After leading his team to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta is expected to make wholesale changes to the Arsenal squad in an important summer
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Arteta ‘in pain’ after Arsenal miss out on Champions League
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been tipped to offload as many as nine players as the Gunners prepare to return to European football.
The north London side finished fifth in the Premier League, narrowly behind neighbours Tottenham. A 5-1 victory over Everton on the final day of the season wasn’t enough for Arteta’s men, with Spurs also victorious on the final day to claim the fourth Champions League spot.
While Arsenal let a number of players move on in January, either on loan or permanently, it appears they are not done. And, while new signings are expected, Arteta has also been tipped to add three academy players to the first-team setup ahead of next season.
According to The Sun, Arsenal are keen to raise £60m from the sales of out-of-favour players. That money is expected to go towards new recruits, with a striker the main priority.
The London club could miss out on £15m for Lucas Torreira, who is due to return from his Fiorentina loan rather than joining the Viola permanently. However, the Uruguayan could still leave, while out-on-loan trio Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Pablo Mari have also been linked with permanent exits.
Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette are both out of contract this summer, while Matteo Guendouzi and Dinos Mavropanos have already agreed on exits for when their respective loans end. The ninth player tipped to depart is Bernd Leno, who lost his starting place to Aaron Ramsdale this season.
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While Arsenal are likely to dip into the transfer market, the same report names three academy talents tipped to make the step up to the first team. Charlie Patino, Miguel Azeez and Omari Hutchinson have all made matchday squads this season and could be given extra responsibility next term.
William Saliba and Reiss Nelson could also be reintegrated after loan spells of their own. Saliba has made a big impression on loan at Marseille and said he is keen to return to the club for their Champions League campaig n, but it will be up to Arsenal to decide if he stays or goes.
Nelson, meanwhile, has spent the campaign on loan at Feyenoord, The 22-year-old has scored four times for the Dutch side, and started both legs of the Europa Conference League semis as they got past Marseille to make the final.
The final in Tirana will see Nelson face off with an Arsenal transfer target in the form of Roma striker Tammy Abraham. While the England international has been enjoying his football in Italy, he was non-committal when asked about his next steps.
“They’ve given me the opportunity to show myself, my heart is here,” the former Chelsea man told DAZN. “We’ll see what the future holds, but my heart is here.”
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