Arteta has acknowledged that a number of players would need to be sold in the final month before the transfer window closes. He explained to reporters at the SoFi Stadium, “Well, we have 30 players here, which is unsustainable.
“Clearly, things could still happen because the market is still open. We are organized. I’m quite content with the team we now have. We still need to make changes in order to achieve our goals for the games. In general, I’m pretty happy with the team.
Arsenal put up a strong effort and defeated FC Barcelona on Thursday morning as part of their preparations for the 2023–24 season.
With goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira, and a brace from Leandro Trossard, the Gunners successfully completed their tour of the United States.
Mikel Arteta used 21 players in the game, leaving Marquinhos, Karl Hein, Auston Trusty, and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the bench. For various reasons, Declan Rice, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Folarin Balogun were all left off the actual team.
The Arsenal team is currently overstuffed. A total of 31 players, including Nicolas Pepe, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Cedric, and Reiss Nelson, traveled to the United States.
Only Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari have so far been transferred for money, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles left after his contract expired. Numerous players are almost certainly going to be dropped from Arteta’s lineup for the upcoming campaign, leaving technical director Edu Gaspar with a shopping list to finish.
In the upcoming weeks, difficult decisions will need to be made because at least eight players could all be let go. To reduce the roster, Nicolas Pepe, Rob Holding, Auston Trusty, Nuno Tavares, Cedric Soares, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Folarin Balogun, and Marquinhos might all be let depart.
After Pepe returned from his loan stint with Nice, it was reportedly decided that terminating his contract would be the best course of action. Besiktas made a bid of £2.1 million ($2.7 million) for Holding, but the central defender is still on Arteta’s team.
Similar to Holding, Trusty’s path to a regular position in defense is constrained by the powerful alliance of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. With the exception of Cedric’s brief appearance against Nurnberg during the preseason, fullbacks Tavares and Cedric have been consistently linked with moves abroad throughout the summer.
In Lokonga’s case, the problem is finding the right suitor. Premier League newcomers Burnley were said to be keen on the Belgian but recent reports in Europe have claimed the 21-year-old’s representatives have offered the midfielder to AS Roma.
Inter Milan are frontrunners to land Balogun having pulled out of the race to sign Romelu Lukaku. Arsenal want £ 50 million ($ 64.3 million) for the USMNT star, a high price for the striker. Completing a deal for the 22-year-old would likely raise the funds available for any further business done by the Gunners.
Only another loan deal is probable for Marquinhos to leave the team. He played for Norwich City in the Championship for the second part of last season, and another short-term assignment has been mentioned.
With the help of player valuation from Transfermarkt, in a perfect scenario, Arsenal would collect about £85 million ($106 million) from these agreements. Not only would Arteta fulfill his desire to reduce the team, but the money gained may also aid in any future transactions.