Arsenal have made considerable waves in the transfer market by securing the services of some of the most talented players in Europe this summer, including Nicolas Pepe and Kieran Tierney. They have also signed Dani Ceballos on loan while David Luiz came in from Chelsea.
But, their transfer market activity will now likely force them to get rid of a few more players during the remainder of the European transfer market. And in this article, we will be discussing three players the Gunners should offload as they aim to balance their wage structure.
Mohamed Elneny
Following the departure of Carl Jenkinson, Mohamed Elneny is now arguably the least important player in the current Arsenal squad. The Egyptian international, since joining from FC Basel has struggled to make an impact at the Emirates. In fact, he is yet to surpass the 1,000-minute mark in the league in each of his three seasons in England.
And with the addition of Ceballos, coupled with the presence of Matteo Guendouzi, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira, it’s unlikely Elneny will be given regular first-team opportunities any time soon. Hence, a move away from Emirates could be the most logical decision not only for the player but also for the club.
Shkodran Mustafi
The arrival of Luiz has been a boon for Arsenal as it will finally allow them to get rid of Shkodran Mustafi. The much-maligned German international endured a disastrous campaign under Emery last term, being culpable for making several defensive errors.
As a result, it won’t be surprising to see Emery shipping him elsewhere this summer, despite the lack of reliable defensive options at his disposal. It looks like the Spaniard is ready to opt for Calum Chambers ahead of Mustafi and that makes a world of sense. The ex-Southampton star is more versatile and has already shown his talent in the past.
Besides, Mustafi’s departure will go a long way in balancing out Arsenal’s wage structure after they failed to offload Mesut Ozil this summer.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The recent addition of Nicolas Pepe may zone Henrikh Mkhitaryan out of the starting lineup. The Armenian international, unlike his ex-partner Aubameyang, hasn’t really impressed since arriving at the club at the start of last year.
In addition to that, he has often looked lazy in the possession and provided very little threat going forward. His work-rate is also awful, which certainly won’t go down well with Emery. Besides, the Spaniard has the likes of Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and even Aubameyang as cover for the wider attacking roles, thus nullifying the need of Mkhitaryan.
Therefore, the Gunners should consider the sale of the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk attacker, who is sure to attract a sizeable transfer fee.
