Seven Arsenal Players That May be Moving on this Summer

June 30, 2014; Porto Alegre, BRAZIL; Germany player Per Mertesacker celebrates after defeating Algeria during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Estadio Beira-Rio. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via USA TODAY Sports

That last player that Arsenal sold was Benik Afobe. Before him, you’d have to go all the way back to Thomas Vermaelen (per Transferleague.co.uk). The point is, it’s a rare occurrence. The sales of players are few and far between and for some reason, Arsene Wenger usually allows a player to rot on the bench long before selling them (see Niklas Bendtner)(Or Thomas Vermaelen).

It’s a questionable policy that has indeed been questioned, but regardless, the loyalty Arsenal have for their players is one of the most attractive qualities of the team. They don’t wholesale their team for a brand new stock of young stars every other year like Real Madrid. They fill the gaps and plug the holes with necessary signings and let their current stock and academy do the rest.

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But this summer may be a different story. Arsenal have a wave of young talent sweeping into the starting XI. Hector Bellerin, Francis Coquelin and Gabriel Paulista are all either knocking at the door or have already solidified their place as a sure starter. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back healthy and it’s only a matter of time before his play demands for him to be started as well.

As such, it’s time for a changing of the guard, but as mentioned before, the loyalty Arsenal has for their players often times keeps them around even into their senior years. Instead of moving on to other teams, players will stay and serve as a sort of mentor for the new waves. Albeit that’s not always the case, it does seem to happen more at Arsenal than anywhere else in the upper tier of the Premier League.

With how many young players are threatening to make their mark on the senior squad, Wenger may have no choice but to part ways with some of his elderly staff in order to make room. Arsenal don’t typically sell players because they don’t need the money and they never really have the need to quickly raise money for new, over-priced stars. But when it comes down to a matter of space, there may not be much of a choice.

Here are some players that Arsenal fans may have to deal with losing.

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