Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal may have to sell Bukayo Saka & Nicolas Pepe to fund rebuild

By Ross Kennerley

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on March 06, 2021 in Burnley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on March 06, 2021 in Burnley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 2
Next
Arsenal, Mikel Arteta
Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures from the sidelines during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool. (Photo by ADAM DAVY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Mikel Arteta May be Forced to Sell Bukayo Saka in the Summer

The issue is stark. Without Europa League football, let alone Champions League football, how can Arsenal reasonably hold on to their prized assets? Will Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka want to stick around and slug it out in mid-table while challenging for a Carabao Cup? They’re better than that.

Saka is the most valuable member of the squad. Nobody else comes close. Which, of course, means he could be the cash injection Arsenal need.

The report adds it’s a pressure Arsenal may have to face if European football evades them and the ambitions of their youngsters aren’t met. However, Saka, is one a core group that Arteta wants to keep, with the others being Emile Smith Rowe, Tierney, Gabriel, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli. That’s really about it.

Those already on loan, barring William Saliba, will be moved on, while Arsenal could also cut their losses on Pepe, who is yet to justify anything close to his £72m fee.

Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah, Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Dani Ceballos, Matteo Guendouzi, Sead Kolasinac, Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Hector Bellerin, one of Rob Holding or Calum Chambers and David Luiz could all bid farewell to the Emirates in the summer.

Keen to be returning is Martin Odegaard, who will cost in the region of £35m, money Arsenal will not have without European football to play and significant outgoings.

In order to start a rebuild you need youth. A core within your squad who the rest can be built around. As it is, that is Smith Rowe, Saka, Tierney, Gabriel and Martinelli. Take but one of those pieces out and the puzzles loses its shape. Its identity. Yet no player in the squad is flying the flag for the ‘new Arsenal’ as proudly as Saka.

Letting him go to fund the rebuild is cutting off your nose to spite your face. Do so and you’ve ended the rebuild before it has truly began.

Saka wanting to leave because he is better than the mess he finds himself in is another matter. You wouldn’t blame him. If anything you’d praise him.

Next. 4 talking points from Liverpool defeat. dark

But until we get to that stage, we don’t speak such foul language.

Home/Arsenal News