Arsenal: Top 5 must-sell players this summer

1. Sokratis

Old? Tick. Surplus to requirements? Tick. Playing poorly and only declining? Tick. Expensive and a drain on resources? Tick. The last chance to recoup value before he leaves on a free transfer? Tick. Sokratis satisfies all of the main reasons that a club might sell a player. This really is a no-brainer.

With no other sales at centre-back in the summer, the Greek international might end up fighting for eighth-choice with Dinos Mavropanos. He will turn 32 this summer. He is earning the best part of £100,000 per week, which is starter money. He will enter the final year of his contract and might still fetch £10 million, which is £10 million more than what he could be sold for a year later.

Sokratis is not needed, he is not very good, he is old, he is expensive. There is no reason for Arsenal to keep him beyond this season. He is the ideal sale candidate, and it almost does not matter what the price is.

All in all, then, offloading these players can raise significant funds, release space in the wage budget, help to re-balance the squad, and then provide the opportunity to invest in younger, more suitable replacements. As the Mikel Arteta rebuild begins, sales will be key, starting with these five-ish players this summer.