Since taking charge of Arsenal in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has dramatically altered the club’s trajectory.
The Gunners are now a team who regularly challenge for the Premier League and have made the Champions League quarter-finals for the second year in a row.
While the Spaniard’s philosophy and tactics have played a significant role in the club’s rapid rise, his signings have been just as effective.
However, the team does look like it’ll need a minor overhaul this summer to keep it competitive, meaning incoming Sporting Director Andrea Berta will need to move several players, including one who did not impress last night and earns significantly more than Ethan Nwaneri.
The Arsenal players who should be moved on
So, with an incredibly important summer of reshaping the team to finally get over the line to come, we’ll start with the players who are almost certainly set to leave due to their contracts expiring at the end of the campaign.
Thomas Partey and Jorginho’s deals expire on June 30th, and while they could likely still contribute to the side next year, reports suggesting they’ll stay are few and far between.
Similarly, Raheem Sterling and Neto’s loan deals will run out at the end of May, and while there is a slim chance the latter could join for free, the former has proven beyond all doubt that he no longer has what’s required to play for a title-chasing side.
Kieran Tierney has already agreed a pre-contract with Celtic, and while the player he started in place of last night, Leandro Trossard, still has another year on his deal, it might be time for the club to cash in on the supposed interest in him from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in September.
The Belgian has been rather underwhelming this term, racking up a tally of just 13 goal involvements in 42 appearances, although at least he’s getting regular game time, unlike Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Ukrainian international was a key part of the club’s initial title charge in the 22/23 campaign, but with him earning £150k-per-week and barely featuring this term, it might be time to move him on in the summer, even if he did well against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.
Finally, another player who should be sold as soon as possible was one of the rare starters last night, but unlike Zinchenko, he did not make a case for his further inclusion.
The Arsenal ace who should be sold
Unfortunately, a few starters from last night’s clash didn’t step up to the plate, such as Jorginho, but in this instance, we are talking about Jakub Kiwior.
The Polish international, who joined the club from Sepzia in January 2023 for around £20m, was defensively shoddy, poor with the ball at his feet and earned a dismal but fair 4/10 match rating from GOAL’s Sean Walsh.
However, while his performance against PSV was disappointing, the argument for selling him goes beyond that, as even though the club has endured plenty of injuries this season, he’s started just nine games all.
Appearances
55
Starts
33
Minutes
3093′
Goals
2
Assists
5
Yellow Cards
3
Points per Game
2.25
Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly are ahead of him in the pecking order at left-back, and when Takehiro Tomiyasu recovers from his surgery, we imagine he will be too.
It’s the same story at centre-back, with the Italian, Dutchman, Japanese international and Ben White all likely ahead of him without even getting to the Gunners’ regular starting pair of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
If the 25-year-old defender, whom content creator Phil Costa branded “not good enough,” was earning a minuscule wage to sit on the bench and only make an occasional start, his presence in the squad wouldn’t be an issue.
However, while he isn’t one of the big earners, he’s still making £58k-per-week, which is way more than the likes of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, who are already contributing to the first team in a significant way.
Ultimately, while Kiwior isn’t a bad footballer, he’s not of the standard required to be an Arsenal player, and with the summer a chance to add some world-class talent to the team, Berta and Co should look to move him on.
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