Arsenal: 7 crucial transfer departures to complete

It’s no secret. Everyone is well aware. Arsenal will achieve nothing this transfer window unless there is significant movement in the squad to facilitate the essential purchases needed to try and amend what is a slippery slide into mid-table mediocrity.

Seeing the opening day of the Premier League season end in an atrocious 2-0 loss away to newly-promoted Brentford, off the back of back-to-back eighth place finishes in the division, many will argue that Arsenal are already mid-table.

It’s mostly unarguable.

The squad is bloated, the manager is struggling and the dejection in and around the fanbase at the state of affairs is at an all-time low. With just over two weeks to go until the transfer window closes and three matches within that time frame to play, this August has the potential to salvage Arsenal, or ruin them.

Arsenal: 7 crucial transfer departures to complete for Mikel Arteta and co ahead of Premier League deadline on August 31

There is not shirking the severity of the situation as much as some positivity wouldn’t go amiss, and selling players between now and August 31 will help determine whether there will be smiles in the terraces or glum, disheartened faces.

Already Arsenal have been forced to pull the plug on their pursuit of Tammy Abraham having failed to make room for him in the squad literally as well as financially, and even if as a fan you weren’t overly keen on the thought of his signing it’s a poignant example of the struggles facing the club.

With Chelsea and Manchester City to come, even the most ardent believers in Arsenal Football Club are having difficulty foreseeing anything other than a zero point start to the 2021/22 campaign after three matches.

Good thing West Brom is also on the fixture list to provide some Carabao Cup respite, right? Even that feels daunting.

So, to lift the mood and facilitate the arrivals that are so sorely needed, seven sales have to be sanctioned. Whether they will or not is another matter.

1. Hector Bellerin

Well, it’s not going to be Inter, is it?

Supporters were pinning their hopes on the Italian champions taking Hector Bellerin off the club’s hands but having sealed a deal to sign Denzel Dumfries from PSV Eindhoven, that is now dead in the water.

How telling is it that despite having three right-backs on the bench in the defeat to Brentford, Arteta opted to bring on a natural left-back, Nuno Tavares, for Calum Chambers in the 80th minute?

It’s baffling to even consider that the manager has that many players in his squad whom he doesn’t trust. Bellerin is clearly one of them now.

Who will take him? Well, there is still said to be Serie A and La Liga interest but it was Inter who were coming closest to matching Arsenal’s valuation, thus any departure for Bellerin feels like it could go down the loan with an option route.

Not ideal. At all.