The Gunners are in danger of missing out on European football next season. If that happens, their transfer plans will take a hit. The report claims that the London outfit has a backup plan to generate cash, which involves selling as many as six players.
On Friday, Arsenal lost 1-0 to Everton and had suffered their 13th defeat of the season and were in danger of sliding into the bottom half of the league table. Mikel Arteta slammed the use of VAR in his post-match comments, but the damage had been done by then. With just five more matches left to play this season, the possibility of Arsenal missing out on Europe remains high.
The Gunners need somewhat of a miracle to qualify for the Champions League next season. The league path looks extremely unlikely, and their fate could be sealed as early as this weekend. There is still the possibility that Arteta’s team sneaks into the UCL by winning the Europa League. They are in the semi-finals of that competition and will have to beat Unai Emery’s Villarreal for a place in the final. However, nothing is a guarantee when it comes to knockout football.
Arsenal’s recent losses mean that the team risks missing out on the Champions League and the Europa League and the Europa Conference League. The Gunners even risk finishing into the bottom half of the table, as they are currently languishing in the tenth position. Aston Villa, who are eleventh, are just a point behind them with a game in hand.
Should Arsenal miss out on European football for the subsequent season, their financials will likely take a massive hit. As such, they are generating funds for strengthening the first team will have to be done by offloading some players. A report by Football London says that Arsenal’s technical director, Edu Gaspar, has a contingency plan which involves selling as many as six players in the summer.
Arsenal need reinforcements in several key areas. The Gunners are said to be exploring an option to make Martin Odegaard’s stay permanent. Meanwhile, they have also been linked with Inter Milan wingback Achraf Hakimi. Furthermore, they also need a backup for the left-back spot to provide cover for Kieran Tierney. However, they will have to get creative to complete the deals mentioned due to a lack of funds.
To that end, Edu is prepared to sell the likes of Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Eddie Nketiah. The first three are spending the season out on loan across Europe while Nketiah remains at the club, where he provides backup to Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Joe Willock, who is also out on loan at Newcastle, can return to the first team if a spot opens up. The Gunners could raise £70 million by selling the four players mentioned above.
Furthermore, first-team stalwart Hector Bellerin could also leave the club should the right opportunity arrive. The Spanish fullback has been linked in the past with moves to Paris Saint Germain and FC Barcelona. Bellerin’s transfer value is around £22.5 million, which could prove to be extremely important for the London outfit.
However, if Arsenal are to raise big money, they are going to have to sell Lacazette. The French forward is currently valued at over £30 million and is yet to enter contract renegotiation talks with the club. The report claims that selling Lacazette and Bellerin, along with Guendouzi, Torreira, Nketiah, and Maitland-Niles could help Arsenal raise up to £120 million. They can then use that money to strengthen some of the key areas of their squad.
