Arsenal nearing 3 player sales worth £26m

Arsenal have been in the headlines plenty since the transfer window opened but so far are yet to finalise any sales or purchases as Mikel Arteta looks to reshape his squad for the upcoming season. However, three players are edging near the exit door worth a combined £26m.

All the talk of new arrivals has taken some of the focus away from what is an equally important aspect of the summer: sales.

Having managed to rustle some money together, a large portion of which is believed to be coming as part of a do-as-you-please bank loan from Barclays, there will still need to be wholesale departures to supplement arrivals.

One player who seemed destined to depart for new pastures before he even pulled on his Switzerland shirt was Granit Xhaka, who is in Roma’s sights with discussions over a five-year deal going off without a hitch. Personal terms were agreed and all three parties were preparing a smooth transition.

Arsenal nearing 3 player sales worth £26m as Mikel Arteta shapes squad for summer transfer window overhaul

It hasn’t gone quite as fluidly as anticipated with disagreements over the fee in question. Roma initially came in with a derisory offer under £13m, with Arsenal holding out for over £20m. Talks have remained stable with a conclusion inevitable, but Roma are still playing hardball over their own valuation and the latest from Il Tempo (via Sport Witness) states the Italian side are refusing to budge on their €15m offer.

That’s frankly a pathetic bid for a player of Xhaka’s quality and Premier League and international experience, even if he is now 28 years old and has two years left on his deal. Given Jose Mourinho’s side are handing him a five-year deal it’s clear his age is somewhat irrelevant.

Neither side have found an amicable solution yet as Arsenal now hold out for €18m. Nonetheless, it’s a move that will materialise eventually, likely to be concluded when Switzerland’s European Championship venture comes to an end.

Looking to recoup around £60m in player sales this window, £15.5m is what the Gunners are hoping for with Xhaka (below pre-market expectations) thus the likes of Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and potentially Joe Willock and Alexandre Lacazette will have to help boost that figure up.

There are others who are edging closer to the exit door however, with talks picking up pace over recent days.

Continued…