As per the Guardian, Bernd Leno and Hector Bellerin could be among a group of senior players who are set to leave Arsenal this summer.
With the Gunners not being able to secure Champions League qualification for next season, there will be financial repercussions. The club will be looking to strengthen the squad and will have to let go of some players to raise funds.
The report in Guardian names three other players who could be departing the club. This includes Granit Xhaka, Alexandre Lacazette and David Luiz. The major reason behind the likes of Bellerin, Xhaka and Leno being up for sale is that they are not willing to extend their contract.
Both the keeper and right back have a contract that expires in 2023 and have indicated that they are not looking to extend it. It is the same case with the Swiss midfielder. They also state that giving the players improved contracts would be difficult as the club needs to trim their wage bill.
It further claims that Lacazette might stay but Luiz is likely to leave once his contract ends this June. The other players who could be sold are Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson. One player who isn’t looking to leave is captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
If the players mentioned are not willing to sign an extension, it would make more sense for them to be sold. At least this way, the Emirates club will be able recoup some of the money spent on them. Whatever decision is made about their future, it needs to be taken quickly. This will allow the club to enter the summer transfer window with a clear frame of mind.
Replacing anyone in this list is going to be difficult so, Arsenal would need to have suitable targets in mind. With the transfer window set to open soon, we will get a clear idea of who will stay at the club and who will leave. In this busy period, the North Londoners have to be prudent in their spending and that could be influenced by who they are able to sell and for how much.
