he will be forced to sign a genuine replacement, which is undoubtedly a difficult task in the current market.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Donyell Malen relatively recently. The PSV Eindhoven star might not be a bad option, but one thing is for sure – Aubameyang’s departure could create a massive hole in the club’s offensive department.
Sead Kolasinac
The left-back position has always caused problems for Arsenal in recent years. This season has been no exception, with the club struggling to cope with the injuries of Kieran Tierney and Kolasinac. Arteta, however, has been fortunate enough with the emergence of Bukayo Saka.
Nonetheless, the Gunners must offload the injury-prone Kolasinac in the summer. The Bosnian international has never really been able to get rid of his fitness problems, and his departure could help Arsenal fund moves for other targets in the market. And if they can manage to find a proper replacement, Kolasinac’s departure might not be a massive blow for the club.
Shkodran Mustafi
Mustafi is an interesting pick given his massive improvement under Arteta. In fact, the German has arguably been the best Arsenal defender since the turn of the year. And with that in mind, it might not be a wise day to offload the defender in the summer.
While Arsenal simply have to sell a few of their existing defenders, someone like David Luiz would perhaps be a better option. This is mainly because Mustafi has shown much better discipline and has shone whenever he has been deployed in the backline. As a result, Arsenal have remained unbeaten in 2020 so far.
Sokratis
Unlike Mustafi, Sokratis’ potential departure from Arsenal in the summer could make a lot of sense. The Greek international has never been able to provide the solidity since arriving from Borussia Dortmund. He has often made unforced defensive errors and has appeared as a liability in the backline.
Sokratis’ lack of ability when it comes to finding a forward pass, coupled with his poor retention makes him a weak link in the build-up play. Arteta, therefore, should offload him in the summer to make way for William Saliba, who is set to return from his loan spell at St. Etienne.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan has had an injury-laden yet positive spell in Serie A, since joining AS Roma on loan last summer. The Armenian has scored six goals in 13 league matches. As a result, the Giallorossi have remained keen on securing his services permanently next season.
It has also given Arsenal leverage to increase the asking price of the ex-Borussia Dortmund star, who endured a disastrous spell in the Premier League. Mkhitaryan could be good riddance for the club, and his departure could allow the Gunners to fund a move for a new attacker this summer.
Mohamed Elneny
Elneny is perhaps the most unwanted Arsenal player on this list. The Egyptian was shipped to Besiktas on a season-long loan deal last summer due to the increase in competition in midfield.
He has performed decently in the Turkish Super Lig. And a permanent move away from Emirates could certainly prove to be beneficial for both parties involved. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Elneny will attract any suitors in the summer.
