Arsenal open to Rob Holding sale after Ben White transfer

A summer transfer window of significant overhauling at Arsenal was not expected to be focused so heavily on the centre-back department, where all the talk around Ben White’s imminent arrival has asked questions of others’ futures.

Hats off to anyone who predicted Arsenal would spend £50m on any player this summer transfer window. And whoever the person was who thought they’d part with such an outlay on a centre-back, could they please provide the lottery numbers while they’re at it?

David Luiz departing after his contract expired was the right move on the club’s part. A new injection of life was needed in the squad with the old guard stepping aside to make way for the newest Arsenal cycle, one of whom looks set to be White.

William Saliba was hoped to be the natural replacement for the Brazilian. His finest quality is his distribution, as with Luiz, and he arrives (returns?) with the added benefit of mobility, pace and development potential.

https://twitter.com/PainInThArsenal/status/1408011625534271488

Arsenal open to Rob Holding and William Saliba sales once Ben White is signed for £50m in summer transfer window

With his future shrouded in doubt over the Brighton man’s soon-to-be arrival, the disappointment that follows on from a £27m signing going more than two years without kicking a ball for the club is unavoidable. Whether he’s ready to earn his stripes or not, not to be given the chance and the handling of his time in north London has been poor management all round.

When there are four central defenders at the club – five prior to Konstantinos Mavropanos’ return to Stuttgart – and a club-record fee for a defender is being readied, someone will invariably miss out.

Expected to be Saliba to moved on, The Times continue with those developments and state he is now expected to either leave on loan or permanently this summer.

However, there is more. Indeed, Rob Holding is now ‘likely to be made available for sale’ despite signing a new deal running until 2024 just six months ago.

Ahead of the Community Shield clash with Liverpool at Wembley the news broke of a deal to join Newcastle on loan being all-but finalised, with that penalty shootout success due to be his final Gunners match before making the journey north.

Mikel Arteta eventually pulled the plug on that deal, largely over a lack of confidence in Saliba to fill in, and Holding would go on to play the third most outfield minutes of any player in the squad last season.

Now open to a sale this summer, Arsenal might just be doing something very un-Arsenal like. In other words, being smart.

Continued…