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Seven Arsenal players facing January axe with Edu inclined to clean house
According to a report, Arsenal Chief Edu is expected to complete a piece of unfinished business and oversee the departures of up to seven stars in January.
Arsenal were the biggest spenders in English football this summer, bringing in no fewer than six first-team players. Their outlay was close to £150 million, but the club wasn’t as successful in acquiring new deals for their own players.
From their first-team corps, only Joe Willock left on a permanent basis. And, according to Football London, Edu will have a “huge job” in January.
Arsenal’s squad will not be as stretched as their rivals this season, according to the article. As a result, a number of fringe stars who would otherwise have received sporadic appearances will be forced to languish in the reserves.
With that in mind, as Edu looks to trim the fat from his squad, as many as seven stars could be let go in January.
Bernd Leno is the first to be mentioned. The goalkeeper has fallen behind Aaron Ramsdale in the pecking order and has expressed his displeasure at not being a starter.
The German will have 18 months left on his contract when it expires in January, making the winter window the ideal time to maximize their return from an exit.
Calum Chambers and Saed Kolasinac are the next defenders in line. Chambers’ chances of ever starting at center-back have been hampered by the arrivals of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White.
Right-back depth is still an issue that could keep Chambers, though Kolasinac’s outlook appears to be bleaker.
Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares ensure that the Bosnian has no place right now. In January, Kolasinac will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club. Despite the fact that the article insists Edu will prioritize a low-cost sale.
Numbers four and five are midfielders Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Elneny is in the same contractual situation as Kolasinac, and Maitland-Niles has made it clear that he wants to play regularly elsewhere before the summer window closes.
The list is completed by forwards Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun. Nketiah, like several others mentioned, is out of contract next year.
That leaves the winter window as Arsenal’s final opportunity to generate a fee. Crystal Palace were reportedly interested last summer, but they eventually settled on Odsonne Edouard.
Meanwhile, Balogun may be the only one of the seven with a long-term future at the Emirates.
The 20-year-old has shone for the Under-23s this season, but regular first-team action appears to be a long way off. As a result, a loan exit may be authorized in order to further his development at a higher level.
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Seven Arsenal players facing January axe with Edu inclined to clean house
